The history of ancient Mexico : from the foundation of that empire to its destruction by the Spaniards . upon tiie cylinder, and aiter havingdanced there for a short time, tied themselves tothe ropes which were drawn throo^ die hcdes ofthe frame, and launching widi a sprins from it,be^n their ^ght with their wings expuMed. TheactHin of their bodies put thenrame and cylinderin motion; the former by its revolutioa graduallyuntwisted the ends, by which the flyers were sus-pended; 90 that, as the ropes lengthened, thejmade greater circles in their flight Whilst diefour woe flving. a fifth danced u
The history of ancient Mexico : from the foundation of that empire to its destruction by the Spaniards . upon tiie cylinder, and aiter havingdanced there for a short time, tied themselves tothe ropes which were drawn throo^ die hcdes ofthe frame, and launching widi a sprins from it,be^n their ^ght with their wings expuMed. TheactHin of their bodies put thenrame and cylinderin motion; the former by its revolutioa graduallyuntwisted the ends, by which the flyers were sus-pended; 90 that, as the ropes lengthened, thejmade greater circles in their flight Whilst diefour woe flving. a fifth danced upon the cjimder,beating a small drum, or wavii^a flag, widMmtthe least apprdienskm of danger. Others who wereupon the frame, thoe bdi^ commmlT ten or twelveengaged in this sport at a time, wmaa. the fljerswere in their last revolntioii, predpttated ti^m-selves bj the same it^MS, in Cffder to reach thegnmnd at the same tune, freqnentlj passing fromone rope to the other in their descent The most essential point of this performance,ronfasted in proportioiUDg the hdght of the tree to VclJ lh( J-\\rrs .. CH. VIII. MEXICO. 353 the length of the ropes, sc that the flyers mightreach the ground with thirteen revolutions; thusrepresenting their cycle of fifty-two years, com-posed in the manner we have already celebrated diversion has been preserved, butno attention is paid to the number of the revolu-tions, or that ot the flyers: as the frame is com-monly sexagonal, or o^ctagonal, and the flyers sixor eight in number. A favourite game similar to foot ball was usuallyplayed in a species of alley specially prepared forit, called Tlacho, and is described by Torquema-da, as a plain square space of ground, about eigh-teen perches in length, and proportionably broad,enclosed within four walls, thicker below thanabove, and the side walls higher than the others,well whitened and polished. The walls werecrowned with battlements, and on the lower onestood two idols, placed there at
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Keywords: ., bookau, bookcentury1800, booksubjectindiansofmexico, bookyear1832
