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Royal
Commentaries.
BooK
111.
was afcerwards accompliíhe'd by thofe Kings, who proceeded thence, .-and taughc
the World how to caíl: away the turpitude of their manners, and live by another
Law and RulJ ofReafon. By advancage of thefe, and other fuch Inventíons,
it
was not difficult for rhe
Jn.M
to
perfuade the other
Jndians
of
their defcent from
the Sun, and
to
confirm their belief by thofe manybenefits and advamages which
their Doétrine and Religion brought wich them. On the aífurance of thefe two
Fables the
JncM,
and all bis Subjefu did really efteem this Iíland to be.a facred and
a holy piece ofGround; and with tbat opinion they ereéted a ricli Temple on
it,
ali plated with Gold, and dedicated to tne Sun; where generally all che Pro–
vinces fubjeéted to the
Inca,
did yearly offer Gold, and Silver, and pretious
Stones, io a chankfull acknowledgmenc of chofe two Bleffmgs he had given them
in that place; and that Temple being of greater Devotion, had the fame atten–
dence, and Officers belonging to it, as thac of
Coc,:,co.
And
fo
immenfe was the
quanticy of Gold and Silver, which was amaífed in chat líland, befides that which
was caíl: and framed into Utenfils, for the fervice of che Temple, that the Re–
pon which che
Jndiaw
make ofit is incredible, and more to be admired, than be–
lieved.
Bla1 Va/era
fpeaking of che Riches of chis Temple; and of the quantities
of Gokl and Silver which abounded, after all Vdfels and Ornaments were fup–
plied, faith, that he was informed by chofe
Jndians
who are called
Mitmac,
and
are
á
Colony who inhabit in
Copa-Cavano,
thac there was fuch a fuperAuity of
Gold and Silver, afcer all was finiíhed, as mighc have been fufficient to have rar–
fed and compleced anocherTemple, wichout ocher macerials whatfoever·; and thac
fo
foon as thofe
Jndi,ws
had news of the Invafion of che
Spaniards,
and were
in–
formed chae their Errant and Bufinefs was to defpoil them of their Ricbes, chey
demolifhed chei.r Temple, and threw al! che rnacerials, and che immenfe Wealth
of ir, into chat greac Lake.
There is anocher Story which paífes, not unlike this, That in the Valley of
Orcos,
wbich is abouc fi¿< Leagues from
Cquo,
towards the Sea of
Zur,
there is a
lir–
tle Lake of lefs than half a League round, bue very deep, and encompaífed wirh
high Woods; le is reponed, chat when che
Indians
underíl:ood of the 'Arrival of
the
Sp,miards,
they cl.uew a greac quancicy of the Treafure belonging ro
6o:t;,co
into
ir, and amongíl: che reíl:, chac Chain of Gold which
Huayna Capac
cau(ed to
be made, of which we íhall fpeak in its. due pbce; upon affurance and belief
hereof cwelve or thirceen
Spaniards,
who fojourned ac
Couo,
not Inhabitancs, bue
Merchancs, and Adventurers, entred into an agreernenc cogether, on terms of
equal benefic and lofs,
to
poílefs themfelves of thac Treafure by draining che Lake
for it; in order whereunto' they founded the depch, and found twenty chree or
twenty four fathom water, befides che mudd, which was alfo deep; rhen they
refolved to open a Duce, or hay, ac the loweíl: ground, or level of che Lake, thac
fo
a wide chanel being made for rhe water to pafs inco the River of
Yucay,
the
L~ke
mighc be fewed or emptied by che greac venc it would find by fuch an eva–
cuation ; in ocher pares chey could not open it farther, becaufe of che Rocks, and
difadvantage of che ground, nor did chey lay cheir Trench open
to
che top, (which
perhaps rnighc have been becter,) bue to fave charges made a Mine, and cuc their
Drain under ground. This work was begun in che Year
1
557.
with greac hopes and
expeétatioqs ofTreafure; and being encred abouc fifcy paces within cheEarch, they
unhappily croffed upon aVein of bard Rock, ar whicb pecking a long rime, they
found that they íhuck more fire out of it, rhan they drew water; in which ha–
ving fpenc much money, time and labour, they ac length gave over che work as
deíperate, and defiíl:ed from their Emerprife.
I remember thac I entted two or
three times wichin che vault, whilíl: they were workíng, and have heard ir ofren
reported, thac rhe
Jndians
threw infinite Treafure into Lakes, Caves :md Moun–
tains, beyond ali hopes or pofiibility of recovery.
_Thofe Kings who were
JncM,
befides che Riches rhey beíl:owed, and encou–
ragement they gave for che adornmenc of chis Templé,
they endeavoured much
to improve che very Land of chis Hle, that fo they mighc render it fercile, and
fic
to
bear Fruir; and that in gratitude to chis place, on which cheir Anceftours de–
fcending from Heaven, had fer cheir firíl: footfteps, they mighc enoble
it
with all
fons
ofgood Husbandry and Agriculmre:
to
chis end chey levelled and cleared ir
of Rocks and Stones; then chey made Walks, and covered chem over with good
Earth, and Manure hrought from far; and made the ground capable to produce
--Mny:t;,,
or Jndian:Whear, which
by
reafon of the coldnefs of che Cli.mace, is noc
produced