n took its way to a
large house that had been assigned to the visitor. Here a banquet
was served in grand style, the governor and the two ambassadors,
alone, taking their seats with him. The meal was served up on
golden dishes, and pulque was handed round, in goblets of the same
metal, by white-robed slaves.

Strains of music rose in the air, the performers being stationed in
an adjoining apartment. The music was unlike anything Roger had
ever before heard, and seemed to him to be of a plaintive nature.

With the exception of the fruits, the dishes served were all
strange to him, and he was unable even to guess at their nature.
Among them was a large bird, which Roger judged to be either a swan
or a peacock; but which he was informed was a turkey, a bird common
in the country, but of which he had never before heard.

There were other sorts of game, and all these were prepared with
delicate sauces and seasonings. There were a large number of
various confections and pastry, and a great variety of vegetables
and fruits. Under the dishes of meats, small fires of charcoal were
burning in order to keep them hot. The table was ornamented with
vases of silver and gold, of delicate workmanship, and the
confections were eaten with spoons made of gold or silver, or of
tortoise shell. Several varieties of pulque, flavored with sweets
and acids, were handed, as also chocolate flavored with vanilla and
other spices.

When the viands were removed, slaves brought round, as they had
done before the meal began, basins of water and soft cotton towels;
and each of those present washed his hands and face. Then a
surprise even greater than those which had preceded it awaited
Roger. Two attendants brought round waiters, upon one of which was
placed a pile of a substance which looked to Roger as if it were
the leaves of some vegetable, broken into small pieces, and also a
gold box containing a brown dust. On the other tray were placed a
variety of instruments, of whose use Roger was ignorant. They were
small tubes, inserted into bowls of gold or silver; and in addition
to these were some things that looked like yellowish-brown sticks,
of two or three inches in length, with tubes into which they
fitted.

These trays were first handed to Roger, who, after examining their
contents, turned to the noble next to him and said:

"I know not what these may be, or how they are used. They are not
in use in the country from which I come."

The