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 VI. · Roy.al Comm.entariei. CH A P. IV. · O/ the g-reat Halls, and Rooms of State; and other ihings helonging to the Court. I N many of the King's Palaces were lon_g and ·fIJátious Galleries, of abóut cwo hundred paces in length, and about fifty or flXty in breadth" whereir.i they often dan<red and celebrated. their Feafis at chofe feafons of the year, when the Rains and b ad weather incommoded them in che c:>pen Air. · 1 r:emerhber' that in Cozco I f.lw four of thefe Galleries, which when 1 was a Child, were fiill in be- ing, an d no t ruined : One of them was in Amar11cancha Street, where Hernando Pi~ ptrrii then Hv~d, and is now the. Jefuits College~ The other ~as in caf{ana Street, but' now built and converted meo Shops, the Rene of wh1ch belonged to my \ School-fellow 'fohn de Cil@rico: Another wa~ in Collcampata Alley, where' the Inca Paullu, and bis Són Don C11r/01, who alfo was my School-fellow, had a Rent in Houfes : This Gallery was the leaíl: of all che four, and che biggeft wás tbat of Cajfana, being capable to receive three choufand perfons. le is wonderfull td confider, where it was JJOffible for chem to find Timbers fo long and fquare, as were fit for che Roofs of fuch Edifices. The fourch Gallery ·is now turned into fhe Cathedral Church, 1 Ü1'e thing is remarkable, chat the .Jndians of Peru in building their Houfes, did never raife one Story above another, nor did they jol.n one Room to another, bue always left fome 'fpace or difiance of one Chárnber rrom the other, and perhaps a whole Courc-Yard, or Q!ladrangle, becween, un- lefS fometimes to their large Halls they bulle ac che comerstfome Clofets,'or with· d~awing Rooms, for better convenience ; and in the Divifions they made of their feveral Offices, they raifed Walls of Apartmenc to kee1:1 thel\l privare one from the orher. lt is farther alfo obfer.vable, thac when they had built che four Walls of Stone or Brick for a Houfe or Chamber; they eretl:ed Pillars, or Pofis, in che middle of it, for fupp9rc .of the Roóf; fot chey kne~ not how to croíS their ' Beams, or Rafters, or how to fafien them wi~h Nails, or Wooden Pins, bue laid theirTimbers loofe upon theWalls, faíl:ning them onely to each other withSparr; or Cords .made ofScraw, or Ruíhes, as frrong as onr Hempen Ropes. Thefe rnain Beams they croffed with Rafters , faíl:ning them one co the other ; ori -, which they laid a covering of Straw fo thick, thac the Thatch was a Yard deep, excending its Eves above a Yard over theWalls, fo as to be a Pend-houfe to them- ·ro preferve them from che Rain. 1 remember that in the Vally óf '(ucllJ 1 once faw one of thefe large Rooms, which was abouc feventy ,Foot iquare'; covered in form of a Pyramid; che Spire of which was cwelve Rod high; though che Walls were not above three, having cwo little Chambers on each fide, This Building was not burnt by che, Jndians, ·.When they made their general lnfürrefüon againft the Spaniard1 ; for though they deíl:royed many other Houfes of pleafure in rhac Vally, che Ruines of which 1 have feen ; yec they fpared this Strutl:ure out of re- fped: to their Incas who had frequented thls place, being a Iarge and open Square, or Qu_adrangle, whlch ferved for a wide and fpatious Theatre whereon to repre- fenc meir íbows and fports ac the times of their principal Fefüvals. ' . Befides the Walls of Stone, they made alfo Walls of Clay, .·which they for- med in Cafes or Moulds, for that purpofe, mixing che Ct.invith Straw for bet- , ter binding. The Mou1ds they made as little, or as lárge as they pleafed in mea~ fure, or proportion to che Wall; che íhortefr were about a Yard long, -and abouc the fixtli pare of a Yar.d broatli, and of a like thicknefs ; which; a(ter they ha~ well dried in che Sun, they laid them one upon another in order ; and afier thatt·. they had lain two or three Years under coveriog from the Sun, and the Water, fo thac they were fully dried ; they then ufed them in cheir Buildings, as we do . our Bricks, cementiog them.with che fame Clay, well tempered, and mixed with Straw. The1.