, * INHABITANTS OP PERU. 395 



with the approbation of the royal audience ; but have not any 

 funds for the support of their rehgious association, except the 

 gratuitous contributions collected among themselves. 



The festival which more especially excites them to a display 

 of all their show and finery, is that of the Sunday of the oc- 

 taves of Corpus Chrhti day. All the tribes unite for the pro- 

 cession, which sets out on that day from the great convent of 

 Santo Domingo. Each carries its banner, and a canopy, be- 

 neath which proceeds the king or queen, with a sceptre in the 

 right hand, and a staff, or some other instrument, in the left., 

 These personages are accompanied by all the individuals be- 

 longing to the nation, provided with certain noisy instruments 

 of music, the greater part of them having a very disagreeable 

 sound. Those who compose the retinue of the kings or 

 queens, vie with each other in the adoption of the most horri- 

 ble costumes. Some appear in the guise of devils ; others are 

 covered with feathers from head to foot ; others imitate bears, 

 with skins thrown over them ; and others, again, represent 

 monsters, with horns, claws of lions, tails of serpents, and 

 feathers of hawks. They are all of them armed with bows,, 

 arrows. Clubs and shields. They stain the face of a red or 

 blue colour, according to the usage of the countries v/hich 

 gave them birth ; and introduce into the procession certain 

 horrid shouts and gestures, as terrific as if they were in reality 

 engaged in the attack of an enemy. The seriousness and fe- 

 rocious enthusiasm with which these scenes are represented, 

 afford us an idea of the barbarity that would accompany their, 

 martial assaults. The decorations, which would be highly 

 agreeable in a masquerade of carnival time, seem to be inde- 

 cent in an ecclesiastical performance, and still more so in a 



proces- 



