424 YNCA MARRIAGES. 



LIB. vi. an( j recompensed with publike charges, with lands given 

 them in proper, with arrnes and titles of honour, and in 

 marrying wives of the Yncas linage, even so they gave 

 severe punishments to such as were disobedient and offend 

 ers. They punished murther, theft, and adultery, with 

 death, and such as committed incest with ascendants or de 

 scendants in direct line, were likewise punished with death. 

 But they held it no adultery to have many wives or con 

 cubines, neyther were the women subject to the punishment 

 of death, being found with any other, but onely she that 

 was the true and lawfull wife, with whome they contracted 

 marriage ; for they had but one whome they did wed and 

 receive with a particular solempnitie and ceremony, which 

 was in this maner : the bridegroome went to the bride s 

 bouse, and led her from thence with him, having first put 

 an otoja 1 vppon her foote. They call the shooe which they 

 vse in those partes, otoja, being open like to the Francis 

 can Friars. If the bride were a mayde, her otoja was of 

 wooll, but if she were not, it was of reedes. All his other 

 wives and concubines did honour and serve this as the law 

 ful wife, who alone, after the decease of her husband, caried 

 a mourning weed of blacke, for the space of a yeare ; 

 neither did she marry vntil that time were past; and 

 commonly she was yonger than her husband. The Ynca 

 himselfe, with his own hand, gave this woman to his 

 Governors and Captains ; and the Governors or Caci 

 ques assembled all the } 7 oung men and maydes, in 

 one place of the City, where they gave to everyone his 

 wife with the aforesaid ceremony, in putting on the otoja, 

 and in this manner they contracted their marriages. If this 

 woman were found with any other man than her husband, 

 shee was punished with death, and the adulterer likewise : 

 and although the husband pardoned thorn, yet were they 

 punished, although dispensed wit-hall from death. They 

 1 Usuta, a sandal. 



