Pedro de Cieza de León

“ Those of Caitomarca came to the river side, whence they hurled many stones from their slings at the Inca’s camp, and began to utter cries and great shouts. For it is a strange custom with these people, when they fight with each other, how little they allow their mouths to rest. ”

“ AFTER the Chancas had offered up sacrifices on the banks of the Apurimac and had arrived near the city of Cuzco, the Captain-General or lord who led them, named Hastu-Huaraca said that they should reflect on the great undertaking they had entered upon, that they should show themselves to be strong, and that they should feel no fear nor terror whatever of men who thought they could frighten people by making their ears such a size as these enemies did. He also told his followers that they would capture much spoil, and beautiful women with whom they could enjoy themselves. ”

“ IN this kingdom of Peru, the public fame among all the natives is that the abominable sin was practised in some of the villages of the district of Pueblo Viejo, as well as in other lands where there were evil people, as in the rest of the world. I shall record a great virtue in these Incas; for, being lords with such freedom, and with no one to whom to give an account, besides being able to take their pleasure with women, night and day, and enjoy themselves as their fancies dictated, it has never been alleged, or even hinted, that any of them committed the above crime. ”

“ CHAPTER LII. How Inca Yupanqui set out from Cuzco and marched to the Collao, and of what happened there.
THESE Indians have no letters, and can only preserve their history by the memory of events handed down from generation to generation, and by their songs and quipus. I say this, because their narratives vary in many particulars, some saying one thing, and others giving a different version. Human judgment would not suffice to decide what is truest, without taking, from these various stories, what the people themselves consider to be most accurate, for record. ”

“ But these songs could not be recited or made public, except in the presence of the lord, and those who were charged with this duty, during the reign of the king, were not allowed to say anything which referred to him. But after his death they spoke to his successor in the empire, almost in these very words: “Oh! great and powerful Inca, the Sun, the Moon, the earth, the hills and the trees, the stones, and thine ancestors, may they all preserve thee from misfortune and make thee prosperous, happy, and successful over all that are born! ”

“ As he wished to return to Cuzco, he spoke with Cari, telling him how much he had rejoiced at his good success, and that he was coming to his assistance. In order to make sure that they should always be good friends, he expressed a desire to give him a daughter of his own for a wife. Cari answered that he was very old and very weary, and he prayed the Inca to marry his daughter to a youth, seeing that there were many to choose from, and that he would have him as his lord and friend, and consent that he should rule, and that in this way he would help him in wars and other affairs of moment. ”

“ He wished to be so feared that the Indians should dream of him at night. He ate according to the custom of his people. He listened to those who spoke well to him, and believed very easily. Parasites and flatterers, who are not wanting among those people, had much influence. He gave ear to lies, which was the reason that many died without fault. The youths who, tempted by the flesh, slept with his wives or damsels, or with those who lived in the temple of the Sun, were ordered to be put to death, and the women suffered the same punishment. ”

“ All things necessary having been prepared, the Inca set out from Cuzco with the whole army, and journeyed along a road as grand and wide as we now behold it; for all of us who have been in those parts have seen it, and travelled over it. He marched to the Collao, receiving the services proffered by the provinces through which he passed, as a matter of course. For they say that the Inca considered that it was merely their duty. He investigated what tribute they paid, and what were the capabilities of each province. He collected many women. ”

“ There was great confusion in the city, insomuch that one man could not understand another. The priests had retired to the temple, and the women tore their hair, horrified at the death of the Inca by bloodshed, as if he had been some vile person. Many of the inhabitants were preparing to abandon the city, and the murderers wanted to plunder. They relate that at this juncture there was a great noise of thunder with lightning, and there fell so much water from heaven that those of Condesuyo were afraid. ”

“ With the Peruvians, with the men who are fighting in the noblest of all causes—the defence of their Fatherland—with General Caceres and his companions in arms, must be the hearty sympathies and best wishes of all who hate wrong and love patriotic devotion. Through that devotion, through the sacrifices and self-denials entailed upon the unfortunate people of the land of the Yncas, may be seen those rays of light which break the black cloud now hanging over the country and the race described by Cieza de Leon in the following pages. ”

“ It was a custom and inviolable law among these lords of Cuzco, for their grandeur and in recognition of the royal dignity, that when the king was in his palace, or travelling, either with his army or without it, no one, even if he should be the greatest and most powerful among the lords of the empire, could speak to him or enter into his presence without first removing his shoes, which they call oxotas, [97] and placing on his shoulders a burden, with which to appear in the presence of the lord. In the presence, no account was taken whether a man was great or humble ”

“ For it seems to me that if the Emperor should desire to give orders for another royal road to be made, like that which goes from Quito to Cuzco, or the other from Cuzco to go to Chile, with all his power I believe that he could not get it done; nor could any force of men achieve such results unless there was also the perfect order by means of which the commands of the Incas were carried into execution. For if the road to be made was fifty leagues long, or one hundred or two hundred, and though the ground was of the most rugged character, it would be done with diligent care. ”

“ The kings of Peru, with the principal lords, visited this temple, making presents and offerings as at the others. It is held for very certain that among the gifts and capacocha offered to this temple, there were many loads of gold, silver, and precious stones buried in places which are now unknown. The Indians concealed another great sum which was for the service of the idol, and of the priests and virgins who attended upon it. But as there are great masses of snow, people do not ascend to the summit, nor is it known where these great riches are hidden. ”

“ ONE of the things which I admired most, in contemplating and noting down the affairs of this kingdom, was to think how and in what manner they can have made such grand and admirable roads as we now see, and what a number of men would suffice for their construction, and with what tools and instruments they can have levelled the mountains and broken through the rocks to make them so broad and good as they are. ”

“ Having performed the fast and the other ceremonies, he came forth with the fringe, and there were great festivals at Cuzco, people flocking thither from all parts. The new Inca ordered all those who had fallen in the battle on his side to be buried with the customary funeral rites. For the Chancas he caused a large house to be erected on the battle field, like a tomb, where all the bodies of the dead were put as a memorial, and the skins were filled with cinders or straw, so that the human form was made to appear in many attitudes. ”

“ AS now, by order of Inca Yupanqui, more than 40,000 men had been assembled round the stone of war, the army was passed in review, captains were appointed, and there were feasts and drinking bouts. All being ready, the Inca set out from Cuzco in a litter enriched with gold and precious stones, which was surrounded by his guards with halberds, axes, and other arms. Next to him marched the lords, and this king displayed more valour and authority than any of his ancestors. ”

“ Many men and women, and some lords and principal men, came forth from the neighbouring places, and when they saw the army they were amazed and cried out, “Great Lord, Child of the Sun”, “Monarch of all things”, and many other grand names. At this place, they say that a captain of the Chancas, named Tupac Uasco, was given a Palla of Cuzco as his wife, and he highly prized her.
Advancing by the Apurimac and Cocha-cassa, the Inca found that the inhabitants of those parts were in strong pucaras, and that they did not live together in villages. ”

“ Here he arranged that Cayu Tupac should meet me, who is one of the surviving descendants of Huaina Capac. For Sairi Tupac, son of Manco Inca, has retired to Viticos, where his father took refuge after his great war with the Spaniards at Cuzco. I also met others of the Orejones, who are those that are held to be most noble amongst themselves. With the best interpreters that could be found, I asked these Lords Incas of what race they were, and of what nation. It would seem that the former Incas, to magnify their origin with great deeds, exaggerated the story they had received, in their songs. ”

“ Other provinces were required to send so many thousand labourers to Cuzco, to be employed on the public edifices of the city and of the kings, with supplies of their needful provisions. Other provinces contributed cables to move the great stones, while others paid tribute in coca. The system was so arranged that all the provinces of Peru paid something to the Incas in tribute, from the smallest to the most important. Such perfect regularity was maintained that while the people did not fail to provide what was required, those who made the collections never took even a grain of maize too much. ”

“ As the country seemed inviting, and as good as Cuzco, the Inca here founded a place which he called Quito, peopling it with mitimaes. Here he made edifices and store-houses, saying, “Cuzco must be the capital of one part of my great empire and Quito of the other.” He gave important powers to the Governor of Quito, and placed his own governors and delegates in all the surrounding districts. He ordered that there should be a garrison of men, both for peace and war, at Caranguri; and he removed the inhabitants from one village to another, making them exchange their abodes. ”

“ THE city of Cuzco is built in a valley, and on the slopes of hills, as I explained in the first part of this history [201] and from the edifices themselves run broad terraces on which they sow their crops, and they rise one above the other like walls, so that the whole slopes were formed in these andenes, which made the city stronger, although its position is naturally strong. For this reason the lords selected it, out of so many other sites. The dominion of the kings was now become extensive and powerful, and Inca Yupanqui entertained far-reaching thoughts. ”

“ It is said that when, in one province, the people represented that they had nothing wherewith to pay the tribute, the king ordered that each inhabitant should be obliged, every four months, to give a rather large cane full of live lice, which was a sign of the care taken by the Inca to make every subject contribute something. Thus we know that they paid their tribute of lice until such time as, having been supplied with flocks, they had been industrious enough to multiply them, and to make cloth wherewith to pay more suitable tribute in the time to come. ”

“ When autumn was come, and the heats of summer were passed, he descended to the coast with the largest army that he could collect. He sent ambassadors into the valleys, upbraiding the people for their weakness of purpose in presuming to rise against him, urging them to be firm in their friendship henceforward, for that if not, they would be visited by cruel war. When he reached the borders of the valley of Huarco, on the skirts of a mountain, he ordered a city to be founded, to which he gave the name of Cuzco, intending it to be his principal residence. ”

“ Huayna Capac had provisions in the fort, and he had sent to summon the governors of Quito to come with reinforcements, for the enemy would not desist from their attacks. He tried, many times, to pacify them, sending embassies with presents; but it was all of no avail. The Inca increased his army, and the enemy did the same, resolutely determined to attack and defeat him, or die in the attempt. They assaulted the fortress, and broke through two lines of defence. If there had not been others round the hill, without doubt the enemy would have been victorious. ”

“ It is well known, among the Orejones, that at this time ambassadors came to Cuzco from the province of the Collao. For they relate that, in the reign of Inca Viracocha, a lord named Zapana ruled over Hatun-colla. In the lake of Titicaca there are islands inhabited by people with large balsas, and another lord named Cari went to the islands, where he fought with the people insomuch that there were great battles between them, out of which the Cari came forth a conqueror. But he had no other object than to destroy the villagers and carry off plunder, without troubling himself to take prisoners. ”

“ For the men{143} in that country make an exceeding great noise when they fight. They fought with each other for a long time and the night coming on, the Chancas remained in their tents, and those of the city were all round, watching in every direction, that the enemy might not enter. For neither Cuzco, nor the other towns in those parts, are surrounded by walls.
When the surprise was over, Hastu Huaraca encouraged his followers to be valorous in the fight, and the Inca Yupanqui did the same with the Orejones and the people who were in the city. ”

“ The great chain of gold which encircled all was brought out into the square of Cuzco, and such riches and precious stones as he is able to imagine who has read what has been written touching the treasures possessed by these kings. The business of this annual ceremony was to receive a forecast of the events of the year to come, from the statues and figures and their priests; whether it would be fertile or sterile; whether the Inca would have a long life or would die; whether enemies would come from any direction ”

“ But the Inca Yupanqui, son of Viracocha Inca, increased its riches to the extent in which it was found when the Christians arrived in Peru. Most of the treasure was brought to Caxamarca for the ransom of Atahualpa, as we shall relate in its place. The Orejones say that after the doubtful war between the inhabitants of Cuzco and the Chancas, who are now chiefs of the province of Andahuaylas, the Inca Yupanqui found himself very rich and powerful, and people came to serve him from all parts, bringing presents; and the provinces contributed great service in gold and silver. ”

“ WHEN the great King Tupac Inca Yupanqui died, they prepared to perform the obsequies and ceremonies of his interment after the manner of his ancestors, and with great pomp. The Orejones relate that some provinces conspired to recover their liberty, and shake off the yoke of the Incas, but the good management of the Inca governors, assisted by the captains and mitimaes, kept order during a trying time. Huayna Capac was not careless, nor did he fail to understand that it would be necessary for him to display valour in order to preserve that which his father had gained with so much labour. ”

“ The Indians recount the subsequent events in several ways. I always follow the best version, which is held by the oldest and best informed among them, who are lords. For the common people, in all they say, cannot be relied upon as affirming the truth. Some relate that Atahualpa, not only resolved to refuse obedience to his brother, who was king, but even pretended to the sovereignty, seeing that the captains and soldiers of his father were on his side. He went to the country of the Cañaris, where he spoke with the native chiefs and with the mitimaes, telling them a plausible story. ”