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.

BooK III. Royal Commentaries. Ac lengch they carne to find, char on rhe Weíl:-fide of che Convem cheWa- ter cook irs courfe under ground, and fell imo che Brook, which paffes chrough the City; which ir1 che times of rhe IncM had irs banks kept up wirh íl:one , and che borrom well paved, thac the Earth mighc noc fall in; che which work was continued through the whole Cicy, and for a quarter of a League withom; che which now, by che careleísneís and ílorh of the SpaniaJ·d,, is broken, :rnd tbe pavement difplaced; for rhough the Spring commonly yields not water very plen- tifully, yer ac fome times it rifes on a fudden, and makes fuch an incredible in- undation, rhac the force of rhe currem hach difordered che Chane!, and che bor- tom."' In che Year 1 5s8. chere happened a great eruption of \Varer from chis Foun- tain, which broke rhe main Pipe, and rhe Chane!, fo thar the fory of rhe Tor- rent took another courfe, and lefr rhe garden dry; and now by rhar abundance of rubbifh and fullage which comes from che Cicy, rhe chane! is filled up, and not fo much as any mark, or fignal thereof remains. The Friars, though ar length they ufed ali the diligence imaginable, yet chey could not find the ancient Chanel, ami to trace it from che Foumain head by way of che Pipes, it was an immenfe work, for rhey were tO' dig rhrough Houfes, and deep conveyances under ground, to come at it, for che Head of the S¡nrihg was higb: Nor could any Indian be found thar could give any direél:ion herein, which difcouraged them in their 'work, and in che recovery of che other.s wbich anciendy belonged to che Temple. Hence we may obferve, the ign0rance and inadvertifement of thofe Indian.r, ancl mow little tbe \xmefirnf Tuadirion availed am<!mgíl: rhern, for tFi0ugh itt be onely forcy two Years at this day fince thofe Waters forfo0k cheir cmufe; y€t neither che lolS of fo ne~eífary a ¡Jrovifim1 as- Water, which wa.s the refrefhment of their Lives, nor ofthat füeam which füpplied the Temple ofthe Sun, rheir God, could by Nature, or Religion, conferve in chem the memory of fo remar~able a particular. The truth is, that it is probable that the U ndertakers , or Mafi€r• workmen, of chofe Water-works, did communicane., ot make known to che Priefis onely tbe fecret conveyanc::es of thofe Waters, eft:eeming every ching whi.ch belonged to che Honour and Service of tbe Temple ro be fo facred, tbat it was nor to be rev€aled to common ears:, and for this reafon, perhaps, tbe knowledge of rhefe waters might dye, and end wich che order of Prieíl:s. Had any ching re- mained which was to have been enquired into, as matters ofTribmte, oi; of dhings relaring to che Regalitles, or Services, which are fecular and profüne:, rhere is·n0 doubt but the Memory of the Peopl~ or 'f radition would hav:€ given us light therein, as we plainly fee in the Hiíl:ory of thefüCountries, which were confeu- ved by appoinced, aná approved N0taries, though in thefe days tbey begin to fai~ and wear out ofmemory, bcing fwallowedi up by the modern Hiftorfos ob this New JEmpire. CH A P.