OCR Text |
Show llOOK VH. '--Y---1 S £ C T, L.)<Vl. Drelt, .. "H I S T 0 R Y 0 F M E X I C 0. four hours. To affift the fermentation, and make the beverage ftronger, they infufe a certain he:rb which they name Ocpatli, or remedy of wine. The colour of this wine is' white, the tafte a little rough, and its ftrength fufficient to intoxiqate, though not fo much as that of tae grape. In other refpech it is a wholfome liquor, and valuable on many accounts as it is an excellent diuretic, and a powerful remedy againfi the diarrhrea. The confumption made of this liquor is furprifing as it is ufeful, for the Spaniards become rich by it. Tlie revenue produced by thnt alone which is confumed in the capital amounts an .. nually to three hundred thoufand crowns ; one Mexican rial only being paid for every twenty-five Call:ilian pounds. The quantity of pulque, which was confumed in the capital in 1774, was two millions two hundred and fourteen thoufand, two hundred ninety-four and half arrobas, or upwards of fixty-three millions eight hundred thoufand Roman pounds, exclufive of that which was fmuggled in there, and that which ·the privileged Indians fell in the great market-place. The Mexicans were lefs fingular in their drefs than in their food~, Their ufual habit was quite fimple, confifting folely. of the maxtlatl and tilmatli in the men, and of the cueitl, and the huepilli,. in the women. The maxtlatl was a large belt or girdle, the two ends of which hung down before and behind to cover ~he parts of fhame. The tilmat/i was a fquare mantle, about four feet long; the two end's were tied up ... on the breafi:, or upon one !boulder, as appears in our figures. The. crteitl, or Mexican gown, was alfo a piece of fquare cloth, in which. the women wrapped themfelves from their wa.ifts down to the middle of die leg. The huepilli was a little under. veft, ·or·waiftcoat,. without fleeves. The drefs of the poor people was: made of the thread of the maguei,. or mountain palm,. or at heft the cloth of coarfe cotton; but thole of better ftation wore the fineff cotton, embellifhed' with various colours, and figures of animals, or fiow:ers, or· wove w-ith feath~rs, or the fine. hair of the rabbit,, and adorned with various little · fi·g ures of gold and. loofe Jocks cf cotton hanging about the g~t:dle or maxtlatl.. The men ufed to wear two or three mantles, and the · women three. or four vefts,. and as many gowns,, putting the longeft. und~ r moll:, fo as that a part of each of them mighD be feen :. The lords wore in winter waifi:- coats • P I ....T. Xll. • ( ( ((l rJI/Ifl l l tj (/It/Ilk . |