4000003871

Royal Commeniaries.

BooK

VI.

According co che fame form a~d m~thod _che

Incas?

who ~ere Vice-Ki~gs,

praétifed ana regulated tbeir Huncmgs m cheir refpeéhve Provmces, ac which

chey were for che moíl: part perfonally prefenc ; not onely for pleafure and recrea–

tion but to infpeét and overfee che jufl and due diflribution of rhe

enifon ta–

ken 'in Huncing amongíl: the common _people ; an~ fee chat ch?fe alf~ who were

old, or íick, or infirm, fhould have cheir

n-Are

_and Juíl: propomon.

· .

Unlefs it were che

Col!M,

the Commonalty m general were fo poor rn Cattel,

chat tbey feldom or never eat Flefh, but whac was di~penfed to t~em by the Cha~

rity and 13eneficence of rheir

Cu~acM

; .

unlefs fometnnes they k1lled a few carne

Conies which chey kept and fed m cheir Houfes, calle~

chem

Coy.-

So that che

Inca

and che

Curacas,

cook great care, chac an equal d1vifion fhould be made a–

mo~gíl: che Commonalty of all che Venifon which was caken in Huming : the

which Fle!h rhey cut out into large ilic~s, ( called

Charqui)

a~d then dri~d chem

in fuch manner, that chey were not füb¡eét to corrupc ; and bemg abflem1ous and

fruoal in their diet, cheir provifion ferved chem for che whole year round, untill

rh/nexc feafon of Hunting remrned again.

dreffing their Meae, chey ufed ali forcs o_fHerbs, whecher fweet, ~r biccer, ot

fower, or of any quality, bue füch as were po1fonous or hurcfull : ~he b1tter ?erbs

they did ufüally boil in cwo or three feveral Wacers, and chen dned them m che

Sun

and ufed chern at chofe feafons when green were not to be procured. And

f~nd chey were of green Herbs, chat they would eat t~e Duck-weed whi~h

groWs in Ponds; which after chey had well wafbed and dned, they would eat m

che feafon · as alfo Herbs raw or crude, füch as Lecmce and Radifbes, which were

eíl:eemed fubllantial Difbes, rather ~han Salads, or Sauces to provoke an appetice.

CH A P.

VII.

Of the Pofls, anrl the Difpatches which they carried.

HE Poíl:s, or Carriers, who were intruíled with the charge of carrying the

King's Orders and Commands were called

Cha/qui;

and chefe alfo broughc

che News and Advices to che Court from che moíl: remoce Provinces :

fettle–

menc of which Poíl:s, they ordained and appoinced four or fix nimble

Jndian

Boys to be laid at the end of every quarter of a League, and lodged under a Stall

like that of our Cencinels, to defend chem from che Sun and Rain. Thefe had

che charge of carrying che Meilige from one Poíl: to another, and ro take cheir

turns in running; and alfo of fallying out to fee or difcover ata diíl:ance che co–

ming of a Poíl:, that

chey might be ready to take his meíiage wirhouc lofs of

time. And thefe Stalls, or Lodges, were raifed fomething_high, and placed with

that advanrage, chat they might be feen at a diíl:ance, and not faréher than a quar–

ter of a League one from che ocher ; being fo much as they faid, a Man

m:iy

able to run in

ful!

bre:ich and íl:rengch.

The word

Chafqui

fignifies changing, or giving, or taking, for they gave and

received their Meífages interchangeably one from che ocher. They were not

called

Cacha,

for that íign~fies a Meífenger, and, as they ufed ir, an Arnbaífadour,

wh?m they [ene to Sovemgn Lords and Princes. The Advices which che

Chafqui

camed were by word of mouch, for che

Indians

did not underíl:and Letters:

Wherefore che Meífages were ordered, and difpofed in fuch fhort and concife

words, as,were eafily apprehended and remembred. He that brought che Mef.

fage, .before !1e c-ari:ie to che Lodge, cr~ed loud, and called out as he ran to give

warn1~g of h1s commg, as our Poíl:s wmd their Horn ro give notice at che Stage

of cheir near approach ; and when he was come, he chen delivered his Meífage

thi

other Poíl:-boy, repeacing che words cwo ¡;ir

three

rimes, umill he had

righdy