4000003870

BooK

III. ·

Royal

Com1nentaries.

In the adornment ·of which Temples the

CnracM

contend.ed,

according

that

abundance

which

their Countries produced

Gold

an~

ilver, and herem they

were very zealous , chat

they might both honour theu God,.

and

flatter

th~ir

·nee· by which means

all the

other Temples were plated

·~th Go~d

and

Sil–

v!~, a~d

might fiand

fome competition and terms of• companfon with that of

°The neareft Kindred or Relations to the

Curaca.

we.re

ma_de the

Prieft~

ofthofe

Tem~les

which were in the Provinces, though the Chief Pnefr, or Supenqtendenc

over

them

was an

Inca

rbe

Bloud Royal, becaufe

was necefiary that he fhould

dirett

che

manner and order of their Sacrifices, after the ufe and cufiorne

Co~co;

for

regard they were now to abhor and rejeet their Sacrifices ofMen, and

o.:'

men, and ChiWren, and

~ere

forbidden_

eat _Man's Fle{h, and

many

other bar–

barous Rites of abominat10n and fuperfimon;

was neceifary for them to have

the fuperiour guidance of an

Inca,

lefi they

ilioul~

forget

~he

true way,

~nd

re–

lapfe oack again

into their former cufiomes..

Thu;

Supermtendency which the

Incat

exercifod

was

very acc

eptabl

e to the

Indians,

for as

they efieemed much of

their

m~nagement

both of

civ.il

and martial Affairs;

lik~wife

they believed

chat they had

moft

need of their direttion in religious

orfh1p, from

horn

all

the knowledge thereof was defcended to them. And thus much /hall

~uffice

have

touched c'DnC6rning the riches of that Temple; other matters ofwhich may

properly related in their

due

places.

CH AP.

xxv.

•

the fanious Temple

Titicaca,

and

the.

Fables and

AUegories

alluding

to it.

Mongfi the maay famous Temples, which were dedicated to the Sun

Peru,

and·whi~h

in Ornament and Riches might compare with that ·Of

Coz.co;

that

the Ifie of

Tit:icacA

was

of chief Fame and Renown. The word

Titicaca

fig

nifies

the Foreft of Lead, being compounded of

Titi,

which is lead, and

C4ca,

which

Forelt, tbe Lake in which this ICTand

fituated, hath taken the fame name,

b~ing

about two Mufquet !hot from the main Land, and is about five or fix thou...

fand

paces in

compafs, where the

Incas

reported, that the Sun their Father

firfl:

placed his two Children, the Man

aod W

oroan, whom he fent into the

odd

to convert Mankind .from the Errour of their ways , and to teach and infiruet

them the Rules of right Reafoo

and

Religion. To

this

Fable they add many

~thers

of ancie':1t dace, faying, that the Ray of the Sun, after the general Floud,

were

firft

(een

that Hland, and in that

Lake,

before they appeared

any other

place;

~nd

that this Lake is feventy or eighty fathom deep

fome places, and '

about eighty Leagues

compafs; the reafon they give

for

not

being

navigable,

why Boats cannot

upon

it,

can fay Htde unto, onely

BIM

Pq!era.

writes

that

there

Cuch quantities of the

Magnet,

or Load-ll:one in

all parts

of it,

that

hinder

the

Navigation, or ufe of

the

Compafs.

help

of this Fable, and

his

own Ingenuity, the firll

Inca, Manco Capac,.

took

tbe

advantage to perfuade the

Indiam,

that he and his

Wife

were the Children of

th~

Sun, and

t~at

they were placed in

by their Father, that from thence they

~ight

proceed mto the World, to teach and infiruCi:

in the way of true Reli–

gion,

we have at large. related in the beginning of this Hifi:ory. The

JncM,

who were

Amauta1,

or Philofophers, and wife

the politicks, made ufe of both

thefe

Fa~les,

and related

~he~

way

of Prophecy: faying, that when the Sun

darted

hlS

full:

Rays of Light mto _that Ifiand, he then gave a fign and promife,

that from

that

place the

firft

Doetnnes of

Light

iliould iffue; the which

promife

was