The royal commentaries of Peru, in two parts the first part, treating of the original of their Incas or kings, of their idolatry, of their laws and government both in peace and war, of the reigns and conquests of the Incas, with many other particulars relating to their empire and policies before such time as the Spaniards invaded their countries : the second part, describing the manner by which that new world was conquered by the Spaniards : also the civil wars between the Piçarrists and the Almagrians, occasioned by quarrels arising about the division of that land, of the rise and fall of rebels, and other particulars contained in that history : illustrated with sculptures / written originally in Spanish by the Inca Garcilasso de la Vega ; and rendered into English by Sir Paul Rycaut, Kt.

CHAP. IX.

That the City contained the Description of all the Em∣pire.

THese four great Streets did correspond with the four Quarters of the Empire called Tahuantinsuyu, ordained by Manco Capac, the first Incan-King, who intending to reduce those savage, and barbarous Nations under his Sovereignty, did command them to inhabit those Quarters, which lay towards the places from whence they came, so those who came from the East, planted themselves on the East side of the Town, those that came from the West, on the West side, so that at length they all seated themselves within the circle and compass designed for the City in their different Ranks and Situations. The Curacas built their Houses as they found room, when they first came to the Court; for when one had fini∣shed his House, another built close by him, every one keeping the order and situ∣ation of his Province; for if his Province lay to the Right-hand of his Neigh∣bour's Province, then he built to the Right, if to the Left, then to the Left; if the Province lay to the backside of his Neighbour's dwelling, then he raised his House there, fronting towards his own Countrey; so that taking a view of all the People and Nations inhabiting that City, with their several Ranks and Situations, it seemed like a survey of all the Empire, or a Map comprehending in a plain Cosmographical Description all the circumference of Peru. Pedro de Cieça writing of the situation of Cozco, speaks almost to the same purpose, in the 93d Chapter of his Book in these words.

And whereas this City contained many Nations of divers Provinces, and strange Countries, such as the Indians of Chile, Pasto, Cannares, Chachapoyas, Guancas, Collas, and many other people before mentio∣ned; they were all disposed within the precincts of this City, in their respective Quarters, as they were assigned unto them by the order of their Governours; having liberty to observe the Manners and Customs of their Fathers, and the habit of their Countrey, so that if a hundred thousand Men of these were as∣sembled together, every one would be distinguished by the attire of his Head, and his Countrey, and Lineage known to which he belonged.

Thus far are the Words of Pedro de Cieça.

This Distinction was made by the different attire on their Heads, either of Feathers, or Sashes wound about their Temples, which every Province framed to its self, and not by contrivance, or order of the Incas; onely their Kings com∣manded them to continue their Fashions, to avoid confusion amongst the Nations which reach from Pasto to Chile, which, as our Authour aforesaid alledges, was above one thousand three hundred Leagues. In which manner all the Streets of this City were the Habitations of the Subjects onely assembled thither from all parts of the Empire; and not of the Incas, or those of the Bloud Royal; who li∣ved in the Suburbs of the City, the which we shall lay down, and describe in such manner, as they were situated from North to South, with all their Streets and vacant places, and Palaces of their Kings; and how, and in what manner they were afterwards bestowed, when they came to be divided by lot amongst the Spaniards. From the Hill Sacsahuamam there runs a shallow stream of Water from North to South, to the farther part of Pumapchupan, where the City is divi∣ded from the Suburbs. But more within the City there is a Street which lies North and South, which is now called St. Austins, descending from the Houses of the first Inca, Manco Capac, to the open square of Rimac-pampu; there are three of four other Streets which cross from East to West, through the large space which is between the Street and River, where the Incas of the Bloud seated themselves according to their several Ayllus, or Lineages; for though they were all of the same Family, and lineally descended from Manco Capac. Howsoever being bran∣ched into several Lines, they derived their Pedigrees from divers Kings, saying,

that these descended from such an Inca, those from another Inca, and so of the rest; of which the Spanish Historians not having conceived a true Notion, delive∣red to us for a truth, that such a Lineage was derived from such an Inca, and that Lineage from another, as if they had been of different Stocks and Families, when∣as in reality they all proceeded from the same original Being, honoured with the Title of Capac Ayllu, or the illustrious or august Lineage of the Bloud Royal.

The Men of that Family were called by the name of Inca, and the Women of Palla, which implied a descendency from the bloud Royal. In my time those quarters, descending from the upper part of the Street, were inhabited by Rodrigo de Pineda, Joan de Saavedra, Diego Oitiz de Guzman, Peter de los Rios, with his Bro∣ther Diego de los Rios, Geronimo Costillas, Gaspar Jura; but now these Houses are tur∣ned into the Convent of St. Austin, as also the Habitations of Michel Sanchez, John de Santa Cruz, Alonso de Soto, Gabriel Carrera, and Diego de Trugillo, who was one of the first Adventurers, and one of those thirteen Companions, who adhered to Don Francisco Piçarro, as we shall relate in its due place. Moreover there were An∣ton Ruiz de Guevara, John de Salas, who was Brother to the Archbishop of Sevil, together with Valdes de Salas, who was Inquisitor-General, besides others, which I cannot call to mind, all which being great Commanders over the Indians, had their shares and lots divided to them amongst those who were the second Adven∣turers in the conquest of Peru. Besides these there lived many Spaniards in this quarter, who had no power over the Indians. One of which Houses, after my departure from Cozco, was converted into a Monastery of Augustine-Friars. We call those the first Conquerours, who were of the number of those one hundred and sixty, that were Assistants of Don Francisco de Piçarro in the imprisonment of Atahualpa: And those which we call the second Adventurers in this Conquest, were those who came in with Don Diego de Almagro, and Don Pedro de Alvarado, both which parties were called Conquerours of Peru, and no others; and the se∣cond party did much honour to the first, though they were fewer in number, and of a meaner quality, yet being the first and most forward in this adventurous At∣chievement, were honoured and esteemed by them as Partners in their Enterprises. And now returning by the upper part of the Street of St. Austin, to enter (as we have said) into the City; where upon the top of all stands the Convent of St. Clare, formerly the Dwelling of Alonso Dias, who married the Daughter of the Gover∣nour Pedro Arias de Avila; on the Right-hand of this Convent were many houses inhabited by Spaniards; and amongst the rest Francisco de Barrientos had possessions, which were afterwards alienated to John Alvarez Maldonado. On the Right-hand lived Hernando Bachicao, and after him John Alonso Palomino, over against which, to the South side, was the Episcopal Palace, formerly the House of John Balsa, and after him of Francisco de Villacastin; where now the Cathedral Church is situated, having been once a wide and stately Hall, which served for a Theatre in rainy Weather, where Shows at their chief Festivals were represented: It was ancient∣ly a part of the Palace belonging to the Inca Viracocha, the Eighth King; in my time there was no more remaining of it than this wide Hall, which was so large, that when the Spaniards first entred into the City, they all lodged therein, so as to be near and ready to afford assistence to each other in case of danger. I remem∣ber that I once saw it, when it was covered with Thatch, though now changed into Tile. On the North side of this great Church there is a Street with many Houses fronting towards the Market-place, in which are Shops for Artificers; and on the South side, are Shops and Ware-houses belonging to the most rich and principal Merchants of the Town.

Behind the Church were the Houses of John de Berrio, and of others, whose Names I cannot remember: Behind the chief Shops were the Houses of Diego Maldonado surnamed the rich, because he was the most wealthy Person in all Peru, being one of the first Conquerours of it. In the time of the Incas that place was called Hatuncancha, which signified the great or high Street, having been anciently the Habitation of Inca Yupanqui. On the South side of these Buildings of Diego Maldonado were the Houses of Francisco Hernandez, Giron; before which to the Southward also were the Houses of Antonio Altamirano one of the first Conquerours; joining whereunto on the backside were the Houses of Francisco de Frias, and Se∣bastian de Caçalla; the which quarter of the Town was called Puca marca, or the coloured Street, anciently the Houses of the King Tupac Yupanqui. There is another Street beyond this to the South side, very long and wide, the name of

which I cannot call to mind, where lived Alonso de Loaysa, Martin de Meneses, John de Figueroa, D. Pedro Puerto Carrero, Garcia de Melo, Francisco Delgado, besides ma∣ny other Lords and Persons of Quality, whose Names I do not remember. Be∣yond this place, to the Southward, is the Square of Yntipampa, or the Square of the Sun, because it lies just before the Temple, where those who were not of the degree of an Inca, came to offer their Sacrifices, being not lawfull for persons of less quality to enter within the Walls of the Temple; there the Priests met and received them, and presented them before the Image of the Sun, whom they adored for God. That quarter wherein the Temple of the Sun was situated, was called Coricancha, or the Street of Gold, Silver and pretious Stones, of which there was great abundance, (as we have before declared) within the Temple. What now remains to speak of, is the Suburbs of the City, called Pumapchupan.