DANCES AND MUSIC. 445 



were superstitions and kindes of idolatries : for that they LlB VI - 

 honoured their idolls and Guacas in that raaner. For this 

 reason the Prelates have laboured to take from them these 

 dances all they could: but yet they suffer them, for that 

 part of them are but sportes of recreation, for alwaies they 

 dance after their maner. In these dances they vse sundry 

 sortes of instruments, whereof some are like flutes or little 

 lutes, others like drummes, and others like shells: but 

 commonly they sing all with the voyco, and first one or two 

 sing the song, then all the rest answer them. Some of 

 these songs were very wittily composed, containing his 

 tories, and others were full of superstitions, and some were 

 meere follies. { Our men that have conversed among them, 

 have laboured to reduce matters of our holy faith to their 

 tunes, the which hath profited well : for that they imploy 

 whole daies to rehearse and sing them, for the great 

 pleasure and content they take in their tunes. They have 

 likewise put our compositions of musicko into their lan 

 guage, as Octaves, Songs, and Rondells, the which they 

 have very aptly turned, and in truth it is a goodly and very 

 necessary meanes to instruct the people.^ In Peru they 

 commonly called d.-inces Taqui, in other Provinces Areytos t 

 in Moxico Mitotes. There hath not becne in any other , 

 place any such curiositio of plaies and dances as in New 

 Spaine, where at this day we see Indians so excellent 

 dancers, as it is admirable. Some dance vpon a cord, some 

 vpon a long and straight stake, in a thousand sundrio 

 sortes, others with the soles of their feete and their hammes 

 do handle, cast vp, and receive againe a very heavy blocke, 

 which seems incredible but in seeing it. They do make 

 many other shewes of their great agilitie in leaping, vault 

 ing, and tumbling, sometimes bearing a great and heavie 

 burthen, sometimes enduring blowes able to breake a barre 

 of yron. But the most usuall exercise of recreation among 

 the Mexicaiiies is the solemne Mitoir } and that is a kinde 



