demon thus called delays his appearance, the sorcerer tortures himself cruelly for these invocations should bring him; if he does not appear, the sorcerer changes his incantations, begins to curse, and appears to give orders in angry tones. In all this, they only conform to the rules the ancients have taught them, when they studied in the mysterious forests. When they understand that the demon is about to come, they shake their bells more quickly, the better to receive him. The demon then takes possession of the piace. Throwing himself upon him with as much violence as a man in the flower of his age might use in attacking a child, he throws the piace to the ground, where he rolls in convulsions, showing all the signs of acute suffering. The bravest of those present approaches the tortured piace, and announces the orders of the cacique or the person for whom the piace has endured this severe trial. The demon answers by the voice of the man lying on the ground. We have stated the usual object of these questions.

When the answer has been received, the piace is asked what he wants for his trouble and whether he thinks the demon will be content with maize or other food. Everything the piace asks is scrupulously given to him. As a shepherd of a flock seeks to drive off a wolf by shouting, so do the natives think that, by shouting and beating of drums when a comet appears, they will drive away the fatal star.

The monks, who have furnished us these particulars and others of the same kind, were aware that we hesitated to accept their word. For that reason the friar Tomaso Ortiz, who knows in the most minute particulars the habits and customs of Chiribichi, has related the following story as a proof of the assertions.

X

T

BOOK IX

HE blessed friar, Pedro de Cordova, vice-provincial

of our Order of Preachers in Andalusia, is esteemed

a saint by all. He was led into the solitudes of the New World solely by his zeal for the propagation of the faith, resolved, by God's help, to discover the secrets of the piaces and to verify for himself whether they really prophesied under demoniac influence and pronounced oracles as did Apollo in Delphi. He learned that it was really true, for he was present during the incantations of a piace and witnesssed the ceremonies. The demons struck the piace unconscious to the ground, like a kite seizing a rabbit. Much astonished the monk put on his stole, and taking holy water in his right hand to sprinkle the piace, he grasped the crucifix in his left and spoke in the following terms: "If thou art a demon who dost overcome this man, in the name of this instrument of salvation whose power thou knowest well (and he exhibited the crucifix) I adjure you not to leave this place without first answering what I shall ask you."

Pedro de Cordova affirms that he asked him several questions, both in Latin and in Spanish, and that the man lying on the ground responded in neither Latin nor Spanish, but in his own tongue, and that his answers always fitted the questions. Amongst other things, the good monk asked him the following: "Now tell me, where do the souls of the natives of Chiribichi go when they leave their corporeal prison?"-"They are taken by

us to the eternal flames and fires, that they may be punished with us for their crimes." These things took place in the presence of many of the natives who were present by the friar's orders.

The news of this interview spread throughout the country but failed to convert the people of Chiribichi from their bad habits; and the friar complains that they continued to give themselves up to their passions. The good Pedro de Cordova turned to the piace still lying upon the ground and cried, "Come out from that man's body, thou filthy spirit!" Hardly had he pronounced these words than the piace suddenly sprang to his feet, but he had so far lost his senses that he remained a long time as it were bewildered, and scarcely able to stand. As soon as he could speak again, he hurled maledictions and recriminations at the spirit that had so long held possession of his body.

Garcia de Loaysa, also a friar preacher of the Dominicans, whom Your Holiness has elevated to the highest dignity of the Order by conferring upon him the red hat, and who is now confessor of his imperial Majesty, Bishop of Osma and president of our India Council, confirms that Pedro Cordova is a holy man, and worthy of absolute belief. In my opinion it will not be useless to observe, -since our religion permits it, that different persons are recognised as having been possessed by devils, and that Christ was several times reputed to have driven out unclean spirits from the bodies of the possessed.

These piaces celebrate festivals, at which they dance together and amuse themselves, for they live separated from other men because of the dignity of their office. They do not understand the sense of their incantations. The same thing often happens amongst us, for although Latin is sufficiently similar to Spanish, it is positive that the majority of those present do not understand what our priests chant. Even worse happens; for, owing to the

culpable negligence of their superiors, many priests venture to say Mass who merely pronounce the formulas, of which they fail to grasp the meaning.

You will be interested to hear about their funeral customs. The dead bodies, especially those of the nobles, are stretched on mats, woven partly of reeds, and are gradually dried at a fire of special herbs. When all the moisture is evaporated, the body is hung inside the house and treated as a penate. This custom is also found in other parts of the new continent. I have spoken of it in my first Decades addressed to Pope Leo, uncle of Your Holiness. The bodies which are not dried are taken out of the houses and buried, the people weeping and beating their breasts. When the first year of mourning has expired, all the friends in the neighbourhood are summoned and assemble to lament the dead. Each guest arrives bringing food and drink, or is followed by slaves carrying provisions. When night falls, the servants go to the tomb and dig up the skeleton. They cry aloud, tear their hair, and weep together; after which they sit in a circle, holding their feet in their hands, bending their heads between their legs, and giving frantic vent to woeful cries, extending their legs and raising their heads and arms towards heaven. They are heedless of the tears that fall from their eyes and of the mucus from their nostrils, which only makes them more frightful. The more hideous they make themselves, the better do they believe they are fulfilling their duties to the dead. The skeleton is afterwards burned, all except the skull, which the noblest of the women takes away to preserve in her house as a sacred object. The guests then return home.

Let us now consider their beliefs concerning the soul. They believe the soul to be immortal, and that released from its corporeal shell it repairs to the forests on the mountains, where it lives for ever in caverns. They place food and drink for its sustenance. The voices of

grottos, which the Latins call echoes, are thought by the natives to be souls wandering in those places and answering.

It is known that they venerate the cross, but it is a cross inclined slightly in its shape like an X or resembling another cross formed in this manner: X. They place this symbol on the forehead of new-born babes, for they believe it drives away demons. If they have a horrible dream during the night, they seize a cross, believing that it purifies the place. When asked whence they have these beliefs and rites they do not understand, they answer that they have been transmitted from their ancestors to their fathers.

May the people of Chiribichi forgive me if I stop speaking of them as I promised. I had, in fact, promised to close my work with them, unless new informations should be forthcoming. It is fitting to terminate this narrative by an enumeration of the magnificent fleets which traverse the ocean. My hand is weary, and I long to cease writing. In fact, while I was composing my decade addressed to Duke Sforza and the present one dedicated to Your Holiness, much information reached me, of which I have repeated the greater part, reserving the rest for the present occasion. My many occupations do not permit me to devote all my time to writing the history of Indian affairs. Sometimes an entire month passes without my receiving any news, and, therefore, when a leisure moment comes my pen is crowded, and I cannot observe the least order, since the documents reach me without any. Let us now speak of the fleets.

Out of four ships, which sailed last year from Hispaniola, one arrived here. While the council was in session, the sailors reported verbally or described in writing the adventures of Garay, Egidius Gonzales, Cristobal Olid, Pedrarias, and Cortes. It is their narratives we have repeated.