( Ha ) 



We likewife faw another great building, which was a temple, 

 and which contained thofe which were called the valiant or fighting 

 gods, and here were many kinds of furious beafts, tygers, and lions of 

 two fpccies, one of which refembles a wolf, called here Adive. Alfo 

 foxes, and other fmaller animals, but all carnivorous. Mofl of thefe- 

 were bred in the place, being fed with game, fowls, dogs, and as I 

 have heard the bodies of Indians who were facrificed, the manner of 

 which as I have been informed is this. They open the body of the 

 vidlim while living, with large knives of ftone; they take out his. 

 heart, and blood, which they ofier to their gods, and then they cut off 

 the limbs, and the head, upon which they feaft, giving the body to 

 be devoured by the wild beafls, and the fkulls they hang up in their 

 temples. In this accurfed place were many vipers, and poifonous fer- 

 pents which have in their tails fomevvhat that founds like caftanets ; 

 thefe are the moft dangerous of all, and were kept in veffels filled with 

 feathers, where they reared their young, and were fed with the fiefh of 

 human beings, and dogs j and I have been affured, that after our ex- 

 pulfion from Mexico, all thefe animals lived for many days upon the 

 bodies of our com.rades who were killed on that occafion. Thefe hearts 

 and horrid reptiles were retained to keep company with their infernal 

 gods, and when thefe animals yelled and biffed, the palace feemed like 

 hell itfelf. 



The place where the artifts principally refided was named Efcapu- 

 zalco, and was at the diftance of about a league from the city. Here were 

 "the fliops and manufactories of all their gold and filver fmiths, whofe 

 works in thefe metals, and in jewellery, when they were brought to 

 Spain, furprifed our ableft artifts. Their painters we may alfo judge 

 of by what we now fee, for there are three Indians in Mexico, who 

 are named, Marcos de Aquino, Juan de la Cruz, and Crefpillo, who, 

 if they had lived with Apelles in ancient times, or were compared with 

 Michael Angelo or Berruguete in modern times, would not be held in- 

 ferior to them. Their fine manufactures of cotton and feathers, were 

 principally brought from the province of Coftitlan. The w^omen of 



