Page:Houses and House-Life of the American Aborigines.djvu/107

Rh Torquemada admits, assigned to it by a higher power; the tribal government itself held which it might apportion among subdivisions or to individuals, either gratuitously or on condition of certain prestations, or barter against a consideration. The tribal territory was distributed, at the time of its occupancy, into possessory rights held by the, by common and tacit consent, as resulting naturally from their organization and state of culture.

"The patches of solid ground, on which these 'quarters' settled, were gradually built over with dwellings, first made out of canes and reeds, and latterly, as their means increased, of turf, 'adobe,' and light stone. These houses were of large size, since it is stated that even at the time of the conquest 'there were seldom less than two, four, and six dwellers in one house; thus there were infinite people (in the pueblo) since, as there was no other way of providing for them, many aggregated together as they might please.' Communal living, as the idea of the 'calpulli' implies, seems, therefore, to have prevailed among the Mexicans as late as the period of their greatest power.