A Widow hath free leave to Marry again, provided she hath given to her Children part of what she hath; but if she Marry not, but return to her Parents, then she is highly esteem’d of.
Both Men and Women wash themselves in the Rivers in the coldest Weather.
Their Religion, and manner of burying their Dead.
They adore chiefly their Deity Pillan, and the Devil, who doth them much hurt. They acknowledge no Resurrection, accounting long Life in this World the greatest Good; wherefore when any one dies, the Friends and Relations make a doleful Cry, and suffer the dead Body to lie three, nay, four Moneths before they bury them, stuffing them full of strong smelling Herbs, to keep them from putrifying: Three days before their Interrment the nearest Allies meet, kill a Sheep, make Merry, and throw the Body into a Hole near the Hut in which the Deceased dwelt, putting also a piece of the slain Sheep, and a Jug full of the Liquor Chica, into the Grave.
Concerning their Idol Pillan, to whom with strange Gestures they Sing divers Songs, they believe that he is a Spirit of the Air, and Governs all things on Earth. Some suppose him to be Thunder, and therefore they worship him in a most particular manner when they hear it Thunder; for then they stick an Arrow and Stone Ax into the Ground, and take Arms into their Hands, putting themselves into a posture as if they should suddenly be set upon by a mighty Enemy, and look’d upon it heretofore as a fore-running of the Spaniards approach, whose Cruelties they exceedingly dreaded.
They call all their Hero’s Pillans, and ascribe Divine powers to them.
They take very much strong Tobacco, the Smoak whereof puffing in the Air with strange Gestures, they cry, Receive this, O Pillan.
Their cruel usage of Prisoners.
When they return home Conquerors from any Victory, they put a Stone Ax into the Ground, and standing Arm’d round about the same, Drink exceedingly, and sing a Song in honor of Pillan. They use their Prisoners very cruelly, for forcing them to Dance and make Merry amongst them, they on a sudden cleave their Heads with an Ax, pull their Hearts out of their Bodies, and bite the same with their Teeth. After the same manner they punish their Robbers and Traitors; but those that have good store of Chica to Present the Governors with, escape the Execution: Yet this cannot buy off Sorcerers or Witches, who are without mercy burnt alive, with all they enjoy’d.
They have no Priests, nor any that pretend to any religious Function; onely those that can Sing the Pawary well, are in great esteem amongst them.