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Royal
Commentaries..
BooK
:V.
~·
.
CH AP. .. X.
the Rule
they
ohferved
in
the·
Divifion
of
their
Flocl{s,
and
vf
other ft.range Beajls.
.
.
'!T'
HE Flocks of
Cattel
which belonged to the
Inca
were
fo
numerous, that
..L
for the better keeping an account of them, they
f
eparated them by diftinct
Droves, according to their colot'lrS; for their Cartel are of Party-colours in thofe
Countries, as the Horfes are
in
Spain;
and for every colour they have a proper
word: Thofe creatures which have great variety of colours, they call
.LYfurumurn,,
which the
Spaniart&
by corruption call
Mor()T)1oro.
As
for inflance,
fo
foon
'a5
a
Lamb was Yean'd of a different colour to the Ewe which was her Dam, they
prefently feparated
it,
and made
it
to affociate with the Flocks of the fame co–
lour ; in which manner they
eafily
kept an account of their
Cattel
by their Knots,
which were always made of the fame colour
wich
that of their Canel.
The Beafis which carried their burthens were a
fort
ofSheep, with a bunched
back like Camels, but
in
every thing elfe had a likenefs
with
our Sheep ; and
though
it
was
common for the
Indit-tn.r
to Lade their burthens on thefe creatures,
yet the
Inca
never made ufe of them himfelf, unlefs
it
were in {ome cafe of ne–
ceffity, or for the publick profit and ufe; fuch as carrying Materfals for
building
Fortreifes, Royal Palaces or Bridges, or for making the High-ways, Allies and·
Water-works; thefe being publick and common concernmems, admitted of no
excufe or exemption from
diem.
'
We have already moorioned that the Gold and Silver which was prefented
by
the Subje& to their
Inca,
was
employed in Adorning the Temple of the Sun,
and of the Royal Palaces; and herein we fhall enlarge, when
e come to (peak
farrher of the
Houfe
belonging to the Seleet Virgins.
All the fuange Birds and Beafis, Cuch as Serpents of all forts and
f
lZes,
Liz.ards,
and other creeping things which the
Curacas
prefented , they kept
in
cerrain Pro–
vinces, which
to
this day have their Names from thofe creatures : They alfo kept
fome of them
in
the Court, both for grandeur, and alfo to pleafe the
Indians,
who
efteemed thernfelves
greatly
obliged
by
the acceptance which the
Inca
did vouch–
fafe to make of them.
I remember that when I came from
Couo,
there remained fome Ruines of thofe
places where they kept thefe creatures, which they called
Amarucancha;
which
is
as much as
to
fay,
the
Confervatory of thofe
Serpents which
were
of the largeff
fize, for
Amaru
fignifies a great Serpent, on which place now the College of Je-
uits is
erected :
o likewife they called thofe Dens where they kept the Lions,
and
Tygers,
and
Bears,
Puma curcu
and
P11map chupan
;
for
Pnma
was their word
for
a
Lion, one
of' hich Dens
\Vas
formerly at
the
fooc:
of
the
CafHe-hill, and
the other jufi behind the Monafiery
of
t.
Dominic~
Their Aviary for the better Air, and chearfulne of the Birds, was placed with–
out the City, which
they
called
S11rihuaUa,
which
fignifie
the
ield ofOfuitches,
which
is
about
half a
League ourhward from
Co~co,
and was the Inheritance of
my Tutor
'/ohn de
Alcobapi,
and defcended afterwards
to
his Son
Diego de Alcobafa,
\ ho was a
Prieft
and
my
School fello
.
Thofe
fierce
creatures, fuch as Tygers and Lions, Serpent and Toads of a pro–
digiou bignefs, ferved not onely for oltentati n and the grandeur of the Court,
uc
al((
ere fometimes made ufe of to
punil
1
and devour Malefc ttors. ofwhich
we (hall have ccafion to [peak where
~
e treat o thofe
La\
and Ordinances
' hi
h ' ere made
againll:
Offenders in Criminal
matte ~·
.And thus much {hall fer e for what we have to
fay
concerning the Tribure
which hey gave co their
Incas,
and
f
the
anner and OccaG n for whi hit was
expended. From the Pap
of that
curious
and learned Father
B la.s Valera,
I have
1
de this follm _ing Excraet,
th
.t
o we m
by
his
uthorit confirm the trurh
of