WHOLE VOL. THE WEST INDIES VAZQUEZ DE ESPINOSA 507 



stricken tliat they did not expect to see the next day alive. In their 

 procession they also carried a very holy Christ from the Dominican 

 convent, and the most sacred image of Our Lady of Copacabana ; the 

 friars walked along reciting the litanies, and an Indian kept blowing 

 a hoarse trumpet, and all implored God for mercy. 



On the Tuesday following, the 22d of that month, the sun came 

 out, somewhat veiled by the ashes and sand which kept falling ; 

 nobody knew what was the origin of such a phenomenon ; some said 

 it was sea sand, others that it came from some volcano, others that 

 it was universal throughout the world, which was coming to its end. 

 But they did not dare leave the city, afraid of perishing in the 

 country. All the products of the soil perished, and all the vineyards, 

 where the grapes were already ripe ; the sand and ashes which fell, 

 covered them up. 



The Indians went about consulting soothsayers and wizards, and 

 with lack of faith kept saying that the world was coming to an end, 

 and that since they were dying, they should eat and drink up all that 

 they possessed. The Corregidor improved matters somewhat by 

 arresting some of the demoralizers. On the succeeding Wednesday 

 the sky was clear and no ashes fell ; on Thursday it was cloudy and 

 the sun did not come out, which caused panic and sickness at heart 

 among all the afflicted. 



Chapter LII [53] (54) 



Continuing the Account of What Happened at the Eruption of 

 the Ubinas Volcano. 



1401. On the following Friday, which was the 8th day of this 

 trial, it was very cloudy and overcast, and one had to light a lamp 

 to see ; on Saturday there was no dawn, which caused great alarm 

 and distress among the people for the darkness was overpowering, 

 from Friday afternoon till 10 a.m. Sunday, and it rained huge 

 quantities of ashes, and the people were panic-stricken and disheart- 

 ened, for during all that time it had been darker than the blackest 

 night ; a great tempest raged all this time ; people were overcome 

 with fear and went about the streets with lanterns bewailing their sins. 



On that day a solemn and devout procession started from the 

 Jesuit convent, of Jesuits with 12 priests with 12 reliquaries con- 

 taining valuable relics and bones of saints ; the priests all went bare- 

 foot ; the procession visited all the churches. Then another procession 

 left the Dominican convent ; they carried a very holy Christ of the 

 Expiration and the image of Our Lady of the Rosary and that of 



