OCR Text |
Show H I S T 0 R Y 0 F M E X I C 0. Among others there was one extremely curious dance which is ftill kept up by the people of Yucatan. They fixed in the earth a tree, or ftrong poft, fi fteen or twenty feet high. from the top of which, according to the number of dancers, th y fufpendcd tw<.:nty or more fmall cords, all long and of different colours. Wh<.:n each dancer had taken hold of the end of his cord, they all began to dance to the found of mufical infl:ruments, . crolli ng each other with great dt:xtcrity until they formed a beautiful net-work of the cords round the tree, on which the colours appeared chequered in admirable order. Whenever the cords, on account of the twifling, became (o fhort, that the dancers could hardly keep hold of them wi th their arms rai{ed up, by cruffing each other again, they undid and unwound them from the tree. There is likewife praCl:ifed by all the Indians of Mexico an ancient dance commonly called 7'ocotin, which is fo graceful, decent, and folcmn, that it ha become one of the filcred dances pcrformeJ on certain fcfiivals in our time. The amufements of the Mexicans were not confined to the theatre and dancing. They had various games, not only for certain fixed fea fons and public occafions, but a1fo for the diverfion and relaxation of private individnals. Amongfl: the public games, the race was one in which they exercifed themfelves from childhood. In the (econd month, and poffibly alfo at other tim::s, there were military games, among which the warriors repre(ented to the people a pitched battle. All thofe fports were mofl: ufeful to the ftatc, for beiicies the innocent pafi:ime which they aA.1xded to the people, they gave ag ility to their limbs, and accufl: omed them to the EHigues of war. The exhihition of the flyers which w.1s nude on cert.lin gr~.-a t fdli v.1l s, and particularly· in fccular years, was, tbon6h of lefs public benefi t, more cclcbratt.:d than all others. They fought in the wood for an extremely lofty tree, ·which, after flripping it of its branches :111d bark, they brought to the city, and fi xed in the cell tre of fame large fquare. They cafcd the point of the tree in a wooden cyli nder, which, on acconnt of f<Hne refcmblance in its 01apc, the Sp:m iarJs called a mortar. From this cylinder hung four {l.rong rope·, which ierved to fnpport a fllllnt'e frame. In the f]Jace between the cylinder and the frame, they fixed four other thick ropes, whic!t they twiflcd as many times round v 0 L • I. F f f the.. 4.0J BOOK v rr. '--v-- S E C T , XLVI. Game· . |