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 Commentaries. BooK VI. According to che fame form a~d m~thod .the Incas? who w_ere Vice-Ki~gs, praétifed and regulated their Huntmgs m their refpeéhve Provmc~s, at which they were for che moíl: parc perfonally prefent; not onely fer p leafme and recrea- tion but co infpeét and overfee the juft and due difüibution of the T enifon ta- ken 'in Hunting amongíl: the common yieople ; an~ fee that tb?fe alf~ who were old or fick or infinn fhould have their 11-Are and 1uíl: propomon. · Unlefs i~ were che CollM, che Commonalty in general were fo poor in Catee!, char they feldom or never eat Fleíh, but what was di!penfed to t~em by che Cha~ rity and Eeneficence of rheir Cu~acM ; . unlefs fomemnes they k1ll~d a few carne Conies which chey kepc and fed mcheir Houfes, calle~ ~Y chem Coy: So that che I nca and che Curacas, rook great care, that an equal d1vifion Ülould be made a- mo~gfl: che Commonalty ?f all che V. enifon which was c~ken in Humi_ng : che which Fle!h they cut out mto large ilic~s, ( called Charqui) a~d chen dn~d chem in fuch manner, thac chey were not fub¡eél: to corrupt ; and bem g abíl:em1ous and frucral in their diet, cheir provifion ferved chem for che whole year round, untill rhe:::.next feafon of Hunting recurned again. In dreffing cheir Mear, chey ufed ali forts o.fHerbs, whecher fweet , ~r bitter, ot fower, or of any qualicy, bue fuch as were po1fonous or hurtfull : ~he b1tter ?erbs chey did ufually boil in two or three feveral Waters, and then dned them m che Sun and ufed chern at chofe feafons when green were not to b e procured. And fo f~nd chey were of green Herbs, thac they would eat c~e Duck-weed whi~h grows in Poncls ; which after chey had well wafhed and dned, chey would eat m the feafon · as alfo Herbs raw or crude, fochas Lectuce and Rad ifhes, which were eíl:eemed fubflantial Difhes, rather ~han Salads, or Sauces to provoke an appecice. CH A P. VII. Of the Pofls, and the Difpatches which they carried. T HE Pofl:s, or Carriers, who were intrufied with che charge o f carrying the King's Orders and Commands were called Cha/qui; and chefe alfo broughc che News and Advices to che Coun from the moíl: remete Pr ovinces : In fmle- ment of which Poíl:s, they ordained and appointed four or fix nimble Jndian Boys to be laid ac che end of every quarter of a League, and lo dged under a Stall like that of our Centinels, to defend chem from the Sun and Rain. Thefe had the charge of carrying che Meilige from one Poíl: to another , and to take cheir turns in running; and alfo of fallying out to fee or difcover ata difl:ance che co- ming of a Pofl:, that fo chey might be ready to take his meíTage without lofs of time. And thefe Stalls, or Lodges, were raifed fomething_hig h, and placed with that advamage, chat they might be feen at a diíl:ance, and not fa rt11er (han a quar- cer of a League one from che ocher ; being fo much as they fa id, a Man m:iy b<:1 able to run in full breach and íl:rength. The word Chafqui fignifies changing, or giving, or taking, for they gave and received their Meífages interchangeably one from che ocher. They were not called Cacha, for that fign~fies a Meífenger, and, as chey ufed it, an Ambaífadour, w h?m they fent to Sovemgn Lords and Princes. The Advices w hich che Chafqui camed were by word of mouch, for the l ndians did not underíl:and Letters: Wherefore the Meífages were ordered, and difpofed in fuch fhort and concife words, as,were eafily apprehended and remembred. He chac brought the Me[. fage, .before !1e c-arr:e to che Lodge, cr~ed loud, and called out as he ran to give warn 1~g of h1s cornmg, as our Poíl:s wmd their Horn to give notice at the Stage oí their near approach ; and when he was come, he chen del ivered his Meífage to ch~ other Poíl:-boy, repeating the words cwo ¡;ir three times, untill he had rightly