The cooks of the palace had above thirty different ways of dressing meats, which were served up in earthen vessels of a very ingenious construction for keeping their contents always hot.  For Montezumas own table above three hundred dishes were dressed every day, and more than a thousand for his guards.  Montezuma sometimes went before dinner to inspect the preparations, on which occasions his officers pointed out to him which were the best, explaining what birds or flesh they were composed of.  It is said that the flesh of young children was sometimes dressed for his table; but after Cortes had spoken to him respecting the barbarity of this inhuman custom, it was no longer practised in the palace.  The ordinary meats were domestic fowls, pheasants, geese, partridges, quails, venison, Indian hogs or pecaris, pigeons, hares, rabbits and many other animals and birds peculiar to the country; the various meats being served up on black and red earthen-ware made at Cholula.  In the cold weather while at his meals, a number of torches were lighted up, of the bark of a tree which has an aromatic smell and gives no smoke; and to prevent the glare and heat of those from being troublesome, rich screens ornamented with gold and paintings of their idols were interposed between Montezuma and the torches.  At his meals he was seated on a low throne or chair, at a table of proportional height covered with white cloths and napkins, four beautiful women attending to present him with water for his hands, in vessels named xicales, having plates under them, after which they gave him towels to dry his hands.  Two other women attended with small cakes of bread; and when he began to eat, a large screen of gilt wood was placed before him, to prevent him from being seen.  Four ancient nobles, who were his relations and served as councillors and judges, stood beside the throne, with whom he occasionally conversed, giving them a part of what he was eating, which they received with profound respect, and eat without lifting their eyes from the ground.  Fruit of all kinds produced in the country was served up to him at table, of which he eat in great moderation; and a certain liquor prepared from cocoa, said to be of a stimulant and strengthening nature, was presented to him from time to time in golden cups.  All the time he continued at table his guards and all others in or near his apartment had to preserve the most profound silence, under pain of death.  Owing to the before-mentioned screen which concealed him from public view, we could not see all the circumstances here described from information.  But I noticed above fifty jars of foaming chocolate brought into the hall, some of which was presented to him by the female attendants.  During the repast, various Indians were introduced at intervals for his amusement:  Some of these were hump-backed, ugly, and deformed, who played various tricks of buffoonery, and we were told that others were jesters, besides which there