“I, Marcos Otaso, a priest and native of Valladolid, being in the village of Lampa, teaching the Indians our holy Christian faith, in the month of May 1547, the moon being full, all the chiefs and principal people came to me and asked very eagerly for permission to do what was their custom at that season. I replied that if it was anything that was unlawful in our holy Catholic faith, it must not be done from that time forward. They received my decision, and returned to their homes. At about noon they began to sound drums in several directions with one stick, which is their way of sounding them; and presently several mantles were spread in the plaza for the chiefs to sit upon, who were dressed in their best clothes, with their hair plaited according to their custom—a plait, twisted four times, falling on each side. Being seated in their places, I saw a boy deity, aged about twelve years, go up to each cacique. These boys were very handsome, and richly dressed. From the knees downwards they were covered with red fringe, their arms were clothed in the same way, and they had many stamped medals of gold and silver on different parts of their bodies. In their right hands they carried a kind of weapon like a halberd, and in the left a large bag of coca. On the left hand of each boy walked girls of ten years old, beautifully dressed in the same way, except that they wore a long train behind, which is not the custom with other women. This train was held by an older girl, who was beautiful and stately. Behind came many women as attendants. The girls carried bags of very fine cloth in their right hands, full of gold and silver medals. From the shoulders a lion skin hung down and covered everything. Behind the attendants came six Indian labourers, each with a plough on his shoulder, and beautiful crowns of many-coloured feathers on his head. Then followed six others, as their pages, with bags of potatoes, playing on drums. Thus they advanced towards the chiefs, and, as they passed them, the boys and girls, and all the others, made deep reverences and bowed their heads. The chiefs returned the salute by bowing also. They then retired without turning their heads, for about twenty paces, in the same order. The labourers then put the ploughs on the ground, and took the bags of the large and choice potatoes, at the same time beating drums, and performing a sort of dance, raising themselves on the points of their toes, and holding up the bags which they held in their hands from time to time. Only those I have mentioned did this; for all the chiefs and the rest of the people were seated on the ground in rows in perfect silence, watching what was going on. Afterwards those in the procession sat down, and others brought a one-year old lamb all of one colour, and took it before the chief, surrounded by other Indians, so that I might not see what was going on. They then threw the lamb on the ground, and, having torn out the bowels, they gave them to the sorcerers, called Huaca-camayoc, who are to them what priests are with us. I then saw certain Indians taking up as much of the lamb’s blood as they could hold in their hands, and pouring it quickly amongst the potatoes in the bags.[538] At this moment a chief came forward, who had become a Christian a few days before, calling them dogs and other things, in their own language, which I did not understand. He then went to the foot of a high cross which stood in the middle of the plaza, where, with a loud voice, he fearlessly denounced this diabolical rite. They all went away in great affright, without finishing the sacrifice, or prognosticating the success of the harvests during the year, as was their wont. Other priests, called umu,[539] also predict coming events, and converse with the devil, carrying about with them a figure of the enemy, made of a hollow bone, with a lump of the black wax, that is found in the country, on the top.
“While I was in this village of Lampa, a boy of mine came to me on Maundy Thursday, who had slept in the church. He was very much frightened, and asked me to get up and go to baptise a cacique who was in the church on his knees before the images, in a state of great terror. On the Wednesday night, when this cacique was in the huaca where they go to worship, he saw a man dressed in white, who told him to go to the church and be baptised by me. As soon as day dawned I got up and recited my prayers, and then, not believing the story, went to say mass, and found the man still on his knees. Directly he saw me, he threw himself at my feet, and begged me to make him a Christian. I consented, and having said mass in presence of several Christians, I baptised him. He then went out with great joy, crying out that he was now a Christian, and not a bad man like the other Indians. Then, without saying anything to anybody, he burnt his house, divided his women and flocks amongst his servants, and returned to the church, where he was always preaching to the Indians what concerned their salvation, and urging them to forsake their sins and vices. He did this with great fervour, as if he had been inspired by the Holy Spirit. Many Indians became Christians, owing to the persuasions of the newly-converted chief; and the chief related that the man whom he saw in the huaca, or temple of the devil, was white and very beautiful, and that his clothes were resplendent.”
The priest gave me this account in writing, and I myself see great signs every day that the Lord is more served now than in times past. The Indians are converted, and little by little they are forgetting their rites and evil customs. If this work has been slow, the fault lies more in our neglect than in their malice; for the best way to convert the Indians is to do good works, that the newly converted may take example.
CHAPTER CXVIII.
How, when a chief near the town of Anzerma wished to become a Christian, he saw the devils visibly, who wished to deter him from his good intention by their terrors.
IN the last chapter I related how an Indian of the village of Lampa was converted to Christianity. I will here tell another strange story, that the faithful may glorify the name of God who is so merciful to us, and that the wicked and incredulous may acknowledge the works of the Lord. When the Adelantado Belalcazar was governor of the province of Popayan, and when Gomez Hernandez was his lieutenant in the town of Anzerma, there was a chief in a village called Pirsa, almost four leagues from the town, whose brother, a good-looking youth, named Tamaraqunga, inspired by God, wished to go to the town of the Christians, to receive baptism. But the devils did not wish that he should attain his desire, fearing to lose what seemed secure, so they frightened this Tamaraqunga in such sort that he was unable to do anything. God permitting it, the devils stationed themselves in a place where the chief alone could see them, in the shape of birds called Auras.[540] Finding himself so persecuted by the devils, he sent in great haste to a Christian living near, who came at once, and, hearing what he wanted, signed him with the sign of the cross. But the devils then frightened him more than ever, appearing in hideous forms which were only visible to him. The Christian only saw stones falling from the air, and heard whistling. A brother of one Juan Pacheco, citizen of the same town, then holding office in the place of Gomez Hernandez, who had gone to Caramanta, came from Anzerma with another man, to visit the Indian chief. They say that Tamaraqunga was much frightened and ill-treated by the devils, who carried him through the air from one place to another, in presence of the Christians, he complaining, and the devils whistling and shouting.[541] Sometimes, when the chief was sitting with a glass of liquor before him, the Christians saw the glass raised up in the air and put down empty, and a short time afterwards the wine was again poured into the cup from the air. The chief covered his face with his cloak, that he might not see the horrible visions before him. Then, without having moved the cloak from his face, the devils forced clay into his mouth, as if they wished to choke him. At last the Christians resolved to take the chief to the town, that he might be baptised at once, and more than two hundred Indians came with him, but they were so frightened by the devils, that they would not come near the chief. Thus, journeying with the Christians, they came to a bad part of the road, where the devils took the chief into the air, to dash him against the rocks. He cried out to the Christians for help, who presently took hold of him, but the Indians did not dare to speak, much more to offer any assistance. So cruelly was he persecuted by the devils, all for the good of his soul, and for the greater confusion of this our cruel enemy.
The two Christians saw that God would not be served if the Indian was left to these devils, so they fastened some cords round his waist, and, calling upon God for help, they went on with the Indian between them, and with crosses in their hands, and reached a hill; but still with great difficulty. As they were now near the town, they sent a messenger to Juan Pacheco for assistance. Presently the devils began to throw stones about in the air, and in this way they reached the town, and went straight to the house of this Juan Pacheco, where all the Christians in the village assembled. The devils then began throwing small stones on the top of the house, and whistling; and as the Indians, when they go to war, cry out Hu! Hu! Hu! so the devils also made these noises in very loud voices. Every body then began to pray to our Lord that, for his glory and for the salvation of the Indian’s soul, the devils might not be allowed to have their own way; for these devils, according to the words heard by the chief, cried out that he must not become a Christian. While many stones were flying about, the people came out to go to church, and some Christians heard noises within, before the doors were opened. The Indian Tamaraqunga, on going into the church, saw the devils looking very fierce, with their heads beneath, and feet in the air. A friar named Fray Juan de Santa Maria, of the order of our lady of mercy, then came in to baptise the chief, upon which the devils, in presence of all the Christians, but without being seen by any one but the chief, took him up in the air; putting his head below and his feet above, as they were themselves. The Christians cried out in a loud voice, “Jesus Christ! Jesus Christ, be with us!” made the sign of the cross, and taking hold of him, wetted him with holy water; but still the whistling and other noises continued inside the church. Tamaraqunga saw the devils visibly, and they gave him such buffets, that a hat, which he held before his eyes so as not to see them, was hurled to a distance. They also spat in his face. All this happened during the night, and in the morning the friar dressed, to say mass. As soon as he began, the noises ceased, and the chief received no more evil treatment from the devils. When the most holy mass was concluded, Tamaraqunga asked for the water of baptism, together with his wife and son. After he was baptised he said that he was now a Christian and might be left to walk alone, to see if the devils st¡ll had any power over him. So the Christians let him go, while they all prayed to our Lord that, for the exaltation of his holy faith, and that the Indians might be converted, he would not permit the devils to have any further power over the chief, now that he was a Christian. Then Tamaraqunga went out with great joy, saying “I am a Christian,” and praising God in his own language. He went round the church two or three times, and neither felt nor heard anything from the devils, so he went to his house full of joy and contentment. This event was so famous among the Indians, that many became Christians. It happened in the year 1549.
CHAPTER CXIX.
How mighty wonders have been clearly seen in the discovery of these Indies, how our Sovereign Lord God desires to watch over the Spaniards, and how He also chastises those who are cruel to the Indians.
BEFORE finishing this first part, it seems good that I should here mention some of the marvellous works which our Lord God has seen fit to display in the discovery which the Christian Spaniards have made in these kingdoms, as well as the punishments he has inflicted on certain notable persons. For they will teach us how we must love Him as a father, and fear Him as a just Judge and Lord.