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. ble, fo that the people which we~~ fen~ thk~er fuílained. much~'aiffil:ulty and harc:ifbip; for the Moµnta-ins Wet'e me:red1bly ~1gh, and covered w1t~ tofcy trees, of fuch a for~ of barid, Timber, as w~uld not y1eld tE;> rh~Hatchet; and the Buíhes fo thick and clofe, rhac th,ey w~re hke a. Wa~!'. tJ"¡at ne1ther Man or Beaft co1:1ld pafs tbrough rhem ; and ~ne ~ams were fo rnníbnt, ancl made fuch a _perpetua!, Deluge, chac when rhey rntended to have burnt then;i, t:Tle fire was 'ef}tmguiíhed, 'aFJd would not take.. At füíl: yv·hen ct1e Sp,aniflrds entred upon rhat Cbnqaefi?. chey expe,~ed to have found many lndian-s within· rhe Couhtrey ; and fo paífed> as well as they were able, ºl?ening che waxs by fbrte of ~m¡s- ¡¡_-Acl_ tabo.w', rifin~ and ,9efrending ?r rhe Chanels which wer'e made by W~ters ·f~\hhg frofr\ rhe-Moancaim And w1tn. thefe Difficulties they pvoce~ed for. ma~x- day's, E~ough !1, ey wete fufficiem_Jy in- formed by che lndian1J, whbm they orouglit OlilC of Peru tO''ferve thern, tnat JC was aH- labour \oft,Í:hac c~eve w~je n~ pwpl~ 1 ih rnany Leagues difl:ant frorn-thofe pares, tl:iac the Regiem bem~ muni'iab1cable, was Abandoned ~ ali people, and never planted by the Jncan Ki0~s- :• Howf~ever, tliif; ~paniard1 wóufd not hearken to rhern, efiee1;¡:¡ing it a difreputat1on ro ~J:ie1r E1;Rer~n~é ~o recurn, ba-ck ro the Councrey of , their Companion~. Whernfore peFfl!hflg m chis. reíQ!ul'lon to proceed~ they tra- vel1lee at leaíl a hundred Leagu~, being-reduc:ed te:> ffich á want of ali Provifions~ ~hat d1ey were foreed ro @at Herbs an4R00cs, 'Foads, Serpents, and orher Infeéts which as tQey faid, in chat time of Farni'.ae, bad as good 'a relliíl¡i as Hares or ca: nies ; 'and\ ~s ehey re~rc~ the grea-1! SerpéntS were mNch betrer Meat than tbe frna•ller Sna~es. At lengch, afrer a }(')ng' and tediems Journey, in which they had no proípeét 0f a beuer condition, bue tl\at ftill their Famirre and Hardíhips en- creafed, rhe Officers of the Army, and,.of the King's Treafure, went to the Cap- cain, :md rold him , That lince they had learned by. experience, that r he Hara- íhips of that diíct:>Very ~ere not longer to be fuftamed ; for that having now wandred for above five Monchs within rhofe Mountains, chey had no t feen fo much as one Jndirm to conquer, nor an Acre of Lar_id to culcivate, bur had onely mee with Mouncains, and Rivers, and Lakes, and Brooks, and a perpecua l Deluoe of Rain; wherefore rhey. cm1'e1ved it bett~r to con.fu.Ir his own, and rhe fafety ~f his people by a retmru, rar:her ~out of an ~Urnat~ humour to chrow away che Lives of his people by Famine, and other Hardlhps. To which che Cap. rain made anfaer, That he had many days paft obíerved and confidered ali rhofe rnfficulcies.which they la,id. h>eíore l<iim ;. and that about che rime of tWO Monchs . a.frer rhey nad encred \~ 1 ithin tl1of~ Mouncains, he h:id conceived fome rhoughrs of rnaking a murn; but conúdenng chat fuch a rerreat would ha1,1e bee n diího- nourable to them, and to himfelf, 11e had perfül:ed in this Emerprife unrill chis v:eny time ; and íHJI rnliíl conrinue t©· iotreao, and imporrune them to take cou- rage and proceed forward, fo chat rheir Companions, who are emulous of their great underrakings, might not have occafion ro revile them with ícoro, and bid chem to begone ro their Riches, and delicious Dwellings of Peru. Wherefore he ·aga.jn requeíled and cqnjured rhem noc now ro relinquifh rheir defign , or rurn cheir b acks,ro a work whifh. they. had.alq¡Glíl: overcome ;, for tbe more da nger rhe mpre honour ;_ and [1rn;e ,Fa~e and G1ory, i~ che rewar.d' of Viétory;, thfy ffi~ufü P.reís f;or.war.d !~!te. good 1 Soultl1ers to ol1cam it, .at l~aíl: .Pe!'Úíl: fo far in che ¡¡iroíecu-' uon of 1r, unClll 1t appeai;.ed deftierate, ane dnve it fo far, as tbac their Adverfa- ries and~ evil 1 Tongues tpjg!it l'lave nothing to obje.lft ag;iitill chem ; for whkh they would, hav~ fuffi.cient fubj~~ agd' cqufe, in. caíf the}I fl1oulcl fo foon renurm witb their oQ(ipeíS uneffeéted ; 1 in the mean time be could.n0t bur ha11Je a feníe and freling. of tlleir Eabours and~Ffarcilíl\iP.S,, more than of bis. mm ; howfo€vt'r, fü1ee cbey· íaw that h@ did' n0t flinch, not recrear a frep backwai:d, he defired rhem to follo"". ' hiln, who :-vas. their e:'.apta~, being th<i!reupro obliged as Cwaliers, goodi Sould1ers and Spamards. W1th whKH good wordsJ. and prellin~ inílances being. overcoll)e, they cornl!lied'with füs def'll-es, and proceirded'otner. three MGmfus in their diícovery·: As their JourneY. lengthned, fo Sidrneís, increafed; for che, bodies of Men,not beihg aBle ro füftáin fudí Hardíbips, many, as w<?11 Indians as spaniards, fell' fick and died, more of H\mger, thao of any other Diílemper 'Fnus íéeing thar'tliefr Men, fell fick, arad ,died ever~ day, fo that rhey were no~ able to proceed fotward, diey-refolved'by comrnon. confent to return ye r not b;i the farne way ; but taRing•a cornpa!S tGl tláe Eaftward., rhey carne abGut b}: the- Sout!-1, that· for cheir berter facisfaétion they mighc taRe a round; :md brin'g aU wirhin