240 The Htjiory of Book II. 



ded, they put Incenfe and other perfumes upon the fire which 

 they had kindled the night before, and very carefully kept in 

 upon that Altar : Having ended their Songs, and confum'dall 

 their Perfumes, they all retir'd to the entrance of the Temple, 

 before the Gate, excepting only fix, who remaind neer the Al- 

 tar 'j and while thofe who ftood at the entrance lift up their 

 Voices more then ordinary, the others who remaind at the Al- 

 tar let go out of their hands, at the fame time, every one fix of 

 the tonatzul^Mvhieh they had brought thither,and kept in Cages 

 for that purpofe : Thefe Birds having flown about the Temple, 

 and finding the entrance poflefTed by the Priefts, who were at 

 the Gate with Boughs in their hands, and frighted therri with 

 their Voices , took their flight out at the open place in the 

 midft of the Temple 5 and after they had flown about a while, 

 the Aflembly which was upon the Mountain entertain'd them 

 with loud cries of rejoycing, as accounting them to have put a 

 period to the Ceremony,and looking on them as the Children 

 and Meflengers of the Sun , they immediately got into the 

 Woods. 



As foon as thefe Birds were gone the people march'd down 

 in order from the Mountain, and pafling neer the Temple, the 

 Priefts, who were ftill in their Office,caus'd them to enter into 

 it $ and after they had warned their hands" and their faces in 

 the Fountain, theyorder'd them to go out at the fame en- 

 trance , which was divided by a fmall partition , purpofely 

 made there to prevent confufion and diforder : Then at their 

 coming out they took another way, which led them into the 

 Road that conduced to the Mountain, and was the fame by 

 which they hadafcended 5 and fo every one made towards his 

 own home. 



The poor, whereof the Priefts had a Catalogue, ftaid till 

 all the reft were gone, and receiv'd from their hands the Gar- 

 ments, and all the other Prefents which the rich had made to 

 the Sun, to be diftributed among them 5 which done, all left 

 the Mountain, and there was an end of the Ceremony. 



But now, finee the greateft and moft considerable part of 

 the people who are Inhabitants of the Provinces of Bentarin 

 and Matica, and particularly the King and City of Melilot^ 

 have embraced the Chriftian Religion, this Mountain and its 

 Temple are not much frequented, unlefs it be out of curiofity .* 

 Nor does the King permit his Subjects of the other Provinces, 

 who have not receiv'd Baptifm, to go up thither to perform 

 their Sacrifices and all their ancient Superftitions. 



They believ'd the immortality of the Soul 5 but they had 

 fo diiguis'd this Truth with Fables, that it was in a manner 

 fmother'd thereby. They embalm'd the bodies of their de- 

 ceafed Relations with feveral forts of Gums and Aromatical 

 Drugs 3 which had the virtue of preferving them from corrup- 

 tion 5 



