Hi florie of the Indies, lib.?, 



prefent. In the rhird/oimli and fift moiieth, they offe 

 red a hundred blacke fheepe, fpeckled, and grey, with 

 many other things, which I omitte for being too tedi- 

 bus. Thefixtmonethis called HatiMcntyi Aymorey, 

 which anfwereth to Male, in the which they facrificed 

 a hundred fheepe more, of all colours : in this moone 

 and moneth, which is when they bring Maie from the 

 fieldes into thehoufe, they made a feaft , which is yet 

 very vfuall among the Indians -, and they doe call it Aj- 

 wvrey. 



This feaftis made comming from the Chacra or 

 farms vnto the houfe, faying certaine fongs, and pray 

 ing that the Mays may long continue, the which they 

 call Mamacora. They take a certaine portion of the 

 moft fruitefull of the Mays that gro wes in their farmes, 

 the which they put in d certaine grenier which they 

 doe call Pirua , with certaine ceremonies , watching 

 three nightes : they put this Mays in the richeft gar 

 ments they have, andbeeing thus wrapped and dreC 

 fed, tfiey worfhip this Pirm , and hold it in great vene- 

 ration, faying it is the mother of the mays of their inhe 

 ritances, and that by this means the mays augments & : 

 is preferved. In this moneth they make a particular fa- 

 crifice 3 and the witches demaund of this Pirii*, if it hath 

 ftrength fufficient to continue vntill the nextyearetand 

 if itanfwers no, then they carry this Mays to thefarme 

 to burne, whence they brought it, according to every 

 mans power ; then make they another Pirua ^ with the 

 fame ceremonies, faying, that they renue it, to the end 

 the feede ofMays may not perifh,and if itanfwers that 

 it hath.force fufficient to laft longer, they leave it vntill 

 the nextyearc . This fooKfti vanitie continueth to this 

 day, and it is very common amongeft the Indians to 



have 



