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I
Royal
Commenta'ries.
BooK
V.
CH A P.
XXIX.
tJJ
the Death of
Viracocha ;
and how the Authour faw his
Body.
A
T
Iength the
Inca Viracocha,
in
tbe Height of Majelly,
and
Zenith ·of
his
Profperityl, fubmitted to the. common fate of Mankind; he was gene–
rally lamented, and bewailed by all the Empire, and_adored afterwards as aChild
of the Sun, to whom they offered Prayers and Sacnfices. He left to
Pachacutec,
bis Eldeíl: Son~ the Inheritance, b_efides whom he ha~ many l~gitimate ~ons and
Daughcers óf
ene
Royal Bloud, w1ch other.s boro to
him
by
his
Concubmes: he
conquered and reduced Eleven Ptovinces, four of which were to the South of
Couo,
and feven cowards che North.
lt
is not cercainly known to what age he
lived, nor how long he reigned, though according to common reporc, he gover–
ned aboye fiftyYears·; and
fo
he f~emed to me to have been an ancient Man, when
I faw his Body at
Couo,
about che beginning of the Year
1
po.
which was che
time when I was upon my departure for
Spain;
and then I ·remember, that going
to cake my leave of che Governour, or Chief Juíl:ice of che City, called
Paut
Ondegardo
a Native of
Salamanca;
amongíl: other Favours which he <lid me, he
was pleaf~d co lead me into an inward room, and there tell me, thac before I de–
parted it would be convenient for me to have a fighc of fome of my Relations,
chat fo I mighc have another Story to tell of them in
Spain;
wich chat he íhewed
me five Bodies of
IncM,
three of Men, and two of Women; one of which
the
Jndians
report to' have been che Body of
Viracocha,
which feemed to be ve–
ry aged, ch.e Hairs of che Head being as white as Snow
:
The fecond cbey fay
was che Great
Tupac Yupanqui,
who was.great Grandfon to
Viracocha:
The third
was
Hu~yna Capac,
che Son of
Tupac Yupanqui ;
an~ Crandfo~ of tl1e l~ourch
Generauon to
Viracocha
;
che two laíl were Men w1th gray Hairs, yec d1d not
feem fo aged as
Voracocha.
One of the Wornen was faid to be. che Body of
the QQ_een
Mama Runt«,
Wife of
Viracocha;
the ocher of
Coya Mama Ocelo,
Mo–
ther of
Huayna Capac;
and ic is probable chac chey might be Husband and Wife,
confidering chat che Bodies were laid and found fo clofe together; ánd whac is
more firange, theíe Bodies were more entire than.the Mummies, wancing nei–
ther H~ir on che Head, nor Eye-brows, and even the ',;ery Eye-laíhes were vi–
fible. They were cloched·wich che fame forc of Garmencs which chey wore
in cheir Life-cime; che Lill or Wreach appeared abouc their Heads, which was
all the Badg or Ornamenc chey íhewed ofcheir Royal Dignity. The poíl:ure chey ·
were in was fitting, afcer che manner ofthe
JnJians,
their Hands croffed on theii.
Breaíls, wich che righc hand upon che left, their Eyes caíl: downwards looking
towards che Earch.
Acofta
ic feems had feen one of rheíe Bodies, of which dif.
courfing in che
2
dl:
Chap. ,of his 6th Book, faich,
" That ic was
fo
well con-
" ferved
by
a certain forc of bicuminous macter~ with which chey embalmed
it,
" chac it feemed to be alive; che Eyes were
fo
well counterfeiced
by
a mixture of
" Gold,. chat chey feemed lively and natural.
I muíl: confefs, thac my wanc of
Curiofity did I)0t move me to make fo narrow a fcrutiny into chis matter, as I
fhould bave done, had I believed chac I fhould have had occafion to wrice of them;
for then I fhould noc onely have viewed and confidered che Bodies chemfelves
more exaétly, bue alfo have made enquiry of the Nat~ves concerning che manner
and receipt ofchis way of embalming; which perhaps chey mighc rather have im–
parted to me, who am a Native, and on.e of cbeir Relacions, chan co che
Spani–
ards,
who are Scrangers and Aliens
to
them, unlefs perhaps che Are and Secrec is
loíl ámongíl_them, as ma~y ocber c.hin~s :ir~, of che like nature. For my pare, I
could noc d1fcover any chmg of chis b1cummous maccer, of which
Aco(l-a
fpeaks,
clrough cercainly there muíl: have been fome excellent Secret, wirhouc which
ic was impoffible to have conferved Bodies, wicb their Fleíh fo plurnp and full
as •