authenticity of the miraculous appearance of the virgin of Guadalupe, in dis proof of the doubts cast upon it by Doctor Juan Bautista Muñoz iii an essay which he read before the academy of history at Madrid in 1794.
Bustamante did not confine himself to original productions, but published a large number of the works of other authors, whose manuscripts he rescued from oblivion. The most notable of these are: La Historia de Hernan Cortés, which Bustamante began to publish in 1826, believing it to be an original un edited history in the Mexican language, written by Juan Bautista de San Anton Muñoz Chimalpan, a native Mexican. He soon discovered, how ever, that it was only a translation of Gomara s history. The same year he published in a 4to volume El Descrubrimiento de la América por Colon, which he attributed to the Franciscan friar Vega, and Texcoco en los Ultimos Tiempos de sus Antiguos Reyes, by Veitia. In 1832 he produced Description de las dos Piedras Antiguas Mexicanas, que se Hallaron en la Plaza de Mexico en 1790, con Ocasion del Nuevo Empedrado, by Leon y Gama. Still later in 1841 he brought to light Historia de la Compañia de Jesus en Nueva Espana, by Padre Alegre. The historians of Mexico are greatly indebted to Bustamante for his discovery and publication of these and other valuable manuscripts, but it is to be lamented that he could not desist from interpolating in the text observations of his own, without distinguishing them from the original, and from suppressing portions that appeared to him of no value. Yet, where comparison of his publications with the originals has been possible, he has been proved frequently guilty of this literary crime. The litterateur José Fernando Ramirez has exposed his dishonesty in this respect, particularly in Sahagun's large work, which Bustamante published during 1829 and 1830, in three 4to volumes, the first under the title of Historia de la Conquista de México, pp. 330, and the two following containing respectively 397 and 339 pages, under that of Historia General de las Cosas de Nueva España. Sahagun's manuscript had lain for two centuries in the Franciscan library at Tolosa in Spain. Discovered by Juan Bautista Muñoz, Lord Kingsborough obtained a copy, and published it in London in 1830. Another copy had been obtained by Brigadier Diego García Panes and brought to Mexico. Bustamante availed himself of the latter. But Ramirez compared Bustamante's edition with that of Lord Kingsborough, and the discrepancies were found to be of the gravest importance, with every presumption in favor of the correctness of the London, edition. I must not omit to mention the Historla Civil y Politica de México, of Padre Andrés Cavo, written at Rome in the 18th century, and giving a chronological history of Mexico from the time of the conquest to 1766. This work might forever have remained unpublished had it not fallen into the hands of Bustamante, who brought it out in 1836-8 in four volumes, comprising 1,174 pages, under the title of Los Tres Siglos de Mexico durante el Gobierno Español hasta la Entrada del Ejército Trigarante. The history is continued from June 1767 down to the independence in 1821, in a supplement written by the editor. Bustamante s zeal may be imagined when it is con sidered that to write this supplement he searched, according to his statement, 174 volumes of the secret correspondence of the viceroys. Tres Siglos, iii. sup., Prol. ii. In all Bustamante s publications of this class, he inflicts upon the reader a multitude of unnecessary notes of his own, many of them being use less or irrelevant.
Among the periodicals edited by Bustamante I may mention, besides those already alluded to, La Abispa de Chilpancingo, 1821-2; and La Voz de la, Patria, 1831-2, which contains the history of presidents Victoria and Guerrero. He moreover published in other periodicals a multitude of articles on differ ent subjects, besides innumerable separate pamphlets. His writings frequently exposed him to disagreeable consequences, and on more than one occasion were the cause of his being imprisoned.
Cárlos Bustamante was of medium height, with a pleasing expression of countenance. In early life he became bald and his hair turned gray, which gave him the appearance of being older than he really was. He spoke with great facility in public, but his voice was harsh and disagreeable. This fault,
