SIX MONTHS IN MEXICO. 



91 



height of his head-dress, and by a piece of 

 crimson silk suspended from his shoulders: 

 after dancing some time, a mock fight began, 

 which, being followed by various evolutions, 

 terminated of course in the Mexican taking his 

 enemy prisoner, and dragging him by the 

 hair into the presence of his sovereign ; the 

 dance was then resumed, the vanquished fre- 

 quently imploring mercy, both from his con- 

 queror and the monarch. The various parts 

 were admirably performed : — no European 

 pantomime could have been better, and I al- 

 most expected to see the captive really sacri- 

 ficed to the gods. The audience seemed 

 pleased with our attendance, except one old 

 man, who appeared to think we had seen too 

 much ; he was a little elevated with pulque, 

 but some of the younger ones soon carried him 

 out. In dancing, the women accompanied 

 their motions and the music with a slight in- 

 strument in the right hand ; it was a rattle, 



