HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



89 



employed themfelves in renewing the boundaries, and 

 repairing the inclofures of their fields. 



In the fixteenth month, which began upon the 23d 

 of December, the fifth and laft feftival of the gods of 

 water, and the mountains, took place. They prepared 

 for it with the ufual aufterities, by making oblations of 

 copal and other aromatic gums. They formed little 

 figures of the mountains, which they confecrated to 

 thofe gods, and, certain little idols made of the pafte of 

 various eatable feeds, of which when they had wor- 

 fliipped them, they opened the breafts, and cut out the 

 hearts, with a weaver's fliuttle, and afterwards cut off 

 their heads, in imitation of the rites of the facrifices. 

 The body was divided by the heads of families amongft 

 their domeftics, in order that by eating them they might 

 be preferved from certain diftempers, to which thofe 

 perfons who were negligent of worfliip to thofe deities 

 conceived themfelves to be fubje£t. They burned the 

 habits in which they had drefled the fmall idols, and 

 preferved the afties with the utmoft care in their ora- 

 tories, and alfo the vefTels in which the images had been 

 formed. Befides thefe rites, which were ufually ob- 

 ferved in private houfes, they made fome facrifices of 

 human victims in the temple. For four days preceding 

 the feftival, a ftricl faft was obferved, accompanied with 

 the effufion of blood. This month was called Ate- 

 moztli, which fignifies the defcent of the water, for a 

 reafon which we will immediately mention (g). 



Vol. II. M ~' In 



(g) Martino di Leone, a Dominican, makes Atemoztli fignify, the altar of the 

 gods ; but the name of the altar is Teomomoztli, not Atemoztli. Boturini pre- 

 tends that the name is a contraction of Ateomomoztli, but fuch contractions ob- 

 tained not among the Mexicans ; befides the figure of this month which repre- 

 fents water falling obliquely upon the fteps of an edifice, exprefles exactly the 

 defcent of water figniiied by the word Atemoztli. 



