ant to see the
democratic character of this assemblage of pupils. All classes were
represented. The school is as free to the son of a peon as to him with
the richest of parents. Prizes are given for meritorious work by the
students; one annual prize is especially sought for, namely, an
allowance of six hundred dollars a year for six years, to enable the
recipient to study art abroad. The institution is in a reasonably
flourishing condition, but it lacks the stimulus of an appreciative
community to foster its growth and to incite emulation among its pupils.
Strangers visit, admire, and applaud, but native residents exhibit
little or no enthusiasm for this nucleus of the fine arts in the
national capital. The encouragement offered to artists in any line in
Mexico is extremely small. There can hardly be said to be any home
demand for their products. There is one other canvas, seen in the
galleries, which comes back to memory, and of which it is a pleasure to
speak in commendation. The artist's name has escaped us, but the
admirable and effective picture represented "Columbus contemplating the
Sea."

Art should certainly be at home in Mexico, where it has found expression
in various forms for hundreds of years. What were the picture-writings
of the aborigines but early examples of art? There are numerous
specimens of Aztec paintings illustrative of the early history of
Mexico, which were produced long before the arrival of the conquering
Spaniards. Some of these on deerskin, and some on a sort of parchment,
or papyrus, which the Toltecs and Aztecs made from the leaves of the
maguey plant, may be seen in European museums. They show that the arts
of metal casting and the manufacture of cotton and of jewelry were
derived from the Toltecs by the Aztecs. There are plenty of examples to
be seen showing that these aborigines were admirable workers in silver
and gold. So eager was Cortez to send large sums of gold to his
sovereign, and thus to win royal forgiveness and countenance as regarded
his gross insubordination in stealing away from Cuba, and in boldly
taking upon himself all the prerogatives of a viceroy, that he not only
extorted every ounce of gold dust he could possibly obtain from the
natives of the conquered provinces, but he melted many of their
beautiful and precious ornaments into more available shape for his
purpose. Some of these he transmitted to Spain, where, in course of
time, they also shared the same fate. T