448 



ra#ers 5 as Wherein ibavefwncd, &c. whereby wee may 

 conceive the quickenefle of fpirite of thcfe Indians,fee^ 

 ing this manner of writing of our prayers and matters 

 of faith hath not beene taught them by the Spaniards, 

 neither could they have done it, if they had not had 

 an excellent conception of that was taught them. And 

 I have feene in Pert* , a confeffion of finnes brought by 

 an Indian, written in the fame forte with piftures and 

 characters, painting every one of the tenne Gomman. 

 dementes , after a certaine manner , where there were 

 certaine markes like ciphers, which w&e the finnes hee 

 had committed againft theCommaundements. I no* 

 thing doubt but if any of the moft fufficient Spaniards 

 wereimployed to make memorials of the like things 

 by their images and markes, they would not attaine vn- 

 toitinawholeyeare, no not in tenne. 



t Of Regiftersandthe manner of rcckomngwbich 



the IndUns of Pent vfed. : 



C H A P. 8. * 



.' 



BEfore the Spaniardes came to the Indies , they of 

 Peru had no kinde of writing, either letters, chara- 

 <5krs, ciphers^or figures,like to thofeof China and Mex 

 ico : yet preferved they the rrreaiory of their Antiqui*^ 

 ties^and maintaine an order in all their affairs, of peace, 

 warre, and pollicie, for that they were carefull dbfer- 

 vcrs of traditions from one to another, and the yoong 

 ones learned, and carefully kept> as a holy thing, what 

 their fuperiors had tolde them , and taught it with the 

 like care to their poftcritie. Befides this diligence,they 

 fuppliedthe want of letters and writings, partelyby 

 painting , as tHofe of 'Mexico y (although they of Pcre 



were 



