Page:Notes of the Mexican war 1846-47-48.djvu/578

572 Since the above has been written I noticed in a paper called The Two Republics, published in the city of Mexico, 1871, which adds another theory of the early settlers of the dominion of Mexico.

It states that a number of ancient statutes have been exhumed in the state of Vera Cruz, and that lithographic representations of two (one of them is an Ethiopian and the other an ancient Egyptian or Coptic) have been received in that city, and are now in the museum. From this it can be arguira (argued) that the Mexican portion of the American continent was, in former periods, peopled by two different and distinct races, which causes some to be a great deal darker and coarser than others.

It also states that evidence is that the Egyptian race once flourished in Mexico, but it only exists in ruins, hieroglyphics, statuary, and pottery.

The theory is now put forth that the Egyptians inhabited the east or gulf coast, while the Aztecs were originally confined to the west, and that the former were overwhelmed by the tribes of Aztecs which preceded the imperial and civilized portion of that race in its imigrationimmigration [sic] from the west.

It also says (which I have already stated) that there is reason to believe that the Aztecs occupied two centuries in their migration eastward, before reaching Chapultepec or city of Mexico.

Tuesday, May 30, 1848.—This morning our soldiers were up early, preparing to march homeward, at the same time singing our national songs and cite "We Are Coming Home."

I was approached this morning by Sergt. Thomas Ziegle, Peter Ahl, and Alburtus Welsh, wanting to know how much money I could loan them, as they wished to take up the dead bodies of William Eurick and Jacob Danner. I ran my hand down into my pocket, pulled out my purse, examined it, and I found that I could spare them two ten-dollar gold-pieces and a Mexican doubloon, handing it to them and saying that was about all I could spare them. They thanked me most kindly