HISTORY OF MEXICO. 



261 



neral earth, of a pleafing fmell, and of different colours, 

 particularly a fine red. At prefent they are frequently 

 gilt with filver and gold. 



The Mexicans made ufe of no candleflicks, nor wax, 

 nor tallow candles, nor of oil to make light; for al- 

 though they had many kinds of oil, they never employed 

 it otherwife than in medicine, in painting, and in var- 

 niflies; and although they extracted a great quantity of 

 wax from the honey-combs, they either did not know, or 

 were not at the pains to make lights with it. In mari- 

 time countries they made ufe of mining beetles for that 

 purpofe; but in general they employed torches of ocotl, 

 which, although they made a fine light, and yielded an 

 agreeable odour, fmoked and foiled their habitations 

 with foot. One of the European cuftoms which they 

 chiefly prized upon the arrival of the Spaniards, was 

 that of candles ; but thofe people had certainly little oc- 

 cafion for candles, as they devoted all the hours of the 

 night to repofe, after employing all thofe of the day in 

 bufinefs and toil. The men laboured at their different 

 profeffions, and the women baked, wove, embroidered, 

 prepared victuals, and cleaned their houfes. All daily 

 made orifons to their gods, and burned copal in honour 

 of them, and therefore no houfe, however poor the pof- 

 feffor, wanted idols or cenfers. 



The method which- the Mexicans and other nations 

 pra&ifed to kindle fire, was the fame which the ancient 

 fhepherds of Europe employed (r), by the friction of 



two 



(r) Calida morus, laurus ; hedera, ?5* omnes ex quibus igniaria jlunt. Explora* 

 forum hoc ufus in cajlris Pajlorumque reperit ; quoniam ad excutiendum ignem non femper 

 lapidis efl occafto. Teritur ergo lignum ligno, ignemque concipit attritu, excipiente ma- 

 teria aridifomitis, fungi, vel foliorum facilllme conceptum. Plinius Hift. Nat. lib. 

 xvi. c. 40. The fame thing is obferved in the fecond book of the QuefHone* 

 Naturalesof Seneca, and alfoin other ancient writers. 



