The royal commentaries of Peru : in two parts / written originally in spanish by the Inca Garcilasso de la Vega; rendred into english by sir Paul Rycaut.

BooK VI. Royal Commentatiei. CH A P. XXIt Of the Divinations nzade from thefe Sacrifices, imJ the Firé with which they were confumed. T HE moíl: happy Ornen ofall they held to be the throbs and palpitations df the Lungs, which if they frill moved, and continued living when they· were firíl: drawn from the Body, they then efieemed che Ornen certainly goód, and could difpence w~th other lefs promifing Symptoms, for that this had a füpe- riour and an over-ruling power over. all other unlucky appearances. Theti they drew ouc the Guts, and olowing them up with Wind, they tied the neck very bard and clofe; and they prefied chem on each fide with their Hands, obferving by which way cheWind found its eafieíl: paífage into the Veins and Lung,5, which the more they,fwelled, and became replete with Wind, the better was the Ornen accounted. There were many other particulars obfetved by them, which I bave . forgotten, bue thefe which I have before mentioned I am well aífured of, having nored them in my Journals, 1and remember,_ thac when l -was a Youch, 1 faw rhem twice performed by certain old lndiáns, not ·as yét baptifed; 1 do not mea:ri the Sacrifice of Raymi, for chat was aboliíhed long befare I was bom ; onely the fuperfütious infpefüon imo the Entrails of Lambs, and Sheep, in ordet to Divi... nation; and the SacrHices of them after fuch i!lfpeétion was füll continued in my time, che which Sacrifices were offered after'the manner of thofe at the principal Feaíls. lt was held for a yery bad Ornen if the lamb, or ·Sheep, afte1· they l:iad opened h~s fide, pr?ved fo íl:rong as to be a~le by ftrugling tp gec the Maftery of them which held hnn, and to fiand upon h1s Feet. lt was alfo efie@rned for a bad Ornen, if.in drawing out the E~traíls the -mouth of'the SmaH-gúts bro~e offfrom the L1gatures of the Srornach, fo as not to ·come out whole ·and enure. It wa5 alfo a bad O~en for che Lungs to c:om~ forth .bruifed, or broken, or che Heart wounded; befides other düngs, a\r 1 have fa'id, which 1 neither ·noted, nor made enquiry of, .onely thefe 1 n:member, being told mé brcertain Indians, whom I found off~ring chefe Sacrifices; and ~ndeed chey were willing to be free wirh me, and refolve me in any thing 1 asked them conceming cheir good 0r' ba~ · Omi.:ns; for l being then bue a Youcb, they encertained no jealoufie or fufpioion of ine; But to rerurn to the Solemnity df the Feíl:ival of Raymi, we faaher fay, lf the Sa- crifice of the Lamb declared not that forcunate Omen which ·was delired, then they made erial of another with a Ram, and if that neitber promifed fair or hap- PY Tidings; then they confulted the Bo.wels of a bárren Ewe, and if chat alfo did - not foretell fomething inore hopefull, they then proceeded in their Sacrifices and Solemnicies of che Feafi, with Sorrow and Mourning, faying, ,that the Sun their Father was for fome Crime, or Omiffion in bis Service, angry and difpleafed with them, apd therefore in vengeancé thereof, expeél:ed the punifhment of War or Famine, or fome other Judgment? but then when thti Omens were happy aoo fmiling, chey rejoiced with high comenrment, being full of hopes and expeél:ari- ons of forcunate fucceffes. This Sacrifice of che firíl: Lamb, from whence they made their Divinations, being offered ; great droves of Lambs and Sheep were brought afterwards for che common Sacrifice; but then they did not open their fides, being alive, as they did che firíl:, bue after che ufual manner they fairly cut their Throars, and flead them; the Bloud they fa ved, and with it offered the Hearc unto the Sun, bur• ning the Body alrogether, unrill che whole Lamb was confumed, and converted into Aíhes. The Fire for that Sacrifice was to be neW, imd then kindkd (as they called ir) from che hanq of che Sun; to allighc this Fire they made u[e of a great Braceler, worn by the High Prieft, which they called Chipana, being after the faíhion of chofe which che IncM commonly put on the Wriít of their Left-hand; chis being grearer