How these Indians perform their annual ceremonies, and of the temples they had in ancient times.

IN the last chapter I have declared how these people made great ado when they put their dead into the tombs. After the interment the women and servants shaved their heads, put on their commonest clothing, and took no care of their persons. Besides this, in order to show their grief, they twisted ropes of sedge round their heads, and uttered continual lamentations during a whole year if the deceased was a chief, and had no light in the house for several days. These people, by the permission of God, were, like all the others, deceived by the devil with the false and delusive apparitions of some people who were dead, dressed and adorned in the way their bodies had been put into the tombs. In order to show more care for the dead they held annual festivals, when they brought animals and killed them near the tombs, also emptying many vases of liquor over the tombs, which completed this vain and foolish ceremony.

As this nation of the Collao was so numerous, they had, in former times, great temples and superstitious rites, venerating those whom they set apart as priests, and who conversed with the devil. They held their festivals at the season when they got in their potatoes, which is their principal food, and then they killed animals as sacrifices. At the present time we do not know that they have any public temple, but, by the will of our God and Lord, many Catholic churches have been founded, where our priests preach the holy gospel, and teach the faith to all the Indians who desire to receive the water of baptism. I verily believe that if there had been no civil wars, and if we had sincerely and earnestly endeavoured to convert these people, many would have been saved, who have now been damned. At present there are priests and friars in many parts of the Collao, appointed by those who hold encomiendas over the Indians; and I pray to God that he will carry this work forward without weighing our sins.

The natives of the Collao say the same as all the other people of the Sierra, that the Creator of the world was called Huira-ccocha, and they know that his principal abode is in heaven; but, deceived by the devil, they adored various gods, like all the other gentiles. They have certain romances or songs in which they preserve the memory of their deeds, and prevent their being forgotten, although they have no letters.

Among the people of the Collao there are men of great intelligence, who reply to what is asked from them; and they take account of time, and know some of the movements both of the sun and the moon. They count their years from ten months to ten months, and I learnt from them that they called the year Mari, the moon or month Alespaquexe, and the day Auro. When they submitted to the Yncas they made great temples by their order, both on the island of Titicaca and at Hatun-colla, as well as in other parts.