A house of Foule, vvhiche vvere onely preserued for their feathers.
Thomas Nicholas translation
TOC
Mvtezuma had another house, with very good lodgings and fayre gallaries, buylt vpō pillers of Iaspe, whiche extendeth towarde a goodly garden, in the whiche there are ten pondes or moe, some of salte water for sea foule, & other some of fresh water for riuer foule and lake foule, which pondes are deuised wt sluyses to emptie & to fill at their pleasure for the cleannesse of the feathers. There is such a number of foule, that scarcely the ponds may holde them, and of suche diuers kindes bothe in feathers and makyng, as sure it was an admiration for the Spaniardes to beholde, for the moste of them they knew not, nor yet had at any tyme séene the lyke. And to euery kynde of foule they gaue suche bayte as they were wont to féede of in the fieldes or Riuers. There did belong to that house thrée hundred persons of seruice: some were to clense the pondes: other some did fishe for bayte: other some serued them with meate: other did loose them and trimme theyr feathers: others had care to looke to their egges: others to sette them abroode: others cured them when they were sicke: and the principallest office was to plucke the feathers: for of them was made riche Mantels, Tapissarie, Targattes, Tuffes of feathers, and many other things wrought with Golde and Siluer: a most perfite worke.
