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** feafts, and other abominable pradlices, for fuch is the command of 

 •* our Lord God, whom we adore and believe, who gives us life and 

 *' death, and who is to raife us up to heaven." All this the natives 

 heard with a profound filence, and Cortes then turning to the foldiers, 

 propofed to them immediately to plant the holy crofs ; but the Rev. 

 Father Olmedo objedled, upon the grounds of the ill will and igno- 

 rance of the people, which might induce them to commit fome outrage 

 Or indignity againft that holy fymbol ; he therefore recommended that 

 it ihould be deferred until a better opportunity. 



We had with us a very large dog, the property of Francifco de 

 Lugo, which during the night ufed to bark, a thing that greatly fur- 

 prifed the natives, who alked our allies if that fierce animal was a lion 

 or tyger which we brought to kill them ; they anfwered that he fell on, 

 and tore to pieces any who offended us j they alfo told them that our 

 guns fent forth ftones, which killed our enemies as we picafed to direcft 

 them, and that our horfes caught whoever we purfued : to which the 

 others replied, that with fuch powers we were really Teules. Our 

 allies alfo warned them to take fpecial care, for that we knew their moft 

 fecret thoughts, and advifed them to conciliate us by a prefent. Shortly 

 after we received from them fome gold in different articles but very 

 much debafed, four Indian women to make bread, and a load of mantles. 



I remember a particular circumftancc of this place. Near fome 

 temples were laid numbers of human ikeletons, fo arranged that they 

 could be counted with eafe and certainty ; I am convinced from my own 

 obfervation that there were above a hundred thoufand ; I repeat it, I am 

 fure there were more than a hundred thoufand. In another part of the 

 fquare, human bones were heaped up in fuch quantities that they could 

 not be counted. Numbers of (kulls were alfo fufpended from beams, 

 and all thefe were watched by three priefls. The fame thing was feen 

 every where in fome degree, as we paffed through this country and that 

 of Tlafcala. 



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