The Davenport daily gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1869, 1857-09-01
THEDAILY GAZETTE.
TUESDAY,, - SEPTEMBER, /
The Lil, and lahii, Of Yoetesuna.


wealth he must have had at hi; command "a
support him and his establishment The
sketch will be found very h.tcrestinG:
| The domestic establishment of M"ntezu-
ma was on the same scale u barbaric spleen
ior ., everything else around him. lie
| could b ,ast wives ~ many a. are found ~
the har.m Of an Eastern Sultan. They wer,'
lodged IN their own apartments, and piusi
led with every accommodation, according
to their ideas, for personal cumtort and clean.
| ines
They conducted thetu.clve. with s,ric,
! dccorum under the supervision o, certain
aged females, who acted la the respectable
| ,aacity OF ducnna. The palace wa, sup
/ piied with numerous baths, and Montczuma
| ct the example, in his own person, IL fire
| quert ablutions. lie batlcd nj least once
and changed bis dress four times, IL Is SAID
every day. lie never put on the same APP
parel the second time, but gave II away To
his attendants.
Besides his numerous female rctinuc, the
halls and snts-cLAmbers were filled with no.
b!es IN constant attendance on his person,
Who served also ~ body guard. Ii had
been usual for plcbians of merit to fill Ger
tam Offices IN the palace. But the naughty
Mont 1uma refused 10 be waited upon ~
any but n.,a II noble birth. They were
frequently tie sons Of great chiefs, and re-
manned a. hostages in the absence Of their
fathers; thus serving the double purpose Of
security and state.
His meals the Emperor took alone. The
well mat ted fioor of large saloon was COW
cred with hundred. OF dishes The royal
bill VI fare comprchenicd, bcsldcs domestic
anilnals, game from the distant forests, and
sh, which the LAY before was swimming
N the Gulf OF Mexico.
The meats wcrv served BY the attcndent
mobiles, who then resigned the office of wait
lng "n the monarch Ia the maldcns selected
Tor their personal grace and beauty. A
Green Of richly gilt and carved wood was
'irawn afnnnd INN, so n 20 conceal him
from vulgar eyes during the rcpast. lie
vas seated ON cushion, and the dinner Wa
,eryed ON low table covered with deli
ate cotton cloth. The dishes wcre of tie
finest ware Cholual. lie had a service of
gold, which was rcser.ed for religious cele-
,rations Indeed il would scarcely have
supported with even his princely rcve-
Iues 20 have used IL on ordinary OCCASIONS
when his table eluipage was not allowed
20 appear a second time, but wa. gwen
away 10 his attendants. The saloon was
!ignted by torches VI resinous wood, which
cnt forth a sweet edor, and, probably, not
a little smoke, rs they burned. AT his
meals lie was attended by live or six u Lis
ancient councillors, who stood at q respect
able distance, answering has questions, and
OCCASIONALLY rcjoiccd by some ef the viands
VITA which hc con,plimcnted tnem from his
table. Ihi- course of solid dishes was fol-
lowed BY another Of sweetmcats and pastry
.or which the Aztec cooks, provided with
the important requisites Of maize, flour,
egs-, and the rich sugar ii the alocs. were
famous. The Emperor took no other bcy-
rage than ti.e ckscesss.,. a p,tation VI choco-
,atc, favored with vanilla and other spices
sud 80 prepared n H. be reduced To fourth
u the consistency II honey, which gradual.
~ Dissolved IN the mouth The beverage
a >" IL could bc called, was served IN golden
soblet-, with sp'ons ii the same metal or
>! tortoise she'll finely wrought.
The general arrangements &c the meal
'eeGi- 10 have been not very unlike that II
europeans. Hut no Primo, ia Europc could
oast a desert whie! could comp,re ,o that
4 the Aztec Emperor. For II was gather
"a irc-t irvm the nr,st opposite ciisn.~ /;
.id his beard dl-pa, e,l the product III Ii.
pwn temperate rcsinn, and the lusciaIs fruit
u the trophies, picked the day prcyio,,-
ruin the green groye, vi the ftend caiiitale
md transmitted by means OF courier, L.
the capital.
After the royal appetite Was appsssci
water was handed to him by the female at
.cndants IN silver basin, ia, tic same man.
er a, has had been done beiore commencing
a. l.ss
IN their sbolutions, at these times, a. an,
ation IN tue East. Pipes were then
brought, made ot varnishcd and rie.lis
hit wood, ircm winch he In nailed, sometimes
taro'gh the nose, sometimes through tie
,.'outu, tle fumes oi tobaco, iningled with
iquid ambrc. W hile this soothing process
4 iuinigation was gong on, the Emperor
iloycd the exhibitions u his inountchanMs
.nd Jusgiers, ot whom regular corps VA
.ttacied To tie palace. No people, mol
even tLose al lama or llindoo.tai, surpa,s-
III the Aztecs In feats of agility and lcgrr,le-
| main.
Sometimes Lc amused himself with Ll-
tcstcr. At other times lac witnessed tlIe
sraceiul dances of his women. or took de
ight Ia listening to nu-lc-if the rude m,n-
I,trclsy 81 the Mexiean-, deserve, that name
accompanied by a chant, in slow and
'oicnn cadence, celebrating some Vt tic
great decd VI Aztec warriors, OF Of his own
princely line.
When he had sufficiently refreshed Lis
'pirits with these diversions, he composed
.nuisslf 10 sleep. On awakening, he gave
audience To ambassadors trvsn foreign States,
'r his own tributary cities, VI such caclqu,es
a. had suits 10 prefer him. They were IN
trodaccd by the young mobiles In attendance
and, whatever might b. the.s rank, unless
ii tue blood royal, they were obliged to
ubniit To the humiliation u surrounding
their rica dresses under the coarse mantle
II aega.a, and catering barciooted, with
iowneas; eyes, N the presspce. The En-
lcror addressed lev aud brief remarks To
the suiiors, answering them generally by
is secretaries and the parties retired with
the same rcyerentIal ob~disHce, taking carr
- keep their faces turned tow ards the mon
arch. Well might Cortez cxcla,m, that NO
court, whether of the Grand Seisnor or any
other inhdel, ever display ~ puWpous and
clabaratc a ceremonial.
BESIDES the crowds u retaincrs already
noticed, the royal household WAS not COM
plete without host II artisans constantly
employed In the erection or repair of build
ing, besides great number Of jewellers aud
persons skilled in working metals, who
found abundant demands for their trinkets
among the dark eyed beauties Of the hsscm.
The imserial mumer. aud Juyglcrs were very
numerous, and the dancers Lslonging to the
palace occupied a particular district In the
city, appropriated exclusively TO them.
The maintenance Of this little host.
amounting to some thousands u individu u,
involved heavy expenditure, requiring ac-
counts Of complicated, and, 20 . simple
people, IL might we'll be, embarrassing ma
tnre Everything, however, was conducted
with perfect order. The care Of all was en-
trusted 20 treasurer, who acted Is . sort
IL majorlome IN the household, having a
General superintendent over all its con-
Germs.
Mons HrsoARias GEAss.--Mr. Hiram
Gilbert, of this vicinity, brought into our