This point being settled let us next introduce one other, for it will contribute to strengthen the probability that besides the quill there existed still a lower unity, that of the grain of gold itself, by which they counted. For this purpose, let us turn again to the gold piece represented in the painting. It is round. This reminds us of what was told by Cortes of the little pieces of _tin_ discovered in Tachco, which, he said, were used as coins. Likewise, we read in Bernal Diaz that Motezuma used to pay with pieces of gold when he lost in playing _patol_ (trictrac) with his Spanish jailors. The word employed by the author and eye-witness of the game, is “_tejuelo_,” which, according to Spanish usages and the dictionaries of their language, signifies: a round piece of metal. The author moreover informs us of the value of this tejuelo. It was 50 ducats of weight and must, therefore, have been equivalent to, at least, one hundred dollars of gold. Since Bernal Diaz in this entire passage wishes to express his highest esteem for Motezuma on account of the princely generosity with which he paid even those whom he knew had cheated him, we may fairly conclude that these tejuelos were not the lowest, but rather the highest, gold pieces that he had at his disposal. Should we now remember the number, 32,000, which is the highest found represented in Mexican pictures (they generally never exceed that of 8000, the _xiquipilli_), it is not at all improbable that the Motezuma-tejuelo, about 100 dollars worth, might have been equivalent to 32,000 unities, while this unity may have been one grain of gold. For if we would divide 100 dollars of gold into 32,000 equal parts, or still farther divide one gold dollar into 320 equal parts, each part would represent a very small portion of gold, but still large enough to be counted separately with the finger. This was the way the gold-dust was collected on the placeres, not by men but by women and children. The procedure was primitive, indeed, in the highest degree. In such a way, however, gold gathering was undoubtedly practised in the first stage of men’s civilization. If not written in history, yet the linguistical testimony bears witness to it. We find the expression “_grain of gold_” to be the common property among the ancient and modern nations in connection with commerce and the weighing of gold. Footnote 14: