The Priests train’d up their Novices in sweeping the Temples, carrying Branches, &c. to adorn them, to make Seats of Cane, to bring Needles or Thorns of Maguey to draw Blood for Sacrifices, and Shrubs to keep a perpetual Fire; and if they fail’d in their Duty, return’d to their Parents, or were catch’d with Women, they prick’d ’em with those Needles. One of the chief Priests went by Night to a Mountain, where he did Penance, carried Fire and Perfume to sacrifice to the Devil, and was always attended by a Novice; others of the Priests play’d on Musical Instruments by Night, and some of ’em observ’d the Stars, and told the Hours. The Novices arriv’d to the chief Dignities of the Priesthood by degrees, and some of ’em always attended the Armies to encourage the Men, and perform their Rites.
Those who train’d the Youth to War, punish’d their Scholars by throwing burning Coals on their Heads, pricking them with Sticks of Pine sharpen’d at one End, or by burning off their Hair. Their Kings rewarded the Soldiers according to the Number of Prisoners they took, with Military Habits of several Colours, or Posts in the Army, till they came to the highest. Their Chief Priests were also Men of Arms, and capable of all Military Preferments.
Their capital Punishments were Strangling or Stoning to Death. If a Caicque or petty Prince rebell’d, all his Subjects shar’d in his Punishment, except they found some Method to appease the King. They punish’d Drunkenness in young Men by Death, but allow’d it in old Men and old Women of 70. Highway-men and Adulterers they ston’d to Death. They had Assemblies for publick Affairs, wherein the Great Master of the Emperor or King’s Houshold exhorted the Youth to avoid Idleness, Gaming, Drunkenness, and other Vices.
This is the Sum of what that Hieroglyphical History says of the antient Mexicans.
As to the present Natives, most of ’em are subject to the Spaniards; but in some of the Mountains and Northern Parts they are not reduc’d; so that they frequently attack the Spaniards, when they meet with a favourable Opportunity.
Mexico Described.
In that call’d New Mexico some of the Natives are very barbarous, and much given to Arms, the Men wear nothing but Skins, and the Women scarce any other Covering than their Hair; they live for the most part on raw Flesh, and go together in Troops, changing their Habitation as the Season requires, or for the Conveniency of Pasturage. Their Oxen and Cows are large, with small Horns, their Hair almost like Wooll, long before, and short behind, with a Bunch on their Backs, great Beards like Goats, and their Fore Legs short; they are of an ugly Aspect, but very strong; they are the principal Riches of the Natives, their Flesh serves them for Diet, their Skins for Clothes and Coverings to their Huts, they make Thred of their Hair, Bow-strings of their Nerves, Utensils of their Bones, Trumpets of their Horns, keep their Drink in their Bladders, and use their Dung for Firing, because they are scarce of Wood. They have Sheep as large as our Asses, and Dogs so strong, that they make ’em carry their Baggage. This Country is inhabited by People of different Languages and Manners; some of them live in Cities, of which ’tis said there are several that contain from 30 to 50000 Inhabitants; others wander about in Herds like the Arabs or Tartars; but in short, this Country is so little known, and Travellers differ so much in their Accounts of it, that there’s not much to be depended upon.
I think it proper here to say something of the peopling of it. There are many Opinions about the peopling of America, but the most reasonable to me is, that it was peopled from Tartary by way of the North Pole, where they suppose it to join with some part of Asia. This I think very probable, because the Spaniards, who come yearly hither from Manila or Luconia, one of the Philipine Islands in the East Indies, are forced to keep in a high Latitude for the Benefit of Westerly Winds, and have often sounded, finding Ground in Lat. 42. N. in several Places of the Ocean betwixt the East Indies and America, which makes me conclude that there must be more Land, tho’ none of ’em, as I have heard of, ever saw any Continent till they fall in with California, in about 38 or 39°. N. Lat. I have often admir’d that no considerable Discoveries have yet been made in South Latitude from America to the East Indies: I never heard the South Ocean has been run over by above three or four Navigators, who varied little in their Runs from their Course, and by consequence could not discover much. I give this Hint to encourage our South Sea Company, or others, to go upon some Discovery that way, where for ought we know they may find a better Country than any yet discover’d, there being a vast Surface of the Sea from the Equinox to the South Pole, of at least 2000 Leagues in Longitude that has hitherto been little regarded, tho it be agreeable to Reason, that there must be a Body of Land about the South Pole, to counterpoise those vast Countries about the North Pole. This I suppose to be the Reason why our antient Geographers mention’d a Terra Australis Incognita, tho’ very little of it has been seen by any body. The Land near the North Pole in the South Sea, from California to Japan, is wholly unknown, altho’ the old Maps describe the Streights of Anian, and a large Continent, it is but imaginary; for the Dutch themselves, that now trade to Japan, say they do not yet know whether it be an Island, or joins to the Continent.
Gemelli[147] having been in this Country in 1697, who is the latest Traveller that has publish’d any thing about it, and his Accounts being in the main confirmed to me by our Spanish Prisoners, I shall give a brief Hint of what he says, especially of what relates to Trade and Provisions.
Their best Product is Gold and Silver, Pearl, Emeralds, and other precious Stones: He saw the Silver Mines of Pachma, 11 Leagues from the City of Mexico: One of ’em he says is 225 English Yards deep, the other 195: He adds, that in the Space of 6 Leagues there are about 1000 Mines, some laid aside, others still in use. There are many thousands of People imploy’d to dig ’em, from some the Metal and the Water is brought up by Engines, and from others the Metal is brought up on Mens Backs to the great Danger of their Lives, besides Numbers that are lost by the falling in of the Earth, and pestilential Damps: They go down to them by notch’d Poles, which being wet and slippery, the poor Indian Slaves many times fall, and break their Necks. Our Author says he was in danger of doing the like, when he went to see them. He adds, the Workmen inform’d him, that from one of the Veins, where near 1000 Men work’d per diem, they had in 10 Years Dug 40 Millions of Silver, that 2 Millions had been laid out in Timber-work to support it, and that it became so dangerous, as the Owner stop’d it up. I refer to him for the Manner of separating the Metal from the Oar. Every Discoverer of a Mine must pay the 5th of the Product to the King, who allows him only 60 Spanish Yards round from the Mouth, or all on one side, if he pleases. Gemelli says there’s 2 Millions of Marks, of 8 Ounces each, entred at Mexico in a Year from those Mines, besides what is stole, and 700000 Marks of it are coin’d annually into Pieces of Eight there, for which the King has a Ryal per Mark. There being Gold mix’d with the Silver, they make use of Aqua Fortis to separate them. The Officers of the Mint have very profitable Places, but I can’t insist upon their Sallaries.