They build a square tower one hundred and fifty paces, or rather more,
in length, and one hundred and fifteen or one hundred in breadth. The
foundation of this building is solid; when it reaches the height of two
men, a passage is left two paces wide on three sides, and on one of the
long sides steps are made until the height of two more men is reached,
and the edifice is throughout solidly built of masonry. Here, again, on
three sides they leave the passage two paces wide, and on the other side
they build the steps, and in this way it rises to such a height that the
steps total one hundred and twenty or one hundred and thirty.
There is a fair-sized plaza on the top and from the middle [of it] arise
two other towers which reach the height of ten or twelve men’s bodies
and these have windows above. Within these tall towers stand the Idols
in regular order and well adorned, and the whole house highly decorated.
No one but their high priest was allowed to enter where the principal
God was kept, and this god had distinct names in different provinces;
for in the great city of Mexico he was called Horchilobos
(Huitzilopochtli), and in another city named Chuennila (Cholula) he was
called Quecadquaal (Quetzalcoatl), and so on in the others.
Whenever they celebrated the festivals of their Idols, they sacrificed
many men and women, boys and girls; and when they suffered some
privation, such as drought or excess of rain, or found themselves hard
pressed by their enemies, or suffered any other calamity, then they made
these sacrifices in the following manner....