368 



INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL. 



companied by a priest, and expected to be attacked 

 by a great number of Indians. Being prepared for 

 defence, they arranged themselves in good order, 

 and came to the tower, w^here they found no one ; 

 and in all the environs they did not see a single 

 man. The commandant mounted upon the tower 

 with the standard bearer, the flag unfurled. He 

 planted this standard upon one of the facades of the 

 tower, took possession in the name of the king, in 

 presence of witnesses, and drew up a declaration of 

 said taking possession. 



" The ascent to this tower was by eighteen steps ; 

 the base was very massive, one hundred and eighty 

 feet in circumference. At the top rose a small tow- 

 er of the height of two men placed one upon the oth- 

 er. Within were figures, bones, and idols that they 

 adored. From these marks we supposed that they 

 were idolaters. While the commandant was at the 

 top of the tower with many of our people, an In- 

 dian, followed by three others who kept the doors, 

 put in the interior a vase with very odoriferous per- 

 fumes, which seemed of storax. This Indian was 

 old ; he burned many perfumes before the idols 

 which were in the tower, and sang in a loud voice 

 a song, which was always in the same tone. We 

 supposed that he was invoking his idols. * * * ^ * 

 These Indians carried our commandant with ten or 

 twelve Spaniards, and gave them to eat in a hall con- 

 structed of stones very close together, and covered 

 with straw. Before the hall was a large well, from 



