sides these servants there were numerous butlers, house-stewards,
treasurers, cooks, and superintendents of maise-magazines. Indeed there
is so much to be said about these that I scarcely knew where to
commence, and we could not help wondering that everything was done with
such perfect order. I had almost forgotten to mention, that during
dinner-time, two other young women of great beauty brought the monarch
small cakes, as white as snow, made of eggs and other very nourishing
ingredients, on plates covered with clean napkins; also a kind of
long-shaped bread, likewise made of very substantial things, and some
pachol, which is a kind of wafer-cake. They then presented him with
three beautifully painted and gilt tubes, which were filled with liquid
amber, and a herb called by the Indians tabaco. After the dinner had
been cleared away and the singing and dancing done, one of these tubes
was lighted, and the monarch took the smoke into his mouth, and after he
had done this a short time, he fell asleep.[53]

About this time a celebrated cazique, whom we called Tapia, was
Motecusuma's chief steward: he kept an account of the whole of
Motecusuma's revenue, in large books of paper which the Mexicans call
_Amatl_. A whole house was filled with such large books of accounts.[54]

Motecusuma had also two arsenals filled with arms of every description,
of which many were ornamented with gold and precious stones. These arms
consisted in shields of different sizes, sabres, and a species of
broadsword, which is wielded with both hands, the edge furnished with
flint stones, so extremely sharp that they cut much better than our
Spanish swords:[55] further, lances of greater length than ours, with
spikes at their end, full one fathom in length, likewise furnished with
several sharp flint stones. The pikes are so very sharp and hard that
they will pierce the strongest shield, and cut like a razor; so that the
Mexicans even shave themselves with these stones. Then there were
excellent bows and arrows, pikes with single and double points, and the
proper thongs to throw them with; slings with round stones purposely
made for them; also a species of large shield, so ingeniously
constructed that it could be rolled up when not wanted: they are only
unrolled on the field of battle, and completely cover the whole body
from the head to the feet. Further, we saw here a great variety of
cuirasses made of quilted cotton, which were outwardly adorned w