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.

Roy?Zl Commentarie·s. BooK VI. greater than ordinaty, was h~ld ov~r. a Cylinder of che bignefs _of a half _Orange, briahc and well polifhed, wh1ch umrmg cne Rays of the Sun mone pomr, caíl: fucha reflexion into the Cylinder, as eafily fet fire to the Cotton, which being finely combined, was put inro ir, and r_eadily _received rhe flame: \V~rh this fue alighted from rhe Sun, ch~y burnt' cherr ~amfices, ~nd dreífed al! cherr Mear for rhat days proviíion; of th1s fire they carned fome rnto che Temple of rhe Sun, and fome co che Convent of che Sdeét Virgins, to be there conferved for che [pace of che following Year; being eíl:eemed a moíl: unhappy Ornen, in cafe it fhould by any accident nave been extinguifhed. If on che Vigil or Day before che Fefüval, which is che time when chey prepared all things in a readinefs for rhe Sacrifice, the weather fhould have proved cloudy, fo chat che Sun did not ap- pear, then for kindling thisFire chey made ufe of two round pieces of a hard fort ofWood,, being about che bignefs of che mid dle finger , and ,about half a yard long, called V yaoa, which being rubbed hard togetli.er, ptoduced a Flame, and ·with the(e che Indiam firuck fire, as we d,o w ith ª Ste el and Flint, when they traveJledl and paífed through defart and qnpeopled Coumries, and I hav~ frequenc-. ly feeíl m~ Shepherds make ufe of the fame. HowfQe\Ter it was accounced a bad Ornen to be enforced on that day to have recourfo •unto tha~ iníl:rumenr; for in regard rhe Sun did rhen lude his face from them it arguep his djfpJeafüre and aoger for fome offence committed. All the fleíh whicÍ1 wa,s prepared;for th<ltSacrifice, was dreífed in fthe publick Market·plaee, and t~~re divided atllongíl: the Gueíl:s which cam~ t0 ¡¡he Feaíl:, and diíl:ributed füft. t-O tb1Unc.u, .then to tbe Curac44¡ , and afterwards to che Commonalcy, accor- ding to ~he·, feveral Orders.and Degrees. The firíl: DW1, or Courfe, ferved in ac this foleQ:Jn 'Banf}u~t, was.thatfort of Bread which they called Canm; then they brought in feveral varíeties of Meats, withouc Drink, it being clle cuíl:ome over ali Peru, nor to drink at the time of their'Meals. Frorn what we have faid concerning che !ndians fipping from che Bowl or Cup, offerec:l Ghem by the.hand of the Priefi, the Spania'f'ds raifed a repon, that the Ind.i- 1tn1 com~nun~cated in tbe fame m~nner as do che Cbrillians; but having plainly de- 1ivered the matter ofFaét, we íhall leave che fimilitude, or comparifon, to every Man's faQ,qr. , · The Dinner, or Banquee,ofMeats being over, great quancities ófDrink were brought in, in which che Indians were notoriouíly addiél:ed to ex~eed, though by the Mercies of God , they are fo well reformed from that Vice , by example of that Temperance and Sobriecy which ~bey obferved in che Spa11iards, that it is now a !hange thing to fee anr .(ndian drunk, the Vice being generally become de- teíl:able, and eíl:eemed infamous 'i fo that had che like good example been fhewn in othe~ ,things. to chis People, as hath been in chis,Tit might have produced che f4me good ef:Ieét, and fignalizecl the Spaniards for true Apofiolical Preachers oí che Gofpel. 1 • • · Ji\ ¡, 1 ¡;¡ , ., ¡ . • r :r , t'I ;¡ , . I ,, ' u 'l di 11 ) . e· ) 'J l • '• ,, 1 r: 1 1 .J • J e HA P. 1 Ol . ' r ( i1 1 iri· r' /, ,rbi1 r 'j J ','l r I •