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BooK 11. Royal Commentdrin.
the Break of day, ·or che Dawniog·, f4cari, befides other pro¡,et ,vdrds to denote
Noon, Midnight, and ocher Hours.
.- Lightning, Thunder and 'rhunder-bolts ( ás we have faicl ) they gave ohely
one denominacion of Y/lapa; and that though they did not acknowledge thern for
Gods, yet they t1onouree:l them as Servants of the Sun ; as they alfo did the Rain–
bow, and bec.i.ufe chey obferved chat the beautifull variecy of ics Colours was an
ttfeét of che Sun-beams refleéting on a Cloud, they placed it in their Bannersj
and made it che Arms of their Jnca1. That which we call che Milky-way,
they fanfied to be añ Ewe giving fück to a Lamb; and have ofien Oiewed me;
pointing to it, Seefi thou not there che Head of che-Sheep? and there che Head
and Legs of che Lamb ? But my imagination was never fo firong ~ to fanfie a
creature chere ohhat figure. .
The for,ce of cheir Aiftrology did never reach fo far as to mclke Predi&iolls frorn
the Sun, or Moon, or Gomecs, ·or Conjunéüons o{ Scars, unleís it were of fome..
thiog of great and notorious imponance, füch as che Deach of their K.i,ogs, or the
De.llruétion of Kingdoms; but rath~r deduced cheir Progooftications fro~ their
Dreams, or che entrails. of the Beafü, which they offered in Sacrifice ~ But the
fuperílition d1ey had o( their Dreams was fo idle and vain, that we !hall omit to
mencion chern ; the like they imagined of che Star Vmm , which becauCe it ap~
Rears at che _beginnin& of che night, ~nd again rifes with che mornini, th~y fan.~
fted, that bemg fo bnght and beauufull beyond the ocher Srars, tM Sun was
pleafecfto give it a double courf~, makingit in the·Even,ing t bl.m, and
in the Morning to precede, ánd be the me~ng~ to advi[e füs
When they faw che Sun fet.wichin the Sea, ( as they mar e t obferve
to che Wefi:ward from che Coa!!: of Peru) chey fanúed füat che Waters were
parced by che force of bis fire and heac ~ and that being a good fwimmer, be
plung~d ~imfelf inco the Wav~s, and di-ved quite through tbe Sea to appe~ ~ext
mornwg m the·Eaí d,fo much íhall fufike to have füoken of tneir Afir()l,
)ogy.; .te~ ~s now i , and ~~ what kno"'.ledge ~hey h_a.d attained·in Phyfidr
and Med1c1.0CS, wl aowinillred to meir fi~ m th.ett ftveral difeafes.
CH A P. - XII. )
Of their Phyfic'<. a~1d ·Medicines, and haw they applied
the111•
•
T Hey had gained fo much knowledge,.·in Phyfick, as tó know; that Bleeding
and Purging were two neceífary evacuations : che Bloud they~rew from
the Legs; Armes ór For~head ; and becaufe they were nQC acquainted wi(h die _
f\natomy of the Veins,"they opened that which was neareft to the pain ~ Their
· Lancet was made ofa íharp-poinced Flint,fet at the end af a finall Cane; whkh be·
lng laid on the Vein, with agemle fillip cucs it wích lefs paio than our ordinar-yLan,.
cecs. do : And as they are ignoranc how che Veins branch them(elves through thé
whole body, fo likewife are they unacquainced wich che particular hu~ours,; füch
as Flegm, Choler and Melancholy, and confequently !uve not che Judgment t()
apply the moíl: fpecifick Medicines to purge thern I They mofl CollllnooÍy ¡::¡ur–
ged, when they found a Plechory of. humoprs, rather than when the difeafe ha.d
prevailed upan them: che lngredient which they ufed in their Putges, was aforc
of whice rooc, in fafhion of a fmall Turnip; of which, they [ay, t·heJe 1s Male ·
and Female; of both which they mix an equal proportion to the quantity of a¡.
bout two ounces, which chey beat to a Powder, and take it in water {)( their Qr~"
dinary drink, without ocher Herbs or Drugs; and chen th~ P · bimfelf
in the SW1, thac his heat and bleffing may comribute to its In <tn.
hour,,_