[Incest common among them.] These Men being so low that nothing they can do, can make them lower, it is not unusual with them to lay with their Daughters, or for the Son to lay with his Mother, as if there were no Consanguinity among them.

[A Punishment to deliver Noble Women to these Beggars.] Many times when the King cuts off Great and Noble Men, against whom he is highly incensed, he will deliver their Daughters and Wives unto this sort of People, reckoning it, as they also account it, to be far worse Punishment than any kind of Death.  This kind of Punishment being accounted such horrible Cruelty, the King doth usually of his Clemency shew them some kind of Mercy, and pittying their Distress, Commands to carry them to a River side, and there to deliver them into the hands of those, who are far worse than the Executioners of Death:  from whom, if these Ladies please to free themselves, they are permitted to leap into the River and be drowned; the which some sometimes will choose to do, rather than to consort with them.

[Some of these Beggars keep Cattle and shoot Deer.] There are some of this sort of People which dwell in remote Parts, distant from any Towns, and keep Cattle, and sell them to the Chingulayes, also shoot Deer and sell them where they fall in the Woods; for if they should but touch them, none would buy them.

[Refuse Meat dressed in a Barbar’s house.] The Barbar’s Information having been the occasion of all this misery upon this People, they in revenge there of abhor to eat what is dressed in the Barbar’s House even to this day.

CHAP.  III.

Of their Religion, Gods, Temples, Priests.

To take a more particular view of the state of this Countrey, we shall first give some account of their Religion, as it justly requires the first place, and then of their other secular concerns.

Under their Religion will come to be considered, Their Gods, their Temples, their Priests, their Festivals, Sacrifices, and Worship, and their Doctrines and Opinions; and whatsoever other matters occur, that may concern this Subject.

[Their Religion, their gods.] The Religion of the Countrey is Idolatry.  There are many both Gods and Devils, which they worship, known by particular Names, which they call them by.  They do acknowledge one to be the Supreme, whom they call Ossa polla maupt Dio, which signifieth the Creator of Heaven and Earth; and it is he also, who still ruleth and governeth the same.  This great Supreme God, they hold, sends forth other Deities to see his Will and Pleasure executed in the World; and these are the petty and inferior gods.  These they say are the Souls of good men, who formerly lived upon the Earth.  There are Devils also, who are the Inflicters of Sickness and Misery upon them.  And these they hold to be the Souls of evil men.