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Royal Commentaries.
BooK
VIII. ·
Journey frorn
Co~co
co
Potocchi
in going an~ recurning chey are commonly fout
momhs beGdes che rime chac chey are decamed at che place for craffick, and pack–
ing up [heir Merchandize.
0,ne ofchis forc ofSheep, which was ?f che beíl: kir:td;
was worch in
co~co
eighceen Ducats, and one of che more ordmary cwelve or
chirreen. The chief Merchandize broughc frorn thac Cicy was
Cuca,
and Gar-
1n_encs for che
Jndians.
Ali ch~~ I have before fpoken I have feen and obferved
wich my own Eyes, bue how things have been ordered fince my deparcure,
I
kgow
nor.
I
have craded wich many of chem for chis commodir.y, as che Merchclnts wenc
and came, and
I
am aífured that fome of chefe Travellers have fold a Basket of
chis
Cuca
for above thiny'Pieces of Eighc, weighty Money. And notwichílan–
ding che value oftheir Comrnodicies, and chatthefe Caravans, or Droves ofSheep,
recurned wich thircy, forcy, fifcy, and an hundred choufand Pieces of Eighr, yec
fuch was che fecurity of chofe Countries, and che liccle danger chey had o( Thieves,
or Robbers, that chey lodged ánd !lepe in che open Fields, without ocher Guards
or Defence than their own. The like fecuricy and confidence did Men ufe in
their dealings and Merchandize, as alfo in payrnenc of cheir Renes , or Loans of
Money, rnaking no Conveyance, or Writing, or Obligacior1, be(ldes cheir mere
Word; which they kepc and obferved fopunétually, chat when a
Spaniard
had
!oíl: Money by Play, he would fay to che Winner,
Tell fucha one, that the Monry
111hich
he
ow.r
me
he
fhould pay toyou, in fatisfaélion of whatyou won ofme at Cards.
Thefe
Wórds were eíleemed as fufficient as a Bill of Exchange, for füch was che Inno~
cence and che fimplicicy of chofe Countries, thac no fcruple was rnade in giving
ali beliefand credence chereunco ; and this was fo common, thac wherher che Per–
fon Were a Merchant, ora Souldier, ora Lord of
Indians,
his Word would pafs,
and he was aedited in every thing that he uctered; and fuch was the fecuricy of
ihe ways, that ic feemed che golden Age, wherein was no fraud nor violence
amongíl: Mankind. And as
I
underftand it concinues
füll
fo
in
thofe Countries.
In
times of Peace, when ali Wars were ceafed, rnany Nobles and Gentlemen
having no employment, thought ic no dirninution to their Honour, racher chan to
remain idle, to travell frequently to
Potocchi,
and crade
in
Cuca,
and other
Indian
Com–
modities, but then it
was
not eíl:eemed honourable to
fell
or buy chern by parcels
bue by the whole fale; nor yec tó deal in
Spanijh
Commodities, or
to
fell by th~
yard, or open a Shop. Howfoever many of chem were pleafed
to
travell wieh
their Commodities, it not being eíl:eemed ignoble for Men ofQualiry
to
be Mer–
chants; bue chen they did not go according co che pace of their Droves, bue ofcen
wenc out of che way, and divertifed themfelves with their Hawks, and Spaniels;
Greyhounds, and Guns, hunting as their Canel cravelled; and then ac nighc when
they carne to che place of repofe, they would entertain chemfelves wich what
they
had killed, perhaps with a dozen of Partridges, with a
HHanacu,
or
P;c11nna
or fome other fort of
V
enifon, for che Councrey being wide and large, was
ful]
of
ali forcs
of'Garne: And in chis manner encercaining chemfelves in going and co–
rning, cheir Journies feemed rather defigned for Pleafure chan for Merchandife;
which was an employment
fo
far from dirninifhing che Honour of che Noble Soul–
diers, chac it was an addition to cheir Forrune and Repucation.
7ofeph Aco_ffa
in l1is
4th Book fpeaks rnuch in praife of this bigger
fort
of Catee!, and of the profit
which chey bring. Bue of che leífer forr, which is of the fame
fpecies
with rhefe,
called
Paco/lama,
chere is not rnuch to be faid; for chey are noc ufefoll for Bur–
thens, .or in chaemanner ferviceable: howfoever their Flefh is aanoíl: as favoury
and as good
as
thac of che bigger forc; and cheir Wooll is excellencly good and ·
long,
wich which they make three
forcs
óf
Scufls for clothing, which che
Jndim
die with fuch excellent colours, that chey never fade:
Bue
che
Jndians
rnake no ufe
ofche Milk eicher ofche bigger or leífer forc of chis Cacee! for making Cheefe, or
eating it othe_rwife; che tru~h is, they yield little_ Milk, and no more chan fuffices
for che nounfnmenc of cheir
Y
oung.
In
my mne they brought Cbeefes from
Mqyomi
to
Peru,
which were greatly eíl:eemed. Milk, and che Dug, and Sucking,
are al! called by che fam~ord
Nunna.
The
Indians
have no Dogs, but fuch as
are Curs, and not •of chat difference of Races, and Kinds, as we have in
E1trope.
The
lndian
Word
for
a Dog
is
A/cu.
CHAP.