WHOLE VOL. THE WEST INDIES VAZQUEZ DE ESPINOSA 685 



1803. When their cacique or lord dies, some of the bravest warriors 

 volunteer to die with him. After the death they get together a large 

 amount of wine, which they make from honey which is plentiful, 

 and then carry the body to a pleasant spot and neighborhood, already 

 prepared ; and there before the dead body they carry out their drink- 

 ing ceremonial ; and when they are exhausted with the celebration 

 and are intoxicated, they beg others to sufifocate them so that they 

 can keep their master company, to serve him as counselors ; and 

 when they bury him, they put them at his side ; then they at once 

 kill an equal number of boys and lay them at their feet, for them to 

 serve them there ; and they set beside them their bows, arrows, war 

 clubs (macanas) and bolas with rope, and food and drink for the 

 journey; and after doing this they cover over the vault or cave and 

 leave them. 



1804. When the sons of caciques are to be formally named, which 

 is the same as being christened, the Indians first go off to war and 

 bring in captive some of the enemy's boys. They put these in front 

 of the cacique's son and set a stout cudgel in his hand, with which 

 he gives it to the wretched boys on their heads and necks until he 

 kills them, repeating "My name is N." This custom has been so 

 ingrained by the Devil that when Don Francisco de Alfaro, Circuit 

 Court Justice of the Charcas, was on a tour of inspection of those 

 provinces, the Jesuit Fathers, who were charged with the catechizing 

 of that parish and who wished to give greater solemnity to the cere- 

 mony with the Justice's presence, persuaded the cacique to have his 

 son baptized, a boy some 13 years old. His godfathers were the 

 Justice and Diego Marin Negron, who was the Governor, so they 

 gave him the name of Don Francisco de Alfaro Diego Marin Negron. 

 These Indians belonged to an army captain, one of the original 

 pioneers in that country, named Alonso de Cabrera. 



1805. The Indians went back home; and reflecting that the name 

 was too long and that he had not been properly christened, they 

 went off to war and brought in six boys. Then they renamed the 

 cacique's son in the manner above described, giving him a cudgel 

 with which he killed the boys, repeating "My name is Alonso de 

 Cabrera," after which they came greatly pleased to inform the padre 

 who catechized them, that they had now given the cacique's son a 

 better christening and had named him Alonso de Cabrera, because 

 the other name was too long, and they told him what they had done. 

 This must suffice for this savage tribe, in order that we may continue 

 with the description of the Diocese in the following chapter. 



