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.

BooH: VII. Royal Comm'entaries. CH A P. V. fJf the Third Feftiva/ 1 dedicated to the Sun. ,, ~ T HE Inw celebrated four Feíl:ivals every Year in their Court; the principai and moft folemn was the Eeaft of the Sun, called Raymi, of wbich we have formerly given a refation at large. 'Jhe fecond was the lníl:itution of the Order of Cavaliers, ofwruch alfo we have already difcourfed. We c<;>me now to the tw©~ laír, with wbich- we íball end, and condude all the parti'.culars relating to their -Fefüvals; for as to their other more ordinary Feafis, which were perforrned every Moon ; and fuclí Feafis as were kept in honour ofViétories and Triurnphs, we íha11 not fareher enlarge upon, leíl: they íhould feem tedious.. to the Reader. onely we íhall fay in general, That thefe Feafis were held in the·Ternple of the Sun wichaut Proc:eflions into the open and publick places. And fo we proceed to ~he third Feíl:ival, which they call Cufquieraymi, which they celebrated ah.out th~ time that their Seed and Mayz was fprung up, and firft ap_peai:,ed out of the ground; then they .facrificed ro the Sun many Lambs, barrén Ewes, and male Sneep, praying to him that he woulcl be pleafed not to fuffer the Froft to de~roy their Wheat; by reafon tbat the Vallies of Cou:o, and Sacfahuana, and tbe Coun~ tries-thereabout, are fübjeét to mighty Frofis, as are likewife all otber parts under the fame Climate, whicb is fo very cold, chat it freezes there almoft che whole year, and more particularly atour Midfümmer, which is rhe depth of their Wimer, ac which time theNights are commonly clear, but very íharp and :freezing; which fo foem as the Jndian:r obferve, they put fue to their Dunghills, to make a fmoke and a 'Ímorher, being of opinion that the ground under chat thick covert gains fome warmrh; and rhereby che íharp keenneíS of the Froft is n;iuch abated. 1re- member to have feen this in Co~co; but did not rnuch exan;iine, whether it did any good or not; for being rhen aYouth, 1was not fo inguifitive into the caufes ancl effeéts of things, as I was into the matter which was done. And now conlidering that the Mayz was a fort of grane, which wo,s the chief nutrirnent of che Indians, and which was rnoíl: damaged by the Frofis, they there- fore, to divert thac Judgment offered to the Sun many Sacrifices, with Dances and Drink·offerings, fupplicating hirn that he would be pleafed to íhroud their Plantations from che damage of the Froíl:s. The Flefh of the Beaíl:s ílain at tbefe Sacrifices was diíl:ributed amongíl: tbofe people who carne to the Feíl:ivai; for befides t:he Lamb which was offered, . and entirely burnt to the Sun, together with the Bloud and Entrails of all the otber Beaíl:s; .the Fleíh.was difüibuted amongíl: the people, after the manner ufed at the Feaíl: of Raymi. L I CH A P.· z,57