The royal commentaries of Peru : in two parts / written originally in spanish by the Inca Garcilasso de la Vega; rendred into english by sir Paul Rycaut.

Royal Commemaries. BooK III. CH A P. XXIII. Of the Places where t~ey offered Sacrifice., and where they put off the~r Shoes he/ore they entred into the Temple; as alfo of the Fountains which belonged to it. T HE }')laces where they hurned their Sacrifices were appointed accordigg to die folemnities of thel'1 ; for fome were offered in one open fqliare, and fome in orhers; for ~hfile WCíe many .haliowed places belonging to the Temple in which the Incas ~rdered rhe cele\lr~tfon of th~ Sacrifi~es, according as rheir plea~ fmie and devotion dueél:ed. 'J1hac general Samfice wh1ch was made at the great FeUival of rhe Sun, called Raymi, was offered in the open Market-place of rhe City; ocher Feafis of leffer note were ceÍebrated in an open Court before che Temple, ·whete al'l the P~ople and. Nations of divers Provinces, ,belonging to rhe Dominioh of the EmJ!>ire 5 aífembled together to keep the Holy-day with Dances and Songs, and other Recreations; bm they could not pafs beyond rhat place into che body of che Temple, nor remain chere wicJ:i Shoes on ~eir Feer? becaufe the grmmd vvas hallowed, being wirhin rhe confines, and faoél:ified lim1ts of the Temple·? che which we obferve here, to denote how far thofe boundaries ex- tended. There were .three principal Streers, which ran Northward from che Markec: ,place to the Temyl<:r, one of which paífed by the brook fide, and another, which in my time they falled the Pri[on-füeet, becau[e the Spaniards made their Prifon in it, (which, as I am informed , is fince changed;) a third led ft·om a comer of the Marker-plac:;e to the Temple. Time is another Streer to the Eafiward of thefe th~ee, w~ich leads a\[0 to the fame place, and which is npw called che Street offü. Auftin; through all which four Streers there was a way to the Tem- ple ~ bu~ the princjp~I St~eet, and moíl: dir_eét way rh_irher, was that which we call the Stf€et óf t'he Pnfon; though the Jndians called 1t the Street of the Sun be- t;aufe that that beiqg' fn the middle, and in the íl:reigbreíl: line of-all the rell,' was the common paífage by which they w,enr, and carried ali their Offerings and Sa- cr-ifices to the Temple. There was alfo another Street which ran Eíifr and Wefr and troífed the other four memioned Streers 1 which was the place determined for them, where to leave their Shoes; and t11ough they intended not to go fo far as the Temple, yet that ground being wirhin the Verge of ir, no perfon could pafs it, unlefs defcalced, and with bare feet paid his reverence to the hallowed Earrh, from which place are above two hundred paces to the Gate of .the Temple. ' Burtoretürrt no\\7 "to rne Ornamenrs of the Temple; rhere were five Foun: tains ofWater, which ran from divers places through Pipes ofGold; theCi- fierns were fome of Stone, and orhersof Gold and Silver, in which they waíhed their Sacrifices, as the Solemnity of the Fefüval appoimed. In my time rhere was but one of tho[e Fountains remaining, which ferved the Garden of ~ Con· vent with Water; the orhers v\ere !oíl:, either for wam of drawing or opening, or~lea11flng; ancj.._this is very probabl~, l?ecau[e to my knowledgd, that which be~nged to the Cónvent \was alfo lafl: for fix or feven momhs, for want of wh1ch \i'Vater, the whole Garden was dryed up, and witherecl, ro che great la- mentation of che Convent, and the whole City, nor could any Indirm underfrand how that Water carne to fail , orto what place it took its comfe. _ At