107 / 1060
BooK
III.
Royal
Commentaries.
Of thofe five Chambers which we have already mentioned, there were three
onely that
I
faw remaining in their ancient fiate ofVValls and Roof; and rhefe al–
fo
were defpoiled of their Plates of Gold and Silver; but the other two, which
were che apartments of the Moon and Stars
were
demolifhed, and laid
level
with
the ground.
In
the outfide of rhefe
Walls,
which bordered on the Cloifiers,
were
four Niches,
or Tabernacles made of free Stone,
as
the Walls themfelves
were·
and
thefe Niches had
cafes
of Stone cut and placed within the hollow of
the Tabernacle,
the
which were lined "'ith Plates of Gold,
not
onely on the top
and
fides, but on the bottom al[o; and the corners of thefe fione-cafes , or
frames,
were all inlaid \.Vith precious Stones, fuch as Efineralds and Turquoifes,
becaufe
that
Counrrey neither yields Diamonds, nor
Rubies: On
great fefiiyal
Days the
Inca
did ufually
fit
in one of thefe Tabernacles, fometimes in one, and
fometimes
in
another, as
was
appointed
for
the Fefl:ival.
In
two of thefe Tabernacles,
in
the fame Wall which looked to the
Eall:–
ward,
I
remember that
I
obferved many little
holes
in the Ca(es, or Frames,
which were emboffed within the Stone, and thofe which were
in
the corners
reached froJTI one fide to the other; thofe holes which were
in
the middle of
the
Tabernacle, onely marked or pitted the Wall:
Enquiring of the Religious
which belonged
to
that Houfe, what thefe holes meant, they told me, that
in
the
times
of
Indian
Gentilifin chofe were the places in which the precious Stones were
fet;
thefe Tabernacles, and all the Doors, which were twelve
in
number, that
opened to the Cloifter, were all placed with Leaves of Gold, excepting onely
die Chambers of the Moon, together with thofe of the Stars, which; as we
have
faid,
in
refemblance of what they reprefented, were overlaid with Silver
onely.
Befides thefe five principal Chambers (which we have already mentioned to
be
appertaining to the Temple of the Sun) there were other Rooms of leffer
note, which belonged to the Priefrs, and the Servants under them, who were
made
Incas
by
privile~,
becaufe that no other
Indi1in,
how great foever he were.,
though ·
a
Curaca,
or Lord, had not the liberty to enter within that Houfe
mudi lefs was it granted to Women, though Daughters, or Wives of the
King
hiriifelf:
The Priell:s attended to the fervice of die Temple by Weeks, whicn
they reckoned by Qg_arters of the Moon; during which time they abfl:ained from
the company of their Wives, not departing from the confines of the Temple ei-
ther
by day or night.
'
Thofe
Indians
which performed the Drudgery of inferiour Services of the Tem–
})le, fuch as Porters, Sweepers, Cooks , Butlers , and the like , were the very
fame
that
were Menial Servants and Officers in the Palace of the
lncM
;
for
thefe
two
Hou[~
of the Father and Son were ferved with like attendance , excepting
onely that
m
the Temple of the Father no Woman bad admiffion, and in the
Pa–
lace
of the Son no Sacrifices
were
offered;
all
other matter
had
an equality of
qrandeur and
Majefiy.
Nz
CH
AP.:
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91