332 SELECTED VIKGINS IN PERU. 



LIB.V. kjg ministers. There were in Peru many monasteries of 

 Yirgines (for there are no other admitted), at the least one 

 in everie Province. In these monasteries there were two 

 sortes of women, one antient, which they called Mamaco- 

 mas, 1 for the instruction of the yoong ; and the other was of 

 yoong maidens, placed there for a certaine time, and after 

 they were drawn foorth, either for their gods or for the 

 Ynca. They called this house or monastery Acllaguaci, 2 

 which is to say, the house of the chosen. Every monastery 

 had his Vicar or Governour called Appopanaca, 3 who had 

 liberty and power to choose whome he pleased, of what 

 qualitie soever, being vnder eyght yeares of age, if they 

 seemed to be of a good stature and constitution. 



These Yirgines thus shut vp into these monasteries were 

 instructed by the Marnacomas in diverse thinges needefull 

 for the life of man, and in the customes and ceremonies of 

 their gods ; and afterwards they tooke them from thence, 

 being above foureteene, sending them to the Court with sure- 

 gards, whereof some were appoynted to serve the Guacas 

 and Sanctuaries, keeping their virginities for ever : some 

 others were for the ordinary sacrifices that were made of 

 maidens, and other extraordinary sacrifices, they made for 

 the health, death, or warres of the Ynca : and the rest 

 served for wives and concubines to the Ynca, and vnto other 

 his kinsfolkes and captaines, vnto whome hee gave them, 

 which was a great and honourable reconipence : This dis 

 tribution was vsed every yeare. These monasteries pos 

 sessed rents and revenues for the maintenaunce of these 

 Yirgins, which were in great numbers. It was not lawfull 

 for any father to refuse his daughters when the Appopanaca 



1 Mama-cuna, &quot;Mothers&quot;. Cana is the plural particle. 



2 Aclla, selected or chosen ; Huasi, a house. 



3 Apu, chief ; Panaca^ from Puna, which means the sister of a brother. 

 Panaca is the archaic genitive. Apu-panaca is literally &quot; the chief over 

 sisters of the brethren&quot;. The Apu-panaca was the official who selected 

 the virgins, one over every Ibmu or 10,000 souls. 



