54 SIX MONTHS IN MEXICO. 



celebrated Dominican missionary, found a 

 little idol called by the Miztecas The Heart 

 of the People. It was a very precious 

 emerald, four inches long and two inches 

 broad, upon which was engraved the figure of 

 a bird, and round it that of a little snake. 

 The Spaniards offered fifteen hundred sequins 

 for it ; but the zealous missionary, before all 

 the people, and with great solemnity, reduced 

 it to powder. The most extraordinary idol 

 of the Mexicans was that of Huitzilopochtli, 

 which was made of certain seeds pasted to- 

 gether with human blood. Almost all their 

 idols were coarse and hideous, from the fan- 

 tastical parts of which they were composed, 

 in order to represent their attributes and em- 

 ployments," 



* * # 



"This great temple occupied the centre 

 of the city; and, together with the other 

 temples and buildings annexed to it, com- 



