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 Commehtaries. · v. : ? C HA P. I. How they--enfarged and divided the Lands amongfl the People. ·so foon as the Inca had conquered any Kingdom or Province, and thaé - he had fettled and efiablifhed his Government and Religion amongíl: the Inhabitants, he ordered that tho[e Lands which were capable of improvement ( that is, fuch as would bear Mayz-) íhould be dreífed and manured ; and in order hereunto they drained all wet Moors and Fens, for in that .Art they were excellem, as is apparent by their Works which remain unto this day : And alfo they,were very ingenious in making Aque- duéts for carryingWater into dry and fcorched Lands, fuch .as the greatefl: paré ' of that Counrrey is, which is füuated under the Torrid Zone, being commonly barren for want of Water to refreíh and make it fruitíull; ami far rhat reafon, wherefoever they intended to fow their Mayz., or lndian Wheat, they always made · conrrivances and inventions to bring théir Water for them, nor lefs carefull were . they to water"their Pafü1res, which they drowned in cafe the Autumn proved dry, that fo they migbt have Grafs fufficient to feed the numerous Flocks they main- tained. The[e Aqueduéts, though they were ruined after the Spaniards carne in, yet feveral Reliques and Mónumems of them remain unto this d'ay. After they had made a proviíion of Water, ·the next thing was to dre~, and . cultivare, and clear their Fields of Bufhes and Trees; and that they might with moíl: advantage receive the ·Water, they made them in a QQ_adrangular form ; thofe Lands which were good on the fide of Hills, tbey levellea th~m by certain Allies, or Walks, which they made, as is to be feen in Coz.,co, and all over Pern unto ~his day ; to make thefe Allies, they rai[ed three Walls of Freezed Stone, one before, and one of each fide, fomewhat inclining inwards, (as are all the Walls they make) [o that they may more iecurely bear and keep up che weight of the Earth, which is preíled and rammed clown by them, unrill it be rai[ed ro the heig t of the Wall : Then, next to this Walk, they made another fomething íhorter and iefs, kept up in the fame rnanner with-its Wall ; unrill at lengch they carne to ta -e in the whole Hill, levelling it by degrees .in fafhion of a Ladder, Q~ Ally above the oth€r, untill they carne to take in all the Hill, and inclo[e the ground which was capable of improvement, and of receiving Water ; where the' , S i. ' _ground