he women were particularly skilful in weaving and embroidery, and they
manufactured quantities of the finest stuffs, interwoven with feathers.
The commoner stuffs, for daily use, came from some townships in the
province of Costatlan, which lay on the north coast, not far from Vera
Cruz, where we first landed with Cortes.

The concubines in the palace of Motecusuma, who were all daughters of
distinguished men, were employed in manufacturing the most beautiful
stuffs, interwoven with feathers. Similar manufactures were made by
certain kind of women who dwelt secluded in cloisters, as our nuns do.
Of these nuns there were great numbers, and they lived in the
neighbourhood of the great temple of Huitzilopochtli. Fathers sometimes
brought their daughters from a pious feeling, or in honour of some
female idol, the protectress of marriage, into these habitations, where
they remained until they were married.

The powerful Motecusuma had also a number of dancers and clowns: some
danced in stilts, tumbled, and performed a variety of other antics for
the monarch's entertainment: a whole quarter of the city was inhabited
by these performers, and their only occupation consisted in such like
performances. Lastly, Motecusuma had in his service great numbers of
stone-cutters, masons, and carpenters, who were solely employed in the
royal palaces.[57] Above all, I must not forget to mention here his
gardens for the culture of flowers, trees, and vegetables, of which
there were various kinds. In these gardens were also numerous baths,
wells, basins, and ponds full of limpid water, which regularly ebbed and
flowed. All this was enlivened by endless varieties of small birds,
which sang among the trees. Also the plantations of medical plants and
vegetables are well worthy of our notice: these were kept in proper
order by a large body of gardeners. All the baths, wells, ponds, and
buildings were substantially constructed of stonework, as also the
theatres where the singers and dancers performed. There were upon the
whole so many remarkable things for my observation in these gardens and
throughout the whole town, that I can scarcely find words to express the
astonishment I felt at the pomp and splendour of the Mexican monarch.

In the meantime, I am become as tired in noting down these things as the
kind reader will be in perusing them: I will, therefore, close this
chapter, and acquaint the reader how our general, accompanied by many of
his