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BooK
v·.
!{oyal Commentaries.
o
e
H
a
P.
11.
'Of
the
Ord.erthey obferved
in manunng
théi~-Lands;
an._d
·
what
Feaft and
Joy
they made when th~y
tilled .
thé
Ground-s of
the
1-nca;
ánd of
tÍ1e
S1i11.
l.
N cultivating their Eands they obferved this Rule and Metbod; thofe of th;
,
Sun '":ere preferred in tbe
fuíl:
place, then thofe belonging
to
Orphans, and
V\Tidows, and Perfons impocent, by reafon of age and ficknefs; ali which remai–
ning under che notion of poor, were by order ofche
Inca
provided far, and their
Lands manure_d by fpecial Command:
.To perform which, there were Deputies
appointed in every Parifh, or Community ofrhe People, to rake care that thofe
Lands were cilled and dreífed. Thefe Depucies were called
Llaéfacamqyu,
which ,
¡~
as.muchas Monitors of the People, .whofe charge it was according
to
the Sea–
fons ófthe Year, co,plow, and fowe, and reap; and gacher che fruit, laying it up
in places which they had builc lik~ Barnes
to
receive them. The fummons which
the People had to chis work, was by found of Trumpet,
or
orher loud lníl:ru–
ment,
to
cr~ve ,aüencion; and tben the Crier·prodaimed, That fuch a day
the
;work of che poor was to be done, an~ cherefore that.every one íhould provide
againíl: that time to attend thac fervice; and then where they ~ere firft to be–
gin, and how
to
proc.~~d, either in thac of the)r Relations,. or Neighbours, was
!a!Iigned by che Over(eer. Every workman thac carne to labour in che fields of
the Orphans, or Widows, ,or irripocenc brought his own Provifions wich
him.;
for chac che Poor were obliged.
to
no care, their infirmities and wants excufing
them from other troubles, than a patient fufferance of their own evils.
lf
the
poor wanred feed to fow their Lands, it was.adrninifüed to them out of the pub–
lick Granaries, of which we íhall have occaficn
to
fpeak hereafter.
The Lands of Souldiers, whilft they were aél:ually ernployed in che Wars;
were rnanured with the fame care and manner
as
tho[e of.rhe p,oor; their Wives,
during c
he abfence of their Husbands, beingJHkd inco the number of.Wldows,
and.the
Children.ofthofe who were ílain in che Wars were provided for, and
carefully
educated; uritill the time oftheir Marriage.
,
,
.
The Lands of che poor being already tilled, :in che next place every prívate
Perfon might att<:!nd
to
his
owi:l
Farm, e:rid the,firíl: that had dorie was
to
help his
fellows: then che Lands of
che
Qtraca
were
to
be ferved, and were the laíl:
in
or.,.
der,after th9fe of the People; ,ch~ \1/hich was ohfervecl
fo
feverely, thac in che
Reign
of
Haayna Capac,
a ce1pin
b1dian
Overfeer was hanged for tilliug the Land
of
a
Curaca;
\>vho was his Kinfmap; befare that of
á
Widow; and
ro
make che
punifhment more exemplat·y,: che Gallows was fer up iri the very-Land of thé
Cu·
rttca.
The feverity of chis Law was grounded ori rhe fame praél:ice, which was
obferved in che Lands of the.
Inca
hirnfeJf;· far that the
Inca
always preferred
the
Tillage of his Subjeél:s before his-own, it being cheir fure Maxime, ,that the
Happinefs of che Prince depe0ds_.on the Pr9fperiry of che People, wichout which
they
becorne unable
to
ferve hinJ; either in times ofWar or Peace.
!
.
.
The laft Lands to be -cilled:were chofe of rhe King, to 1.,vhich; and
to
chofe of
the
Sun, the People in general applied ,thei:n[el-ves
w
ith greac .alacrity and rejoicing ;
théy rhen at that work appeared.
i,n
thejr beíl: Cloths,
foil
ofGold and,S,ilver piares,
and fearhers on their Heads, in che fame manner as they were dreífed on their
fefüval days.
\iVhen they ploughed, which feemed che more pleafant work ·
.they
fung che Sonnecs rnade in praife oftheir
Incas,
wich which the tiry1e paífed fo'
eafüy, that cheir Labour feemed
a
Recreation,
fo
greac
was-
their Devotion
có -
\vards tbeir God
and
their King.
·
.1-3.J