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.

Boo.K I. Royal Commentaries. readily leíl: they fhould doe him fome hurt, faid Beru, which w:is his own proper name,' and then added Pelu; which was as muchas to fay, if you ask me. my name, 1 am called Bcru; bur if you ask me of the place, where I was, it is Pe/u; for that fignifies a River in the Jndian language: from which time, which was in the year 1 5' 1 5', the Spaniard1 have ever called this great and rich Countrey by the name of Pmt ; other Hiíl:orfans corrupting the letters, call it Piru, iníl:ead of 1Pm 1 : and this place, where this Jndian was furprized, we may certainly denote as the ut- moíl: border of that Dominion which was under the Jurifdiél:ion and Conqueíl: of chofe Kings, which were called !ne&; and which was ever after named Peru from that very place which is over-againíl: f2..!!.ira to Charw, and is the principal Domi- nion of the lncM, containing 700 Leagues in length ; although dieir Empire did reach as far as Chile, which contains 5'ºº Leagues more, and is anothet moíl: rich and fertile Kingdom. e HA P. 111. The Defcription of Peru, with the Story of Peter Serrano. T H E four limits and borders .of that Empire which the Inc,u poífeífed before the Spaniards invaded them, were thefe. To the North it was bounded with che River Ancarmaya, which runs between the Confines of ~it/11, and PaJfau, and íignifies in the common language of Peru the A:c,ure River, being íituated al- ·moíl: perpendicularly under che Equinoél:ial Úne : to the South its limits are Con- fined by che River Mauli, which runs Eaíl: and Wefi chrough the Kingdom of Chili, before ir comes to che ./fraucor, which is -t-º degt-ee~ of South latitude from the Equinoél:ial. The diíl:ance between thefe two Rivers they account little lefs than · 1 300 Leagues by Land. That which is properly called Peru, contaihs 7 5'º Leagties in length, reaching from the River Ancarmaya to the Chich&, which is the farthermoíl: Province of the Charw, and !yes North and Sourh, as alfo doth that which is called the Kingdom of Chilo, which contains about 5' s-o Leagues in length, reckoning from the farcheíl: p(\rt of the Province Chicha1 to the River Mau!i. To che Eaíl: it is bordered by that Moumain which is inacceffible for rnen, beafü or fowls, called the Cordillera, bec;:aufe it is always covereq with Snow, ancl runs from Sr. Marta to the Straits of Magellan, which the Jndiani call Ritirgu, and is as muchas the Countrey of Snow. To the Weíl: it hath the Sea of Zur for its Confines, running all along the coaíl; to the Cape Paffeu, whieh is under the Equi- noél:ial, and extends to the Mau!i, which alfo falls into che Sea of Zur; from the Eall: to the Well: the Kingdom is eíl:eemed but narrow, the broadeíl: place of it being from the Province Mugupap/11, to the City Trugillo, which is fituated on rhe Sea-coaíl:, and contains 120 Leagues in breadth, being in the narrowell: place, which is from the Port Arica , to the Province called Laricojfa, about the [pace of 70 Leagties. Thefe are the four bounds of that Dominion which che !ne& poífeC. fed, the Hiíl:ory of which we intend, (>y divine affiíl:ence, for to write. But be- fare we proceed forward, it will be requifite to recount che $cory of Peter Serrano, for which we have place fufficient in this íhort Chapter. Peter Serrano efcaped from íhipwreck by fwimrning to that defert H1and, which frotn him received its name, being, as he reported, about two Leagues in com- pafs, and for fo much it is laid down, in the Waggoner, which pricks three little Iíiands in the Cart, with divers íhallow places about them ; fo that all Ships keep· at a diílance from them avoiding them with all poílible care and circum- fpefüon. It was Peter Serrano's misfortune to be loíl: upon thefe places, and to fave his life on this difconfolate H1and, where was neither water, nor wood, nor grafs, nor any thing for füpporc of humane life, at leall: not for maintenanée of him for fo long a time, as unti!l fome Ship paffing by might redeem him from periíhing by hunger and thiríl:, which languifhing rnanner of deach is much more miferable, ·than by a fpeedy fuffocation in the wacers. With the fad thoughts hereof he B :i paífed • 3