HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



215 



other places, paid in tribute to the crown of Mexico, 

 the number of which, as we have already mentioned, was 

 not lefs then fixteen thoufand. The kings themfelves 

 played and challenged each other at this game ; as 

 Montezuma II. did Nezahualpilli. At prefent it is not 

 in ufe among the nations of the Mexican empire ; but it 

 is ftill kept up among the Najarites, the Opates, the 

 Taraumarefe, and other nations of the North. All the 

 Spaniards who have feen this game were furprifed with 

 the uncommon agility of the players. 



The Mexicans took great delight alfo in another game, 

 which fome writers have called patolli (h). They de- 

 fer ibed upon a fine mat made of the palm-tree, a fquare, 

 within which they drew two diagonal and two crofs lines. 

 Inftead of dice they threw large beans, marked with 

 fmall points. According to the points which their dice 

 turned up ; they put down, or took up, certain little 

 ftones from the junction of the lines, and whoever had 

 three little ftones firft in a feries, was vidlor. 



Bernal Diaz makes mention of another game at which 

 king Montezuma ufed to amufe himfelf with the con- 

 queror Cortes, during the time of his imprifonment, 

 which he informs us was called Totoloque. That king, 

 he fays, threw from a diftance certain little balls of gold, 

 at certain pieces of the fame metal, which were placed 

 as marks, and whoever made the firft five hits won the 

 jewels for which they played. 



Among the Mexicans there were perfons extremely 

 dexterous at games with the hands and feet. One man 

 laid himfelf upon his back on the ground, and raifing up 

 his feet, took a beam upon them, or a piece of wood, 

 which was thick, round, and about eight feet in length. 



C He 



Q>) Patolli is a generic term fignifying every fort of game. 



