HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



211 



Whenever the cords, on account of the twifting, became 

 fo mort, that the dancers could hardly keep hold of them 

 with their arms raifed up, by croffing each other again, 

 they undid and unwound them from the tree. There is 

 likewife pra&ifed by all the Indians of Mexico an ancient 

 dance commonly called Tocotin, which is fo graceful, de- 

 cent, and folemn, that it has become one of the facred 

 dances performed on certain feftivals in our time. 



The amufements of the Mexicans were not confined 

 to the theatre and dancing. They had various games, 

 not only for certain fixed feafons and public occafions, 

 but alfo for the diverfion and relaxation of private indi- 

 viduals. Amongfl the public games, the race was one 

 in which they exercifed themfelves from childhood. In 

 the fecond month, and poffibly alfo at other times, there 

 were military games, among which the warriors repre- 

 fented to the people a pitched battle. All thofe fports 

 were mod: ufeful to the ftate, for befides the innocent 

 paftime which they afforded to the people, they gave 

 agility to their limbs, and accuftomed them to the fa- 

 tigues of war. 



The exhibition of the flyers which was made on cer- 

 tain great feftivals, and particularly in fecular years, was, 

 though of lefs public benefit, more celebrated than all 

 others. They fought in the woods for an extremely 

 lofty tree, which, after dripping it of its branches and 

 bark, they brought to the city, and fixed in the centre 

 of fome large fquare. They cafed the point of the tree 

 in a wooden cylinder, which, on account of fome refem- 

 blance in its fliape, the Spaniards called a mortar. From 

 this cylinder hung four ftrong ropes, which ferved to 

 fupport a fquare frame. In the fpace between the cy- 

 linder and the frame, they fixed four other thick ropes, 



which 



