of
chicha, which is the beverage used in this country in place of wine,
made of boiled maize. They did not know who had brought it, but they
gave thanks to the Creator, eating and drinking of that provision. Next
day the same thing happened. As they marvelled at this mystery, they
were anxious to find out who brought the meals. So one day they hid
themselves, to spy out the bringers of their food. While they were
watching they saw two Canari women preparing the victuals and putting
them in the accustomed place. When about to depart the men tried to
seize them, but they evaded their would-be captors and escaped. The
Canaris, seeing the mistake they had made in molesting those who had
done them so much good, became sad and prayed to Viracocha for pardon
for their sins, entreating him to let the women come back and give them
the accustomed meals. The Creator granted their petition. The women came
back and said to the Canaris--"The Creator has thought it well that we
should return to you, lest you should die of hunger." They brought them
food. Then there was friendship between the women and the Canari
brothers, and one of the Canari brothers had connexion with one of the
women. Then, as the elder brother was drowned in a lake which was near,
the survivor married one of the women, and had the other as a concubine.
By them he had ten sons who formed two lineages of five each, and
increasing in numbers they called one Hanansaya which is the same as to
say the upper party, and the other Hurinsaya, or the lower party. From
these all the Canaris that now exist are descended[27].

[Note 27: The same story of the origin of the Canaris is told by
Molina, p. 8. But the mountain is called Huaca-yuan; and instead of
women the beings who brought the food were macaws. Molina tells another
story received from the people of Ancas-mayu. Both seem to have been
obtained by asking leading questions about a deluge.]

In the same way the other nations have fables of how some of their
people were saved from whom they trace their origin and descent. But the
Incas and most of those of Cuzco, those among them who are believed to
know most, do not say that anyone escaped from the flood, but that
Viracocha began to create men afresh, as will be related further on. One
thing is believed among all the nations of these parts, for they all
speak generally and as well known of the general flood which they call
_unu pachacuti_. From this we may clearly un