idols were like serpents and devils, and the place, all smeared over with human blood, was furnished with knives for sacrifice like the slaughter-house of a butcher.  In another part of the buildings there were great piles of wood, and a reservoir of water supplied by a pipe from the great aqueduct of Chapoltepec.  In one of the courts there was a temple, all besmeared with blood and soot, surrounded by the tombs of the Mexican nobility.  In another court there were immense piles of human bones, all regularly arranged.  Every temple had its peculiar idols, and each its regular establishment of priests, who were dressed in long black vestments, something between the dress of our canons and the Dominican friars.  They all wore their hair long and clotted with blood, and their ears were all lacerated in honour of their abominable idols.  At some distance from the temple of the tombs, there was another of which the idols were said to preside over marriages; and all the courts were surrounded by low houses for the priests and their numerous assistants.  Hard by these was a large building in which great numbers of the Mexican young women resided, as in a nunnery, till they were married.  They were devoted to the worship of two female deities, who presided over marriages, to whom they sacrificed in order to obtain good husbands.  I have thus been diffuse in describing this great temple, as it was by far the largest and most splendid in Mexico; yet the temple of Cholula was still higher, having 120 steps.  This was built on a different plan from that of Mexico, and was held in high veneration by the natives.  The temple of Tezcuco also was very large, being ascended by 117 steps, and all these differed in their structure, though they all agreed in having a number of outer courts, and a double inclosure.  Every province of this country had its own peculiar gods, who were supposed to have no concern with those of other provinces, so that its gods and idols were quite innumerable.  Having effectually fatigued ourselves in examining the objects I have just described, we retired to our quarters.

As Montezuma was entirely adverse to the proposal of Cortes for converting the great temple of Mexico into a Christian church, he was exceedingly desirous to have a chapel and altar in our quarters, and made application to Montezuma through one of his principal nobles to have materials for this purpose.  This request was immediately complied with, and as abundance of timber and native workmen were sent immediately, it was completed in three days.  In this new chapel mass was celebrated every day, though we lamented the want of wine for the holy eucharist, as it had been all expended during the illness of Cortes, Olmedo, and others, while we were in the dominions of Tlascala.  We were extremely regular in our devotions, both because it was our duty, and that we might impress a favourable opinion of our holy religion on Montezuma and his subjects.  While our carpenters were looking out for a proper