HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



93 



and fliut them up in granaries ; becaufe they were afraid 

 that they would be converted into wild beafts and would 

 devour them. They alfo covered the faces of children 

 in that way, and did not allow them to fleep, to pre- 

 vent their being transformed into mice. All thofe who 

 did not go out with the priefts, mounted upon terraces, 

 to obferve from thence the event of the ceremony. The 

 office of kindling the fire on this occafion belonged exclu- 

 fively to a prieft of Copolco, one of the diftri&s of the city. 

 The inftruments for this purpofe were, as we have already 

 mentioned, two pieces of wood, and the place on which 

 the fire was produced from them, was the breaft of fome 

 brave prifoner whom they facrificed. As foon as the fire 

 was kindled, they all at once exclaimed with joy ; and a 

 great fire was made on the mountain that it might be 

 feen from afar, in which they afterwards burned the vic- 

 tim whom they had facrificed. Immediately they took 

 up portions of the facred fire, and ftrove with each other 

 who fliould carry it moft fpeedily to their houfes. The 

 priefts carried it to the greater temple of Mexico, from 

 whence all the inhabitants of that capital were fupplie4 

 with it. During the thirteen days which followed the 

 renewal of the fire, which were the intercalary days, in? 

 terpofed between the paft and enfuing century to adjuft 

 the year with the courfe of the fun, they employed them- 

 felves in repairing and whitening the public and private 

 buildings, and in furnifliing themfelves with new drefifes 

 and domeftic utenfils, in order that every thing might 

 be new, or at leaft appear to be fo, upon the commence- 

 ment of the new century. On the firft day of that 

 year, and of that century, which as we have already men- 

 tioned, correfponded to the 26th of February, for no 

 perfon was it lawful to tafte water before mid-day. At 

 that hour the facrifices began, the number of which was 



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