Page:The Mastering of Mexico.djvu/192

158 Montezuma was fond of song and entertainment, and he would order broken food and pitchers of cacao distributed to these performers. When he had done dining the four women cleared the cloths and brought him water to wash his hands; and then they laid on the table three gilded tubes holding liquid amber mixed with certain herbs the Indians call tobacco. After one of the tubes was lighted the monarch inhaled a very little of the smoke, and fell asleep.

Montezuma had numerous stewards, treasurers and cooks—indeed there is so much to tell that I know not where to begin. The limitless supply of provisions, the excellent order maintained, the expenses of the table of the guards and of the women who baked and made thousands of cups of frothy cacao—all kept us wondering. At that time a great cacique had the accounting of the whole of Montezuma's revenue in large books of paper. Such account-books filled a large house.

Two other houses were arsenals filled with arms of every sort, many adorned with gold and precious stones. With all the different sized shields, broadswords set with flint knives, lances with a fathom of blade fitted with knives, bows and arrows, slings with stones rounded by hand, large shields so ingeniously made that they could be rolled up out of the way when the warriors were not fighting—with