position. And due ceremonies having been held, each
one came to offer him a white plume as a sign of vassalage and tribute,
which is an ancient custom dating from the time that this land was
conquered by these Cuzcos.[12] This done, they sang and danced, making a
great festivity, in which the new king neither arrayed himself in
clothes of price nor placed the fringe upon the forehead in the manner
in which the dead lord was wont to wear it. And when the governor asked
him why he did so, he replied that it was the custom of his ancestors
when they took possession of the realm to mourn the dead cacique and to
pass three days in fasting, shut up within their house, after which they
used to come forth with much pomp and solemnity and hold great
festivities, for which reason he, too, would like to spend two days in
fasting. The Governor replied that since it was an ancient custom he
might keep it, and that soon he would give him many things which the
Emperor our Lord sent to him, which he would give to him and to all the
lords of those provinces. And at once the cacique was placed for his
fast in a place apart from the assembly of the others, which was a house
that they had built for this purpose since the day that notice was given
by the Governor; it was near the Governor's lodging; on account of it
the said Governor and the other Spaniards were greatly astonished,
seeing how, in so short a time, so large and fine a house had been
built. In it he was shut up and retired without anyone's seeing him or
entering that place save the servants who waited on him and brought him
food, or the Governor when he wished to send him something. When the
fast was over, he came forth richly clad and accompanied by many troops,
caciques and chiefs who guarded him, and all the places where he was to
sit were adorned with costly cushions, and beneath his feet were placed
fine cloths. Seated near him was Calichuchima, the great general of
Atabalipa who conquered this land, as was told in the account of the
affairs at Caxamalca, and near him was also the captain Tice, one of the
chiefs, and on the other side were certain brothers of the lord, while
on both hands were other caciques and captains and governors of
provinces and other lords of great lands, and, in short, no one sat
there who was not of quality. They all ate together on the ground, for
they use no other table, and when they had eaten, the cacique said that
he wished to give his obedie