OCR Text |
Show nooK vn. '---....---' $ V. C T, XXIV. StauJa rds ami martial IIlli lie. H I -s T · 0 R Y 0 F .M E X I C 0. broad, and as thick as the blade of our ancient [words. This weapon was fo keen, that once it entirely beheaded a horfc at one !hoke, according to the aflirmation of Acq!b; but the firil: il:rokc only was to be feared; for the razors became foon blunt. They tied this weapon by a firing to their nrm, leil: they might lofe it in any violcnt conflict. The form of the maquahuitl is defcribed by fcvern,l hiflorinns, and is rcprefented in one of the plates of .this hifi.ory . . The pikes of the Mexicans, inftcad of iron, were pointcd with a large flint, but fome of th..: n1. alfo with copp...r. The Cbinantccas, and fame people of Chiapan1 made ufe of pikes fo monfi:rous, that they exceeded three p<;:rches, pr eighteen feet in ltngth, and the conqueror Cortes employed them aga inft the cavalry of his rival Panfilo Navaez. The 'I'Iacochtli, or Mexican dart, was a [mall lance of otr1tli, or fome other fl:rong wood, the point of which was hardened by fire, or {hod with copper, or itzli, or bone, and many of them had three points, in order to make a triple wound at every 1l:roke. They fixed a firing to their darts (g), in order to pull them back again, after they had launched them at the enemy. This was the weapon which was the mofi: dreaded by the Sp:mi(h conquerors; for they were fo expert at throwing them, that they pierced the body of an enemy through and through. The foldiers were armed in general with I a fword, a bow and arrows, a dart, and a fling. We do not know, whether in war, they ever made ufe of their axes, of which we fha ll !hartly fpeak. They had alfo il:andards and mu fica\ infl:ruments proper for war. Their fi:andards, which were more like the Signum of the Romans than our colours, were fi:aves from eight to ten feet long, on which they carried the arms or enfigns of the fl:ate, made of gold, or feathers, or fome other valuable materials. The armorial enfign of the Mexican empire, was an eagle in the aCt of oarting upon a tyger j that of the republic of Tlafcala, an eagle with its wings fpread (h); but each of with o~e £hoke which h~ gave a horfc in the belly, make his intcilines drop out ; and an ~ thcr, who With one !lroke wh1ch he gave a horfe upon the hcau laid him dead at his feet. lg) The .Me;,ic:m dan was of thnt kind of darts which ;he Romnns ufcd to cnll Hnjlile, J a· ~11 /1111~, or <ftlllm lllllt~~/alwll, and the Spanifl\ name .AmtiiiD or Ameinto, which the hillori ans of Mcx1co have adopted, means the fame thi11g as the Amentum of the Romans. (h) ?o~ :•rn f.1ys, th:lt the nrmo1 ial enfil!n of the republic of Tlnfcala was a crane; belt othc:r h1!lonam, better Informed thnn be was , a(firm thnt it was an eagle. the • H I S T 0 R Y 0 F 'M E X I C 0. the fonr lordn1ips which compofed the republic had 'ts · li . . .• · 1 proper en 1gn. nooK. vrr. That of Ocotcl(llco, was a green brr l upon a ro k; that of Tizatlan, ''---.·-~· a heron .. upon. a r~ck alfo; that of Tepcti~pac, a fierce wolf, holding ~~.me .~~~o~s 11: hts paws; a~1d that of ~tahui ztlan, a parafol of green f~.:.Hhct s · fhe £bndard w h t h the conqueror Cortes took in the £t-ll'l< 64JS b:mle of Otomp~n, was :1 net of gold, which, in all probability was the fian.daJ:d of fome city 11tuated on the lake. Befides the com~ mon and pnn 1pal 1l:a ndar~ of the army, every company, confitl:ing of two or thr.ce. hun_drcd foldtcrs, carried its particular il:andard, and was not only chil:tngudhed from others by it, but likewjfe by the colour of the feathers, which the ofliccrs and nobles bot·e upon the1' r armou,r . ~he ihnd:u·d-bcarer of the army, at leafi: in the lail: years of the em-prrc, was the. general, and thofe of the companies, mofl: probably, were ~orne by thell' commanding otEcers. Thofc fiand ards were fo firm1y fted upon the b~cks of the. oHicers, that it was almoil: impofiib le to deta~h them WJthout cuttmg the il:andard-bearers to pieces. The Mexicans always placed their fl:andard in the centre of their ~nny. The !~a(calans, when they marched their tt'Oops in time of peace placed 1t m the van, but in the time of war, in the rear of their army. Their martial mufic, in which there was more noi[e than harmony, confifi:ed of drums, hurns, and certain fea-!hells which made an extremely fhrill found. Previ~us to a declamtion of war, the fupreme council eKamined into the caufe which induced them to undertake it, which was for the moft part the rebellion of fbme city or province, the putting to death unlawfully fome Mexican , Acolhuan, or Tepanecan couriers, or merchan ts, or fomc grofs infult oftl.:.red to their ambaffaclors. If the re-bellion_ originated in fame of th e chiefs, and not among the people, the gu1lty perfons were conduCl:cd to the capital and ptmHhcd. But if the people were al(o in fault, £·ltisfaCJ:ion was demanded from them in the name of the king. If they fubmi tted, and manifefi:ed a fincerc re-pentance, thei r crime was pardoned, and they wcr~ advifed to better conduce; but if, inil:cad of fubmiflion, they an!wered with arrogance, ~nd perfifted in denying the i~1tisf:1Ction demanded, or offered any new mfult to the me1fengers which were fent to them, the affair was dif-cuifcd in the cou ncil, and if war was refo lved upon, pror er orders were . VoL. I. B b g' IV ell S ECT. XX\:. The mode of declaring and carrying on war. |