HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



185 



was generally that of Zacatepec, not far diftant from 

 the capital ; there they chofe the place mod adapted 

 for fettingr a great number of mares and nets. With 



o o 



fome thoufands of hunters they formed a circle round 

 the wood of fix, feven, eight, or more miles, according 

 to the number of animals they intended to take : they 

 fet fire every where to the dry grafs and herbs, and 

 made a terrible noife with drums, horns, fhouting, and 

 whittling. The animals, alarmed by the noife and the 

 fire, fled to the centre of the wood, which was the very 

 place where the fnares were fet. The hunters ap- 

 proached towards the fame fpot, and frill continuing 

 their noife, gradually contracted their circle, until they 

 left but a very fmall fpace to the game, which they all 

 then attacked with their arms. Some of the animals 

 were killed, and fome were taken alive in the fnares, or 

 in the hands of the hunters. The number and variety 

 of game which they took was fo great, that the firft 

 viceroy of Mexico, when he was told of it, thought it 

 fo incredible, that he defired to make experience of the 

 method himfelf. For the field of the chace, he made 

 choice of a great plain which lies in the country of the 

 Otomies, between the villages of Xilotepec and S. Gio- 

 vanni del Rio, and ordered the Indians to proceed in the 

 fame manner as they had been ufed to do in the time of 

 their paganifm. The viceroy, with a great retinue of 

 Spaniards repaired to the plain, where accommodations 

 were prepared for them in houfes built of wood, erected 

 there on purpofe. Eleven tboufand Otomies formed a 

 circle of more than fifteen miles, and after pra&ifing all 

 the means above mentioned, aflembled fuch a quantity of 

 game on the plain, that the viceroy, who was quite 

 aftonifhed at the fight, commanded that the greater part 

 Vol. IT. A a of 



