Page:Mexico of the Mexicans.djvu/191

Rh Mexican native tongue. The letter x is invariably pronounced as "sh,"; j as "h"; c is hard except before "e," "i"; ch is sounded like the "ch" in "child"; and z, as in English and not with its Spanish pronunciation of "th" soft. It is strange to think that no Nahua grammar has been written in the English language; and that, although the British and Foreign Bible Society publishes the Scriptures in the Nahua tongue, that English scholars have no aid to assist them in learning the language. The numerous Spanish grammars, most of them written in the century subsequent to the Conquest of Mexico, are cumbrous and ill-adapted to the uses of English-speaking people. Moreover, the high prices they bring places them beyond the reach of the general public. The best grammar for the Briton who can also read Spanish is that by M. Remi Siméon. It is a translation, with notes, of the Nahuatl grammar of Fray Andrés de Olmos, and is now rather difficult to procure. The Nahuatl language is difficult of acquirement, and a residence in the country is essential if fluency in it is desired. It is, of course, necessary to have a sound knowledge of its vocabulary and structure before commencing the study of Mexican antiquity.

We shall glance briefly at the present condition of the several tribes who now inhabit the Mexican territory. There is, however, a considerable diversity of feature and physiological character among the different races, which, though not detected by the European stranger, is not less fundamental than the difference between, say, the Hindu and the Persian. Thus the Indians of Tlascala differ widely in their appearance from those of the Northern provinces. It is remarkable that the natives of Mexico have a more swarthy complexion than the inhabitants of the warmer climates of South America. The Mexicans, particularly those of the Aztec and Otomi races, have more beard than any of the Southern tribes, and almost all the Indians in the neighbourhood of the capital wear small moustaches. The natives are