172 / 1070
.,,
Royal ·Commentaries.
BooK
V.
'' Month~ of the Year in Service of che
Inca,
which was in difcbarge of their iri–
" buce che rernainder of the Year was rheir own, free, and might difpofe of rhem.
" felv;s as they rhought
fit;
this was a particular Trade and M~ílery, and fuch as
" laboured in it were called Srnelters. Thac forc of Copper wb1ch they called
An–
"
ta
ferved rhern in the place of Iron) of which they made their Knives and Car–
" p;nters Tools, and che great Pins with which rhe Women tucked up their Cloths–
" and hereof they made greac and large Places, w~ich ferved far Look.ing-glaífes;
" and likewife of che fame Metal they made all their Rakes and Hammers ;
fo
chat
" being of an Univerfal ufe to t)1em, they preferred ic befare ~old or ~ilver , and
'.' for that reafon worked more m the Mmes of Copper, than m the ncher Mines
" of Gold or Silver.
"
•The Sale which they made, whether ic were from their Salt Springs, or Sea–
" Water,
:rs
alfo Fiíh taken
in
the Seas, or Rivers, ar Lakes and Fruit growing
" from their Wild Trees, as alfo Cottons and fine Ruíhes were by Commarid of
" the
Inca
deemed and judged to be the Common ,Efiate of the people, and che
" Goods of the Inhabitants in every Province, of which chey had.righc and licence .
" to cake and ufe as muchas their oc~afüms did require; bue of chofe Trees which
" any panicular perfon had plamed, the Fruir was pecuUar, and appropriated onely
" to
che ufe of him who planted them.
•
·
"
The Corn which che Countries yielded far Bread, and thofe alfo which pro–
" duced other Grane, were by order of the
Inca
divided into three pares, and ap·
" plied to different ufes. The firfi was far the Sun, his Priefis and Minifiers.; che
" fecond was for the King, and far the fupporc and rnaintenance of his Govemow-s
" and Officers, whom he difpatched and employed in fareign'f)arts; and the third
'' was for che Natives and Sojourners of che Provinces, which was equally divided
" according as the needs which every Family required.
,::his was tbe divilion
" which the
Inca
obferved and proportioned in all pares of his Empire ; fo thac
" there was no other Tribute required of the
Jndiam
payable eitber ro their King,
" or their Lords or Governours, orto che Temple or Priefis, or any perfon, ar far
" any other matter or thing whatfoever. What overplus rernained of the King's
" Provifions, were at che end of the Year tranfponed to che Common Stores of
" the people ; and •whac overplus remained
to
the Sun, was diílributed amongft
" the poor, the lame, and the blind, and others who were
in
any manoer dif bled
1
" bue no diíl:ribution hereof was rnade, untill fuch time as che Sacrifices were
" completed, whic.h were rnany ; and plentifull provilion made for che Priefis
"and Minifiers of che Temple, who were almofi innumerable.