Obscure MS Reference in Auction Catlogue of Library Of Porter Cornelius Bliss

[ixtlil at earthlink.net]

Porter C. Bliss (1838-1885), Secretary of Legation for the US in Mexico (1870-1874, among many other things in a fascinating career involving travels also in Brazil and Paraguay)  bought the Mapa de Metlatoyuca from Colonel Juan Bautista Campos in April, 1876 for $200 and later reportedly sold it to Simon Stevens for the same sum in June of that year.  The Mapa was then apparently purchased by the Department of Manuscripts of the British Museum in 1876.  Mr. Stevens was active in London in that period and before promoting the Tehuantepec Railway Company, an early proposed alternative route to what eventually became the Panama Canal.   The Department of Manuscripts is now part of the British Library, having been separated from the British Museum in the early 1970s.  The Mapa itself has stayed with the British Museum.  

I have been researching the map’s history as part of an article in process on the origin of the Mapa de Metlatoyuca.  The Mapa comes from the small town of Taxco in the municipio of Tetela de Ocampo, Puebla and is related to the Relacion Geografica initiative of about 1580 in that area.  (The tie to Metlatoyuca is not correct and the map depicts only the small valley in which Taxco is located and not the substantial portion of Mexico around Metlatoyuca that others have proposed). 

In this research, I went through the auction catalogue of Mr. Bliss’s library.  The auction was held by George A. Leavitt and Co., New York in July, 1885.  Page 39 of the catalogue has this listing with a bold face heading.  “Unique Mexican Manuscript.  423.  Inninemilitzin Oncanmotene Pua Occentetl Tlamahin Colli, etc.,  etc.  A very curious seventeenth century manuscript written on some 750 pages in an admixture of Mexican, Spanish and Latin and of a religious character for the use of the priesthood.  4to, vellum (binding damaged and some of the pages stained).  

Because of its size, I thought I would mention it to see if it is already known.  It by chance it is not, finding it would seem to start with the identification of the successful bidder for this lot.

An early Otomi dictionary is also mentioned (published) as well as lot “1047 Compendio del Confesionario en Mexicano y Castellano.  32 mo.  Antigua, 1840” (and so also apparently published).  

I doubt these items have anything to do with the Mapa de MEtlatoyuca but at least one may be of interest to list members.

Jerry Offner



 

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