HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



87 



day following, they gave their benediction to the (ta- 

 llies, and alfo to a fmall quantity of water which was 

 preferved in the temple for the purpofe of being fprink- 

 led on the face of any new king of Mexico, and of the 

 general of their armies after their election ; but the 

 general, befides being befprinkled, was required to drink 

 it. As foon as the flatues were confecrated by this be- 

 nediction, the dance of both fexes began, and continued 

 all the month for three or four hours every day. Dur- 

 ing the whole of the month a great deal of blood was 

 Ihed ; and four days before the feftival, the mafters of 

 the prifoners which were to be facrificed, and which 

 were felected for the occafion, obferved a fad, and had 

 their bodies painted of various colours. In the morn- 

 ing of the twentieth day, on which the feftival was held, 

 a grand and folemn proceffion was made. A priefl 

 bearing a ferpent of wood, which he raifed high up in 

 his hands, called Ezpamitl, and which was the badge of 

 the gods of war, went firft, with another priefl bearing 

 a flandard, fuch as they ufed in their armies. After 

 them came a third priefl, who carried the flatue of the 

 god Painalton, the vicar of Huitzilopochtli. Then 

 came the victims after the other priefls, and laflly, the 

 people. The proceffion fet out from the greater tem- 

 ple, towards the diflrict of Teotlachco, Where it flopped, 

 while two prifoners of war, and fome purchafed flaves 

 were facrificed ; they proceeded next to Tlatelolco, 

 Popotla, and Chapoltepec, from whence they returned 

 to the city, and after having paffed through other di£ 

 tri&s, re-entered the temple. 



This circuit of nine or ten miles, which they per- 

 formed, confumed the greateit part of the day, and at 

 all the places where they flopped, they facrificed quails, 



and, 



