4000003870

·BaoK

VI.

Royal

Commentaries.

thofe bleffmgs, which the vigilance and ingenuity of the

Inca

befiowed on his

v~r~

here

to be noted, that the

Indians,

who inhabited along the

Coaft for

the

fpace

of almoft

Lea~es,

extending from

Tr11gillo

Tarapaca,

which

the

Utmo!l: border North and South 'of

Peru,

generally adored and worfhipped the

Sea

for God (

unlefs

were

fome petty

Idol, or diminutive God, which was

peculiar

to the

-p;ovince)

by reafon

that

the Sea fed

and

fufiained them

vvich

Fifh

for

their

nouriihment, and threw

vaft~uantities

Pilchards,

with

the

Heads

of which

they

dtinged

their Lands, (

we have {aid before) by reafon .

'-'!

bich

benefits

they gave

the Name of

M~acocha,

Motlier-fea..

They likewi[e

adored

the

Whale for

its

vafi bulk and b1gnefs; and fome Provinces adored chis, and others

that fort of

Fifh,

as they were moil: plentiful!, and yielded

moll:

benefit

the

Natives.

Tfuis

was, in fuort,

roe

Idola~JiOUS

\\eligion of

filw

T11nc1u

bGfQre the

ti.nles

0£

I»ca.r,

or that

they

cam~

have

l\uk

and Doll;!inion over

them.

The Y,allies of

rca

aru:I

Pifco

being

thus

reduced.,

the

Incas

d~fpatcped t~(iir

Sum–

mons.

~o th~ grea~

and powerfull.

Valley .of

Chincha,

(

_called

tt?tn_

Chi~ch'1foy11,

which

oae of the fom; quarters mto which

the

l--4qa.r

d1v1d~d

theIJ;

Ernpu:e)

i:e–

quiring them einher to

pay

their Obedience

t:o

the

Inca l/'1.chllk11tec,

wbp was a

Child of the Sun, or otherwife to prepare themfelves

foi;

War, and

d~fen.d the~

Caufe and

Coun~ey

with their Arms : But

people of

Chinchll

confiding

~h~ir

Numbm,

and

puffed up with an

opinion

©f

th~ir br~ve1ry,

and

skill

Wat,

returned

aafwer of

Deflance; that

they

would

neithe~ re~ive

the

Sun

for their

Goel;

nor th

Inca

for

their King; that

the

S~a

was

th~

Deity

which t1aey haci

mofl:

real.On

Adore, in regard

fupplied

chem

with

Fifh for

t~eir

nourifhmenr,

and

was in o

thCfr

particulars

and inftances the moft

u{efull and

beneficial ;

henas

the

Sun on the other fide fcorched their Countrey, and parched and tormenteq

their Bodies ;

rbac

they wiihed

ra~her

live

remote

fro;n him , than to be

troubled with

oh€

inconveniences of his Neighbourhood

that

perhaps

he might

be a JJ10re

pr.0pm-

God for thofe who inhabit the cold (:lirnates

under

the

frozen

Zanes ;

bur as.

themfelv~

his

Rays

and Prefen

ce "'ere

offenftve. Tha.t

the

King, they had a Natural Prince of their own,

wh.om

they loved) and

would

f\Ot

?art with for all the race and lineage of the S

un ; an

d for their

Arms,

they

were always ready to be employed againft thofe who

provol5~d

their paffion, or

infringed

their

Liberty, or invaded their CoQntrey or defpifed their

God :,

the

chief

and principal of

which

was called

Chincha

C1rmac,

who was the Maker and

Confcnvator

Chinca,

a God

pqwerfull,

that

the

lnca.r

ould doe well

con–

fider

how

they

provoked

injur<!d the King of

Chincha,

who was fupporied

the

Providence

that powerful! God.

The

Natives of

this

Countrey do like–

wife much ayail themfelves on a Tradition,

thcit

their F-0refathers came from

far

Couptrey,

(though they do not

fay

whence) under the

Condutt

of a valiant

and

rcligio.us

. General, by

force

of whofe Arms

they

conqqe°red that Countrey

by,_

defiroymg

all the people, which were the natural Inhabitants of it not

[qi:

fonng one

tth~m

furv1ve,

bccaufe they were a

vile

and

brutiili R!lc

he–

ft.des many oilier bvave Actions, which

they

recount of

theJr

Fore-fame.rs.

• r