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Royal Commentaries.
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VII.
Moreover by this cour[e the
Inw
were fupplkd with grear quantities ofMayz,
for maintenance of their Armies
in
thac cold and barren Councrey;
fo
that rhe
Colltu
were able
to
carry great quantities of
f2.!!_inua
and
Chinu,
and great ílices of
thac which they called
Charqui,
to their Kindred in. other Plancations, and
in ex–
change .and.barrer for them, ~eturn~d h?me laden ~ith Mayz, .arn\red Pepper,
and ocher Fruirs whrnh thofe<l:ountnes y1elded; wh1ch commod1ous way oftrade
w·as of great benefi~ and confolation to che
líidians.
.,
·
'·
•
· ·
Pedro Ciefa de Leon,
in
che
9
9th Chapter of his Book, diícourÍlng ofthis man–
ner ofmutual Commerce, faith,
" That
in
fruitfull Years che Inhabitants of
Col–
"
lao
live with conrentment and plenry, but in dry years they fuffer great wancs,
,?
and fcarcity of ali ProviÍlons. The truth is, had not che
Incan-King
prefcribed
" excellent Laws for che government of chis Peopl~, and ordered every tbing
'' "with a provident and indufüious regard, cerrainly thefe Countries would have
" laboured under great penury and wants, and perhaps ha~e relapíed into the fame
'' befüal condition, in which they once were before the nmes of che
Incas.
And
." .chus much I affirm, becaufe I know that the Clirnate under which the
Col!M
in–
,, habited, is cold, and therefore not fo fruitfull as che warmer Regions of more
'' happy Countries. And in regard the rnountains of
Ande-s
did border on all
" Íldes ofchofe Colonies; it was ordered, tbat all pares fhould iífue forch a cer–
" tain number of
Indians,
with their Wives and Children, who being planted ac.
" cording
to
che direél:ion of
their -Caciques
in
fuch places, as were convenient,
" rnighc improve their Lands, and by, Induíl:ry and Art fupply that which was
" wanting by nature; which People were called
Mitimaes,
and were fo obedient,
" and obfervanc
ro
their Lords and Capcains, thac
to
chis <lay they are Drudges
~'
to
them, their principal care and bufineís being to rnanure and cultivare che
Co·
"
ca
Plancations, which are fo pretious and profitable, thac though in all
Co{lao
" rhey neither fow nor reap Mayz, yec neirher rhe Lords, who are Narives, nor
" the Cornmon People, who are induíl:,rious, do wanc fofficienc quancities of
" Mayz, Honey, and all other Fruits, in exchange
for
rheir
Coca.
Thus far are
che
W
ords of
Pedro ·de
Ciefa,
excraéted
verbarim
from his Original
Ví/
ritings.
Moreover-they traníplanted che people fometimes on ocher occaíions, when
ha–
ving fubdued fome warlike,and íl:ubborn Nacion, which being remoce from
Cou:o,
rnighc be apc
to
rebell, chen in foch ,cafe of fufpicion or jealouÍle, co preveric all
danger of Mutinies , rheir praél:ice was,
to
tranfplant che people frorn their own
foil
to
fome ocher Countrey, nearer,. and wichin che reach of rhe
Inca,
where
·finding chernfelves encompaffed with loyal Subjeéts, and friends
to
che Govern–
menc, more eafi!y fubrnitced rcheir Necks
to
rhe Yoke, and
fo
became faithfull ,
againíl: cheir own Inclinations. When any of chefe Exchanges were made of
Colonies, chey were always accornpanied wich forne of chofe whorn che firll
Jnca
.Aeftmco Capac
had honoured with che Ticle of being
incas
by privilege; and chefe
,were foch as were appointed to govern and inllruél: che ochers. The ritle ofchefe
Inr,u
was an honour to ali chofe whom chey accornpanied, fo chac chey were much
more honoured and reípeéted by che neighbouring and adjacenc People. The
Colónies \\ hich were chus tranfplanted were called by the comrnon Name of
Mitmac.
. Anotber piece of cheir policy rnuch conducing to che regular Government
of
t~~ir .Empire, was a Command and an lnjunfüon laid upon all cheir Vaffals, ob–
hgmg them to learn che Language of the Court, whicn co this day is called
che
cornrnon or univerfal Tongue; for che teaching of which, cercain Maíl:ers, who
~'ere
IncM
by privilege, were appointed and ordained to iníl:ruét che People in ic;
beftdes which che
JncM
hada Courc-language appropriaced
to
chernfelve5, which
bemg eíl:eerned che holy ·and divine Speech, was noc
to
be prophaned by vulgar'
Tongues. This, as they wrice me frorn
Peru,
is encirely !oíl;
for
che Empire of
the
Incas
being ruined; their Language ran _che common face of their ocher Regali–
cies! The Reafons why the
lncan-Kings
<lid comrnand that one comrnon Lan.
guage fhould be ufed, was for two reípeéts, faíl: to avoid che mu!ticude of Incer-·
pi'eters, which would be neceffary for underíl:anding che variety of Languages
fpoken within che Jurifdiél:ion of thac great Ernpire. And in che nexc place che
JncM
entercained a particular fatisfaétion when they could [peak their own words:
·
u~o