Ifttforie ofthefntties. lib. 6. 449 



were very grofe and blockifli ) andpartely, andmoft 

 commonly by guippos. Thcfe grippes are memorial^ 

 orregifters, made of bowes, in the which there are 

 diverfe knottes and colours, which do fignifie diverfe 

 things, arid it is ftrange to fee what they have exprefled 

 and reprefented by this meanes : for their >&gjffif.BstV:t 

 them infteede of Bookes of hiftories,of lawes, ceremo- 

 nies,and accounts of their affaires . There were officers 

 appointed to keepe thefe 'J%uipp0s,the which at this day 

 they call guipoumyos, the which were bound to give 

 an account of every tiling^, as Notaries and Regiftcrs 

 doeheere. Therefore they fully beleeved them in all 

 .things, for according tothevarietieof bufinefle, as 

 warres,pollicie, tributes, ceremonies and landes, there 

 Werefundry guippos 01 braunches, in every oneof the 

 which there were fomany knottes little and great, and 

 firings tied vntb them, fomcrcd, {bmegreenc, fome 

 ble w,fomc white and finally , fuch diverfitie, that e . 

 ven as wee derive an infinite number of woordes from 

 the foure and twenty letters, applying them in diverfe 

 fortes 5 fo doe they drawe innumerable woordes from 

 their knottes^ ana diverfitie of colours . Which thing 

 they doe in facha manner, that if at this day in Pertt,z- 

 ny Commiflary come at the end of two or three yeares, 

 to take information vppon the life of any officer, the 

 Indians come with their (mall reckonings verifiedjfay- 

 ing, that in fuch a village they have given him fo miny 

 egges which hee hath not payed for , in fuch a hoiifc d 

 henne,in an other, two burdens of grade for his horfe^ 

 and that he hath paied but fo much mony,and remain- 

 cth debtor fo much. The proofe being prefently made 

 with thefc numbers of knottes and handfulls of cords, 

 it rcmaines fora cettaine tcftimiony and rcgiftef. I did 



Gg z fee 



