The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-08-17

few of them: In the days of the Incas,
whenever poor Indian had climbed a hill,
at the top of it he laid down his load, bowed
low toward the east, invoked the name of
Pachacamac, one of their principal deitles,
VINO was supposed to he the Judge of the
human race, repeating three times the
word ''apachicta,' the abbreviation of a
sentence signifying, Il give thanks unto
Him who has enabled me to endure thus
FAR, at the same time presenting to Pach-
acamac an offering consisting of hair
pulled from the eyelash, some chewed coca.
SMALL STONE, OR A HANDFUL OF EARTH.
Today, the traveller observes on all the
roads near the summit of the Cordilleras
many mounds of stones or earth, the result
OF these offerings; and every modern In
dian leaves thereon a similar tribute
though, perhaps, its Specification may have
changed, or the deity to whom it is ad-
| dressed may bear another name
They also have superstition that in
order to return by the same route in safety,
1t Is necessary to smear any prominent
rock which has sheltered them, with sabo,
the tallow of the llama, and to throw
against it cuds of chewed coca. If they have
no tallow, they mutter an extra prayer or
Two, hoping that the the mysterious power
Will excuse their poverty; but no Indian is
SO poor that he cannot spare little coca
Both Quichuas and Aymaraes observe this
custom, and the latter set up endways
pieces of slate or small stones in every
crevice of the rocks on the road to prevent
the exit of evil spirits.
In crossing any ridge they cast stone
upon the heap that IS always to be found
there, and murmur a few words, whose
Specification
NO WHITE MAN UNDERSTANDS
These cairns, called apachetas are gener.
ally topped by huge cross, and NAV be
found at the summit of every hill all over
the land. Not an indian, drunk or sober,
Will pass one without uncovering his head
and saying prayer while making his offer
ing; but the secret of it has never been dis
closed, even to inquisitive priests at the
confessional. There are other cairns still
more ancient whose purport and history
nobody knows. They are set exactly on
the apex of the hills-square mounds, each
about six feet high and hollow inside
Dullt OF stones, well set and plastered over.
Many OF them have been taken down bv
curious people, in the hope of finding buried
treasures inside, funeral relics, or other
traces of their original use, but nothing has
ever been discovered.
Besides the gods of heaven, the ancient
South Americans seem to have had great
many terrestrial deities, all of whom re-
celved sacrifices, and some were worshiped
IN temples. A remnant of the old faith NAV
be found among the Indians of today, who
at harvest time offer to the earth (ssMama-
Pacha'') an oblation of chicha and ground
corn,
1MPLoRING HER TO GIVE
them an abundant yield. After field has
been planted cairn Or altar of stones is
erected in the middle, on top of which is
secured sheaf of wheat or shock of corn.
The sea, also (''Mama Cocha''), comes in
Tor share of worship, and is piously in
voked by those Indians who dwell near it.
Ihey believe, not without reason, that
many of those diseases which are rife be-
tween the coast and the sierras, come out
OF the ocean on the wings of mist and
vapor, and they implore Mama Cocha to
send them health instead.
On the banks of rivers ceremony is still
performed much like that called mayu-
challa in the Inca worship. None of the
mountain Indians can be coaxed or driven
across stream, large or small, until they
have first taken little water into the hol-
low OF the hand and invoked the god of the
river TO permit them to pass in safety
then, having drank the water, they throw a
little corn or coca into the stream. Unjust
be remembered that there are few bridges
In the country, and during u portion of
every year the rivers that are now easily
forded become dangerous torrents
From time out Of mind these tribes of the
southern continent have
REGARDED COCA WITH EXTREME REVERENCE.
worshiping the shrub itself, and using it's
leaves In their religious ceremonies. The
inca priests chewed it during divine SER
vice. and 1t was believed that unless those
"a GU iad IN al
favor OF the gods could not be propitiatsd.
During the $50 years that have interviewed,
Christianity has not been able to eradicate
this deep rooted idolatrv TO this dav il is
the general be'ief that any business under
taken without the benediction of coca
leaves cannot prosper. The Indian work
men in all the mines still throw coca cuds
upon hard veins of metal TO soften the ore
ana tighten their labors. In every ancient
grave supply q coca leaves is found with
the mummy, aud the Indians of to-day put
the same into the mouths of their dead in
order to secure for them more favorable
reception In the unknown world When
ever wandering Pc VIVIAN happens to fall
In with mummy, a not uncommon occur
renee since the whole country is one vast
cemetery, he reverently presents it with
few coca leaves, believing that the soul
which once inhabited the shrivelled body
will report his generosity to the lord of the
better country.
THE BELIEF IN HOUSEHOLD GODS
remained in full force long after the con-
quest, and every poor hut had its lares and
penates. More than two hundred wears
after the supposed conversion of the In
dams and the destruction of their idols, the
archbishop of Lima found it necessary to
lpdite pastoral letter to his priests in
which he recommended them to put the fol-
lowing questions through the confessional.