4000003871

Royal

Commentaries.

CH A

XXVlll

Ófthe three WaOs which are moft to be admired of ali this

Wor4.

··

N che ocher fide from che Cicy, the

1-Iill

hath ah opén profpeét to the Pfains,

and che afcent to the Fortrefs

eafie and wide, that an Enemy rnay

ea.

fily attack it in a formed and orderly_Body. Wherefore they forcified

on that fide

wich threeWalls, one before che other¡ each Wall being

1.00

fachom

length, be–

iQg rnade in che íhape ofa halfMoon, becaufe chey come to join with che fmgle

Wall; which

cowards che fide of che Cicy.

the firíl: Wall whiéh ifto front

the power and firíl: íhock of an Enemy, though they are all of che fame

ork,

they have plaaed che greateíl: of their Stones, which are of that íl:upendious big.

·nefs, as are admired by all that fee them. For rny par-e I am of opinion thac chofe

Stones were never digged out of any Quarry, bue were loofe Rocks found in che

· MQuntains, which they took and faíhioned to their purpofe, and laid chem as chey

cafually carne to hand, forne being hollow, others rough, and ochers plain and

, finooch; fome were poinced at che corners, ochers wichout; in the mending and

_plaining of which chey were not very curious, by paring or cutting offche uneven

parts ofevery Stone; bue racher filled up che hollow or vacanc places with fome

other Srone, which was as great or greacer than che other, and fo fupplied che ine–

qualicies ofone Stone by forne Qther which fitted to it; for it feerned to have

been

their intention to have compofed ali che work with great Stones, and not to have

pj.eced ic up with che adjunéls of lefs, being a matter of greater Scate and Magni–

ficence. And chis is whac

Acofta

did much admire in che Work, that che Stones

of the WaU not being clic, bue worked withoue any Rule or compafs, -were yet

well fitted, as if they had been ali poliíhed; and though che outward fuperfi–

cies of che Stone was _rough, and not finooch, bue remained in

lts

natural fafhion,

yec che j0int, by which it was incorporated with another, was

well worked,

1;hat,nothing could be better fitted; fo thac confidering che r_µfücal outfide, and

che artificial junétures withio, ic made in grofs a noble and a fiately Frontifpiece. ,

·. A certain Prieít, born at

Montilla,

who remaioed ac

Peru

after I was come to

Spai-11,

aod whete·he alfo remrned in a füort time after~fpeaking of this Forcrefs,

and.ofche pr~digious Stones, ,told mej thac befare he faw them he could ndt be–

,Jiev~ che report w'as made of the mightinefs oftben,, and afcer he had feert them,

the Fame feemed lefs than they really were; and confidering by what power orare

they were laid in thac form, he could noc conclude or imagine ocher chao that they

were fo d¡fpofed by fome Enchantment ot power of the Divel: And really though

the

lndians

had been provided wich ali the Engines and

'Arts

which are common

in our Countries, yec füll che difficulty will occur, how the Are ofMan was able

to arrive to fo great a work, which exceeds all the Seven Wonders of che Uni–

verfe.

\Ve know that to make a Wall

long and broad as thac of

Bt1bylo11,

ereét a

Colof{m

Rhodes,

or che Pyramids in

Egypt,

are eafily concrived

and c

om–

pleced by che force of multitudes, and quantities of all matedals, fuch as

Br.í.ck

and

Lime for making che Walls of

Babylon,

Braís and Copper for caíl:ing c

he Co!

o[JU1

Scones and Mortar for raifing a Pyramid; in finej time, and labour, and numóers

of People are able to effeél: and compafs any thing of chis nature; bue how

che

Jndians

withoue Engines fhould be able to carry and tranfpott fuch vafi: Stones or

Rocks from remoce places up to the top of a Hill, and without Tools polifh and

ijt..them for,a Building, is fucha riddle as the.wic of Man is not able to refolve; ·

bue muíl: have recourfe

Enchantments, and helps from che Devil; in regará

rhat c:vil Spirits eritertaioed fuch familiarity with that people.

Every Wall ofche Rampire had its Gace about the middle, and every Gate had

irsPercullis of Stone, of che lengch aod breadch of che Gace which íhut it. The

'fo-ft.

Gate chey called

TiP-p1mcu,

which íignifies che

Gme

of Grave!, ·becau[e che

Soil