184 



HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



from the plants together with the leaves, and guard 

 them in houfes. Before the females are delivered they 

 call their ikin, to obtain which fpoil the breeders make 

 ufe of the tail of the rabbit, brufhing mod gently with 

 it that they may not detach the infects from the leaves, 

 t or do them any hurt. On every leaf they make three 

 nefls, and in every ned they lay about fifteen cochineals. 

 Every year they make three gatherings, referving how- 

 ever each time a certain number for the future genera- 

 tion ; but the lad gathering is lead valued, the cochineals 

 being fmaller then, and mixed with the fhavings of the 

 opuntia. They kill the cochineal mod commonly with 

 hot water. On the manner of drying it afterwards, the 

 quality of the colour which is obtained from it chiefly 

 depends. The bed is that which is dried in the fun. 

 Some dry it in the comalU, or pan, in which they bake 

 their bread of maize, and others in the temazcalli, a fort 

 of oven, of which we fliall fpeak elfe where. 



The Mexicans would not have been able to alfemble 

 fo many forts of animals, if they had not had great 

 dexterity in the exercife of the chace. They made ufe 

 of the bow and arrow, darts, nets, fnares, and Cer- 

 bottane* The cerbottane which the kings and princi- 

 pal lords made ufe of were curioufly carved and painted, 

 and like wife adorned with gold and filver. Befides the 

 exercife of the chace which private individuals took ei- 

 ther for amufement, or to provide food for themfelves, 

 there were general chaces, which were either thofe eda- 

 blifhed by cudom to procure a plenty of victims for fa- 

 crifices, or others occafionally appointed by the king. 

 For this general chace they fixed on a large wood, which 



was 



* Cerbottane, are long tubes, or pipes, through which they flioot, by blow- 

 ing with the mouth little balls at birds, &c. 



