, 1844-02-24

AT length the fatal day OF sacrifice
arrived. Tie Term Of his shor;-liv-
ed gIorIes vas al an end. lie was
stripped Of his gaudy apparel, and
babe adleu 10 the fair partners Of his
revelrieS. One of the royal bargeS
transported him across the lake to a
temple wEichroSe on its margin, about
a league from the city. lIithtr the
inhabitants Of the capital hockei. TO
witness the contamination Of The
ceremony. As the sad procession
wound up the sides OF the pyramid,
the unhappy victim threw away his
gay chaplets of flowers, and broke in
pieces the musical instruments with
which he had sOiaced the hours oi
captivity. On the suTmit he was re-
ceived by SIX priests. whose long and
matted locks flowed dlSorderIy over
their sable robes. covered with hero
gIvphic scrolls of mystic import
They led him to the sacrIfciaI stone,
u large block of Jasper. with lis up.
+ per surface somewhat canvex. On
this the prisoner was stretched. Five
frIeSls secnredhiS head ani his limbs;
while the sixth. clad in a scarlet man
tie, emb!ematic oil his bloody office.
dexterio%,!v OF cned the breast of
the "rc;ctied TiciIm with a sharp ra-
Z"r OF H@H-a volcanic substance,
hard as ii!n'--and, inserting his hand
III the wound. tore out the PaipIta-
ting heart. The minister ct death.
trSt holding THIS mp towards the sun
an "rJecl OF worship iEf"uShnut An
alu"c, cast Il at Tie feet OF the deity
I" whom ia" tempe VAS devoted,
While tie mui!IiGdcS below pTOStr"-
TED themselves il humble alteration.
The tragic story OF the type Of hu.
man destiny, which brilliant in It's
commencement. too Often closes IN
sorrow and Disaster.
Such Was the form Of the human
sacri:'ce usually pracliccd ty the
AZlte<. Il Was tsac same that often
net the eyeo t the ! ur"peanS IN their
progress Though the country. and
i!om the dreadful doom OF winch.
Themselves we're not eXemPted.-
There we're, indeed, some occasions
wien preliminary fortunes ct tie
most exquisite kInd-wI'h which II Is
unnecessary to shock the reaGer-
we're inflicted, but they always ter
minated with the bloody ceremony
above described. II ShoHd De re-
marked, however. that such fortunes
"cle not the spontaneous suggestions
oil cruelty, as with the N"FtA An.eT'-
c',n Indians; but were all Vigorously
presented IN The AZ'ee rItua'- ana
Doubtless were Oxen Inflicted with
the same compunc'nons visiting Which
4 dcvout inmiilar Of the Holy O!hce
might al times experience ID eZecu-
nm lis stern DEGREES.
Women, rs well as the other sex.
were s"mcll;ncs reserved for sactI-
fec. On some occasions, PARTICULAR,
y IN season OF drought, as the iestiva!
.! the m>atlthle Tiaioe, the god oil
raIn, children. for The most part IN
tautS, were offered uP. As they were
borne along IN open Ilt'ers' dressed IA
their ieSIaI robes. and decked with
lie fresh blossoms Of spring, they
moved the hardest heart t" pity,
though their cries were drowned 10
the wild chant OF the priests, who
read in their Tears a favorable nu@",
ry for their petition. These innocent
vict.ms were generally bought by me
priests OF parents who were p""r' bur
who stuffed the oIc OF nature, prom
bly, less at the suggestion OF poverty
Than OF a wretched suFcTSt''i"h'
The most ioalhSome part o. me
. IA FGH41 "