58 SIX MONTHS IN MEXICO. 



who saw them, were deep ditches, formed 

 with stone and lime, within which they placed 

 the bodies in a sitting posture upon icpalli, 

 or low seats, together with the instruments of 

 their art or profession. If it was the se- 

 pulchre of any military person, they laid a 

 shield and sword by him ; if of a woman, a 

 spindle, a weaver's shuttle, and a xicalli, 

 which was a certain naturally formed vessel, 

 of which we shall say more hereafter. In the 

 tombs of the rich they put gold and jewels, 

 but all were provided with eatables for the 

 long journey they had to make. The Spa- 

 nish conquerors, knowing of the gold which 

 was buried with the Mexican lords in their 

 tombs, dug up several, and found considerable 

 quantities cf that precious metal. Cortez 

 says, in his letters, that at one entry which 

 he made into the capital, when it was be- 

 sieged by his army, his soldiers found fifteen 

 hundred castellanos^ that is, two hundred 



