with the bride on the previous night. In this temple there was a statue of gold, to which they sacrificed through the instrumentality of him who was there as priest, and their sacrifice was that, in the presence of the statue, they tore out the hearts of men and women who were sacrificed, and anointed the statue with them. They also cut out the tongues with certain stones like razors, and anointed the statue with them.[1] Likewise they offered up much game and fish, and other eatables, and of these the priest, who resided there, did eat. The Indians made a sort of confession of certain sins which appeared to them to be heinous, and they thought that, by confessing them to this priest, they were freed from them.
This is a land of abundance of good fruit, and of honey and wax, wherewith all the neighbouring countries are supplied. The bees are very numerous, some of them yellow, and these do not sting. They deposit the honey under the ground. There are many wolves in this land, which live upon the deer. They make wine from a kind of cherry, which is as strong as the wine of Spain, although the strength soon passes away. In all the countries I have mentioned the whole happiness of the people consists in drinking the wine they make from maize, which is like beer, and on this they get as drunk as if it was the wine of Spain, and all the festivals they hold, are for the purpose of drinking.
In this province there is a volcano from which smoke constantly issues, and at night it may be seen for three leagues round. At night it looks like flame, and in the day time like smoke.[2] The mouth is round like that of a well,
- ↑ The priest went thrice round the victim, singing a doleful hymn, then tore out his heart, and cut up the body. The priest ate the heart, the cacique received the hands and feet, the man who had captured the victim got the thighs, the trumpeter had the bowels, and the rest was given to the people. Herrera.
- ↑ This is a burning mountain called Massaya, about three leagues from Granada.
