406 A VOYAGE TO Book VI, 



pany, at all entertainments; and drink like the rest, 

 till the chicha has quite overcome tliem. It is worth 

 notice, that the Indian women, whether maids or mar- 

 ried, and also the young men before they are of an age 

 to contractmatrimony, entirely abstain from this vice; 

 it being a maxim among them, that drunkenness is 

 only the privilege of masters of families, as being per- 

 sons who, when they are unable to take care of thenir 

 selves, have others to take care of them. 



Their manner of celebrating any solemnity is too 

 singular tobe omitted : the person who gives the en- 

 tertainment invites all his acquaintance, and provides 

 chicha sufficient for the number of his guests, at the 

 Tate of a jug for each ; and this jug holds about 

 two gallons. In the court of the house, if it be a 

 large to^^ n, or before the cottage, if in a village, a 

 table is placed and covered with a tucuyo carpet, only 

 iised on such festivities. The eatables consist wholly 

 of camcha, and some wild herbs boiled. Wlien the 

 guests meet, one or two leaves of these herbs, with teii 

 or twelve grains of camcha, tinish the r-epast. Im- 

 inediately the women present themselves with cala- 

 ^Lashesor round totumos, called pilches, full of chicha, 

 for their husbands ; and repeat it till their spirits are 

 .raised : then one of them plays on a pipe and tabor, 

 whilst others dance, as they call it, though it is no 

 more than moving confusedly from one side to the 

 other, without measure or order. Some of the best 

 voices among the Indian women sing in their own 

 language. Thus their mirth continues while kept 

 up by the liquor, which, as T have said before, is the 

 soul of ail their meetings. Another odd circumstance 

 is, that those who do not dance, squat themselves 

 down in their usual posture, till it comes to their turn. 

 The table serves only for state, there being nothing on 

 it to eat, nor do the o-uests sit down at it. When tired 

 -^^Hth intemperance, they all lie down together, with- 

 out mindino; whether near the wife of another, or their 



own 



