201 / 1060
B 0
O ..
K
C H A P.
~
I.
Of the Buildings, Ornanient and Furniture of the
Royal
Palaces.
,
..
_..,.~
.........-. HE Services and Ornaments
of the
Royal
Palaces
belonging to
the Kings of
Pe-l'u,
were agreeable to the Greamefs, Ridies and
Majefty of their Empire, with which alfo correfponded the Mag–
nificence of their Court and Attendance; whidi,
if
well confide–
red, might equal, ifnot exceed the State and Grandeur ofall the
Kings and Emperours of the Univerfe.
As
to their Houfes and
Temples, Gardens and Baths, they were all built of Free Stone, rarely well po–
lifhed,
and
fo
well joined together, and
fo
clofe laid, that they admitted no kind
of Cement; the truth is,
if
any were ufed, it was of that fort of coloured Mor–
tar
which
in
their Language they call
Llancac Allpa,
which is a fort of flimy Ce–
ment, made up like a Cream, which fo united and clofed the Stones together,
that no feam or crevife appeared between them; for which reafon the
Spaniards
were ofopinion , that they worked without Mortar; others faid, that they ufed
Lime, but both are mifrakes; for the
Indians
of
Peru
neither knew the manner
or ufe of Lime, Mortar, I:ile or Brick.
.
In
many of the Royal Palaces, and Temples of the Sun, they clofed up the
Seams of their Building with
mel~ed
Gold, or Silver, or Lead.
Pedro
de
Ciefa,
a
Spanifh
Hiftorian, faith, That for greater Magnificence they filled the joints be–
tween the Stones with Gold or Silver, which '\'\-'as afterwards the caufe of the
to–
~l
defiruCl:ion of thofe Buildings ; for the
Spaniards
having found thefe exreriour
appearances ofGold, and fome other heaps of Metall within, have for farther
Difcovery fubverted the very Foundations of thofe Edifices, in hopes of finding
greater Treafure, which otherwife were
fo
firmly built, as might liave continued
for many Ages.
Pedro de
Ciera
confirms the fame at large, and faith farther, That
the Temples ofthe Sun were plated with Gold, as alfo all the Royal Apartment •
They alfo framed many Figures of Men and Women, of Birds of the Air, and
Fillies of the Sea ; likewife of fierce Animals, fuch as Tygers , and Lions , and
Bears, Foxes, Dogs and Cats, in iliort, all Creatures
w
hatfoever known amongfr
them, tney cafr and moulded into true and natural Figures , of the fame {hape
and form of chafe Creatures which they reprefented, placing them in corners or
cones of the Walls, purpofely made and fitted for them.
Bb
They