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 · Comment~riú. C HA P. - -XIII. -Of the two j amoU5 añd great Roads i~ Peru. I T were but jufüce to the Life and Memoty of F!uayna Capac, if we mention . thofe two great ]}oads wbich run Nerrh..and South through the·whole Kihg. · dom of Peru, bec:aufe die making of them is amibuted unto liim: One of thein pafies along by the Sea-coaíl: , ané! t'he other over the Mouórains to · the foland · Countries, which Fíiíl:qrians ~efcribe with ~igh'Enl~rgements, though, in r-eality, · the work exceeqs the common fame: And m regard I cannot pretend to lay chem down wich fuch exaétnefs as fome have done, I fhall therefore refer my felf'ro • . their Relatíons, and begiu witb Auguftin Carate, who in the 1 3cb Chapter of his firfi Book fpeaking of the Original of ·the Incas, hath thefe words: ' In a due -· , " and orderly fucceíliom of tméfe Jnc,ú, there was one called Guaynaca'va { which " fignifiesa rich young Man) who carne to che Governmenr, and encreafed_, and 1- " greatly enlarged his Dominions; bis buíinefs being chiefly to advance Jufl:ite · ',' . and Reafon, he · fo far prevailed on che uncultivared underfiandings of that bar- "- batotJs people, ,,thac he feemed ro have worked Miracles in pólitical converfa- " tion, having reduced them wirhout the help of letters to-Obedience and Rule, " and gained fo far on the affeétioa of bis V a.ffals , chat for bis fervi€'e chey readily " applied their hands, and cheir hearts, to ma.ke and open a large Road iil' Pm1, " which was fo famous, that we cannot in jufüce omir to menrion, and defcribe 1 ' ' ir, in regard that amongíl: the feveh·Wonders of. the World, there was none " madé a.t greater expence ·and labour·than this. When chis Guaynacava marched " with.h1s Arrny from Co~co to conquer the Province of ~itu 1 which are aboi:Jt: " ·five htindre9 Leagues diíl:aQt one from 1 rhe other; he fufíered many.difficulties· " in his paífage, by reafon ·of the iriacceffible ways over Rocks and Mounrains, « which he l·Va~ to overcome : Howfoever, having paffed and fubdued that r ' " Counrrey, and be~ng now to 1:erurn again 'viél:orious and triumphanc, the In- ' " qians brt>ke a conve~ient way rhrough rhe Mountains, which 'they made borh " plain and wide·, .breaking the Rocks, and levelling the G~ound which was ruff · " and uneven ; fo that fometimes they were forced to raife it fifteen or twency fa- " thom in height, and in other places to ·fink it.as .far ; and in chis manner they " .cominued rheir work for five·huridred Leagues in lengrh. .And it is réported, « that when this work was finifhe d, t he way was fo pbin; that a Carr or " Coach might be driven óver it; y.et afren'mds, in die time of the Wars, aH " this worl<nm1fhip anó labour was demoliíhed by the lndians, tó make the ways " ánd paífes more difficu!t tO¡ rhe_Chriíl:ians. Now if we compare this work " wirh the íl1ort cut onely of cwo Leagues of Mountain, which is between Ef " pinar, Segovia, and Guadarrama in Spain; and coriíidet what charge and laboúr " ·Jmh been rhere employed, onely to make that way tolerably paífable for the '~ Kihgs of Ca/h!e, when at any time they paífed with their Equipage and Comrt " from Andalu?:-i,1,. or Toledo, and traveUed into pares beyond thofe Mountains ; , " whiCh, as I fay, if ir were coHfidered, what ail immenfe and incredibJe work· " mufl this feem ro have ? Nay Jarther, the lncM were not content with " chis. for this Gua)'nacáv tending again' to villt the Province of f2!!itu, for " variecy in Jfr; Travels, he reíolved to rake his paífage through che Plains, which '-' che Jndians, though wid1 no lefs .difficulry; made as conveni~nt as that of the ce Mounrains; for in al\ thofe Vallies which were ,~ratered witlí. Rivers and Fouri- " tains; and were pbnted with Trees, which (as we have faid dfew.here) did ce commonl y conti11ne for a ful! League, they made a way almoíl: forty foot wide, ¡: « , with tliick Mnd· \\·alis on each Gde, being four or•five Frames, or Pannels, of " this Mud in heighr. And then enrring out of thefe Plains into. the fa.ndy " ways, rhey drove in gre:i t Srakes imo the groúnaon one Gde 1 and the orher, · . · B b b that