eyes were made of tetzcat, the looking-glass of the country. This idol,
like its brother Huitzilopochtli, was completely covered with precious
stones, and was called _Tetzcatlipuca_. This was the god of hell, and
the souls of the dead Mexicans stood under him.[62] A circle of figures
wound round its body, resembling diminutive devils with serpents' tails.
The walls and floor around this idol were also besmeared with blood, and
the stench was worse than in a Spanish slaughter-house. Five human
hearts had that day been sacrificed to him. On the very top of this
temple stood another chapel, the woodwork of which was uncommonly well
finished, and richly carved. In this chapel there was also another idol,
half man and half lizard, completely covered with precious stones; half
of this figure was hidden from view. We were told that the hidden half
was covered with the seeds of every plant of this earth, for this was
the god of the seeds and fruits: I have, however, forgotten its name,
but note that here also everything was besmeared with blood, and the
stench so offensive that we could not have staid there much longer. In
this place was kept a drum of enormous dimensions, the tone of which,
when struck, was so deep and melancholy that it has very justly been
denominated the drum of hell. The drum-skin was made out of that of an
enormous serpent; its sound could be heard at a distance of more than
eight miles. This platform was altogether covered with a variety of
hellish objects,--large and small trumpets, huge slaughtering knives,
and burnt hearts of Indians who had been sacrificed: everything clotted
with coagulated blood, cursed to the sight, and creating horror in the
mind. Besides all this, the stench was everywhere so abominable that we
scarcely knew how soon to get away from this spot of horrors. Our
commander here said, smilingly, to Motecusuma: "I cannot imagine that
such a powerful and wise monarch as you are, should not have yourself
discovered by this time that these idols are not divinities, but evil
spirits, called devils. In order that you may be convinced of this, and
that your papas may satisfy themselves of this truth, allow me to erect
a cross on the summit of this temple; and, in the chapel, where stand
your Huitzilopochtli and Tetzcatlipuca, give us a small space that I may
place there the image of the holy Virgin; then you will see what terror
will seize these idols by which you have been so long deluded."