ons of the infant, return to see if the
track or step of any animal appears in the ashes: not finding any, they
leave the child there till some beast has approached the infant, and
left behind him the marks of his feet: to this animal, whatsoever it be,
they consecrate the creature newly born, as to its god, which he is
bound to worship all his life, esteeming the said beast his patron and
protector. They offer to their gods sacrifices of fire, wherein they
burn a certain gum called by them copal, whose smoke smells very
deliciously. When the infant is grown up, the parents thereof tell him
who he ought to worship, and serve, and honour as his own proper god.
Then he goes to the temple, where he makes offerings to the said beast.
Afterwards, if in the course of his life, any one injure him, or any
evil happen to him, he complains to that beast, and sacrifices to it for
revenge. Hence it often comes, that those who have done the injury of
which he complains are bitten, killed, or otherwise hurt by such
animals.

After this superstitious and idolatrous manner live those miserable and
ignorant Indians that inhabit the islands of the gulf of Honduras; as
also many of them on the continent of Jucatan, in the territories
whereof are most excellent ports, where those Indians most commonly
build their houses. These people are not very faithful to one another,
and use strange ceremonies at their marriages. Whensoever any one
pretends to marry a young damsel, he first applies himself to her father
or nearest relation: he examines him nicely about the manner of
cultivating their plantations, and other things at his pleasure. Having
satisfied the questions of his father-in-law, he gives the young man a
bow and arrow, with which he repairs to the young maid, and presents her
with a garland of green leaves and sweet-smelling flowers; this she is
obliged to put on her head, and lay aside that which she wore before, it
being the custom for virgins to go perpetually crowned with flowers.
This garland being received, and put on her head, every one of the
relations and friends go to advise with others whether that marriage
will be like to be happy or not; then they meet at the house of the
damsel's father, where they drink of a liquor made of maize, or Indian
wheat; and here, before the whole company, the father gives his daughter
in marriage to the bridegroom. Next day the bride comes to her mother,
and in her presence pulls off the garl