Peru of that particular form of worship of the heavenly bodies
which was also widely spread in the East, in Arabia, and Palestine
and was inveighed against by Mohammed as well as the ancient Hebrew
prophets. Apparently this ceremony "of the most profound resignation
and reverence" was practiced in Chuquipalpa, close to Uiticos, in
the reign of the Inca Titu Cusi.

Calancha goes on to say: "In this white stone of the aforesaid
House of the Sun, which is called Yurac Rumi [meaning, in Quichua,
a white rock], there attends a Devil who is Captain of a legion. He
and his legionaries show great kindness to the Indian idolators, but
great terrors to the Catholics. They abuse with hideous cruelties the
baptized ones who now no longer worship them with kisses, and many
of the Indians have died from the horrible frights these devils have
given them."

One day, when the Inca and his mother and their principal chiefs and
counselors were away from Uiticos on a visit to some of their outlying
estates, Friar Marcos and Friar Diego decided to make a spectacular
attack on this particular Devil, who was at the great "white rock
over a spring of water." The two monks summoned all their converts
to gather at Puquiura, in the church or the neighboring plaza, and
asked each to bring a stick of firewood in order that they might burn
up this Devil who had tormented them. "An innumerable multitude" came
together on the day appointed. The converted Indians were most anxious
to get even with this Devil who had slain their friends and inflicted
wounds on themselves; the doubters were curious to see the result;
the Inca priests were there to see their god defeat the Christians';
while, as may readily be imagined, the rest of the population came
to see the excitement. Starting out from Pucyura they marched to "the
Temple of the Sun, in the village of Chuquipalpa, close to Uiticos."

Arrived at the sacred palisade, the monks raised the standard of
the cross, recited their orisons, surrounded the spring, the white
rock and the Temple of the Sun, and piled high the firewood. Then,
having exorcised the locality, they called the Devil by all the vile
names they could think of, to show their lack of respect, and finally
commanded him never to return to this vicinity. Calling on Christ and
the Virgin, they applied fire to the wood. "The poor Devil then fled
roaring in a fury, and making the mountains to tremble."

It took remarkable courage on the part