HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



169 



among their gods. If they on the one hand found thera- 

 felves ftrong enough to refill, they rejected the propofi- 

 tion, and difmiffed the ftrange god ; but if they thought 

 themfelves unable to fuftain a war, they received the 

 idol, and placed it among their provincial gods, and an- 

 fwered to the embalTy with a large prefent of gold, gems, 

 or beautiful feathers, acknowledging their fubjection to 

 the fovereign. 



If war was to be commenced, previous to every thing 

 elfe they fent advice of it to the enemy, that they might 

 prepare for defence, confiderkig nothing more mean and 

 unworthy of brave people than to attack the unguarded : 

 for this purpofe therefore, they fent before them feveral 

 Ihields, which were the fignals of a challenge, and like- 

 wife fome cotton drelTes. When one king was challenged 

 by another, they ufed alfo the ceremony of anointing, 

 and fixing feathers upon his head, which was done by 

 the ambaffador, as happened at the challenge given by 

 king Itzcoatl to the tyrant Maxtlaton ; they next des- 

 patched fpies, who were called Sguimichtin, or forcerers, 

 and were to go in difguife into the country of the enemy, 

 to obferve their number and motions, and the quality of 

 the troops which they muftered. If they were fuccefs- 

 ful in this commiffion they were amply rewarded. Laftly, 

 after having made fome facrifices to the god of war, and 

 to the tutelar deities of the (late or city on which the 

 war was made, in order to merit their protection, the 

 army marched, but not formed into wings, or ranked in 

 files, but divided into companies, each of which had its 

 leader, and its ftandard. When the army was numerous 

 it was reckoned by Xiquipilli ; and each xiquipilli con- 

 fided of eight thoufand men. It is extremely probable, 

 that each of thefe bodies was commanded by a Tlacate- 



Vol. II. Y cat!, 



