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. Bo,~KVll CH A P. XXVlll Óf the three Wal/s which are moft to be admired of ali this Wor~. / , · , - ·- O, N che ocher fide from che Cicy, the 1-Iill hath ah opén profpeét to the Pfains, . and the afcent to the Fortrefs is fo eafie and wide, that an Enemy may ea. fily attack it in a formed and orderly.Body. Wherefore they fortified it on that fide with threeWalis, one before the odieri each Wall being 1.oo fathom in lengrh, be- iqg made in che íhape of a halfMoon, becaufe they co me to join with the fingle Wall; which is towards the fide of the City. In the firíl: Wall whiéh is·to front the power and firíl: íhock of an Enemy, though they are all of the fame Work, they have plaaed the greateíl: of their Stones, which are of that íl:u¡)endious big. -nefs, as are admired by all that fee them. For rny pare 1am of opinion that thofe Stqnes were never digged out of any Quarry, but were loofe Rocks found in the · MQuntains, which they took and faíhioned to their purpofe, and laid chem as they cafually carne to hand, forne being bollow, others rough, and others plain and , finooth; fome were pointed at the corners, others without; in the mending and plaining of which they were not very curious, by paring or cutcing offche un~ven ·pares ofevery Stone; but rather filled up che hollow or vacant places with fome other Srone, which was as great or greater than che other, and fo fuppliéd the ine- qualities ofone Stone by forne Qther which fitted to it; for it feerned to have l:ieen their intention to have compofed ali the work with great Stones, and not to have pjeced it up with the adjunéts of lefs, being a matter of greater State and Magni- ficence. And this is what Acofta did rnuch admire in the Work, that the Stones of the WaU not being cut, but worked without any Rule or compafs, were yet fo well fitted, as if chey had been all poliíhed; and though che outward fuperfi. cies of the Stone was ,rough, and not finooth, but remained in 1ts natural fafhion, yet che j0int, by wbich it was incorporated wich another, was fo well worked, that•nothing could be better fitted; fo that confidering the r.µfücal outfide, and the artificial junétures withio, it rnade in grofs a noble and a ftately Frontifpiece• . - A certain Prielt, born at Montilla, who remaioed at Peru after I was come to Spa~11, aod whete he alfo returned in a íhort time after~ fpeaking of chis FQrtrefs, and of che pt.odigious Stones, •told me; that before he faw chem he could ndt be- liev~ che report w'as made of the rnightinefs of tbem, and after he had feel1 them, the Fame feemed lefs chan chey really were; and confideriog by whac power orare they were laid in that form, he could not conclude or imagine ocher tban that they were fo d¡fpofed by fome Enchantment ot power of che Divel: And really chough the lndian1 had been provided with all the Engines and 'Arts which are common in our Countries, yec füll che difficulty will occur, how che Art ofMan was able to arrive to fo great a work, which exceeds all the Seven Wonders of che Uni• verfe. \Ve know that to rnake a Wall fo long and bread as tbat of B11bylon, ro ereét a Colof{m at Rhodei, or the Pyramids in Egypt, are eafily concrived and com- pleted by che force of multitudes, and quantities of all rnacedals, fuch as Br.ick and Lime for makiog the Walls of Bahylon, Braís and Copper for caíl:ing che Co!o{[u¡ 1 Stones and Mortar for raifing a Pyramid; in fine, time, and labour, and numoers of People are able to effeét and compafs any ching of chis nature; bue how che Jndian1 without Engioes íhould be able to carry and cranfpon fuch vaíl: Stones or Rocks from remoce places up to the top of a Hill, and without Tools poliíh and ijc..chem for.a Building, is fucha riddle as che.wic of Man is not able to refolve; · bue muíl: bate récourfe to Eochantrnents, and helps from che Devil; in regará rhat evil Sp4its eritertaioed fuch farniliarity wirh that people. Every Wall of the Rampire had its Gate about the middle, and every Gate had irsPercullis of Stone, of che length aod breadth of che Gate which íbut it. The fo·fi- Gate they cal)ed Ti11p1mcu, which íignifies che Gate of Gravel, ·becaufe che Soil