These things, added to the principal offering, that made by the person for whom the sacrifice was offered, which was a rich one—­and, moreover, additional to the sacrifice itself, which most often was a fine fat hog—­amounted to a large quantity of goods, of much value and profit.  Consequently, those ministers usually went about in handsome garments, and adorned with jewels and valuable ornaments.  The house is the usual place for the sacrifice, and the victim is, as I have said, a fine hog, or a cock.  The mode of sacrifice is to slay the victim with certain ceremonies, and with dance movements which are performed by the priest to the accompaniment of a bell or kettle-drum.  It is at this time that the devil takes possession of them, or they pretend that he does.  They now make their strange grimaces, and fall into a state of ecstasy; after that has passed, they announce what they have seen and heard.  On this day a grand feast is prepared; they eat, drink, and become intoxicated, the priest or priestess more than the rest. [85] Consequently, among them all is drunkenness, excess, and blindness—­a pitiful sight for those who see it and can appreciate it in the light of truth.

Of the idolatries which were secretly practiced in San Juan del Monte and how they were abolished Chapter XXII.

The devil was gradually introducing into the village of San Juan del Monte [i.e., Taytay] a great plague of idolatry (nourished by some ancient remains of heathenism which had clung to certain persons in that village), in the form which I shall relate.

In the town there was a band of worthless women, of the Catolonas [i.e., priestesses] as we have said.  These in secret maintained a tyrannical hold upon the village by various means and plots compelling many to repair to them upon every occasion, as they formerly did before they became Christians.  Among these women, one who was a leader claimed that her anito was a very close friend of the anito of the Christians and had descended to the earth from heaven.  This woman most stirred up the fire on account of the power that she wielded, not only on account of the sagacity which she certainly possessed, but by her influence and reputation in the village.  Not only was she herself of high family, but she was very well connected; and had several sons who were married, and thus related to the most prominent families of the village.  By these means she was, on the one hand, powerful enough to draw to her the weak, and on the other, to compel the more influential to dissemble with her, and to refrain from betraying her for fear of exposing themselves to risk.  Nevertheless, this woman and her following proceeded with great caution and secrecy and rigorously enjoined those who had relations with them to do the same.  If any of those women died, she appointed an heir, and successor—­to whom, after she had been accepted and received, her idol was brought in great silence by some chiefs,