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Rh idols. During the month Pop, there were also some of the most devout men who continued to celebrate this feast with their friends, such as the nobles and priests, they being, before others, always the first in the rejoicings and festivities.

B.—During the month Uo, the priests, the medicine-men, and the sorcerers, which were all the same, commenced, by fasting and other acts of piety, to prepare for the celebration of another feast which the hunters and fishermen celebrated on the seventh day of the month Zip; each of them celebrated it on his own day on his part, the priests being the first. They gave to this feast the name of Pocam. Having assembled, covered with their ornaments, at the house of the chief, they first dispelled the evil spirits as before; they then uncovered their books and laid them open on a carpet of leaves which they had prepared for this purpose. They then invoked with great devotion a god called Cinchau-Yzamna, who had, they said, been the first priest; they offered him divers presents and burnt before him in the new tire some balls of incense. During this time others diluted in a vessel a little verdigris and pure water which they said was brought from a wood in which no woman had ever penetrated; they moistened with it the leaves of their books in order to cleanse them; this finished, the most learned of the priests opened a book in which he examined the omens of the year, which he announced to all those who were present. He then talked to them for a short time, advising them as to what they should do to prevent these evil things, and announced the same feast for the next year to the priest or noble who was to celebrate it; if he should die in the mean time, it devolved upon his son to celebrate it in his place. When this was concluded, all feasted together upon the food and offerings of drinks, drinking like wine-bibbers. Thus was completed the feast, during which they executed a dance called Okot-Uil.

C.—The following day, the medicine-men and sorcerers assembled with their wives at the house of one of their number. The priests expelled the evil spirit; after which they opened their medicine-bags, in which they kept a number of charms, and, each in particular, some little images of the goddess of medicine, which they called Ixchel, whence the name of the