PERUVIAN SUPERSTITIONS. 309 



call Llallahuas, which they kissed and worshipped. They _ 

 did likewise worshippe Beares, Lions, Tygres, and Snakes, 

 to the end they should not hurt them ; and such as their 

 gods bee, such are the things they offer vnto them in their 

 worshippe. They have vsed as they goe by the way, to 

 cast, in the crosse wayes, on the hilles, and toppes of 

 inountaines, which they call Apachitas, 1 olde shooes, 

 feathers, and coca chewed, being an hearb they vse much. 

 And when they have nothing left, they cast a stone as an 

 offring, that they might passe freely, and have greater 

 force, the which they say increaseth by this ineanes, as it is 

 reported in a provinciall Council of Peru. And therefore jJJJ^j H 

 they finde in the hie wayes great heapes of stones offered, p 

 and such other things. The like folliedid the Antieuts vse, 

 of whoine it is spoke in the Proverbs. &quot; Like vnto him that Prou. xxvi. 

 offereth stones vnto the hill of Mercuric, such a one is hee 

 that hononreth fooles,&quot;- meaning that a man shall reape no 

 more fruit nor profit of the second than the first, for that 

 their God Mercury, made of stone, dooth not acknow 

 ledge any offering, neyther doth a foole any honour that is 

 doone him. They vsed another oii ring no lesse absurd, 

 pulling the hairo from the eyebrowcs to offer it to the 

 Sunne, hills, Apachitas, to the winds, or to any other thing 

 they feare. Such is the miseries that many Indians have 

 lived in, and do to this day, whom the divell doth abuse, 

 like very babes, with any foolish illusion whatsoever. So 

 dooth Saint Chrysostomo in one of his Homilies compare 

 them, but the servants of Cod, which labour to draw them 

 to salvation, ought not contemno these follies and child- 

 ishnesse, being sufficient to plunge these pooro abused 

 creatures into eternall perdition; but they ought with good 

 and cleere reasons to draw them from so great ignorance. 



1 Correctly &quot; Apaehccta&quot;. See (J. &amp;lt;/&amp;lt; la Vju, i, p. 117 



2 &quot; As he that biiuleth a stone in a sling, so is he that giveth honour 

 to a fool.&quot;-- / /&amp;lt;/( /7,x xxvi, v. S. 



