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 VIII. R~yal Commentaries. whoíe co:nmand, and at whoíe charge thoíe Arriíl:s worked, and ro whoíe fer- vice rhe Carholick Kiog did dedícate fo great a Treafüre, which was immenfe, and beyond che abilities and magruficence of any ocher, than his ohely who was Emperour of the Indies. ' Bue to compure, and righdy to calcular~ che Riches of rhis ~onare~, wé o~ght to reade che fourrh Book of Acofla, wherem are fuch füange difcovenes of rhl¡1gs in the New World, as are almoíl: incredible. Amongíl: which I have been an eye- wimefs my felf at Sevi!, in che year 1 p 9, where I faw a Pearl, which a Gentle- man, called Don Diego de Temez., brought from Panam1t, and deíigned for King Phi!ip the Second : the Pearl was abouc che bignefs of a Wallnut, and roundnefs of a Pigeon'sEgg: it was valued in che Jndiei at ~welve thoufand Pietes ofEight, whicH" rnake fourceen choufand four hundred Ducacs. {acamo de Trefº of Milan; an e,xcel- · Jent Artiíl: and Jeweler to bis Catholick Majeíl:y, eíl:eemed it at fourteen, thircy; fifry, and fornetirnes. ata hundred thoufand Ducaci, that is, that it had .no price · for in regard there was none like i~ in che World, and that thére was none wit'1 which it rnighc be cornpared, it \V-ªS noc capable of any efümation: In Sevil rnany went to fee it for a light, giving it che Name of the Foreigner. A certain Ita.fian Gentleman at tbat time went al:?out tha,tCity,and bought qp all the choiceíl: Pearls tie could find for account of a Great Lo"rd in Ita&; when having purchafed aString; or Chain of the beíl:; yet beingcompared and laid by the Foreigner, they feerne9 like fo man y little pebles ofche Brook. Thofe that knew, and were acquairitedwith · í>eads, and pretious Stones, did aver, that it weighed 2+ Qi!ilats above any 0~1er ~bar was ever known; bue what thac means, I ~rn not skilfull enough to interpret. . Th.e Proprietor of chis Pearl faid, thac a little Neger Boy, which was n'ot worth above a 1 oo Ryals, fiíhed che fhell, wherein it was contained, out of the water ~ which was fo cragged, and proinifed fo little outward)y, that d{ey were going tc1 can it again into tlie Sea ; but yielding unex~él:edly fo great a prófit to 'che Má~-. fter, he was p)eafed in reward for the benefit to give libercy to the Slave; and iQ' hoQour to the Maíl:er on whom fortune had befiowed fo great a Treafure, the In- flabitants of Panama were pleafed to make hirn theif' High Confiable: che Pearl was never poliíhed, becaufe the Maíl:er would never' cop(~n~ that it íhould be touched; unlefs it were to bore a hole tbrough it ; for they never attempt (ó alter the faíhion or íhapes of them, but íl:ring cqem ~s .they come 'from che íbells ; fo, that forne of thern come out very round, Qthers long, ochers flat, others round of one fic!e, and flac on the other ; but chofe vvhich are in faíhion ofaPear, a~e moft . ~íl:eemed, becaufe they are not COJilrnon : When a Merchant hach got one of tbis fQape, he preíemly enquires, and rnakes fearch for another vvhich is like ic ; far being vyell rnatched, they rife double in their p,rice; fo that vvhen a Pearl, be- jng ftngle, is valaed at a hundred Ducats 1 being aftervvards vvell rnatched vvith anocher, doth prefently double ics price, and both give a value to each other, be- caufe they are rnade the·more fit for Cbains and Neck-laces, for vvhich they até principally deílgned. Pearl is of a.nature vvhich vvill adrnit of no poliíhing; be- iríg cornpofeq of a certain íhell, or tunicle, vvhich covers it, and vvhich decays vvith time, lofing much of its luíl:re ancj brightnefs vvhich it had at fuíl: ; hovvfo- ever, vvhen they cake offthe upper coac, or cunicle, ofche decayed part, that vvhich is under appears as oriental as ic did at firíl: ," but yet vvith great dárnage to the Pearl, being confiderably leífened, at leaíl: one third of its bignefs : Hovvfoever, che beLl: forc of Pearls d() never decay; and rnay be exceptecl from tbis general rule. · · e HA P~