294 / 1060
,
-
I
Royal
Com,mentaries.
BooK
VII.
CH
AP.
XVII.
Of the Nation of
Chirihuana;
of their cujloms and manner
of
living.
. AS
covetoufnefs and ambition of government is natural to
all
Men,
fo
thefe
Inca&
cranfporced with
a
defire of new Kingdoms and Conquefis, inade
it
their chief bufinefs and glory
to
enlarge their Empire.
In
purfuance of
w
hi~
four
year after
that
Yupanqui
had fent
his
Army down the River, he defigned
a–
nother Conquefi over the great Province of
Chiri-huana,
which
is
feated
in
th~
At1ti1
to the
Eafl:\\
ard of the
Charca&.
But
in
regard the Countrey was unknown,
and the ways undifcovered,_,
it
'~as
thought fit and convenient to fend fpyes
firfl:
into thofe parts, who mignt fee
and
difcover the
ituation and Nature of
the
Coumrey, and Manners of the People. The Spies being difi arched, as was re–
folved, they returned at
a
certain time, bringing
a
report, that the Countrey
was
bad,
full
of high and barren Mountains, Bog, Lakes, and
Marifh
Grounds;
that
the Natives
·ere abfolutely brutes, and worfe than beafis, having no Religion, or
Woriliip of any thing, but lived without law or good manners, wandring in the
Mountains and Woods, not afiOdated
in
any community or political government;
unlefs
it
were, when they joined their orces together to infefi their
eighbours,
with
intent:ion to eat the fleili. of thofe which they took in War, without
ref~ect
either of Sex or Age , and that nothing !hould be loft of
all
their fpoils, they
drank the bloud when they cut their throats. Nor did they onely eat the fle(h
of their Enemies, but of their own people, when they died ; onely rhey lamen–
ted over their bones; which when tliey had laid, and difpofed orderly acc:ording
to their joints, they buried them
in
rocks, or caves, and the hollow of trees. They
went naked, and promi[cuoufly ufed coirion without regard either
to
Sifi:ers,
Daughters or Mothers. And
this
was the common way of living praetifed by the
Nation of
Chiri-huana.
The good
I nca YHpanqui
(for
fo
was he fiyled commonly by
his
own people,
as
alfo by
Pedro de Cieflt)
having heard
this
repo;r, turned to his relations and
kin·
dred, who were theo prefent, and told them, that now he efi:eemed it a duty and
obligation incumbent on him
to
reduce the people of
Chiri-huana,
that
fo
he
might
lVithdraw them from the turpitude of their manners, and from that befi:ial life
·hich they did lead,
ic
being the grand defign for which his ather the Sun had
fem him into the World. Having faid thefe Word , he appointed ten rhoufand
Men to be ra.ifed, and made ready, under
e Command of Colonels and
Ca~
tains of the
Incan
Family, Men experienced both in
War
and Peace, and in(hutted
in
their duty, and the bufinelS that they were
to
.perform. This Army being pro–
vided, mar bed into the Province of
Chirihuana,
where they foon found the want
and rnifery of the Countrey ; to fupply which, they gave notice to the
Inca,
who
fpeedily furni!hed them ' ith all things neceffary.
Bue
fuch \ ere the difficulties
of that Countrey, being nothing but Mountains, and Bog , and Fens, that
after
the labour of two years, they ere not able to effeet any matter confiderable
there–
in ; \
hich
being advifed to the
Inca,
he ordered their return, defigning after
fame
time of repofe
to
employ them on
fome
more gratefull, and more pleafing Con–
quefis.
The
ice-King
D. Francifco
de Toledo,
who governed thofe Kingdoms in the
year
s72,
refolved
to
conquer thofe
Chirihuan1t1,
as
Acofta
in the 28th Chapter of his
4th
Book doth relate at large ; and in order thereunto having appointed a confide...
rable force of
Spaniard.r,
provided with all neceifaries
to
undertake that enterprize,
he entred int
that Province, carrying with him great numbers of Horfes and
Cows
to
breed and increa[e ; but he had not marched far before he experienc€d
the
i
fuperable difficulties of that undertaking, which he not believing by
any
formfil report, nor yet admonHhed by the ineffettual attempts which ihe
ftJcM
made