the kingdome of Chille and that of Grenade and yet none of these kingdomes is Peru but onely that parte which lies to the South beginning at the kingdome of Quitto which is vnder the Line and runnes in length to the realme of Chille the which is without the Tropickes which were sixe hundred leagues in length and in breadth it containes no more then the mountaines which is fiftie common leagues although in some places as at Chachapayas it be broader This parte of the world which we call Peru is very remarkeable and containes in it strange properties which serveth as an exception to the generall rule of the Indies The first is that vpon all that coast it blowes continually with one onely winde which is South and Southweast contrary to that which dooth vsually blow vnder the burning Zone The second is that this winde being by nature the most violent tempestuous and vnhealthfull of all others yet in this region it is marvellous pleasing healthful and agreeable so as we may attribute the habitation of that part therevnto without the which it would be troublesome and inhabitable by reason of the heate if it were not refreshed with the winde The third propertie is that it never raines thunders snowes nor hailes in all this coast which is a matter worthy of admiration Fourthly that alittle distance from the coast it raines and snowes terribly Fiftly that there are two ridges of mountaines which runne the one as the other and in one altitude notwithstanding on the one there are great forrests and it raines the greatest part of the yeere being very hote and the other is all naked and bare and very colde so as winter and summer are divided on those two mountaines and raine and cleerenesse it selfe For the better vnderstanding hereof wee must consider that Peru is divided as it were into three partes long and narrow which they call Lanos Sierras and Andes the Lanos runnes along est the sea coast the Sierras be all hilles with some vallies and the Andes be steepe and craggie mountaines The Lanos or sea coast have some tenne leagues in breadth in some parts lesse and in some parts alittle more The Sierra containes some twentie leagues in breadth and the Andes as much sometimes more sometimes lesse They runne in length from north to south and in breadth from east to weast It is a strange thing that in so small a distance as fiftie leagues equally distant from the Line and Pole there should bee so great a contrarietie as to raine almost continually in one place and never in the other It never raines vpon the coast or Lanos although there falles sometimes a small dew which they call Guarva and in Castill Molâ—â—â—a the which sometimes thickens and falles in certaine droppes of water yet is it not troublesome nor such as they neede any covering Their coverings are of mattes with a little earth vpon them which is sufficient Vpon the Andes it raines in a manner continually although it be sometimes more cleere then other In the Sierra which lies betwixt both the extreames it raineth in the same season as it dooth in Spaine which is from September vnto Aprill but in the other season the time is more cleere which is when the Sunne is farthest off and the contrarie when it is neerest whereof we have discoursed at large in the former booke That which they call Andes and Sierra are twoo ridges of most high mountaines which runne above a thousand leagues the one in view of the other and almost equally There are an infinite number of Vicagues which breede in the Sierres and are properly like vnto wilde goates very nimble and swift There are also of those beasts which they call Guanacos and Pacos which are sheepe which we may wel terme the asses of that countrey whereof we shall speake in their place And vpon the Andes they finde Apes very gentle and delightfull and Parrots in great numbers There also they find the hearb or tree which they call Coca that is so greatly esteemed by the Indians and the trafficke they make of it is worthy much mony That which they call Sierre causeth vallies whereas it opens which are the best dwellings of Peru as is the valley of Xauxa of Andaguaylas and Yucay In these vallies there growes wheat mays and other sortes of fruits but lesse in one then in the other Beyond the Citie of Cusco the ancient Court of the Lordes of those Realmes the two ridges of mountaines seperate them selves one from the other and in the midst leave a plaine and large champian which they call the Province of Callao where there are many rivers and great store of fertile pastures there is also that great Lake of Titicaca And although it be a ful soile and in the same height and intemperature that the Sierre having no more trees nor forrests yet the want they have of bread is countervailed with the rootes they sowe the which they call Papas and they grow in the earth This roote is the Indians foode for drying it and making it cleane they make that which they call Chugno which is the bread and nourishment of those Provinces There are other rootes and small hearbes which they eate It is a healthfull soile best peopled and the richest of all the Indies for the aboundance of cattell they feed as well of those that are in Europe as sheepe neate and goates as of those of the Countrie which they call Guanacos and Pacos and there are store of Partridges Next to the Province of Callao is that of Charcas where there are hote vallies very fertile and very high rockes the which are very rich in mines so as in no part of the world shall you finde better nor fairer The reason why it raines on the Lanos along the Sea coast CHAP. 21. FOr that it is rare and extraordinarie to see a Countrie where it never raines nor thunders men desire naturally to know the cause of this strangenes The reason which some give that have neerely looked into it is that vpon that coast there rise no vapors sufficient to engender raine for want of matter but onely that there be finall and light vapors which cannot breede any other then mistes and dewes as we see in Europe oftentimes vapors do rise in the morning which are not turned into raine but into mistes only the which growes from the substance which is not grosse and sufficient enough to turne to raine They say the reason why that which happens but some times in Europe falles out continually vpon the coast of Peru is for that this region is very drie and yeeldes no grosse vapors The drinesse is knowne by the greâ— abundance of sandes having neither welles nor fountaines but of fifteene stades deepe which is the height of a man or more and that is neere vnto rivers the water whereof piercing into the land giues them meanes to make welles So as it hath been found by
of water which they of Cuyoacan vsed For this cause he called the chiefe man of the cittie vnto him being a famous sorcerer having propounded his meaning vnto him the sorcerer wished him to be well advised what hee did being a matter of great difficulty and that hee vnderstoode if he drew the river out of her ordinary course making it passe to Mexico hee would drowne the citty The king supposed these excuses were but to frustrate the effect of his desseigne being therefore in choler he dismissed him home and a few dayes after hee sent a provost to Cuyoacan to take this Sorcerer who having vnderstanding for what intent the kings officers came hee caused them to enter his house and then he presented himself vnto them in the forme of a terrible Eagle wherewith the provost and his companions being terrified they returned without taking him AutZol incensed herewith sent others to whome hee presented himselfe in forme of a furious tygre so as they durst not touch him The third came and they found him in the forme of a horrible serpent whereat they were much afraide The king mooved the more with these dooings sent to tell them of Cuyoacan that if they brought not the sorcerer bound vnto him he would raze their citty For feare whereof or whether it were of his owne free will or being forced by the people he suffered himselfe to be led to the king who presently caused him to be strangled and then did he put his resolution in practise forcing a chanell whereby the water might passe to Mexico whereby hee brought a great current of water into the Lake which they brought with great ceremonies and superstitions having priests casting incense along the banks others sacrificed quailes and with the bloud of them sprinckled the channell bankes others sounding of cornets accompanied the water with their musicke One of the chiefe went attired in a habite like to their goddesse of the water and all saluted her saying that shee was welcome All which things are painted in the Annales of Mexico which booke is now at Rome in the holy Library or Vaticane where a father of our company that was come from Mexico did see it and other histories the which he did expound to the keeper of his Holinesse Library taking great delight to vnderstand this booke which before hee could never comprehend Finally the water was brought to Mexico but it came in such aboundaunce that it had welneere drowned the cittie as was foretold and in effect it did ruine a great parte thereof but it was presently prevented by the industry of Autzol who caused an issue to be made to draw foorth the water by meanes whereof hee repaired the buildings that were fallen with an exquisite worke being before but poore cotages Thus he left the citty invironed with water like another Venice and very well built hee raigned eleaven yeares and ended with the last and greatest successor of all the Mexicans Of the election of great Moteçuma the last king of Mexico CHAP. 20. WHen the Spaniards entred new Spaine being in the yeare of our Lorde one thousand five hundred and eighteen Moteçuma second of that name was the last king of the Mexicaines I say the last although they of Mexico after his death chose another king yea in the life of the same Moteçuma whome they declared an enemy to his country as we shall see heereafter But hee that succeeded him and hee that fell into the hands of the Marquise de Valle had but the names and titles of Kings for that the kingdome was in a maner al yeelded to the Spaniards so as with reason we account Moteçuma for the last king and so hee came to the periode of the Mexicaines power and greatnesse which is admirable being happened among Barbarians for this cause and for that this was the season that God had chosen to reveale vnto them the knowledge of his Gospel and the kingdome of Iesus Christ I will r◠late more at large the actes of Moteçuma then of the rest Before he came to be king he was by disposition ve◠ry grave and stayed and spake little so as when he◠gave his opinion in the privy counsell whereas he assisted his speeches and discourses made every one to admire him so as even then he was feared and respected He retired himselfe vsually into a Chappell appointed for him in the Temple of Vitziliputzli where they said their Idoll spake vnto him and for this cause hee was helde very religious and devout For these perfections then being most noble and of great courage his election was short and easie as a man vpon whom al mens eyes were fixed as woorthy of such a charge Having intelligence of this election hee hidde himselfe in this chappell of the Temple whether it were by iudgement apprehending so heavy and hard a burthen as to governe such a people or rather as I beleeve throgh hypocrisie to shew that he desired not Empery In the end they found him leading him to the place of councell whither they accompanied him with all possible ioy hee marched with such a gravitie as they all sayd the name of Moteçuma agreed very wel with his nature which is as much to say as an angry Lord. The electors did him great reverence giving him notice that hee was chosen king from thence he was ledde before the harth of their gods to give incense where he offered sacrifices in drawing bloud from his eares the calves of his legges according to their custome They attired him with the royall ornaments and pierced the gristle of his nosthrils hanging thereat a rich emerald a barbarous troublous custome but the desire of rule made all paine light and easie Being seated in his throne he gave andience to the Orations and Speeches that were made vnto him which according vnto their custome were eloquent and artificiall The first was pronounced by the king of Tescuco which being preserved for that it was lately delivered very worthy to be heard I will set it downe word by word and thus hee sayde The concordance and vnitie of voyces vpon thy election is a sufficient testimonie most noble yong man of the happines the realme shall receive as well deserving to be commaunded by thee as also for the generall applause which all doe shew by meanes thereof Wherein they have great reason for the Empire of Mexico doth alreadie so farre extend it selfe that to governe a world as it is and to beare so heavie a burthen it requires no lesse dexteritie and courage than that which is resident in thy firme and valiant heart nor of lesse wisedome and iudgement than thine I see and know plainely that the mightie God loveth this Cittie seeing he hath given vnderstanding to choose what was fit For who will not beleeve that a Prince who before his raigne had pierced the nine vaultes of heaven should not likewise nowe obtaine those things that are earthlie to releeve his people
these mettalles which are refined by the fire can not well be molten with any artificiall winde as with bellowes but when it is kindled and blowen with the naturall ayre or naturall winde The mettall of the mines of Porco is easily refined with bellowes and that of the mines of Potozi cannot be molten with bellowes but only by the breath of their Guayras which are small furnaces vpon the sides of the mountaines built expresly where the winde lies within the which they melt this mettal and though it be hard to yielde a reason for this difference yet is it most certaine and approoved by long experience so as the greedie desire of this mettall so much valued amongst men hath made them seek out a thousand gentle inventions and devises whereof wee will heereafter make mention The chiefe places of the Indâ—â—s from whence they drawe silver aâ—e Nâ—w Spainâ— and Pâ—ru but the mines of Pâ—ru farre surpasse the rest and amongst all others of the worlde those of Potozi whereof wee will intreate alittle at leasure being the most famous and remarkeable things at the Indies Of the mountaine or hill of Potozi and the discovery thereof CHAP. 6. THe mountaine or hill of Potozi so famous scituate in the Province of Charcas in the kingdome of Peru distant from the Equinoctiall towardes the South or Pole Antartike 21. degrees and two thirds so as it falles vnder the Tropicke bordering vpon the burning Zone and yet this region is extreamely cold yea more then old Castill in the kingdome of Spaine and more then Flanders it selfe although by reason it should be hote or temperate in regard of the height and elevation of the Pole where it is seated The reason of this so cold a temperature is the height of the mountaine whereas colde and intemperate windes continually blow especially that which they call Thomahavi which is boistrous and most cold It raines most commonly in Iune Iulie and August The ground and soile of this mountaine is drie cold and very vnpleasant yea altogether barren which neither engenders nor brings forth any fruite grasse nor graine it is naturally inhabitable for the intemperature of the heaven and the barrennes of the earth But the force of silver which drawes vnto it the desire of all things hath peopled this mountaine more then any other place in all these Kingdomes making it so fruitfull of all kindes of meats as there wantes nothing that can be desired yea in great aboundance and although there be nothing but what is brought by carriage yet every place aboundes so with fruite conserves exquisite wines silkes all other delicats as it is not inferiour to any other part This mountaine is of colour darke red and is in forme pleasing at the first sight resembling perfectly the fashion of a pavilion or of a sugar loafe It exceedes all other hilles and mountaines about it in height The way whereby they ascend is very rough and vneven and yet they go vpon horse-backe It is round at the top at the foote it hath a league in circuite It containes from the toppe to the bottome 1680. common yardes the which reduced to the measure of Spanish leagues makes a quarter of a league At the foote of this mountaine there is another small hill that riseth out of it in the which there hath beene sometimes mines of mettall dispearsed which were found as it were in purses and not in fixed or continued veines yet were they very rich though few in number This small rocke was called by the Indians Guayna Potozi which is yong Potozi at the foote whereof beginnes the dwellings of the Spaniards and Indians which are come to the riches and worke of Potozi which dwelling may containe some two leagues in circuite and the greatest trafficke and commerce of all Peru is in this place The mines of this mountaine were not digged nor discovered in the time of their Inguas which were the Lordes of Peru before the Spaniardes entred although they had digged and opened the mines of Porco neere to Potozi distant onely sixe leagues The reason might be the want of knowledge thereof although some do report I know not what fable that having sometimes laboured to open those mines a voyce was heard commaunding them not to touch it being reserved for others In trueth they had no knowledge of Potozi nor of the wealth thereof till after twelve yeeres that the Spaniards were entred into Peru the discovery whereof was made in this manner An Indian called Gualpa of the Nation of Chumbibilca which is a Province of Cusco going one day to hunt for venison passing towardes the weast whither the beast was fled he begâ—â—ne to runne vppe against the rocke which at that time was covered and planted with certaine trees they call Quinua and with thick bushes and as he strived to gette vp a way which was somewhat rough and vneasie hee was forced to lay holde vpon a braunch which issued from a veine of a silver mine which since they have called Rich which he pulled vp perceiving in the hole or roote thereof mettall the which hee knew to be very good by the experience hee had of the mines of Porco and after finding vpon the ground certaine peeces of mettall which lay broken and dispersed neere to this veine being scarse well able to iudge thereof for that the colour was spoyled and changed by the Sunne and raine He carried it to Porco to trie by the Guayras which is the triall of mettall by fire and having thereby found the great riches and his happy fortune he secretly digged and drew mettall out of this veine not imparting it to any man vntil that an Indian called Guanca of the valley of Xaura which is vpon the bordures of the Cittie of Kings who remaining at Porco neere vnto Gualpa of Chumbibilca perceved one day that he made a refining and that his wedges and brickes were greater then such as were vsually made in those places and also increasing in his expence of apparrell having till then lived but basely For this reason and for that the mettall his neighbour refined was different from that of Porco he thought to discover this secret and wrought so that although the other kept it as secret as hee could yet thorow importunitie he was forced to carry him vnto the rocke of Potozi having enioyed this rich treasure full two months And then Gualpa the Indian willed Guanca for his part to take a veine which he had discovered neare to the rich veine which at this day is called the veine of Diego Centeno that was not lesse rich but more hard to digge and to drawe foorth and so by agreement they divided betweene them the richest rocke in the world It chaunced after the Indian Guanca finding some difficulty to digge and drawe foorth his mettall being most hard and the other Gualpa refusing to impart any of his mine vnto him they fell at debate so as Guanca of Xaura grieved
vse our Spanish name Dios fitting it to the accent or pronounciation of the Indian tongues the which differ much whereby appeares the small knowledge they had of God seeing they cannot so much as name him if it be not by our very name yet in trueth they had some little knowledge and therefore in Peru they made him a rich temple which they called Pachacamac which was the principall Sanctuarie of the realme And as it hath beene saide this word of Pachacamac is as much to say as the Creator yet in this temple they vsed their idolatries worshipping the Divell and figures They likewise made sacrifices and offrings to Viracocha which helde the chiefe place amongst the worships which the Kings Inguas made Heereof they called the Spaniards Virocochas for that they holde opinion they are the sonnes of heaven and divine even as others did attribute a deitie to Paul and Barnabas calling the one Iupiter and the other Mercurie so woulde they offer sacrifices vnto them as vnto gods and as the Barbarians of Melite which is Malté seeing that the viper did not hurt the Apostle they called him God As it is therefore a trueth conformable to reason that there is a soveraigne Lorde and King of heaven whome the Gentiles with all their infidelities and idolatries have not denyed as wee see in the Philosophy of Timee in Plato in the Metaphisickes of Aristotle and in the Aesculape of Tresmigister as also in the Poesies of Homer Virgil. Therefore the Preachers of the Gospel have no great difficultie to plant perswade this truth of a supreame God be the Nations of whome they preach never so barbarous and brutish But it is hard to roote out of their mindes that there is no other God nor any other deitie then one and that all other things of themselves have no power being nor workeing proper to themselves but what the great and only God and Lord doth give and impart vnto them To conclude it is necessarie to perswade them by all meanes in reproving their errors as well in that wherein they generally faile in worshipping more then one God as in particular which is much more to hold for Gods and to demand favour and helpe of those things which are not Gods nor have any power but what the true God their Lord and Creator hath given them Of the first kinde of Idolatrie vpon naturall and vniversall things CHAP. 4. NExt to Viracocha or their supreme God that which most commonly they have and do adore amongst the Infidells is the Sunne and after those things which are most remarkable in the celestiall or elementarie nature as the moone starres sea and land The Guacas or Oratories which the Inguas Lords of Peru had in greatest reverence next to Viracocha and the sunne was the thunder which they called by three divers names Chuquilla Catuilla and Intiillapa supposing it to bee a man in heaven with a sling and a mace and that it is in his power to cause raine haile thunder and all the rest that appertaines to the region of the aire where the cloudes engender It was a Guaca for so they called their Oratories generall to all the Indians of Peâ—â— offering vnto him many sacrifices and in Cusco which is the Court and Metropolitane Cittie they did sacrifice children vnto him as to the Sunne They did worship these three Viracocha the Sunne and Thunder after another maner then all the rest as Pollo writes who had made triall thereof they did put as it were a gauntlet or glove vpon their hands when they did lift them vp to worshippe them They did worshippe the earth which they called Pachamama as the Ancients did the goddessâ— Tellus and the sea likewise which they call Mamacocha as the Ancients worshipped Thetis or Neptune Moreover they did worship the rainebow which were the armes and blazons of the Ingua with two snakes stretched out on either side Amongst the starres they all did commonly worship that which they called Colca and we heere Cabrille They did attribute divers offices to divers starres and those which had neede of their favour did worship them as the shepheard did sacrifice to a starre which they called Vrcuhillay which they hold to be a sheepe of divers colours having the care to preserve their cattell and they imagine it is that which the Astronomers call Tyra These shepheards worshippe two other starres which walke neere vnto them they call them Catâ—chillay and Vrcuchillay and they faine them to be an Ewe and a Lambe Others worshipped a starre which they called Machacuâ—y to which they attribute the charge and power over serpents and snakes to keepe them from hurting of them They ascribe power to another starre which they called Chuguinchinchay which is as much as Tigre over Tigres Beares and Lyons and they have generally beleeved that of all the beasts of the earth there is one alone in heaven like vnto them the which hath care of their procreation and increase And so they did observe and worship divers starres as those which they called Chacana Topatarca Mamanan Mirco Miquiquicay and many other So as it seemed they approached somewhat neere the propositions of Platoes Idees The Mexicaines almost in the same maner after the supreame God worshiped the Sunne And therefore they called Hernando CorteZ as he hath written in a letter sent vnto the Emperour Charles the fift Sonne of the Sunne for his care and courage to compasse the earth But they made their greatest adoration to an Idol called Vitzilipuztli the which in all this region they called the most puissant and Lord of all things for this cause the Mexicaines built him a Temple the greatest the fairest the highest and the most sumptuous of all other The scituation beautie thereof may wel be coniectured by the ruines which yet remaine in the midst of the Cittie of Mexico But heere the Mexicaines Idolatrie hath bin more pernicious and hurtfull then that of the Inguas as wee shall see plainer heereafter for that the greatest part of their adoration and idolatrie was imployed to Idols and not to naturall things although they did attribute naturall effects to these Idolls as raine multiplication of cattell warre and generation even as the Greekes and Latins have forged Idolls of Phoebus Mercurie Iupiter Minerva and of Mars To conclude whoso shall neerely looke into it shall finde this manner which the Divell hath vsed to deceive the Indians to be the same wherewith hee hath deceived the Greekes and Romans and other ancient Gentiles giving them to vnderstand that these notable creatures the Sunne Moone Starres and Elements had power and authoritie to doe good or harme to men And although God hath created all these things for the vse of man yet hath he so much forgotte himselfe as to rise vp against him Moreover he hath imbased himselfe to creatures that are inferiour vnto himselfe worshiping and calling vpon their workes forsaking his Creator As the Wise man saieth
together with some order and such as do know them find them no lesse apt and capable of matters of christian religion than others which are held to be more rich and better governed Comming therefore to our subiect the Chichimecas and Ottomies which were the first inhabitants of New Spaine for that they did neyther till nor sowe the land they left the best and most fertile of the country vnpeopled which Nations that came from farre did possesse whome they called Navatalcas for that it was a more civill and politike Nation this word signifies a people that speakes well in reâ—pect of other barbarous nations without reason These sâ—cond peoplers Navatalcas came from other â—arre countries which lie toward the north where now they have discovered a kingdome they call New Mexico There are two provinces in this countrey the one called AZtlan which is to say a place of Herons the other Tuculhuacan which signifies a land of such whose grandfathers were divine The Inhabitants of these provinces have their houses their lands tilled gods customes and ceremonies with like order and governement to the Navatalcas and are divided into seaven Tribes or Nations and for that they have a custome in this province that every one of these linages hath his place and private territory The Navatalcas paint their beginning and first territory in figure of a cave and say that they came forth of seaven caves to come and people the land of Mexico whereof they make mention in their Historie where they paint seaven caves and men comming forth of them By the supputation of their bookes it is above eight hundred yeeres since these Navatalcas came foorth of their country reducing which to our accompt was about the yeere of our Lord 720. when they left their country to come to Mexico they stayed foure score yeares vpon the way and the cause of this their long stay in their voyage was that their gods which without doubt were divells and spake visibly vnto them had perswaded them to seeke new lands that had certaine signes And therefore they came discovering the whole land to search for these tokens which their Idolls had given them and in places where they found any good dwellings they peopled it and laboured the land and as they discovered better countries they left those which they had first peopled lâ—aving still some especially the aged sicke folkes and the weary yea they did plant and build there whereof we see the remainders at this day In the way where they passed they spent fourescore yeares in this manner of leisurely travell the which they might have done in a moneth By this meanes they entred the land of Mexico in the yeare nine hundred and two after our computation How the six Linages of Navatlacas peopled the land of Mexico CHAP. 3. THese seaven Linages I have spoken of came not forth all together the first were the Suchimilcos which signifie a Nation of the seedes of flowers Those peopled the bankes of the great lake of Mexico towards the South and did build a cittie of their name and many villages Long time after came they of the second linage called Chalcas which signifies people of mouthes who also built a cittie of their name dividing their limmits and territories with the Suchimilcos The third were the Tepanecans which signifies people of the bridge they did inhabite vpon the banke of the lake towards the West and they increased so as they called the chiefe and Metropolitane of their Province AzcapuZalco which is to say an Ants nest and they continued long time mighty After them came those that peopled Tescuco which be those of Culhua which is to say a crooked people for that in their Countrey there was a mountaine much bending And in this sort this lake was invironed with these foure Nations these inhabiting on the East and the Tepanecas on the North. These of Tescuco were held for great Courtiers for their tongue and pronountiation is very sweete and pleasant Then arrived the Tlalluicans which signifies men of the Sierre or mountaine Those were the most rude and grosse of all the rest who finding all the plaines about the lake possessed even vnto the Sierre they passed to the other side of the mountaine where they found a very fertile spatious warme countrey where they built many great villages calling the Metropolitane of their province Quahunachua which is as much to say as a place that sounds the voice of an Egle which our common people call by corruption Quernavaca and at this day they call this province the Marquisate Those of the sixt generation which are the Tlascaltecans which is to say men of bread passed the mountaine towards the east crossing all the Sierre or mountaine of Menade where that famous Vulcan is betwixt Mexico and the citty of Angells where they did finde a good country making many buildings They built many townes and citties whereof the Metropolitane was called by their name Tlascala This is the nation which favoured the Spaniards at their entrie by whosâ— help they did winne this country and therefore to this day they pay no tribute but enioy a generall exemption When all these Nations peopled these countries the Chinchimecans being the antient inhabitants made no resistance but fledde and as people amazed they hid themselves in the most obscure of the rockes But those that inhabited on th' other side of the mountaine where the Tlascaltecans had planted themselves did not suffer them in quiet as the rest of the Chichimecans had done but they put themselves in defâ—nce to preserve their country and being giants as the Histories report they sought to expell the last commers but they were vanquisht by the policy of the Tlascaltecans who counterfetting a peace with them they invited them to a great banquet and when they were busiest in their drunkennes there were some laide in ambush who secretly stole away their weapons which were great clubbes targets swords of wood and other sucâ— armes Then did they sodainely set vpon them and the Chichimecas seeking to defend themselves they did want their armes so as they fled to the mountaines and forrests adioyning where they pulled downe trees as if they had beene stalkes of lettices But in the end the Tluscaltecans being armed and marching in order they defeated all the giants not leaving one alive We must not holde this of the giants to be strange or a fable for at this day we finde dead mens bones of an incredible bignes When I was in Mexico in the yeare of our Lorde one thousand five hundred eighty sixe they found one of those giants buried in one of our farmes which we call Iesus du Mont of whom they brought a tooth to be seene which without augmenting was as big as the fist of a man and according to this all the rest was proportionable which I saw and admired at his deformed greatnes The Tlascaltecans by this victory remained peaceable and so did the rest of
into a very darke chappell where their idoll was that he might offer sacrifice to his daughter that was in that place But it chanced that the incense that was vpon the harth according to their custome kindled in such sort as hee might discerne his daughters haire and having by this meanes discovered the crueltie and deceit hee went forth crying alowde and with all his men he fell vpon the Mexicaines forcing them to retyre to the lake so as they were almost drowned The Mexicaines defended themselves casting certaine little darts which they vsed in the warres wherewith they much galled their ennemies But in the end they got land and leaving that place they coasted along the lake very weary and wet the women and little children crying and making great exclamations against them and their god that had brought them into this distresse They were inforced to passe a river that could not be waded through and therefore they advised to make small boates of their targets and of reedes wherein they passed Then afterwardes having left Culhuacan they arived at Iztacalco and finally to the place where the hermitage of Saint Anthonie now is at the entry of Mexico and to that quarter which they now call S. Paul During which time their idoll did comfort them in their travells and incoraged them promising great matters Of the Foundation of Mexico CHAP. 7. THe time being now come that the father of lies should accomplish his promise made to his people who could no longer suffer so many turnings travells and dangers it happened that some old priests or sorcerers being entred into a place full of water-lillies they met with a very faire and cleere current of water which seemed to be silver and looking about they found the trees medowes fish and all that they beheld to be very white wondring heereat they remembred a prophecie of their god whereby he had given them that for a token of their place of rest and to make them Lords of other Nations Then weeping for ioy they returned to the people with these good newes The night following VitzliputZli appeared in a dreame to an antient priest saying that they should seeke out a Tunal in the lake which grew out of a stone which as he told them was the same place where by his commandement they had cast the heart of Copil sonne to the sorceresse their enemy and vpon this Tunal they should see a goodly Eagle which fed on certaine small birdes When they should see this they should beleeve it was the place where their Cittie should be built the which shuld surmountal others be famous throughout the world Morning being come the old man assembled the whole people from the greatest to the least making a long speach vnto them how much they were bound vnto their god and of the Revelation which although vnworthy hee had received that night concluding that all must seeke out that happie place which was promised them which bred such devotion and ioy in them all that presently they vndertooke the enterprise and dividing themselves into bandes they beganne to search following the signâ—s of the revelation of the desired place Amiddest the thickest of these water-lillies in the lake they met with the same course of water they had seene the day before but much differing being not white but red like blood the which divided it selfe into two streames whereof the one was of a very obscure azure the which bred admiration in them noting some great mistery as they said After much search heere and there the Tunal appeared growing on a stone whereon was a royall Eagle with the wings displaied towardâ—s the Sunne receiving his heat About this Eagle were many rich fethers white red yellow blew and greene of the same sort as they make their images which Eage held in his tallants a goodly birde Those which sawe it and knew it to be the place fore-tolde by the Oracle fel on their knees doing great worship to the Eagle which bowed the head looking on every sideâ—â—hen was their great cries demonstrations and thankes vnto the Creator and to their great god Vitzliputzli who was there father and had alwaies told them truth For this reason they called the cittie which they founded there Tenoxtiltan which signifies Tunal on a stone and to this day they carry in their armes an Eagle vpon a Tunal with a bird in his tallant and standing with the other vpon the Tunal The day following by common consent they made an hermitage adioyning to the Tunal of the Eagle that the Arke of their god might rest there till they might have meanes to build him a sumptuous Temple and so they made this hermitage of flagges turfes covered with straw then having consulted with their god they resolved to buy of their neighbours stone timber lime in exchange of fish frogges and yong kids and for duckes water-hennes courlieus and divers other kindes of sea fowles All which things they did fish and hunt for in this Lake whereof there is great aboundance They went with these things to the markets of the Townes and Citties of the Tapanecans and of them of Tescuco their neighbours and with pollicie they gathered together by little and little what was necessary for the building of their Cittie so as they built a better Chappell for their idoll of lime and stone and laboured to fill vp a great part of the lake with rubbish This done the idoll spake one night to one of his priests in these tearmes Say vnto the Mexicaines that the Noblemen divide themselves everie one with their kinsfolkes and friends and that they divide themselves into foure principall quarters about the house which you have built for my rest and let every quarter build in his quarter at his pleasure The which was put in execution and those be the foure principall quarters of Mexico which are called at this day S. Iean S. Mary the round S. Paul and S. Sebastian After this the Mexicaines being thus divided into these foure quarters their god commanded them to divide amongest them the gods he should name to them and that they should give notice to every quarter principal of the other foure particall quarters where their gods should be worshipped So as vnder every one of these foure principall quartâ—rs there were many lesse comprehended according to the number of the idolls which their god commanded them to worship which they called Calpultetco which is as much to say as god of the quarters In this manner the Cittie of Mexico Tenoxtiltan was founded and grew great Of the sedition of those of Tlatelulco and of the first Kings the Mexicaines did choose CHAP. 8. THis division being made as afore-said some olde men and Antients held opinion that in the division they had not respected them as they deserved for this cause they and their kinsfolke did mutine and went to seeke another residence and as they went thorough the lake they found a small peece of ground
kingdome shall bee the Lordes This hath beene set downe acording to the letter but the hebrew Authors reade it thus And the transmigration of this Oâ—t of the childrens which be the Cananites vnto Zarphat which is France and the transmigration of Ierusalem which is in Sapharad vnderstood for Spaine shall possesse for inheritance the Cities of the South and those which procure salvation shall mount vp to the hill of Sion to iudge the mount of Esau and the kingdome shall be the Lords Yet some of them doe not produce any sufficient testimony of the Ancients nor pertinent reasons to proove that Sapharad which S. Ierome doth interpret the Bosphor or Straight and the 70. Interpreters Euphrates should signifie Spaine but their onely opinion Others alleage the Caldean Paraphrase which is of this opinion and the ancient Rabbins which expound it on this sort as also that Zarphat is France which the vulgar and the 70 Interpreters call Sarepte But leaving this dispute which belongs to men of more leisure what necessitie is there to beleeve that the citties of the South or of Mageb as the 70 write be those of this new world Moreover what need is there to beleeve and to take the Spanish Nation for the transmigration from Ierusalem to Sapharad vnlesse we will vnderstand Ierusalem spiritually and thereby the Church So as by the transmigration from Ierusalem to Sapharad the holy spirite shewes vs the children of the holy Church which inhabit the ends of the earth the banks of the Sea for so is Sapharad vnderstood in the Syrian tongue and doth well agree with our Spaine which according to the Ancients is the ende of the earth beeing in a manner all invironed with Sea And by the Citties of the South we may well vnderstand these Indies seeing the greatest parte of this newe worlde is seated in the South and the better part looks to the Pole Antartike That which followeth is easie to interpret viz. They which procure Salvation shall ascend the hill of Sion to iudge the mount of Esau. For wee may say they vnite themselves to the doctrine and strength of the holy Church which seeke to breake and disperse the prophane errors of the Gentiles for that may be interpreted to iudge the mount of Esau whereby it followes that in those daies the Realme shall neyther bee for the Spaniards nor for them of Europe but for Iesus Christ our Saviour Whosoever shall expound the Prophecie of Abdias in this sort ought not to be blamed being most certaine that the holy Spirit did vnderstand all secrets long before And it seemes there is great reason to beleeve that mention is made in the holy Scripture of a matter of such importance as the discoverie of the Indies of the new world and their conversion to the faith Isay saith in these wordes Oh the wings of ships which come from the other part of Ethiopia Many learned Authors hold that al this Chapter is vnderstood of the Indies and that same Prophet in an other place saith Those which shall escape out of Israel shal goe farre off to Tharsis and to remote Ilands where they shal convert many Nations vnto the Lorde Amongest the which hee names Greece Italie Affricke with many others the which without doubt may well bee applied vnto the conversion of the Indies Being most certaine that the Gospel shall be preached generally throughout the world as our Saviour hath promised and then the ende of the world shall come It followes then and so we ought to vnderstand it that there be many Nations vpon the face of the earth to whom Iesus Christ hath not yet been preached Whereby we may gather that there remained a great part of the world vnknowne to the Ancients and that yet at this day there is a good part to discover By what meanes the first men might come to the Indies the which was not willingly nor of set purpose CHAP. 16. NOw it is time to make answer to such as say there are no Antipodes and that this region where we live cannot bee inhabited The huge greatnes of the Ocean did so amaze S. Augustine as he could not conceive how mankinde could passe to this new-found world But seeing on the one side wee know for certaine that many yeeres agoe there were men inhabiting in these parts so likewise we cannot deny but the scripture doth teach vs cleerely that all men are come from the first man without doubt we shall be forced to beleeve and confesse that men have passed hither from Europe Asia or Affricke yet must wee discover by what meanes they could passe It is not likely that there was an other Noes Arke by the which men might be transported into the Indies and much lesse any Angell to carie the first man to this new world holding him by the haire of the head like to the Prophet Abacâ—c for we intreat not of the mightie power of God but only of that which is conformable vnto reason the order and disposition of humane things Wherefore these two things ought to be held for wonderfull and worthie of admiration yea to bee numbred among the secrets of God The one is how man could passe so huge a passage by Sea and Lande The other is that there beeing such multitudes of people they have yet beene vnknowne so many ages For this cause I demaund by what resolution force or industrie the Indians could passe so large a Sea and who might be the Inventer of so strange a passage Truely I have often times considered thereof with my selfe as many others have done but never could I finde any thing to satisfie mee Yet will I say what I have conceived and what comes presently into my minde seeing that testimonies faile mee whom I might follow suffering my selfe to be guided by the rule of reason although it be very subtill It is most certaine that the first men came to this land of Peru by one of these two meanes either by land or by sea If they came by sea it was casually and by chance or willingly of purpose I vnderstand by chance being cast by force of some storme or tempest as it happens in tempestuous times I meane done of purpose when they prepared fleetes to discover new lands Besides these two meanes I see it is not possible to find out any other if wee will follow the course of humane things and not devise fabulous and poeticall fictions for no man may thinke to finde another Eagle as that of Ganimede or a flying Horse like vnto Perseuâ— that should carie the Indians through the aire or that peradventure these first men haue vsed fishes as Mir-maides or the fish called a Nicholas to passe them thither But laying aside these imaginations and fopperies let vs examine these two meanes the which will bee both pleasant and profitable First in my iudgement it were not farre from reason to say that the first and auncient people of these
a quality as when it blowes in some country it causeth it to raine fleas and in so great aboundaunce as they trouble and darken the aire and cover all the sea shoare and in other places it raines frogges These diversities and others which are sufficiently knowne are commonly attributed to the place by the which these windes passe For they say that from these places they take their qualities to be colde hote drie or moyst sickly or sound and so of the rest the which is partly true and cannot be denied for that in a small distance you shall see in one winde many diversities For example the Solanus or Easterne winde is commonly hote and troublesome in Spaine and in Murria it is the coolest and healthfullest that is for that it passeth by the Orchards and that large champaine which wee see very fresh In Carthagene which is not farre from thence the same winde is troublesome and vnholesome The meridionall which they of the Ocean call South and those of the Mediterranean sea Mezo giorno commonly is raynie and boisterous and in the same Citie wherof I speake it is wholesome and pleasant Plinie reports that in Affricke it raines with a Northerne winde and that the Southerne winde is cleere Hee then that shall well consider what I have spoken of these windes hee may conceive that in a small distance of land or sea one winde hath many and diverse qualities yea sometimes quite contrary whereby we may inferre that he draweth his property from the place where it passeth the which is in such sort true although we may not say in 〈◊〉 as it is the onely and principall cause of the diversitie of the windes It is a thing we easely finde that in a river containing fiftie leagues in circuite I putte it thus for an example that the winde which blowes of the one parte is hote and moist and that which blowes on the other is colde and drie Notwithstanding this diversitie is not found in places by which it passeth the which makesmee rather â—o say that the windes bring these qualities with them whereby they give vnto them the names of these qualities For example we attribute to the Northerne winde otherwise called Cicrco the property to be colde and drie and to dissolve mists to the Southerne winde his contrary called Levâ—sâ—he wee attribute the contrary qualitie which is moist and hote and ingenders mists This being generall and common we must seeke out another vniversall cause to give a reason of these effects It is not enough to say that the places by which they passe give them these qualities seeing that passing by the same places we see contrary effects So as we must of force confesse that the region of the heaven where they blowe gives them these qualities as the Septentrionall is colde because it commes from the North which is the region farthest from the Sunne The Southerne which blows from the Midday or South is hote and for that the heate drawes the vapours it is also moist and raynie and contrariwise the north is drie and subtile for that it suffereth no vapours to congeale And in this maner wee may discourse of other windes giving them the qualities of the region where they blowe But looking more precisely into it this reason can not satisfie me I will therefore demaund What doth the region of the aire by which they passe if iâ— doth 〈◊〉 them their qualities I speake it for that in German in the Southerne winde is hote and moist and in Affrike the Northerne is cold and drie Notwithstanding it is most certaine that in what region soever of Germanie the Southerne winde is ingendred it must needes be more cold then any part of Affrike where the Northerne is ingendred And if it be so why is the Northerne winde more cold in Affrike then the Southerne in Germany seeing it proceeds from a hotter region Some may answer me that the reason is for that it blowes from the North which is colde but this is neither sufficient nor true for if it were so whenas the Northerne winde blowes in Affrike it should also runne and continue his motion in al the Region even vnto the North the which is not so For at one instant there blowe Northerne windes very colde in countries that are in fewer degrees and Southerne winds which are very hotte in countries lying in more degrees the which is most certaine vsuall and well knowne Whereby in my opinion wee may inferre that it is no pertinent reason to say that the places by which the winds do passe give them their qualities or that they be diversified for that they blowe from divers regions of the ayre although the one and the other have some reason as I have said But it is needefull to seeke further to knowe the true and originall cause of these so strange differences which we see in the windes I cannot conceive any other but that the same efficient cause which bringeth foorth and maketh the winds to grow dooth withall give them this originall qualitie for in trueth the matter whereon the windes are made which is no other thing according to Aristotle but the exhalation of the interior Elements may well cause in effect a great parte of this diversitie being more grosse more subtile more drie and more moist But yet this is no pertinent reason seeing that we see in one region where the vapours and exhalations are of one sorte and qualitie that there rise windes and effectes quite contrary We must therefore referre the cause to the higher and celestiall efficient which must be the Sunne and to the motion and influence of the heavens the which by their contrary motions give and cause divers influences But the beginnings of these motions and influences are so obscure and hidden from men and on the other part so mighty and of so great force as the holie Prophet David in his propheticall Spirite and the Prophet Ieremie admiring the greatnes of the Lorde speake thus Qui profert ventos dâ— thesauris suis. He that drawes the windes out of his treasures In trueth these principles and beginnings are rich and hidden treasures for the Author of all things holdes them in his hand and in his power and when it pleaseth him sendeth them foorth for the good or chastisement of men and sends foorth such windes as hee pleaseth not as that Eolus whome the Poets doe foolishly faine to have charge of the winds keeping them in a cave like vnto wild beasts We see not the beginning of these windes neyther do we know how long they shal continue or whither they shall goe But we see and know well the diverse effects and operations they have even as the supreme trueth the Author of all things hath taught vs saying Spiritus vbi vult spirat vocemeius audis nescis vnde venit aut qâ—â— vadit The spirit or winde blowes where it pleaseth and although thou feelest the breath yet doost
experience that the course of rivers being turned the welles have beene dried vp vntill they returned to their ordinarie course and they give this reason for a materiall cause of this effect but they have another efficient which is no lesse considerable and that is the great height of the Sierre which comming along the coast shadowes the Lanos so as it suffers no winde to blowe from the land but above the toppes of these mountaines By meanes whereof there raines no winde but that from the Sea which finding no opposite doth not presse nor straine forth the vapors which rise to engender raine so as the shadowe of the mountaines keepes the vapors from thickning and convertes them all into mistes There are some experiences agree with this discourse for that it raines vpon some small hilles along the coast which are least shadowed as the rockes of Atico and Arequipa It hath rained in some yeeres whenas the Northern or easterly windes have blowen yea all the time they have continued as it happened in seventie eight vpon the Lanâ—s of Trugillo where it rained aboundantly the which they had not seene in many ages before Moreover it raines vpon the same coast in places whereas the Easterly or Northerne windes be ordinarie as in Guayaquil and in places whereas the land riseth much and turnes from the shadow of the mountaines as in those that are beyond Ariqua Some discourse in this maner but let every one thinke as he please It is most certaine that comming from the mountaines to the vallies they do vsually see as it were two heavens one cleere and bright above and the other obscure and as it were a graie vaile spread vnderneath which covers all the coast and although it raine not yet this mist is wonderfull profitable to bring forth grasse and to raise vp and nourish the seede for although they have plentie of water which they draw from the Pooles and Lakes yet this moisture from heaven hath such a vertue that ceasing to fal vpon the earth it breedes a great discommoditie and defect of graine and seedes And that which is more worthy of admiration the drie and barren sandes are by this deaw so beautified with grasse and flowers as it is a pleasing and agreeable sight and verie profitable for the feeding of cattell as we see in the mountaine called Sandie neere to the Cittie of Kings Of the propertie of new Spaine of the Ilands and of other Lands CHAP. 22. NEw Spaine passeth all other Provinces in pastures which breedes infinite troopes of horse kine sheepe and other cattell It aboundes in fruite and all kinde of graine To conclude it is a Countrie the best furnished and most accomplished at the Indies Yet Peru doth surpasse it in one thing which is wine for that there growes store and good and they daily multiplie and increase the which doth grow in very hote vallies where there are waterings And although there bee vines in new Spaine yet the grape comes not to his maturitie fit to make wine The reason is for that it raines there in Iulie and August whenas the grape ripens and therefore it comes not to his perfection And if any one through curiositie would take the paines to make wine it should be like to that of Genua and Lombardie which is very small and sharpe having a taste like vnto veriuice The Ilands which they call Barlovente which be Hispaniola Cuba Port Ricco others there abouts are beautified with many greene pastures and abound in cattell as neate and swine which are become wilde The wealth of these Ilands be their sugar-workes and hides There is much Cassia fistula ginger It is a thing incredible to see the multitude of these marchandizes brought in one fleete being in a maner impossible that all Europe should waste so much They likewise bring wood of an excellent qualitie and colour as Ebone others which serve for buildings and Ioyners There is much of that wood which they call Lignum Sanctum or Guage fit to cure the pox All these Ilands and others there abouts which are many have a goodly and pleasant aspect for that throughout the yeere they are beautified with grasse greene trees so as they cannot discerne when it is Autumne or Summer by reason of continuall moisture ioyned to the heate of the burning Zone And although this land be of a great circuite yet are there few dwellings for that of it selfe it engenders great Arcabutos as they call them which be Groves or very thicke Coppeses and on the plaines there are many marishes and bogges They give yet another notable reason why they are so smally peopled for that there have remained few naturall Indians through the inconsideratenesse and disorder of the first Conquerors that peopled it and therefore for the most part they vse Negros but they cost deere being very fit to till the land There growes neither bread nor wine in these Ilands for that the too great fertilitie and the vice of the soile suffers them not to seede but castes all forth in grasse very vneaqually There are no olive trees at the least they beare no olives but manie greene leaves pleasant to the view which beare no fruite The bread they vse is of Cacave whereof we shall heereafter speake There is gold in the riuers of these Ilands which some draw foorth but in small quantitie I was little lesse then a yeere in these ilands and as it hath beene told me of the maine land of the Indies where I have not been as in Florida Nicaraqua Guatimala and others it is in a maner of this temper as I have described yet have I not set downe every particular of Nature in these Provinces of the firme land having no perfect knowledge thereof The Countrie which doth most resemble Spaine and the regions of Europe in all the West Indies is the realme of Chille which is without the generall rule of these other Provinces being seated without the burning Zone and the Tropicke of Capricorne This land of it selfe is coole and fertile and brings forth all kindes of fruites that be in Spaine it yeeldes great aboundance of bread and wine and aboundes in pastures and cattell The aire is wholesome and cleere temperate betwixt heate and cold winter and summer are very distinct and there they finde great store of very fine gold Yet this land is poore and finally peopled by reason of their continuall warre with the Auricanos and their associates being a rough people and friends to libertie Of the vnknowne Land and the diversitie of a whole day betwixt them of the East and the West CHAP. 23. THere are great coniectures that in the temperate Zone at the Antartike Pole there are great and fertile lands but to this day they are not discovered neither do they know any other land in this Zone but that of Chille and some part of that land which runnes from Ethiopia to the Cape of Good Hope as
what is in the other life but if hell as Divines holde be in the centre of the earth the which containes in diameter above two thousand leagues we can not iudge that this fire is from the centre for that hell fire as saint Basil and others teach is very different from this which wee see for that it is without light and burneth without comparison much more then ours And therefore I conclude that what I have saide seemes to me more reasonable Of Earthquakes CHAP. 26. SOme have held that from these Volcans which are at the Indies the earthquakes proceed being very common there but for that they ordinarily chance in places farre from those Volcans it can not be the totall cause It is true they have a certaine simpathy one with another for that the hote exhalations which engender in the inner concavities of the earth seeme to be the materiall substance of fire in the Volcans whereby there kindleth an other more grosse matter and makes these shewes of flame and smoke that come forth And these exhalations finding no easie issue in the earth move it to issue forth with great violence wherby we heare that horrible noise vnder the earth and likewise the shaking of the earth being stirred with this burning exhalation Even as gunpowlder in mines having fire put to it breakes rockes and walles and as the chesnut laid into the fire leapes and breakes with a noyse whenas it casts forth the aire which is contained within the huske by the force of the fire Even so these Earthquakes do most commonly happen in places neere the water or sea As we see in Europe and at the Indies that townes and citties farthest from the sea and waters are least afflicted therewith and contrariwise those that are seated vpon portes of the sea vpon rivers the sea coast and places neere vnto them feele most this calamitie There hath happened in Peru the which is wonderfull and worthy to be noted Earthquakes which have runne from Chille vnto Quitto and that is above hundred leagues I say the greatest that ever I heard speake of for lesser be more common there Vpon the coast of Chille I remember not well in what yeare there was so terrible an Earthquake as it overturned whole mountains and thereby stopped the course of rivers which it converted into lakes it beat downe townes and flew a great number of people causing the sea to leave her place some leagues so as the shippes remained on drie ground farre from the ordinary roade with many other heavie and horrible things And as I well remember they say this trouble and motion caused by the Earthquake ranne three hundred leagues alongest the coast Soone after which was in the yeere eighty two happened that Earthquake of Arequipa which in a maner overthrew the whole citie Since in the yeere eightie sixe the ninth of Iulie fell an other Earthquake in the cittie of Kings the which as the Viceroy did write hadde runne a hundred three score and tenne leagues alongest the coast and overthwart in the Sierre fiftie leagues The mercy of the Lord was great in this earth quake to forewarne the people by a great noyse which they heard alittle before the Earthquake who taught by former experiences presently put themselves in safetie leaving their houses streets and gardins to go into the fieldes so as although it ruined a great parte of the Cittie and of the chiefest buildings yet there died not above fifteene or twenty persons of all the Inhabitants It caused the like trouble and motion at sea as it had done at Chille which happened presently after the Earthquake so as they might see the sea furiously to flie out of her boundes and to runne neere two leagues into the land rising above foureteene fadome it covered all that plaine so as the ditches and peeces of wood that were there swamme in the water There was yet an other earthquake in the Realme and Cittie of Quitto and it seemes all these notable Earthquakes vppon that coast have succeeded one an other by order as in trueth it is subiect to these inconveniences And therefore although vpon the coast of Peru there be no torments from heaven as thunder and lightning yet are they not without feare vppon the land and so everie one hath before his eies the Heraults of divine Iustice to moove him to feare God For as the Scripture saith Fecit haec vt timeatur Returning then to our purpose I say the sea coast is most subiect to these earthquakes the reason is in my iudgement for that the water dooth stop the conduites and passages of the earth by which the hote exhalations should passe which are engendered there And also the humiditie thickning the superficies of the earth dooth cause the fumes and hot exhalations to goe close together and incounter violently in the bowells of the earth which doe afterwards breake forth Some have observed that such Earthquakes have vsually hapned whenas a rainie season falles after some drie yeâ—res Wherevpon they say that the Earthquakes are most rare where are most welles the which is approoved by experience Those of the Cittie of Mexico holde opinion that the Lake whereon it is seated is the cause of the Earthquakes that happen there although they be not very violent and it is most certaine that the Townes and Provinces farre within the land and farthest from the sea receive sometimes great losses by these Earthquakes as the Cittie of Chachapoyas at the Indies and in Italie that of Ferrara although vpon this subiect It seemes this latter being neere to a river and not farre from the Adriatic sea should rather be numbred among the sea-Townes In the yeere of our Lord one thousand five hundred eightie and one in Cugiano a Cittie of Peru otherwise called the Peace there hapned a strange accident touching this subiect A village called Angoango where many Indians dwelt that were sorcerers and idolatrers fell sodainely to ruine so as a great parte thereof was raised vp and carried away and many of the Indians smothered and that which seems incredible yet testified by men of credit the earth that was ruined and so beaten downe did runne and slide vpon the land for the space of a league and a halfe as it had beene water or wax molten so as it stopt and filled vppe a Lake and remayned so spread over the whole countrey How the land and sea imbrace one an other CHAP. 27. I Wil end with this Element of earth vniting it to the precedent of water whose order and embracing is truely of it selfe admirable These two elements have one spheare divided betweene them and entertaine and embrace one another in a thousand sortes and maners In some places the water encounters the land furiously as an enemy and in other places it invirons it after a sweete and amiable manner There are partes whereas the sea enters far within the land as comming to visite it and in other partes the
they had many pittes and mines of quickesilver which continue there to this day that the Romans suffered it not to be refined in Spaine left they should steale some of it but they carried it to Rome sealed vp in a masse as they drew it out of the mine and after refined it They did yeerely bring from Spaine especially from Andalusie about tenne thousand pound weight which the Romans valued as an infinite treasure I have reported all this out of that Author to the end that those which doesee what passeth at this day in Peru may have the content to know what chanced in former ages among the mightiest Lords of the world I speake for the Inguas kings of Peru and for the naturall Indians thereof which have laboured and digged long in these mines of quicke-silver not knowing what quicke-silver was seeking onely for Cinabrium or vermillion which they call Limpi the which they esteeme much for that same effect that Plinie reportes of the Romans and Ethiopians that is to paint the face and bodies of themselves and their idolls the like hath been much practised by the Indians especially when they went to the warres and vse it at this day in their feasts and dauncing which they call slubbering supposing that their faces and visages so slubbered did much terrifie and at this day they holde it for an ornament and beautifying for this cause there were strange workes of mines in the mountaines of Guanâ—avilca which are in Peru neere to the cittie of Guamanguâ— out of the which they drew this mettal it is of such a manner that if at this day they enter by the caves or Soccabones which the Indians made in those dayes they loose themselves finding no passage out but they regarded not quicke-silver which naturally is in the same substance or mettall of vermillion neither hadde they knowledge of any such matter The Indians were not alone for so long a time without the knowledge of this treasure but likewise the Spaniards who vntill the yeare of the incarnation of our Saviour one thousand five hundred three score and six and threescore and seaven at such time as the licentiate Castro governed in Peru discovered not the mines of quicke-silver which happened in this manner A man of iudgement called Henrique Guarâ—es a Portugall borne having a peece of this coloured mettall as I have saide which the Indians call Limpi with which they paint their faces as hee beheld it well found it to be the same which they call Vermillion in Castille and for that hee knew well that vermillion was drawne out of the same mettall that quickesilver was hee coniectured these mines to be of quickesilver went to the place whence they drew this mettall to make triall thereof The which hee found true and in this sorte the mines of Palcas in the territorie of Guamangua being discovered great numbers of men went thither to drawe out quickesilver and so to carry it to Mexico where they refine silver by the meanes of quickesilver wherewith many are inriched This country of mines which they call Guancavilca was then peopled with Spaniards and Indians that came thither and come still to worke in these mines of quicke-silver which are in great numbers and very plentifull but of all these mines that which they call d' Amador de Cabrera or of Saintes is goodly and notable It is a rocke of most hard stone interlaced all with quickesilver and of that greatnesse that it extendes above foure score Varres or yardes in length and forty in breadth in which mine they have many pittes and ditches of three score and tenne stades deepe so as three hundred men may well worke together such is the capacity thereof This mine was discovered by an Indian of Amador of Cabrera called Navincopa of the village of Acoria the which Amador of Cabrera caused to be registred in his name He was in surte against the Procurer fiscall but the vsufruite was adiudged to him by sentence as the discoverer Since he solde his interest to another for two hundred and fifty thousand ducates and afterwards thinking he had bin deceived in the sale he commenced an action against the buyer being worth as they say above five hundred thousand ducats yea some holde it to be worth a million of golde a rare thing to see a mine of that wealth Whenas Don Francisco of Toledo governed in Peru there was one which had bin in Mexico and observed how they refined silver with mercury called Pero Fernandes de Valesco who offred to refine silver at Potozâ— with mercury and having made triall thereof in the yeare of our redemption one thousand five hundred seaventy and one perfourmed it with credite then beganne they to refine silver at PotoZi with quicksilver which they transported from Guancavelicqua which was a goodly helpe for the mines for by the meanes of quickesilver they drew an infinite quantity of mettal from these mines whereof they made no accompt the which they called scrapings For as it hath beene said the quickesilver purifies the silver although it be drie poore and of base alloy which can not be doone by melting in the fire The Catholike King drawes from it quickesilver mines without any charge or hazard almost foure hundred thousand peeces of a mine the which are foureteene rialls a peece or little lesse besides the rights that rise in Potozi where it is imployed the which is a great riches They doe yearely one with another drawe from these mines of Guancavilca eight thousand quintalls of quickesilver yea and more The maner how to drawe out Quicke-silver and how they refine Silver CHAP. 12. LEt vs now speake how they draw out Quicke-silver and how they refine Silver therewith They take the stone or mettall where they finde the quicke-silver the which they put into the fire in pots of earth well luted being well beaten so as this mettall or stone comming to melt by the heate of the fire the quicke-silver seperates it selfe and goes forth in exhalation and sometimes even with the smoake of the fire vntill itincounters some body where it staies and congeales and if it passe vp higher without meeting of any hard substance it mountes vp vntill it be colde and then congeled it falles downe againe When the melting is finished they vnstoppe the pottes and draw forth the mettall sometimes staying vntill it be very cold for if there remained any fume or vapor which should incounter them that vnstopt the pottes they were in danger of death or to be benumined of their limbes or at the least to loose their teeth And for that they spend an infinite quantitie of wood in the melting of these mettalls A Miller called Rodrigo de Tores found out a profitable invention which was to gather certaine straw which growes throughout all those mountaines of Peru the which they call Ycho it is like vnto a hard reede wherewith they make their fire It is a strange thing to see the force
earth and stone where it engenders they purge and purifie it seven times for in effect it passeth their handes seven times yea oftener vntill it remaines pure and fine so is it in the word of God where the soules must be so purified that shall inioy the heavenly perfection Of their Engines to grinde the mettall and of their triall of Silver CHAP. 13. TO conclude this subiect of silver and of mettalls there remaines yet two things to speake of the one is of their engins and milles the other of their essay or triall I have said before how they grinde their mettal for the receving of the quicksilver which is done with diverse instruments and engins some with horses like vnto hand-milles others like water-milles of which two sortes there are great numbers But for that the water they doe vse commonly is but of raine whereof they have not sufficient but three months in the yeare December Ianuary and February for this reason they have made Lakes and standing Pooles which containe inâ—circuite about a thousand and six hundred roddes and in deapth three stades there are seaven with their sluces so as when they have neede of any water they raise vp a sluce from whence runnes a little streame of water the which they stoppe vppon holy-dayes And when the Lakes and Pooles doe fill and that the yeare abounds with raine their grinding dooth then continue sixe or seaven moneths so as even for silvers sake men desire a good yeere of raine in Potozi as they doe in other places for bread There are some other engins in Tarapaya which is a valley three or foure leagues distant from Potozi whereas there runnes a river as in other parts The difference of these engins is that some goe with sixe pestels some with twelve and others with foureteene They grinde and beate the mettall in morters labouring day and night and from thence they carry it to be sifted vpon the bankes of the brooke of Potozi There are forty eight water-mills of eight ten and twelve pestells and foure on the other side which they call Tanacognugno in the Cittie of Tarapaya there are two and twenty engins all vpon the water besides there are thirty goe with horses in PotoZi and many others in diversâ—partes so great the desire of man is to get silver which is tryed by deputies appoynted by the King To give the alloy to every peece they cary the bars of silver vnto the Assay maister who gives to every one his number for that they carry many at once he cuttes a small peece of every one the which he weighs iustly and puttes them into a cruset which is a small vessell made of burnt bones beaten after hee placeth everie crusible in his order in the furnace giving them a violent fire then the mettall melteth and that which is lead goes into smoake and the copper and tinne dissolves the silver remayning most fine of the colour of fire It is a strange thing that being thus refined although it be liquide and molten yet it never spilles were the mouth of the crusible turned downewardes but it remaynâ—th fixed without the losse of a droppe The Assay maister knoweth by the colourâ— and other signes when it is refined then dooth he draw the crusibles from the fire and weighs every peece curiously observing what every one wants of his weight for that which is of high alloy wastes but little and that which is baser diminisheth much according to the waste he sees what alloy he beares according to the which he markes every barre punctually Their ballaunce and weights are so delicate and their graines so small as they cannot take them vppe with the hand but with a small paire of pincers and this triall they make by candle light that no ayre might moove the ballance For of this little the price of the whole barre dependeth In trueth it is a very delicate thing and requires a great dexteritie which the holy Scripture vseth in many places to shew how God prooves his chosen and to note the differences of the merites of soules whereas God gives the title of an Assay-maister to the Prophet Ieremie that hee may trie and declare the spirituall vertue of men and of his workes which is the proper worke of the Spirite of God being he that weighs the Soules of men We will rest content with what we have spoken touching silver mettalls and mines and will passe to the two other mixtures the which are plants and beasts Of Emeraldes CHAP. 14. IT shall not be from the purpose to speake somthing of Emeraldes both for that it is a pretious thing as golde silver as also for that they take their beginning from mines and mettalls as Plinie reportes The Emerald hath bin in old time in great esteeme as the same Author writes giving it the third place amongst all iewelles and pretious stones that is next to the diamond and pearle At this day they doe not so much esteeme the Emerald nor the pearle for the great aboundance is brought of these two sorts from the Indies onely the diamond holds the principality the which can not be taken from it Next the rubies come in price and other stones which they hold more pretious than the Emerald Men are so desirous of singularities rare things that what they see to be common they do not esteeme They report of a Spaniard who being in Italie when the Indies were first discovered shewed aâ— Emerald to a Lapidary who asking him the value thereof after he had well viewed it being of an excellent lustre and forme he prized it at a hundred ducats he then shewed him an other greater than it which he valued at three hundred ducats The Spaniard drunke with this discourse carried him to his lodging shewing him a casket full The Italian seeing so great a number of Emeralds sayde vnto him Sir these are well woorth a crowne a peece the like hath happened both at the Indies and in Spaine where the stones have lost their estimation for the great abundaunce they finde of them there Pliny reportes many excellencies of the Emerald amongst the which he saith that there is nothing more pleasing nor more healthfull for the sight wherein he hath reason but his authority importeth little seeing there is such store It is reported that Lelia a Romane Dame bestowed vppon a scoffion and a garment embroidered with pearle and emerald 400000. ducats the which at this day might be doone with lesse than forty thousand ducats yea two such In diverse partes of the Indies and the Kings of Mexico didde much esteeme them some did vse to pierce their nosthrils and hang therein an excellent Emerald they hung them on the visages of their idolles The greatest store is found in the New Kingdome of Grenado and Peru neere vnto Manta and port Vieil There is towardes that place a soile which they call the Land of Emeraldes for the knowledge they have
same Within the circuite of this court there were many chambers of religious men and others that were appointed for the service of the Priests and Popes for so they call the soveraigne Priests which serve the Idoll This Court is so great and spatious as eight or ten thousand persons did daunce easily in round holding hands the which was an vsuall custome in that Realme although it seeme to many incredible There were foure gates or enâ—â—ies at the East West North and South at every one of these gates beganne a fâ—ire cawsey of two or three leagues long There was in the midst of the Lake where the Cittie of Mexico is built foure large cawseies in crosse which did much beautify it vpon every portall or entery was a God or Idoll having the visage turned to the causey â—ight against the Temple gate of VitZiliputZli There were thirtie steppes of thirtie fadome long and they divided from the circuit of the court by a streete that went betwixt them vpon the toppe of these steppes there was a walke of thirtie foote broade all plaâ—teâ—d with chalke in the midst of which walke was a Pallisado artificially made of very high trees planted in order a fadome one from another These trees were very bigge and all pierced with small holes from the foote to the top and there were roddes did runne from one tree to another to the which were chained or tied many dead mens heades Vpon every rod were twentie sculles and these ranckes of sculles continue from the foote to the toppe af the tree This Pallissado was full of dead mens sculls from one end to the other the which was a wonderfull mournefull sight and full of horror These were the heads of such as had beene sacrificed for after they were dead and had eaten the flesh the head was delivered to the Ministers of the Temple which tied them in this sort vntill they fell off by morcells and then had they a care to set others in their places Vpon the toppe of the Temple were two stones or chappells and in them were the two Idolls which I have spoken of VitziliputZli and his companion Tlalot These Chappell 's were carved and graven very artificially and so high that to ascend vp to it there was a staire of stone of sixscore steppes Before these Chambers or Chappell 's there was a Court of fortie foote square in the midst whereof was a high stone of five hand breadth poynted in fashion of a Pyramide it was placed there for the sacrificing of men for being laid on their backes it made their bodies to bend and so they did open them and pull out their hearts as I shall shewe heereafter There were in the Cittie of Mexico eight or nine other Temples the which were ioyned one to another within one great circuite and had their private stâ—ires their courts their chambers and their dortoires The entries of some were to the East some to the West others to the South and some to the North. All these Temples were curiously wrought and compassed in with divers sortes of battlements and pictures with many figures of stones being accompanied and fortefied with great and large spurres or platformes They were dedicated to divers gods but next to the Temple of VitziliputZli was that of Tescalipuca which was the god of penaunce and of punishments very high and well built There were foure steps to ascend on the toppe was a flat or table of sixe score foote broad and ioyning vnto it was a hall hanged with tapistry and curtins of diverse colours and works The doore thereof being low and large was alwayes covered with a vaile and none but the priests might enter in All this Temple was beutified with diverse images and pictures most curiously for that these two Temple were as the cathedrall churches and the rest in respect of them as parishes and her mitages they were so spatious and had so many chambers that there were in them places for the ministerie colleges schooles and houses for priests whereof wee will intreate heereafter This may suffice to conceive the divells pride and the misery of this wretched nation who with so great expence of their goods their labour and their lives did thus serve their capitall enimy who pretended nothing more than the destruction of their soules and consumption of their bodies But yet they were well pleased having an opinion in their so great an error that they were great and mighty gods to whome they did these services Of the Priestes and their offices CHAP 14. WE find among all the nations of the world men specially dedicated to the service of the true God or to the false which serve in sacrifices and declare vnto the people what their gods command them Ther was in Mexico a strange curiositie vpon this point And the divell counterfeiting the vse of the Church of God hath placed in the order of his Priests some greater or superiors and some lesse the one as Acolites the other as Levites that which hath made me most to woonder was that the divel would vsurpe to himselfe the service of God yea and vse the same name for the Mexicaines in their antient tongue called their hie Priests Papas as they should say soveraigne Bishops as it appeares now by their Histories The Priests of VitZliputzli succeeded by linages of certaine quarters of the Citty deputed for that purpose and those of other idolls came by election or being offered to the temple in their infancy The dayly exercise of the Priestes was to cast incense on the idolles which was doone foure times in the space of a naturall day The first at breake of day the second at noone the third at Sunne setting and the fourth at midnight At midnight all the chiefe officers of the Temple did rise and in steade of bells they sounded a long time vpon trumpets cornets and flutes very heavily which being ended he that did the office that weeke stept foorth attyred in a white roabe after the Dalmatike manner with a censor in his hand full of coales which he tooke from the harth burning continually before the Altare in the other hand he had a purse full of incense which he cast into the censor and as he entred the place where the idoll was he incensed it with great reverence then tooke he a cloth with the which he wiped the Altar and the curtins This doone they went all into a Chappell and there did a certaine kinde of rigorous and austere penaunce beating themselves and drawing of blood as I shall shew in the treatise of Penance which the Divell hath taught to his creatures and heereof they never fayled at these Maâ—tins at midnight None other but the Priestes might entermeddle with their sacrifices and every one did imploy himselfe according to his dignity and degree They did likewise preach to the people at some feastes as I will shew when we treate thereof They had revenues and great offerings were made vnto
and then they did glut and defile themselves like to the Moores This sacrifice was most fit for them to withstand their enemies gods and although at this day a great part of these customes have ceased the wars being ended yet remaines there some relikes by reason of the private or generall quarrels of the Indians or the Caciques or in their Citties They did likewise offer and sacrifice shelles of the sea which they call Mollo and they offered them to the fountaines and springs saying that these shells were daughters of the sea the mother of all waters They gave vnto these shells sundrie names according to the color and also they vse them to divers ends They vsed them in a maner in all kinde of sacrifices and yet to this day they put beaten shells in their Chica for a superstition Finally they thought it convenient to offer sacrifices of every thing they did sow or raise vp There were Indians appointed to doe these sacrifices to the fountaine springs and rivers which passed through the townes or by their Chacras which are their farmes which they did after seede â—ime that they might not cease running but alwaies water their groundes The sorcerers did coniure to know what time the sacrifices should be made which being ended they did gather of the contribution of the people what should be sacrificed and delivered them to such as had the charge of these sacrifices They made them in the beginning of winter at such time as the fountaines springs and rivers did increase by the moistures of the weather which they did attribute to their sacrifices They did not sacrifice to the fountaines and springs of the desarts To this day continues the respect they had to fountaines springs pooles brookes or rivers which passe by their Citties or Chacras even vnto the fountaines and rivers of the desarts They have a speciall regard and reverence to the meeting of two rivers and there they wash themselves for their health anointing themselves first with the flower of Mays or some other things adding therevnto divers ceremonies the which they do likewise in their bathes Of the Sacrifices they made of men CHAP. 19. THe most pittifull disaster of this poore people is their slavery vnto the Devill sacrificing men vnto him which are the Images of God In many nations they had vsed to kill to accompany the dead as hath beene declared such persons as had been agreeable vnto him and whome they imagined might best serve him in the other world Besides this they vsed in Peru to sacrifice yong children of foure or six yeares old vnto tenne and the greatest parte of these sacrifices were for the affaires that did import the Ingua as in sickenes for his health and when he went to the warres for victory or when they gave the wreathe to their new Ingua which is the marke of a King as heere the Scepter and the Crowne be In this solemnitie they sacrificed the number of two hundred children from foure to ten yeares of age which was a cruell and inhumane spectacle The manner of the sacrifice was to drowne them and bury them with certaine representations and ceremonies sometimes they cutte off their heads annointing themselves with the blood from one eare to an other They did likewise sacrifice Virgines some of them that were brought to the Ingua from the monasteries as hath beene saide In this case there was a very great and generall abuse If any Indian qualified or of the common sorte were sicke and that the Divine tolde him confidently that he should die they did then sacrifice his owne sonne to the Sunne or to Virachoca desiring them to be satisfied with him and that they would not deprive the father of life This cruelty is like to that the holy Scripture speakes of which king Moab vsed in sacrificing his first borne sonne vpon the wall in the sight of all Israel to whome this act seemed so mournfull as they would not presse him any further but returned to their houses The holy Scripture also shewes that the like kinde of sacrifice had beene in vse amongst the barbarous nations of the Cananeans and Iebuseans and others whereof the booke of Wisedome speakes They call it peace to live in so great miseries and vexations as to sacrifice their owne children or to doe other hidden sacrifices as to watch whole nights doing the actes of fooles and so they keepe no cleanenesse in their life nor in their marriages but one through envy takes away the life of an other an other takes away his wife and his contentment and all is in confusion blood murther theft deceipt corruption infidelitie seditions periuries mutinies forgetfulnesse of God pollution of soules change of sexes and birth inconstancie of marriages and the disorder of adultery and filthinesse for idolatry is the sincke of all miseries The Wise man speaketh this of those people of whome David complaines that the people of Israel had learned those customes even to sacrifice their sonnes and daughters to the divell the which was never pleasing nor agreeable vnto God For as hee is the Authour of life and hath made all these things for the commoditie and good of man so is hee not pleased that men should take the lives one from another although the Lord did approove and accept the willingnesse of the faithfull patriarke Abraham yet did hee not consent to the deede which was to cut off the head of his sonne wherein wee see the malice and tyranny of the divell who would be herein as God taking pleasure to be worshipt with the effusion of mans blood procuring by this meanes the ruine of soule and body together for the deadly hatred he beareth to man as his cruell enemy Of the horrible sacrifices of men which the Mexicaines vsed CHAP. 20. ALthough they of Peru have surpassed the Mexicaines in the slaughter and sacrifice of their children for I have not read nor vnderstood that the Mexicaines vsed any such sacrifices yet they of Mexico have exceeded them yea all the nations of the worlde in the great number of men which they had sacrificed and in the horrible maner thereof And to the end we may see the great miserie wherein the Divell holdes this blind Nation I will relate particularly the custome and inhumane maner which they have observed First the men they did sacrifice were taken in the warres neyther did they vse these solemne sacrifices but of Captives so as it seemes therein they have followed the custome of the Ancients For as some Authors say they called the sacrifice Victima for this reason because it was of a conquered thing they also called it Hostia quasi ab hoste for that it was an offering made of their enemies although they have applied this word to all kindes of sacrifices In truth the Mexicaines did not sacrifice any to their idolls but Captives and the ordinarie warres they made was onely to have Captives for their sacrifices and therefore when they
did fight they laboured to take their enemies alive and not to kill them to inioy their sacrifices And this was the reason which Moteçuma gave to the Marquise du Val when he asked of him why being so mighty and having conquered so many kingdomes hee had not subdued the Province of Tlascalla which was so neere Moteçuma answered him that for two reasons hee had not conquered that Province although it had beene easie if he would have vndertaken it the one was for the exercise of the youth of Mexico left they should fall into idlenes and delight the other and the chiefe cause why he had reserved this Province was to have Captives for the sacrifices of their gods The maner they vsed in these sacrifices was they assembled within the Palissadoe of dead mens sculles as hath beene said such as should be sacrificed vsing a certaine ceremony at the foot of the palisado placing a great guard about them Presently there slept foorth a Priest attyred with a shorte surplise full of tasselles beneath who came from the top of the temple with an idoll made of paste of wheate mays mingled with hony which had the eyes made of the graines of greene glasse and the teeth of the graines of mays hee descended the steppes of the temple with all the speede he could and mounted on a great stone planted vpon a high terrasse in the midst of the court This stone was called Quauxicalli which is to say the stone of Eagle whereon he mounted by a little ladder which was in the fore part of the terrase and descended by an other staire on the other side still embracing his idoll Then did he mount to the place where those were that should be sacrificed shewing this idoll to every one in particular saying vnto them this is your god And having ended his shew he descended by the other side of the staires and all such as should die went in procession vnto the place where they should be sacrificed where they sound the Ministers ready for that office The ordinary manner of sacrificing was to open the stomake of him that was sacrificed and having pulled out his heart halfe alive they tumbled the man downe the staires of the Temple which were all imbrewed and defiled with blood And to make it the more plaine sixe sacrificers beeing appoynted to this dignitie came into the place of sacrifice foure to holde the hands and feete of him that should be sacrificed the fift to holde his head and the sixt to open his stomacke and to pull out the heart of the sacrificed They called them Chachalmua which in our tong is as much as the ministers of holy things It was a high dignitie and much esteemed amongest them wherein they did inherite and succede as in a 〈◊〉 simple The minister who had the office to kill which was the sixt amongest them was esteemed and honoured as the soveraigne Priest and Bishop whose name was different according to the difference of times and solemnities Their habites were likewise divers when they came foorth to the sacrifice according to the diversitie of times The name of their chiefe dignitie was Papa and Topilzin their habite and robe was a red curtin after the Dalmatike fashion with tasselles belowe a crowne of rich feathers greene white and yellow vpon his head and at his eares like pendants of golde wherein were set greene stones and vnder the lip vpon the middest of the beard hee had a peece like vnto a small canon of an azured stone These sacrifices came with their faces and handes coloured with a shining blacke The other five had their haire much curled and tied vp with laces of leather bound about the middest of the head vpon their forehead they caried small roundelets of paper painted with diverse colours and they were attired in a Dalmatike robe of white wroght with blacke With this attire they represented the very figure of the Divell so as it did strike feare and terroâ— into all the people to see them come forth with so hoâ—rible a representation The soveraigne priest carried a great knife in his hand of a large and sharpe flint another priest carried a coller of wood wrought in forme of a snake All six put themselves in order ioyning to this Piramidall stone whereof I have spoken being directly against the doore of the Chappell of their idoll This stone was so pointed as the man which was to be sacrificed being laid there on vpon his backe did bend in such sort as letting the knife but fall vpon his stomacke it opened very easily in the middest When the sacrificers were thus in order they drew forth such as had beene taken in warre which were to be sacrificed at that feast and being accompanied with a guard of men all naked they caused them to mount vp these large staires in ranke to the place where the Ministers were prepared and as every one of them came in their order the six sacrificers tooke the prisoner one by one foote another by the other and one by one hand another by the other casting him on his backe vpon this pointed stone where the fift of these Ministers put the coller of wood about his necke and the high priest opened his stomacke with the knife with a strange dexteritie and nimblenes pulling out his heart with his hands the which he shewed smoaking vnto the Sunne to whom he did offer this heate and fume of the heart and presently he turned towardes the idoll and did cast the heart at his face then did they cast away the body of the sacrificed tumbling it downe the staires of the Temple the stone being set so neere the staires as there were not two foote space betwixt the stone and the first steppe so as with one spurne with their foote they cast the body from the toppe to the bottome In this sort one after one they did sacrifice all those that were appointed Being thus slaine and their bodies cast downe their masters or such as had taken them went to take them vp and carried them away then having divided them amongest them they did eate them celebrating their feast and solemnitie There were ever forty or fifty at the least thus sacrificed for that they had men very expert in taking them The neighbour Nations did the like imitating the Mexicaines in the customes and ceremonies of the service of their gods Of another kind of sacrifices of men which the Mexicaines vsed CHAP. 21. THere was an other kinde of sacrifice which they made in divers feasts which they called Racaxipe VelitZli which is as much as the â—â—eaing of men They call it so for that in some feasts they tooke one or more slaves as they pleased and after they had flead him they with that skinne apparelled a man appoynted to that end This man went dauncing and leaping thorow all the houses and market places of the cittie every one being forced to offer something vnto him and if
people did humble themselves laying earth vpon their heads which was an ordinarie ceremonie which they did observe at the chiefe feast of their gods This ceremony being ended all the people went in procession with all the diligence and speede they could going to a mountain which was a league from the city of Mexico called Chapulteper there they made sacrifices Presently they went from thence with like diligence to go to a place neere vnto it which they called Atlacuyavaya where they made their second station and from thence they went to another Burgh or Village a league beyond Cuyoacan from whence they parted returning to the Citie of Mexico not making any other station They went in this sort above foure leagues in three or foure houres calling this procession Ypayna Vitzliputzli Being come to the foote of the staires they set downe the brancard or litter with the idoll tying great cordes to the armes of the brancarde then with great observance and reverence they did drawe vp the litter with the idoll in it to the top of the Temple some drawing above and others helping belowe in the meane time there was a great noise of fluites trumpets cornets and drummes They did mount it in this manner for that the staires of the Temple were very steepe and narrow so as they could not carry vp the litter vpon their shoulders while they mounted vp the idoll all the people stoode in the Court with much reverence and feare Being mounted to the top and that they had placed it in a little lodge of roses which they held readie presently came the yong men which strawed many flowers of sundrie kindes wherewith they filled the temple both within and without This done all the Viâ—gins came out of their convent bringing peeces of paste compounded of beetes and rosted Mays which was of the same paste whereof their idoll was made and compounded and they were of the fashion of gâ—eat bones They delivered them to the yong men who carried them vp and laid them vp and laide them at the idolls feete wherewith they filled the whole place that it could receive no more They called these morcels of paste the flesh and bones of VitziliputZli Having layed abroade these bones presently came all the Ancients of the Temple Priests Levites and all the rest of the Ministers according to their dignities and antiquities for heerein there was a strict order amongst them one after another with â—heir vailes of diverse colours and workes every one according to his dignity and office having garlands vpon their heads and chaines of â—lowers about their neckes after them came their gods and goddesses whom they worshipt of diverse figures attired in the same livery then putting themselves in order about those morsells peeces of paste they vsed certaine ceremonies with singing and dauncing By meanes whereof they were blessed and consecrated for the flesh and bones of this idoll This ceremony and blessing whereby they were taken for the flesh and bones of the idoll being ended they honoured those peeces in the same sorte as their god Then came foorth the sacrificers who beganne the sacrifice of men in the manner as hath beene spoken and that day they did sacrifice a greater number than at any other time for that it was the most solemne feast they observed The sacrifices being ended all the yoong men and maides came out of the temple attired as before and being placed in order and ranke one directly against another they daunced by drummes the which sounded in praise of the feast and of the idoll which they did celebrate To which song all the most ancient and greatest noble men did answer dauncing about them making a great circle as their vse is the yoong men and maides remayning alwayes in the middest All the citty came to this goodly spectacle and there was a commaundement very strictly observed throughout all the land that the day of the feast of the idoll Vitziliputzli they should â—aâ—e no other meate but this paste with hony whereof the idoll was made And this should be eaten at the point of day they should drincke no water nor any other thing till after no one they held it for an ill signe yea for sacrilege to doe the contrary but after the ceremonies ended it was lawfull for them to eate any thing During the time of this ceremony they hid the water from their litle children admonishing all such as had the vse of reason not to drinke any water which if they did the anger of God would come vpon them and they should die which they did observe very carefully and strictly The ceremonies dancing and sacrifice ended they went to vnclothe themselves and the priests and superiors of the temple tooke the idoll of paste which they spoyled of all the ornaments it had and made many peeces as well of the idoll it selfe as of the tronchons which were consecrated and then they gave them to the communion beginning with the greater and continuing vnto the rest both men women and little children who received it with such teares feare and reverence as it was an admirable thing saying that they did eate the flesh and bones of God wherewith they were grieved Such as had any sicke folkes demaunded thereof for them and carried it with great reverence and veneration All such as did communicate were bound to give the tenth of this seede whereof the idoll was made The solemnitie of the idoll being ended an olde man of great authoritie stept vp into a high place and with alowde voice preached their lawe and ceremonies Who would not wonder to see the divell so curious to seeke to be worshipped and reverenced in the same maner that Iesus Christ our God hath appoynted and also taught and as the holy Church hath accustomed Hereby it is plainely verified what was propounded in the beginning that Sathan strives all he can to vsurp and chalenge vnto himselfe the honor and service that is due to God alone although he dooth still intermixe with it his cruelties and filthinesse being the spirite of murther and vncleanenesse and the father of lies Of Consessors and Consession which the Indians vsed CHAP. 25. THe father of lies would likewise counterfeit the sacrament of Confession and in his idolatries seeke to be honored with ceremonies very like to the maner of Christians In Peru they held opinion that all diseases and adversities came for the sinnes which they had committed for remedy whereof they vsed sacrifices moreover they confessed themselves verbally almost in all provinces and had Confessors appoynted by their superiors to that end there were some sinnes reserved for the superiors They received penaunce yea some times very sharpely especially when the offendor was a poore man and had nothing to give his Confessour This office of Confessor was likewise exercised by women The manner of these confessors forcerers whom they call Ychuiri or Ychuri hath beene most generall in the provinces of Collasuio They
Realme taking the government from his father and brother Then afterwardes he conquered and overthrew the Changuas and from that time commanded that Viracocha should be held for vniversall Lord and that the images of the Sunne and Thunder should do him reverence and honour And from that time they beganne to set the image of Viracocha above that of the Sunne and Thunder and the rest of the Guacas And although this Ingua Yupangui had given farmes landes and cattell to the Sunne Thunder and other Guacas yet did he not dedicate any thing to Viracocha saying that he had no neede being vniversall Lord and Creator of all things He informed his souldiers after this absolute victory of the Changuas that it was not they alone that had conquered them but certaine bearded men whome Viracocha had sent him and that no man might see them but himselfe which were since converted into stones it was therefore necessary to seeke them out whome he would know well By this meanes hee gathered together a multitude of stones in the mountaines whereof he made choice placing them for Guacas or Idolls they worshipped and sacrificed vnto they called them Pâ—ruraucas and carried them to the warre with great devotion beleeving for certaine that they had gotten the victory by their help The imagination and fiction of this Ingua was of such force that by the means thereof hee obtained goodly victories He founded the family called Yuacapanaca and made a great image of golde which hee called Indijllapa which hee placed in a brancard of golde very rich and of great price of the which gold the Indians tooke great store to carry to Xaxamalca for the libertie and ransome of Atahulpa when the Marquise Francis PiZarre held him prisoner The Licentiate Polo found in his house in Cusco his servants and Mamacomas which did service to his memorie and found that the body had beene transported from Patallacta to Totocache where the Spaniards have since founded the parish of Saint Blaise This body was so whole and preserved with a certaine rosin that it seemed alive he had his eyes made of a fine cloth of golde so artificially set as they seemed very naturall eyes he had a blowe with a stone on the head which he had received in the warres he was all grey and hairy having lost no more haire than if hee had died but the same day although it were seaventy and eight yeares since his decease The foresaid Polo sent this body with some others of the Inguas to the cittie of Lima by the viceroyes commaund which was the Marquise of Canette and the which was very necessary to root out the idolatry of Cusco Many Spaniards have seene this body with others in the hospitall of Saint Andrew which the Marquise built but they were much decayed Don Phillip Caritopa who was grand-childe or great grand-childe to this Ingua affirmed that the treasure hee left to his family was great which should be in the power of the Yanaconas Amaro Toto and others To this Ingua succeeded Topaingua Yupangui to whom his son of the same name succeeded who founded the family called Cupac Aillo Of the greatest and most famous Ingua called Guaynacapa CHAP. 22. TO this latter Ingua succeeded Guaynacapa which is to say a yoong man rich and valiant and so was he in trueth more than any of his predecessors or successors Hee was very wise planting good orders thorowout his whole realme hee was a bold and resolute man valiant and very happy in warre Hee therefore obtained great victories and extended his dominions much farther then all his predecessors had done before him he died in the realme of Quitto the which he had conquered foure hundred leagues distant from his court The Indians opened him after his decease leaving his heart and entrailes in Quitto the body was carried to Cusco the which was placed in the renowmed temple of the Sunne We see yet to this day many cawseies buildings fortresses and notable workes of this king hee founded the familie of Teme Bamba This Guaynacapa was worshipped of his subiects for a god being yet alive as the olde men affirme which was not doone to any of his predecèssours When he died they slew a thousand persons of his housholde to serve him in the other life all which died willingly for his service insomuch that many of them offered themselves to death besides such as were appoynted his riches and treasure was admirable And forasmuch as the Spaniards entred soone after his death the Indians laboured much to conceale all although a great parte thereof was carried to Xaxamalca for the ransome of Atahulpa his sonne Some woorthy of credite affirme that he hadde above three hundred sonnes and grand-children in Cusco His mother called Mamaoella was much esteemed amongst them Polo sent hir body with that of Guaynacapa very well imbalmed to Lima rooting out infinite idolatries To Guaynacapa succeeded in Cusco a sonne of his called Titocussigualpa who since was called Guaspar Ingua his body was burned by the captaines of Atahulpa who was likewise sonne to Guaynacapa and rebelled in Quitto against his brother marching against him with a mighty armie It happened that Quisquits and Chilicuchi captains to Atahulpa took Guaspar Ingua in the cittie of Cusco being received for Lord and king for that hee was the lawfull successor which caused great sorrowe throughout all his kingdome especially in his Court. And as alwayes in their necessities they had recourse to sacrifices finding themselves vnable to set their Lord at libertie as well for the great power the captaines had that tooke him as also for the great army that came with Atahulpa they resolved some say by the commaundement of this Ingua to make a great and solemne sacrifice to Viracocha Pachayachachic which signifieth vniversall Creator desiring him that since they coulde not deliver their Lord he would send men from heaven to deliver him from prison And as they were in this great hope vpon their sacrifice news came to them that a certaine people come by sea was landed and had taken Atahulpa prisoner Heerevpon they called the Spaniards Viracochas beleeving they were men sent from God as well for the small number they were to take Atahulpa in Xaxamalca as also for that it chaunced after their sacrifice done to Viracocha and thereby they began to call the Spaniards Viracochas as they doe at this day And in truth if we had given them good example and such as we ought these Indians had well applied it in saying they were men sent from God It is a thing very well worthy of consideration how the greatnesse and providence of God disposed of the entry of our men at Peru which had beene impossible were not the dissention of the two brethren and their partisans and the great opinion they hadde of christians as of men sent from heaven bound by the taking of the Indians countrey to labour to winne soules vnto Almightie God Of the
The first of his Campe that advanced himselfe to the combate was the King himselfe defying his ennemies from whome hee made shewe to fly when they charged him vntill he had drawne them into an ambuscadoe where many souldiers lay hidden vnder straw who suddenly issued forth and they which fled turned head so as they of Tiquantepec remained in the midst of them whom they charged furiously making a great slaughter of them and following their victory they razed their citty and temple punishing all their neighbours rigorously Then went they on farther and without any stay conquered to Guatulco the which is a port at this day well knowne in the South sea Axayaca returned to Mexico with great and rich spoiles where he was honourably crowned with sumptuous and stately preparation of sacrifices tributes and other things whither many came to see his coronation The Kings of Mexico received the crowne from the hands of the King of Tescuco who had the preheminence He made many other enterprises where he obtained great victories being alwaies the first to leade the army and to charge the enemy by the which hee purchased the name of a most valiant captaine not content to subdue strangers he also suppressed his subiects which had rebelled which never any of his predecessours ever could doe or durst attempt We have already shewed how some seditious of Mexico had divided themselves from that common-weale and built a cittie neare vnto them which they called Tlatelulco whereas now saint Iaques is These being revolted held a faction aparte and encreased and multiplied much refusing to acknowledge the kings of Mexico nor to yeeld them obedience The king Axayaca sent to advise them not to live divided but being of one bloud and one people to ioyne together and acknowledge the king of Mexico wherevpon the Lorde of Tlatelulco made an aunswere full of pride and disdaine defieng the king of Mexico to single combate with himselfe and presently mustred his men commaunding some of them to hide themselves in the weeds of the Lake and the better to deceive the Mexicans he commaunded them to take the shapes of ravens geese and other beasts as frogs and such like supposing by this meanes to surprise the Mexicans as they should passe by the waies and cawsies of the Lake Having knowledge of this defie and of his adversaries policie he divided his army giving a part to his generall the sonne of Tlacaellec commaunding him to charge this ambuscadoe in the Lake and he with the rest of his people by an vnfrequented way went and incamped before Tlatelulco Presently hee called him who had defied him to performe his promise and as the two Lordes of Mexico and Tlatelulco advaunced they commaunded their subiects not to moove vntill they had seene who should be conquerour which was done and presently the two Lordes incountered valiantly where having fought long in the end the Lorde of Tlatelulco was forced to turne his backe being vnable to indure the furious charge of the king of Mexico Those of Tlatelulco seeing their captaine flie fainted fled likewise but the Mexicans following them at the heeles charged them furiously yet the Lord of Tlatelulco escaped not the hands of Axayaca for thinking to save himselfe he fled to the toppe of the Temple but Axayaca folowed him so neere as he seised on him with great force and threw him from the toppe to the bottome and after set fire on the Temple and the cittie Whilest this passed at Tlatelulco the Mexicane generall was very hote in the revenge of those that pretended to defeate him by pollicie after he had forced them to yeelde and to crie for mercy the Generall sayde he would not pardon them vntil they had first performed the offices of those figures they represented and therfore he would have them crie like frogges and ravens every one according to the figure which he had vndertaken else they had no composition which thing he did to mocke them with their owne policie Feare and necessitie be perfect teachers so as they did sing and crie with all the differences of voyces that were commaunded them to save their lives although they were much grieved at the sport their enimies made at them They say that vnto this day the Mexicans vse to ieast at the Tlatelulcans which they beare impatiently when they putte them in minde of this singing and crying of beasts King Axayaca tooke pleasure at this scorne and disgrace and presently after they retourned to Mexico with great ioy This King was esteemed for one of the best that had commaunded in Mexico Hee raigned eleaven yeares and one succeeded that was much inferiour vnto him in valour and vertue Of the deedes of Autzol the eight King of Mexico CHAP. 19. AMong the foure Electors that had power to chuse whome they pleased to be king there was one indued with many perfections named Autzol This man was chosen by the rest and this election was very pleasing to all the people for besides that he was valiant all held him curteous and affable to every man which is one of the chiefe qualities required in them that commaund to purchase love and respect To celebrate the feast of his coronation hee resolved to make a voyage and to punish the pride of those of Quaxulatlan a very rich and plentifull province and at this day the chiefe of new Spaine They had robbed his officers and stewards that carried the tribute to Mexico and therwithall were rebelled There was great difficulty to reduce this Nation to obedience lying in such sort as an arme of the sea stopt the Mexicans passage to passe the which AutZol with a strange device and industry caused an Iland to be made in the water of faggots earth and other matter by meanes whereof both hee and his men might passe to the enemy where giving them battell he conquered them and punished them at his pleasure Then returned hee vnto Mexico in triumph and with great riches to bee crowned King according to their custome Autzol extended the limites of his kingdome farre by many conquests even vnto Guatimalla which is three hundred leagues from Mexico He was no lesse liberall than valiant for whenas the tributes arrived which as I have saide came in great aboundaunce hee went foorth of his pallace gathering together all the people into one place then commaunded he to bring all the tributes which hee divided to those that had neede To the poore hee gave stuffes to make apparrell and meate and whatsoever they had neede of in great aboundaunce and things of value as golde silver iewels and feathers were divided amongest the Captaines souldiers and servants of his house according to every mans merite This AutZol was likewise a great polititian hee pulled downe the houses ill built and built others very sumptuous It seemed vnto him that the city of Mexico had too litle water and that the Lake was very muddy and therefore hee resolved to let in a great course
water Even so we may say that the fowle which bee at this present vppon the maine land and in the Ilands at the Indies might passe the sea resting themselves in some small Ilands or vpon some land which they discovered by a naturall instinct as Plinie reporteth of some or peradventure falling into the water when they were weary of flying and after beganne their flight a new when they had alittle rested As for the fowles which we see in the Ilands where there are no beasts I beleeve certainly that they passed by one of the foresayde meanes But for other birdes which we finde vppon the maine land especially those whose flight is shorte it is more credible that they came thither as the beasts did which are of the same kindes that wee have in Europe For at the Indies there are great birds very heavy as Estridges whereof there are many in Peru which doe vse sometimes to terrifie the Indian sheepe as they do goe with their burthens But leaving these birds that govern themselves without the care of man but onely for hawking let vs now speake of tame fowle I wondered at hennes seeing there were som at the Indies before the Spaniards came there the which is well approoved for they have a proper name of the country and they call a henne Gualpa and the egge Pâ—nto and they vse the same proverb wee doe to call a coward a henne Those that were at the discovery of the Ilands of Soloman do report that they have seene hennes there like vnto ours wee may conceive that the henne being so tame a fowle and so profitable men might carry them with them when they passed from one place to another as we see at this day the Indians in their travel carry their henne with them or chicken vpon the burthen they have on their shoulders and likewise they carry them easily in their cages of reedes or wood Finally there be at the Indies many kindes of beasts and birdes such as we have in Europe as I have specified and other sortes which I leave to others to discourse of How it spould be possible that at the Indies there should be anie sortes of beasts whereof the like are no where else CHAP. 36. IV were a matter more difficult to shew and prove what beginning many sundry sorts of beasts had which are found at the Indies of whose kindes we have none in this continent For if the Creator hath made them there wee may not then alleadge nor flie to Noahs Arke neither was it then necessary to save all sorts of birds and beasts if others were to be created anew Moreover wee could not affirme that the creation of the world was made and finished in sixe dayes if there were yet other new kinds to make and specially perfit beasts and no lesse excellent than those that are knowen vnto vs If we say then that all these kindes of creatures were preserved in the Arke by Noah it followes that those beasts of whose kindes we finde not any but at the Indies have passed thither from this continent as we have saide of other beasts that are knowne vnto vs. This supposed I demand how it is possible that none of their kinde shoulde remaine heere and how they are found there being as it were travellers and strangers Truly it is a question that hath long held me in suspens I say for example if the sheep of Peru and those which they call Pacos and Guanacos are not found in any other regions of the worlde who hath carried them thither or how came they there seeing there is no shew nor remainder of them in all this worlde If they have not passed from some other region how were they formed and brought foorth there It may be GOD hath made a new creation of beasts That which I speake of these Pacos and Guanacos may be said of a thousand different kindes of birdes and beasts of the forrest which have never beene knowne neither in shape nor name and whereof there is no mention made neither among the Latins nor Greekes nor any other nations of the world We must then say that though all beasts came out of the Arke yet by a naturall instinct and the providence of heaven diverse kindes dispersed themselves into diverse regions where they found themselves so well as they woulde not parte or if they departed they did not preserve themselves but in processe of time perished wholy as we do see it chaunce in many things For if we shall looke precisely into it we shall finde that it is not proper and peculiar alone to the Indies but generall to many other Nations and Provinces of Asia Europe and Affrike where they say there are certaine kindes of creatures that are not found in other regions at the least if they be any where else they are knowne to be carried from thence Seeing then these creatures came out of the Arke as for example the elephant which we finde only in the East Indies and from thence have beene imparted to other regions wee may say as much of these creatures of Peru and of others of the Indies which are not found in any other part of the world Wee may likewise consider well vppon this subiect whether these beasts differ in kind and essentially from all others or if this difference be accidentall which might growe by diverse accidents as we see in the linages of men some are white others blacke some giants others dwaâ—fes and in apes some have no taile others have and in sheepe some are bare others have fleeces some great and strong with a long necke as those of Peru others weake and little having a short necke as those of Castille But to speake directly whoso would by this Discourse shewing only these accidentall differences preserve the propagation of beasts at the Indies and reduce them to those of Europ he shal vndertake a charge he will hardly discharge with his honor For if we shall iudge the kindes of beasts by their properties those of the Indies are so diverse as it is to call an egge a chesnut to seeke to reduce them to the knowne kinds of Europe Of Fowles that are proper to the Indies CHAP. 37. THere are many kindes of notable fowles at the Indies eyther of the same sort that ours be or of different They bring certaine birds from China that have no feete and all their bodies are almost feathers They sit not vpon the ground but hang vpon boughs by strings or feathers which they have and so rest themselves like flies or aierie things In Peru there are birdes which they â—â—ll Tómineios so small that often times I have doubted seeing them flie whether they were bees or butter-flies but in truth they are birdes Contrariwise those which they call Condores be of an exceeding greatnes and of such a force that not onely they will open a sheepe and eate it but also a whole calfe Those which they call Auras and
others PoullaZes which in my opinion are of the kinde of ravens are of a strange lightnes and have a very quicke sight being very fit to clense Citties for that they leave no carion nor dead thing They passe the night on trees or vpon rockes and in the morning they come to the cities and townes sitting on the toppes of the highest buildings where they attend their prey Their yong have white feathers as they report of ravens and so change into blacke The Guacamayac be birdes bigger then Parrets resemble them somthing they are esteemed for the varietie of their feathers which be very faire pleasing In new Spaine there are aboundance of birdes with excellent feathers so as there be not any found in Europe that comes neere them as we may see by the images of feathers they bring from thence the which are with great reason much valued and esteemed giving cause of admiration that with the feathers of birdes they should make so excellent a worke and so perfectly equall as they seeme properly to be the true coloures of a painter and have so lively and pleasing a regard as the Painter cannot exceede it with his pencill and colours Some Indians which are good and expert workemen in this Art will represent perfectly in feathers whatsoever they see drawne with the pencill so as the Painters of Spaine have in this point no advantage over them Don Philip the Prince of Spaine his schoolemaster did give vnto him three figures or poâ—traitures made of feathers as it were to put in a Breviary His Highnes did shew them to King Philip his father the which his Maiesty beholding attentively said that hee had never seene in so small a worke a thing of so great excellency and perfection One day as they presented to Pope Sixtus quintus another square bigger then it wherein was the figure of St. Francis and that they had told him it was made of feathers by the Indians he desired to make triall thereof touching the table with his fingers to see if it were of feathers for that it seemed strange to see them so properly fitted that the eye could not iudge nor discerne whether they were naturall colours of feathers or artificiall done with the pencill It is a goodly thing to see the lustre which a greene an orange tawny like gold and other fine colours do cast and beholding them another way they seeme dead colours They make the best and goodliest figures of feathers in the Province of Mechovacan and in the village of Pascaro The manner is with small delicate pinsors they pul the feathers from the dead fowles and with a fine paste they cunningly ioyne them together They take the smal delicate feathers of those birds which in Peru they call Tâ—mineyâ—s or others like vnto them which have the most perfect colours in their feathers The Indians besides these images did vse feathers in many other most excellent workes especially for the ornament of Kings and Noblemen their Temples and Idolls There are also other great birdes which have excellent and fine feathers whereof they make plumes of sundry colours especially when they go to warre inriching them with gold and silver very artificially which was a matter of great price They have the same birdes still but they are not so curious neither do they make so many gentill devises as they were wont There are other birdes at the Indies contrarie to these of so rich feathers the which besides that they are ill favovred serve to no other vse but for dung and yet perchance they are of no lesse profite I have considered this wondering at the providence of the Creator who hath so appointed that all creatures should serve man In some Ilands or Phares which are ioyning to the coast â—of Peru wee see the toppes of the mountaines all white and to sight you would take it for snow or for some white land but they are heapes of dung of sea fowle which go continually thither and there is so great aboundance as it riseth many elles yea many launces in height which seemes but a fable They go with boates to these Ilands onely for the dung for there is no other profit in them And this dung is so commodious and profitable as it makes the earth yeelde great aboundance of fruite They cal this dung Guano whereof the valley hath taken the name which they call Limaguaâ—a in the valleys of Peru where they vse this dung and it is the most fertile of all that countrie The quinces poungranets and other fruites there exceede all other in bountie and greatnes and they say the reason is for that the water wherewith they water it passeth by a land compassed with this dung which causeth the beautie of this fruite So as these birdes have not only the flesh to serve for meate their singing for recreation their feathers for ornament and beautie but also their dung serves to fatten the ground The which hath bin so appointed by the soveraigne Creator for the service of man that he might remember to acknowledge and be loyall to him from whom all good proceedes Of Beasts for the Chases CHAP. 38. BEsides the Beasts of Chase whereof we have spoken which be common to the Indies and Europe there are others which I doe not remember to have seene heere vnlesse perhappes they have been brought from thence There are beasts called Sainos made like small hogges which have this singular to themselves to have their navill vppon the ridge of their backes these go by troupes through the woods they are cruell and nothing fearefull but contrariwise they assaile and have their tallents sharpe as rasors wherewith they make dangerous wounds and incisions if such as hunt them put not themselves in safetie Such as hunt them for the more safer killing of them they climbe vp into trees whither the Sainos or hogges come presently in troupes biting the tree when they cannot hurte the man and then with their launces they kill what they will They are very good to eate but they must of necessitie cut off the round peece where the navil growes vpon the backe for otherwise within a day they corrupt There is another kinde of little beast like to sucking pigges and they call them Guadatinaias I am in doubt whether there were any swine at the Indies â—efore the Spaniardes came thither like to these in â—paine for that in the discoverie of the Ilands of Soloman it is said they found hennes and swine of Spaine But howsoever it be it is most certaine that this cattell hath greatly multiplied at the Indies They eate the flesh fresh and hold it to be as holesome and as good as if it were of mutton as in Carthagene in some partes they are become wilde and cruell the which they hunt like wilde boares as we see in S. Dominique and other Ilands where the beasts live in the forrests In some places they feede them with the graine of Mays and they
in proper with armes and titles of honour and in marrying wives of the Inguas linage Even so they gave severe punishments to such as were disobedient and offenders They punished murther thesâ— and adultery with death and such as committed incest with ascendants or descendants in direct line were likewise punished with death But they held it no adultery to have many wives or concubines neyther were the women subiect to the punishment of death being found with any other but onely she that was the true and lawfull wife with whome they contracted marriage for they had but one whome they did wed and receive with a particular solempnitie and ceremony which was in this maner the bridegroome went to the brides house and led her from thence with him having first put an Ottoya vppon her foote They call the shooe which they vse in those partes Ottoya being open like to the Franciscan Friars If the bride were a mayde her Ottoya was of wooll but if she were not it was of reedes All his other wives and concubines did honour and serve this as the lawfull wife who alone after the decease of her husband caried a mourning weed of blacke for the space of a yeare neither did she marry vntill that time were past and commonly she was yonger than her husband The Ingua himselfe with his own hand gave this woman to his Governors and captains and the Governors or Caciques assembled all the yongmen and maydes in one place of the Citty where they gave to every one his wife with the aforesaide ceremony in putting on the Ottoya and in this manner they contracted their marriages If this woman were found with any other than her husband shee was punished with death and the adulterer likewise and although the husband pardoned them yet were they punished although dispensed withall from death They inflicted the like punishment on him that did committeâ—â—â— with his mother grandmother daughter or grand-childe for it was not prohibited for them to maâ—â—â— together or to have of their other kinsfolkes for concubines onely the first degree was defended neither did they allow the brother to have the company of his sister wherein they of Peru were very much deceived beleeving that their Inguas and noble men might lawfully contract marriage with their sisters yea by father and mother for in trueth it hath beene alwayes helde vnlawfull among the Indians defended to contract in the first degree which continued vntill the time of Topa Ingua Yupangui father to Guaynacapa and grandfather to Atahualpa at such time as the Spaniards entered Peru for that Topa Ingua Yupangui was the first that brake this custome marrying with Mamaoello his sister by the fathers side decreeing that the Inguas might marry with their sisters by the fathers side no other This he did and by that marriage he had Guaynacapa and a daughter called Coya Cussillimay finding himselfe at the poynt of death hee commaunded his children by father and mother to marry together and gave permission to the noble men of his country to marrie with their sisters by the fathers side And for that this marriage was vnlawful and against the lawe of nature God would bring to an end this kingdome of the Iâ—guas during the raigne of Guascar Ingua and Atalmalpa Ingua which was the fruite that sprang from this marriage Whoso will more exactly vnderstand the manner of marriages among the Indians of Peru lette him reade the Treatise Polo hath written at the request of Don Ieronimo Loaisa Archbishop of Kings which Pâ—â—â— made a very curious search as he hath doone of diâ—ers other things at the Indies The which importes much to be knowne to avoyde the errour and inconveniences whereinto many fall which know not which is the lawfull wife or the concubine among the Indians causing the Indian that is baptized to marry with his concubine leaving the lawfull wife thereby also wee may see the small reason some have had that pretended to say that wee ought to ratifie the marriage of those that were baptized although they were brother and sister The contrary hath beene determined by the provinciall Synode of Lyma with much reason seeing among the Indians themselves this kind of marriage is vnlawful Of the Originall of the Inguas Lords of Peru with their Conquests and Victories CHAP. 19. BY the commandement of Don Phillip the Catholike King they have made the most dilligent and exact search that could be of the beginning customes and priviledges of the Inguas the which was not so perfectly done as was desired for that the Indians had no written recordes yet they have recovered that which I shall write by meanes of their Quippos and registers First there was not in Peru in olde time any King or Lord to whome all obeyed but they were comminalties as at this day there be in the realme of Chille and in a maner in all the Provinces which the Spaniards have conquered in those westerne Indies except the realme of Mexico You must therefore vnderstand that they have found three maner of governments at the Indies The first and best was a Monarchie as that of the Inguas and of Moteçuma although for the most part they were tyrannous The second was of Comminalties where they were governed by the advise and authoritie of many which are as it were Counsellors These in time of warre made choise of a Captaine to whome a whole Nation or Province did obey and in time of peace every Towne or Comminaltie did rule and governe themselves having some chiefe men whom the vulgar did respect and sometimes though not often some of them assemble together about matters of importance to consult what they should thinke necessary The third kinde of government is altogether barbarous composed of Indians without law without King and without any certaine place of abode but go in troupes like savage beasts As farre as I can conceive the first inhabitants of the Indies were of this kinde as at this day a great part of the Bresillians Chiraguanas Chunchos Ysoycingas Pilcocones and the greatest part of the Floridians all the Chichimaquas in new Spaine Of this kind the other sort of government by Comminalties was framed by the industrie and wisedome of some amongst them in which there is some more order holding a more staied place as at this day those of Auracano and of Teâ—â—pell in Chille and in the new kingdome of Grenado the Moscas and the Ottomittes in new Spaine and in all these there is lesse fiercenes and incivilitie and much more quiet then in the rest Of this kinde by the valure and knowledge of some excellent men grew the other government more mightie and potent which did institute a Kingdome and Monarchie It appeares by their registers that their government hath continued above three hundred yeares but not fully foure although their Seigniorie for a long time was not above five or 〈◊〉 leagues compasse about the Citty of Cusco their
originall and beginning was in the valley of Cusco where by little little they conquered the lands which we call Peru passing beyond Quitto vnto the river of Pasto towardes the North stretching even vnto Chille towardes the South which is almost a thousand leagues in length It extended in breadth vnto the South sea towardes the West and vnto the great champains which are on the other side of the Andes where at this day is to be scene the Castell which is called the Pucara of the Ingua the which is a fortresse built for the defence of the frontire towards the East The Inguas advanced no farther on that side for the aboundance of water marshes lakes and rivers which runne in those partes These Inguas passed all the other Nations of Amarica in pollicy and government and much more in valour and armes although the Canaries which were their mortall enemies and favoured the Spaniardes would never confesse it nor yeelde them this advantage so as even at this day if they fall into any discourse or comparisons and that they be a little chased and incensed they kill one another by thousands vpon this quarrell which are the most valiant as it hath happened in Cusco The practise and meanes which the Inguas had to make themselves Lords of all this Countrie was in faining that since the generall deluge whereof all the Indians have knowledge the world had beene preserved restored and peopled by these Inguas and that seven of them came forth of the cave of Pacaricambo by reason whereof all other men ought them tribute and vassalage as their progenitors Besides they said and affirmed that they alone held the true religion and knew how God should be served and honoured and for this cause they should instruct all men It is a strange thing the ground they give to their customes and ceremonies There were in Cusco above foure hundred Oratories as in a holy land and all places were filled with their mysteries As they continued in the conquests of Provinces so they brought in the like ceremonies and customes In all this realme the chiefe idolls they did worship were Viracocha Pachâ—yacâ—achic which signifies the Creator of the world and after him the Sunne And therefore they said that the Sunne received his vertue and being from the Creator as the other idolls do and that they were intercessors to him Of the first Ingua and his Successors CHAP. 20. THe first man which the Indians report to be the beginning and first of the Inguas was Mangocapa whom they imagine after the deluge to have issued forth of the cave of Tambo which is from Cusco about five or six leagues They say that he gave beginning to two principall races or families of the Inguas the one was called Hanancusco and the other Vrincusco of the first came the Lords which subdued and governed this Province and the first whom they make the head and steame of this family was called Ingaroca who founded a family or Aillo as they call them named Viçaquiquirao This although he were no great Lord was served notwithstanding in vessell of gold and silver And dying he appointed that all his treasure should be imployed for the service of his body and for the feeding of his family His successor did the like and this grew to a generall custome as I have said that no Ingua might inherite the goods and house of his predecessor but did build a new pallace In the time of this Inguarâ—ca the Indians had images of gold and to him succeeded Yaguarguaque a very old man they say he was called by this name which signifies teares of blood for that being once vanquished and taken by his enemies for griefe and sorrow he wept blood Hee was buried in a village called Paullo which is vpon the way to Omasugo he founded a family called Aocuillidanaca To him succeeded his sonne Viracocha Ingua who was very rich and made much vessell of gold and silver hee founded the linage or family of Câ—copanaca GonZales PiZarre sought out his body for the report of the great treasure was buried with him who after he had cruelly tormented many Indians in the end he found it in Xaquixaquana whereas they said PiZarrewas afterwards vanquished taken and executed by the President Guasca Gonsales Pizarre caused the body of Viracocha Ingua to be burnt the Indians did afterwardes take the ashes the which they preserved in a small vessell making great sacrifices therevnto vntill Pollo did reforme it and other idolatries which they committed vpon the bodies of their other Inguas the which hee suppressed with an admirable diligence and dexterity drawing these bodies out of their hands being whole and much imbalmed whereby he extinguished a great number of idolatries which they committed The Indians tooke it ill that the Ingua did intitle himselfe Viracocha which is the name of their God and he to excuse himselfe gave them to vnderstand that the same Viracocha appeared to him in his dreame commanding him to take this name To him succeeded Pachacuti Ingua Yupangui who was a very valiant conquerour a great Polititian and an inventer of a great part of the traditions and superstitions of their idolatrie as I will presently shew Of Pachacuti Ingua Yupangui and what happened in his time vnto Guaynacapa CHAP. 21. PAchacuti Ingua Yupangui rained seventy yeares and conquered many Countries The beginning of his conquests was by meanes of his eldest brother who having held the government in his fathers time and made warre by his consent was over-throwne in a battle against the Changuas a Nation which inhabites the valley of Andaguayllas thirty or forty leagues from Cusco vpon the way to Lima. This elder brother thus defeated retyred himselfe with few men The which Ingua Yupangui his yonger brother seeing devised and gave forth that being one day alone and melancholie Viracocha the Creator spake to him complaining that though he were vniversall Lord and Creator of all things and that hee had made the heaven the Sunne the world and men and that all was vnder his command yet did they not yeelde him the obedience they ought but contrariwise did equally honour and worship the Sunne Thunder Earth and other things which had no virtue but what he imparted vnto them giving him to vnderstand that in heaven where hee was they called him Viracocha Pachayachachic which signifieth vniversall Creator and to the end the Indians might beleeve it to be true he doubted not althogh he were alone to faise men vnder this title which should give him victory against the Changuas although they were then victorious and in great numbers and make himselfe Lord of those realmes for that he would send him men to his aide invisibly whereby he prevaâ—led in such sort that vnder this colour and conceit hee beganne to assemble a great number of people whereof he made a mighty armie with the which he obtayned the victorie making himselfe Lord of the whole