173 / 1060
BooK
V.
Royal
Commentaries. ·
r
CH .A
P.
XVI.
.
The Order they ufed in inipofing and proportioning their
Tri–
bute; and how the
Inca
requited the
Curacas
in
retltrri
of
thofe
pretioM
things
they gave him
for
Prefents.
flf
THE
Eighth Law ordained and prefcribed die manner and
rule
how ev_ery
"
perfon
as to be taxed for his proportion of Tribute, for equality_ and 1uft
cc
proportion was obferved in all
ma~te~s
by them; and the mann_er was this: UI?'–
,, on a certain day appointed, the principal People of every Provmce, fuch as their
''Judges Tax-gatherers, Accountants, and Keepers of their Knots
in
threads, af–
,, femble'd together, by help of which,
an~
of their Pebles, which
~ere
in
number
-cc
as many as the Inhabitants of the Province were, they made
th~ir
Accounts
fo
'' exaa, that I know not who are more to be commended, either thofe who with-
,, out figures of Arithmetick
w~re
able by a quicker way,
th~n
_our Accountants, to
"make a fpeedy or juct reckoning, or the Governour and M1mfiers, who eafily ap-
.
'' prehended the method and reafon of their Accounts,
by
fuch obfcure and
unin-
''·telligible ways to us.
·
"
By thefe Knots they were informed of the work done by every
In#.ian,
\that
'' Offices he had aeted, what joarnies he had undertaken by order of his
Curaca,
or
'' Superiour, what Trade he had exercifed,
all
which was placed to his Account;
''in
aifcharge of
his
Tribute. Then they readily made appear to the Judges and
"Governours every thing diftinB:ly by it felf, as how mudi Provifion ·was laid up
"in
the Stores, and what was the quality of them, as Pepper,
Cloths,
Shoes,
''Arms,
and other things, which were matters of Tribute, together with the Gold,
" Silver, pretious Stones, and Copper; and what thereof appertained to che
Inca,
'' and what proportion unto the Sun. They alfo accounted for the Stores of every
'' Province; and farther the Law ordained; that every
Inca,
Governour of a Pro–
,, vince, fhould keep a Copy of the Accounts or Tally
in
his own poflellion, as a
''means to avoid and prevent all fraud and cheats
in
the Minillei:s. A Ninth Law
"was, that what overplus remained of Tribute after the occalions of the
Inca
were
cc
(upplied, were to be tranfported
to
the common Magazines of the Countrey,
artd
" here o ged for common
fuppor~
and maintenance of the Natives in the times of
."fcarcity and famine,
As
to Jewels, and precious Stones, Gold, and Silver, Fea–
" thers of Birds, with various Colours for Painting, and Miniature, with divers
'' other Curiofities, which the
Curactu
every year prefented to the
Inca;
they were
" all taken, and difpofed of for adornment of the King, and his near Relations; and
" then afterwards,
in
cafe any overplus remained, or that there was more than the
" occafions of the Royal Family required, they were
in
grace and favour to the Cap–
,, tains, and Lords, who prefented them, returned again to them; for though they
'' were the goods and producr of their own Countrey, and that they could not make
'' ufe of them; yet being refiored with fuch obliging circumfiances from the
Inca,
" the favour and honour was highly ell:eemed : from all which it
is
evident that the
::
I~cM
enjoyed the fmallefl: part of all the Tribute, and that the Taxes
and
Impofi-
tions were more for the benefit of the People, than of the
King.
The Tenth
'' Law enumerated, and particularized the feveral Works and Employments which
c,
were t<? be performed by way of Tribute, for fervice of the King and Countrey;
: as making and plaining the
High-w~ys, buil~ng
or repairing the Temples of the
"Sun, and other ldola?"ous
Sanltuan~s,
erecrmg publick Hoafes, as Store-houfes,
"
an~
places for
~he
Tribunals of
J
ulhce, and feats for the Governours, making
"li~ndges,
or taking the Emplo}"ment ofMeifengers, whom they called
ChafqHi,
ril–
" ng
1:~e
Grounds, and inclofing Orchards, feeding Flocks and Herds of Carrel,
,,
wa~chmg
the Poffeffions, and fowed !..ands, building
In~,
and places ofHofpi–
~
tallry for Strangers and Travellers, and giving their attendance there
for
fum:~