The publications of the Hakluyt Society (founded in 1846) made available early accounts of exploration. The first series, which ran from 1847 to 1899, consists of 100 books containing published or previously unpublished works by authors from Christopher Columbus to Sir Francis Drake, and covering voyages to the New World, to China and Japan, to Russia and to Africa and India. Pedro de Cierza de León (c.1520–1554) was a Spanish solider who participated in many expeditions throughout South America. Between 1548 and 1553 he travelled across Peru, interviewing local officials and Inca prisoners and collecting information about the landscape and indigenous people. Volume 33 of the Hakluyt series, first published in 1874 and reissued here, begins the first English translation of his work, which was continued in Volume 68 (1883). This volume contains detailed descriptions of the geography of Peru and an ethnographical account of different indigenous cultures.

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call LlallahuaSj which they kissed and worshipped. They ^^^-^' did likewise worshippe Beares, Lions, Ty^res, and Snakes, to the end they should not hurt them ; and such as their gods bee, such are the things they offer vnto them in their worshippe. They have vsed as they goe by the way, to cast, in the crosse wayes, on the hilles, and toppes of mountaines, which they call Apachitas/ olde shooes, feathers, and coca chewed, being an hearb they vse much.And when they have nothing left, they cast a stone as an offring, that they might passe freely, and have greater force, the which they say increaseth by this meanes, as it is reported in a provinciall Council of Peru. And therefore ??^°^^-. .. ^^Limensi., ii, they finde in the hie wayes great heapes of stones offered, p-^' ^^p-^^• and such other things. The like follie did the Antients vse, of whome it is spoke in the Proverbs. ^' Like vnto him that Prou. xxvi. offereth stones vnto the hill of Mercuric, such a one is hee that honoureth fooles,"^meaning that a man shall reape no more fruit nor profit of the second than the fi.rst, for that their God Mercury, made of stone, dooth not acknowledge any offering, neyther doth a foole any honour that is doone him. They vsed another offring no lesse absurd, pulling the haire from the eyebrowes to offer it to the Sunne, hills, Apachitas, to the winds, or to any other thing they feare.Such is the miseries that many Indians have lived in, and do to this day, whom the divell doth abuse, like very babes, with any foolish illusion whatsoever. So dooth Saint Chrysostome in one of his Homilies compare them, but the servants of God, which labour to draw them to salvation, ought not contemne these follies and childishnesse, being sufficient to plunge these poore abused creatures into eternall perdition; but they ought with good and cleere reasons to draw them from so great ignorance. ' Correctly " Apachecta". See G. de la Vega^i, p. 117-2 " As he that biudeth a stone in a sling, so is he that giveth honour to a fool." Proverbs xxvi, v. 8. Lib. v. 310ARGUMENT AGAINST THE SUN BEING GOD.For in trueth it is a matter woortliy of consideration^to see how they subiect themselves to such as instruct them in the true way of life. There is nothing among all the creatures more beautifull than the Sunne. which all the Gentiles did commonly worship. A discreete captaine and good christian told me that he had with a good reason perswaded the Indians that the Sunne was no god.He required the Cacique or chiefe Lord to give him an Indian that were light, to carry him a letter ; which doone_, he saide to the Cacique, Tell me who is Lord and chiefe, either this Indian that carries the letter, or thou that dost send him ? The Cacique answered, without doubt I am, for he dooth but what I commaund him. Even so replied the Captaine, is it of the Sunne we see, and the Creator of all things. For that the Sunne is but a servant to the most high Lorde, which, by his commaundement, runnes swiftly, giving light to all nations.Thus thou seest it is against reas...