HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



ries fupported on pillars of marble, all of one piece. Thefe 

 galleries looked towards a garden, where, in the midfl of 

 fome flirubbery, ten fifti-ponds were formed, fome of them 

 of frefh water for the aquatic birds of rivers, and others 

 of falt-water for thofe of the fea. In other parts of the 

 houfe were all forts of birds, in fuch number and variety, 

 as to ftrike the Spaniards with wonder, who could not 

 believe there was any fpecies in the world wanting to the 

 colleftion. They were fupplied with the fame food 

 which they fed upon while they enjoyed their liberty,, 

 whether feeds, fruits, or infe61:s. For thofe birds which 

 lived on fifli only, the daily confumption was ten Cafti- 

 Ihnpe/os of fifli, (according to the teftimony of the con- 

 queror Cortez, in his letters to Charles V.) which is 

 more than three hundred Roman pounds. Three hun- 

 dred men, fays Cortez, were employed to take care of 

 thofe birds, belides their phyficians, who obferved their 

 diflempers, and applied timely remedies to them. Of 

 thofe three hundred men, fome procured them their food, 

 others diftributed it, others took care of their eggs at 

 the time of their incubation, and others picked their plu- 

 mage at certain feafons of the year ; for, befides the plea- 

 fure which the king took in feeing fo great a multitude 

 of animals collected together, he was principally careful 

 of their feathers, not lefs for the fake of the famous Mo- 

 faic images, of which we fliall fpeak hereafter, than of 

 the other works v^^hich were made of them. The halls 

 and chambers of thofe houfes, were fo many in number, 

 as the conqueror above mentioned attefts, that they 

 could have accommodated two great princes with all their 

 retinue. This celebrated houfe was fituated in the place 

 where, at prqfent, the great convent of St. Francis, 

 ftauds* 



The 



