^l8 ULLOA's voyage to south AMERICA. 



Such IS their propenfity to intemperance, that they are not retrained by any dignity 

 of charafter ; the cacique and the alcalde never fail to be of the company at all enter- 

 tainments, and drink like the reft, till the chicha has quite overcome them. It is v^^orth 

 notice that the Indian women, vs^hether maids or married, and alfo the young men be- 

 fore they are of an age to contrail matrimony, entirely abftain from this vice ; it being 

 a maxim among them, that drunkennefs is only the privilege of mafters of families, as 

 being perfons v^ho, when they are unable to take care of themfelves, have others to take 

 care of them. 



Their manner of celebrating any folemnity is too fmgular to be omitted : the perfon 

 who gives the entertainment invites all his acquaintance, and provides chicha fufficient 

 for the number of his guells, at the rate of a jug for each ; and this jug holds about two 

 gallons. In the court of the houfe, if it be a large town, or before the cottage, if in a 

 village, a table is placed, and covered with a tucuyo carpet, only ufed on fuch feftivities. 

 The eatables confifl wholly of camcha, and fome wild herbs boiled. When the guefts 

 meet, one or two leaves of thefe herbs, with ten or twelve grains of camcha, finifh the 

 repaft. Immediately the women prefent themfelves with calabafhes or round totumos, 

 called pilches, full of chica, for their hufbands ; and repeat it till their fpirits are raifed : 

 then one of them plays on, a pipe and tabor, whilfl others dance, as they call it, though 

 it is no more than moving confufealy from one fide to the other, without meafure or 

 order. Some of the befl vr)ices among the Indian women fmg in their own language. 

 Thus their mirth continues while kept up by the liquor, which, as I have faid before, is 

 the foul of all their meetings. Another odd circumftance is, that thofe who do not 

 dance, fquat themfelves down in their ufual pofture, till it comes to their turn. The 

 table ferves only for ftate, there being nothing on it to eat, nor do the guefts fit down 

 at it. When tired with intemperance, they all lie down together, without minding 

 whether near the wife of another, or their own fifter, daughter, ormorediftant relation; 

 fo (hocking are the excefles to which they give themfelves up on thefe folemnities, which 

 are fometimes continued three or four days, till the priefts find themfelves obliged to go 

 in perfon, throw away all the chica, and difperfe the Indians, left they fliould buy 

 more. 



The day after the feftival is called Concho, which fignifies the day for drinking off" 

 the remains of the preceding : with thefe they begin ; and if not fufficient to complete 

 their revel, every one. of the guefts runs home to his houfe, and fetches a jug, or they 

 club for more. This occafions a new concho for the next day ; and thus, if left to 

 themfelves, from day to day, till either no more chica is to be had, or they left without 

 money or credit. 



Their burials are likewife folemnized with excefliye drinking. The houfe of mourn- 

 ing is filled with jugs of chica ; and not for the folace of the mourners and their vifitors 

 alone : the latter go out into the ftreets, and invite all of their nation who happen to 

 pafs by, whether married or fmgle of both fexes, to come in and drink to the honour 

 of the deceafed ; and to this invitation they will take no denial. The ceremony iafts 

 four or five days, and fometimes more, ftrong liquor being their fupreme wifli, and the 

 great objeft of all their labours. 



If the Indians are thus exceflively addided to intemperance, gaming is a fault with 

 which they cannot be charged, though thefe two vices are generally feen together. 

 They feem to have no manner of inclination for play ; nor have they above one 

 kind, and that of great antiquity, among them ; this they call pafa, i. e. a hundred, 

 as he wins who firft gets that number. They play at it with two inftruments ; one a 

 fpread eagle of wood with ten holes on each fide, being tens, and are marked with pegs, 



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