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.

,1 • BooK III. Royal Commentaries. In the adoroment oí which Temples the CuracM contended, according to chac abundance wlúch cheir Countries produced of Gold and Silver, and herein chey were very ze1loos, thac fo chey might boch honour rheir God, and fl:mer rheir Prince; by w~ means all the orher Temples were plared wirh Gold and Sil- ver, and mighc fiand in fome competition and cenns of cornparifon wirh chat of Cou:o. The neareíl: Kindred or Relations to the CuracJU were made che Priefts ofchofe Tem})les which were in the Provinces, though the Chief Priefr, or Superintendem; over them was an Inca of che Bloud Rc;>yal, becaufe it was neceílary thac he íhould direét rhe manner and order of their Sacrifices, after the ufe and cufiome of Couo; for in regard they were now to abhor and rejeét their Sacrifices of Men, and Vv o- men, and Children, and were forbidden ro eat Man's Flefh, and many other bar- barous Rites of abomination and fuperílition; it was nece!fary for them ro have the fuperiour guidance of an Inca, leíl: they íhould forgec che true way, and re- lapfe back again into their Í0rmer cufiomes. This Superintendency which tbe Jnca¿ exei;ciíed was very acceptable to the Jndian1, for as chey eíleemed much of cheir management both of civil and marcial Affairs; fo likewi[e they believed that chey hacl mofi need of their direéüon i» religious Woríhip, from whom all che knowledge thereof was de[cended to them. And thus much íhali fuffice to ha ve couched concerning the riches of that Temple; ocher tnatters ofwhich may he properly related in their due places. . CH A P. XXV. Of the famous Temple ofTiticaca, and oi' the Fahles and A!legori~! alluding to it. A Mongfi the many famousTemples, whích were dedicated to the Sun in PerH, and which in Ornament and Riches might compare with that of Couo; thac in tbe lile of Títicaca was of chief Fame and Renown. The word Titicaca ftgnifies the Foreíl: of Lead, being compounded of Titi, which is lead, and Caca, which is a Foreft, the Lake in which chis Iíland is füuated , hath taken the farne narne, being about two Mufquet íhot from the main Land, :md is abom five or ftx thou• fand paces in compa[s, where the Incai reported, that the Sun their Father firíl: placed bis two Cbildren, rhe Man and Woman, whom he fent into the World ro convert Mankind ,from tbe Errour of their ways, and ro teach and iníl:rutt tbem the Rules of right Reafon and Religion. To this Fable they add many others ofancient date, faying, that the Rays of the Sun, after che general Floud, were fuíl: [een in chat Hland, and in that Lake, before they appeared in any other place; and that this Lake is feventy or eighty fatbom deep in fome places, and about eigbty Leagues in compafs; the.reafon they give for not being navigable, or why Boats cannot go upon it, 1 can fay little unto, onely BIM P11le~·a writes, thac tbere is fuch quantities of the Magnet, or Load-ílone in all pares of it, that binder the Navigation, or u[e of the Compaís. · By help of rhis Fable, and bis own Ingenuity, the firíl: Inca, Manco Ca¡ac, rook the advamage to perfüade the /ndit1J11, chat he and bis Wife were the Children of the Sun, and tbat they were placed in it by their Father, that from thence they migbt proceed inco the World, ro reach and iníl:rutt it in che way of true Reli- gion, as we have ar laroe related in the beginning of this Hillary. The Inca., who were Amal!JaJ, or Philofophers, and wife in the politicks, made u[e of borh chefe Fables, and related rhem by way of Prophecy : faying, that when tbe Sun darted bis fi.rfr Rays of Light into that Iíland, he then gave a figo and promife, that from tbar place the firfi Doétrines of Ligbt íhould i.ifu€; che whicb promife vas 95