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Show H I S T 0 R Y 0 F M E X I C 0. BOOK VII. proprietor of the dreffes of all thofe who were prefent, and fuch a feat ~ was celebrated as an immortal de d. This game was in high cftimation with the Mexicans, and the other nations of that kingdom, and much pratl:i!ed, as is to be oncluded from the furprifing number of balls which the cities of Tochtcpec, Otatitlan, and other plares, paid in tribute to the crown of Mexico, the nmnber of which, as we have already mentioued, was not lefs than fixteen thouf1nd. The kings thernfclves played and challenged each ~ther at this game; as Montezuma II. did Nezahualpil!t'. At prefent it is not in ufe among the nations of the Mexican empire; but it is ftill k pt up among the Najarites, the Opates, the Taraumarefe, and other nations of the North. AU the Spaniards who ryave feen this game were furprifed with the unc?mmon agility of the players. The Mexicans took great delight alfo in another game, which fame writers have called patolli (h). They defcribed upon a fine mat made of the palm-tree, a fquare, within which they drew two diagonal and two crofs lines. lnfiead of dice they threw large beans, marked with fmall points. According to the points which their dice turned up, they put down, or took up, certain little fiones from the junction of the lines, and whoever had three little fioJ!eS firit in a feries, was viD:or. Bernal Diaz makes m~ntion of another game at which king. Montezuma ufed to amnfe himfelf with the conqueror Corte , during the time of his imprifonment, which he infonns us .was called 'I'otoloque. That king, he fays, threw from a difl:ance certain little balls of gold, at certain pieces of the fame metal, which were placed as marks, and whoever made the firfi five hits won the jewels for which they played. Among the Mexicans there were perfons extremely dexterous at games with the hands and feet. One man laid himfelf upon his back on the ground, and raifing up his feet, took a beam upon them, or a piece of wood, which was thick, round, and about eight feet in length. He toifed it up to a certain height, and as . it fell he received and toifed it up again with his feet; taking it afterwards between his feet, he turned it rapidly round, and what is more, he did fo with two (JJ) Patolli is a generic terll) lignifying every fort of game •. men P! . .XV/1£. floi.T.J>u,qr 40.1 . |