81 / 108
-
73 -
tas e historiadores antiguos
y
modernos, a
los que es preciso ton1ar en cuenta con mu–
·cha cautela
y
con criterio distinto al que nos
ha guiado hasta ahora.
Among the Lengu:as there is a distinct trace of '21 supe·
rior people running in a northwesterly direction to–
wards Perú, of fairer skin, finer features greater intelli–
gence, and of more self-reliant and
~gressive
character.
The
result of inquiries in
to
the
famil
y connections of the
people along tbis north-westerly line ist that they
all
originated from the same stock, and among them I ha–
ve found traditiuns and beliefs which do not seen to be
general
y
heid by the tri bes.
I
t
was fro:níl
this peo
ple
that
I
first vvon true and loyal friends, and from them
we obtained our first converts
to
Christianity. We
found, too, that the recruits we gained from them we–
re much the ;a_blest and most vigorous teachers
of
that
religion.
Among the general mass of the Indians there is no
dearly defined idea as tho the future
a
bode of their dead,
but
I
have been told by representatives of the more in–
te11igent people to whom I have just referred, that the
souls of their dcparted pass over in a westh-north-wes–
terly direction,
to
what they term the "cities of the
dead".
These cities they
describe
as being of conside-