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. Royal C ommentaries. they faw or met any game, chey hooped and hollowed to give .notice chereof to their Companions, and fo marched along til1 they tame fo to íl:raiten. the beaíl:s on all fides with a narrow compafs, chat they could come and cake them up with their very hands. . . . . Whac fierce Beaíls they encountred, as they beat che Woods and Moumains ; fuch as Lions, Bears, Foxes, Mounta11-Cats, which they call O:uollo, as alfo Ser- pents and venomous Creamres chey killed befare they came'wichin che Field, or Circle of cheir Huncing. We make no mencion here of Tygers; bei;aure·there were none in thofe Councries, bue onely in che vaíl: and hórrid MountaJns of. .Ali- tu. What nurnber of Game they rnight kili at fuch a Hunting, is \mcenain, ' tbat happening according to the Coumrey, and cheir forcune; for fometimes chey killed ·cwency, thirty or fotty thoufand head .of Beaíl:s, fuch as Scags, FallowDeer :> ' the Huanacu which yields a forc of cour[e W0ol, and che Vicuna, whü;:qjs a Goat with very fine Wool ; wich many orher Crearures, which afford~d not onely pro- fit, but fporc and paíl:ime in che taking of them. Such in chofe ti.mes was che abundance of their Game; but now ic is faid, that fuch havock hach beeo 1:nade by the Guns which che Spaniards ufe, chat there is fcarce a Huam1c1u, or Vicu¡¡a to be found ; but what are affrighced into the Mouncains, and inaeceífible places; where no pach or way can be made. All che Game being chus furrounded and encompaífed, chey took up w"ith their hands. The. Female Deer, whether redor fallow, chey fuffered to efcape, becaufe they had no Wool., bue old and barren Does they killed: they Jet goal- fo ás rnany Males as were thoughc neceífary to ferye che Females, .and all c)Je reft: they killed, and divided cheit Flefh amongíl: che Commonalty, likewife ha- ving íhorn the Huanacm and che Vicuna, chey let chem e[cape, keeping an exaéi: account of all thefe wild Cattel, as if chey had been carne Flocks, noring chem in their f2!!.ip1u, which is their Book of Regiíl:er, diíl:inguiíhing the Males from their Pernales in exaél: and orderly manner. They likewi[e noted che Number of the Beaíl:s chey killed, as well füch as were fierce and hurrfull, as chofe that were carne and ufefull, that fo knowing the direét Numbers that remained, they rnight che betcer [ee at cheir next Hunring íeafon, how their frock was multiplied and increaíed. The courfe Wool of che Huanacm was diíl:ribuced amongíl: the common peo- ple; and that of the Vicuna, becau[e it was very fine, was referved for che Inca 1 who divided it alfo arnongíl: the Incas .o[ ·his Kindred : For befides them, no orher upon pain of Death might prefüme to wear it, unlefs in favour ; fome part there- of was given to a particular Curaca, who upon no other rerms could prerend to that honour and privilege. The Fleíh of the Huanacm and Picuna was diíl:ribu- ted amongft the common people, with whom the Curacas would vouchfafe to tak~ fome part, as alfo of che Venifon ;-noc rhat they wanced it. but to íhew their compliance and faníiliaricy wich che people; and that they who laboured in the Hunring, did noc fcorn to receive their íhare of che prey. Thefe general and folemn Hunrings were appointed every fourth Year in che refpeétive Divifions; for che Jndians were of opinion, that in fuch time the Wóol of the Vicuna would be at its full growch , and rhat the wild Cartel would have time to increa[e; and would be lefs affrighted at che approach of Men, than if . they were every year teafed and hunced : Howfoever, they hunted in one place or other every year ; bue with fuch method and order, chat the Provinces being divi- ded into four pares, each diviÍlon took its turn but once in four years. In chis orderly manner and mechad che Incas appoi.r:ited che times of Hunting, as well for che pleafure and delighc, as for the profit of his people ; it being an opinion amongft them, that che Pachacamac, or che God and Creatour of ali things, had cornmanded that the fame· care íhould be raken of che wild, as of che carne Flocks; and that chey were to deíl:roy ·che·hurtfull and devouring Beaíls, as they were to cut and root out noxious Weeds or Herbs out of their Corn, and Fields that were fown. And fince we obferve che order ,which chele Incas direél:ed in their very Hunrings, .which they called Chacu ; how can we doubr, bue thac thefe peoP,le maintained che lik.e in matters of Government, arid rhings of grearer im- portance , and were noc fo brutiíh and falvage as the World hath figured them. I} is farcher m be noted, chac che Bezar-íl:one brought frnm chat Coumrey, (in the goodneís whereof there is 'great difference) was taken from fome of chofe wild cattel, which we have before menrion~d - . ' , , , e e ~ Accordrng