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BooK
IV.
Royal Commentarier.
CH
A
P.
xvn. ·
Of the Idols which the
Indians
of
Antis
worfhipped, and of
the Conquefi made over the.
Charcas.
·
I
N
thofe Provinces of
Antis
they commonly woríhipped Tygers for their Gods,
. and greac Serpencs, much thicker thañ a Man's Thigh, and twenty five, or
thirty
foot
in
le11gth, though fotne others might be lefs, called
¡Am11.ru;
they are a
certain fort ofa {luggiíh Serpem, which are not venomous, and
, as they fay, were
charmed by a skilfull Sorcerefs, thac they íhould doe·no harm, having before been
dangetous;' and very poifonous. The Tiger they adored for bis nirnblenefs and
· bravery, faying chat Serpents and Tygers were che true and natural Inhabitaní:s
and Lords of that Coumrey, and therefore did juíl:ly require reverence and refpeét
·
from Men, who were bue Strangers and Aliens ·in it. They woríhipped alfo che
Plant
Cuca,
or
Coca,
as the
Spaniards
call it. Thus far che Prince
Yahuar-Huacac
having enlarged bis Dominions, being almoíl: thirty Leagues in lengch, and in a
Coumrey
ill
Inhabited, he found himfelf llopped in bis fanher progrefs, by che
Mountains,.moorifh Grounds and Bogs, which interrupred him in bis paífage, and
which confine and give bounds to that Province, properly named
Anti,
whence
all that fide cakes che Denomination of
Antifúyu.
The Prince having finifhed chis Conquell, recurned to
Co,:,co,
where his Etcher
for chac prefent, cbought
fit
to repofe, and lay afide ali farrher def igns of new
Enterprifes; for on che fide of
Antifuyu,
which is to che Eaíl:ward, there remained
nothing more to conquer; and to che Wellward , which chey called
Cuntifuyu,
there was nothing more to be reduced, for chey were come as far as to che Paci–
fick Sea, or che Sea of
Zur,
fo
chat che Empire, from Eall to Well, extended
at leaíl: an hundred Leagues crofs along by che way of
Cow,
and then from North
to
South it reached two hundred Leagaes
:
All which craét ofLand che
Inc,u
la–
boured to manure, and cultivare, and adorn wich Royal Palaces, Gardens, Bachs,
and places of Pleafure for divertifement of che
Inca;
and for beccer convenience
of che Countrey, chey ereéted in all che great Roads Magazines and Granaries,
wherein to lodge their Ammunition, Arms, Corn, Provifions, and Clothing for
the common Souldiery.
Sorne Years being paffed in chis manner with peace and quier, when che King
Inca Roca
refolved-co add anocher famous Atchievement
to
the glory of bis Reign,
that fo in perfon
be
might puc an end
to
the entire Conqueíl: of chofe grear Pro–
vinces, which were called
Charcas,
the beginning of which was commenced in.che
time
of his Fath~r, in che Divifioñ of
Collafuyu:
And in order hereunto he com–
rnanded thi.rty thoufand Men to be 1evied, which was an Army greater than any
that bis Anceíl:ours had yet broughc into che field; to command chis Anny fix Major
Generals were appointed, befides ocher inferiour Officers; and che Prince
Yahuar–
H1tacac
was, widi four other
Inca.1
for hisCounfellors, ordained
to
remain at home
for government of che Kingdom. The
J
nea
took bis
J
ourney fro'tn
Co,:,co
by way of
the greaé Road towards
Co!lafayu,
and in bis march all rhe forces carne in
to
make
· up bis
Army:
And being come
to
che Confines oftbofe Provinces of
Chuncuri,
Pucuna,
and
Muyumuyu,
which bordered on his Kingdorn; he fent bis fummons
to. them, acquaincing them, that he was come
to
reduce thofe Nations, and re–
quire chem
to
live under chofe Laws whicb lüs Facher che Sun had ordained ;
and chat leaving1 their ldols made of Scone and Wood, tbey íhould woríhip him
onely for their God ; and chat forfaking their cortupt Cuíl:oms, and Manners,
they fhould learn and follow che light ofNacure, and che lnílruétions of bis Wif–
dom, which would direét rhern in ways more agree:ible to humane Life. The
Natives of chefe Coumries received the meífage wich greac anger, and che young
and hot Captains
1
betook chemfelves to cheir Arms, and anfwered with fury and
rage , That ·
t
was a hard cafe for chem, chae chey muíl: be forced to renounce
their own natural Gods, and adore a íl:ranger; and a God unknown
w
chem ;
'
tlut