232 A STUDY OP THE MANUSCEIPT TROANO. 



putting- on tlie head of the little boys something white, fostened among the 

 locks at the back part of the head; as to the little girls, they wore hanging 

 down from the girdle a very slender cord, to which a small shell was 

 attached, which happened to be found placed exactly above the sexual 

 parts. It was regai-ded as a great fault and a very wrong action to remove 

 these things from the little girls before their baptism, which was always 

 administered between three and twelve years, and they were never married 

 before. When any one desired to have his child baptized, he went to the 

 priest and comnuinicated his intention to him; the priest published the bap- 

 tism throughout the conmiunity, taking care always that the ceremony 

 should not tall on an unlucky day. This done, he who had made tlie propo- 

 sition, and who consequently took charge of the feast, chose at his fancy 

 one of the chief men of the place, in order to aid him in all that had refer- 

 ence to it. After that it was the custom to choose still fom* others from 

 among the oldest and most honorable, who assisted the priest in his duties 

 on the day of the feast. This choice was always made with the consent ot 

 the pi-iest himself The fathers of all the infants to be baptized had an 

 equal part in this election, for the feast was a resort for all. To those who 

 had been chosen to accompany the j^riest they gave the title of Chac. 

 During the three days preceding the ceremony the fathers of the children, 

 as well as these officers, abstained from intercourse with their wives. 



On the day designated all -assembled at the house of him who gave the 

 feast, bringing Avith them the children to be baptized. They ranged them 

 in the court or a place in the house, which had been swept and ornamented 

 with leaves; the boys placed themselves on one side, under the charge of a 

 man who filled the office of godfather in regard to them; and on the other 

 side the girls, to whom they appointed a matron to take care of them When 

 this was completed the priest busied himself witli purifying the house, dis- 

 pelling the evil spirit from the place. For this purpose the}^ placed a small 

 bench at the four corners of the court; the four Chacs seated themselves, 

 stretcliing a cord from one to the other in such a manner that the children 

 remained in some sort confined in the center, after which the fathers all 

 together, who had observed the fast until this time, passed the cord to enter 

 into -the inclosure. In the center there was another bench, where the priest 

 was seated, having beside a brazier with bruised maize and incense. 



