HISTORY OP MEXICO. 



59 



they began a dance to the found of mufical inflruments, 

 which lafled the greateft part of the day. In the mean- 

 while, the people facrhiced an incredible quantity of 

 quails, the number of them being never lefs than eight 

 thoufand. When thefe facri frees were over, the priefls 

 carried fix prifoners to the tops of the trees, and after 

 tying them there, defcended ; but they had hardly time 

 to reach the ground, before the unhappy victims were 

 pierced with a multitude of arrows. The priefls mount- 

 ed again to cut down the dead bodies, and let them 

 drop from the height ; immediately their breads were 

 opened, and their hearts torn out, according to the cuf- 

 tom of thofe people. The victims as well as the quails 

 were ftiared among the priefls and nobles of that city, 

 for the banquets which crowned their barbarous and de« 

 teftabie feftival. 



While they were thus cruel to others, it is not won- 

 derful that they Jikewife praclifed inhumanity towards 

 themfelves. Being accuflomed to bloody facri frees of 

 their prifoners., they alfo failed not to fhed abundance of 

 their own blood, conceiving the flreams which flowed 

 from their victims inefficient to quench the diabolical 

 thirfl of their gods. It makes one fhudder to read the 

 auflerities which they exercifed upon themfelves, either 

 in atonement of their tranfgreflions, or in preparation 

 for their feflivals. They mangled their flefti as if it had 

 been infenfrble, and let their blood run in fuch profu- 

 fion, that it appeared § to be a fuperfluous fluid of the 

 body. 



The effufion of blood was frequent and daily with 

 fome of the priefls, to which practice they gave the 

 name of Tlamacazqui. They pierced themfelves with 

 the fharpefl fpines of the aloe, and bored feveral parts 



of 



