4000003870

Royal Commentaries.

the fl.oar of the Bridge which Bridge was about thirteen or fourteen Foot broad,

· about a yard thick, and

abou~

hund~d

a!ld

fifty

Paces in length;

that

we may imagine what a vaft quantity

.of~u(he~

reqmr~d

for a W<?rk of this na–

ture.

It is moreover obfervable, that this Bndge reqm.res

r~paratio~s ~ery

fix

Months or tather

be made new, for the whole compofitton of

bemg no–

thing

b~t

Straw

a~d

Ruilies, which are fading

an~

decaying

ma~erials,

mofr be

often renewed, efpecially the Ropes or. Cables,

wh1~h

are

t~e m~m crave~

t~e

work, mult be maintained, and kept_ m

go~d

repair.

Tlus

Bndge, as hkew_1fe

all other publick conveniences, were m the times of the

Incru

kept up, and mam–

tained at the charge and labour of the

n~ighbouri~g

Countries ;

that

many

Hands making light work, and . the

mat~nals

provided from

yea~

to year, the

good order obferved, made it a matter without

rn~ch trou~le

d1ffic~Jty.

The

end

f thefe main Cables, which were the

Foun

dation of thlS fort of Bndge, were

fixed

che ground , and not feifed , or

!Da.de

fafr

R~cks o~

Stone, as fom_e

others were. and the

Jndi,ans

fay' that thi

he better mvention' for that

this

Bridge ma/be removed, and

carried

ei~her

higher or lower on the River, as oc

caftan requires.

The Bridge being thus

made

an.d

.completed~

the._Inca,

~ith

his

eld~fr

Son and

Heir, departed from

Couo,

travellin& by {hort JOUrrues,

~ntill th~y arnv~d

at the

remote!l: parts of thofe Provinces wl:iich belonged

Can

and

Chipana,

bemg rhofe

Countries which we formerly mentioned by the names of

Tapacri

and

Cochapampa,

where the

Cacique1

attended in a readinefs with their

Soul~iers

r~ceiv~

the

Inca.

From

Cochapampa

they proceeded forward to

Chqyanta,

and m then· way thither they

paffed a molt defolate ·and barren Countrey, where

not one

oot of good

Ground, but onely Stones and Rocks ; and which produces nothing but Bu(hes

bearing Thorns,

as.

long as a Man's finger, and which the

Indians

u[e

for Needles

to fow the poor Drapery they wear; and which

fort

ofThorn grows common

all parts of

Peru:

Having paffed this defart, which contains about twenty Leagues

length, and about as much

breadth, they entred into

Chayanta;

where the

Inca

commanded the Prince his Son to fend the Summons which were ufual, and

accuftomary to the Inhabitants of that Province.

At the receipts of thefe Summons the

Indians

were divided into different opini..

ons; fome were for prefent Submiffion and Obedience to this celeftial ace which

was defcended from the Sun, being affi:tred all thofe Laws which were given and

impofed by fuch an infallible Light, could not be other than juft, gentle, ar:id fuch

as tended rather·

the Liberty and Security of the Subjects, than

the lnterefl:

and Advantage of the Governour. H owfoever others that

ere of a different

fentiment, and more ftubborn in their humour, argued, That they had no need

of a King, or new Laws, fince that thofe whic

they had already were good and

profitable, and fuch as their Ancefiours had lived under with great happinefs and

fecurity; that they had Gods already of their own, ' horn they worfhipped and

ferved, and knew no neceffity that there was of a new Religion, or Cufioms; and

what was moil: grievous, that they muft fubmit

the pleafure of a Prince, who

preac~ed

Religion and Sanetity to them, and made them promifes of Privilege

al?-d L1be.rty; whenas

per~ap

morrow,

foon as he had gained them under

his power, he would rnen unpofe fuch Laws as were flavifh and agreeable to his

own Lull: and Pleafure ; and therefore they concluded, that it was better not

trull: to

fudi

a hazard, but rather to live in their own freedom, or elfe die in the

defence of it.

this Sufpence matters remained for fome days, both parties infifiing on the

truth of their

opi~?ns,

untill at length the fear of compulfion from the

Inca,

and

the.hopes of

r~ceivrng

good

a~d

wfiolfon:e Laws from

_h~m,

extorted an anf\ver

which was dubio?s? and favo':1rmg fomethmg of both op1mons; for they declared

d)at they were w1µmg

receive the

Inca

for their

ing and Lord, but as

his

Laws, they were

ignora~t

t~1em~

P.-Gt

knowing whether they conduced to their

Benefit or.Damage; unt1ll which time, that they were informed of the fubfiance

and form of them , they defired a ceffation ofArms and of all violence and

~at

the

~nca,

with his Army,

migh~

enter into their Countrey upon parole: that

~fe

his Laws proved not t<? th ir contentment , th t then he would quit his

fiat1on, and leave them to their own .freedom and liberty; but if they appeared

good as he avouched and affirmed them to be, that then immediately theY,

woo2