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 Commentariu. BooK lit no man can conjeéture, V nlefs it were likt rhe Pyramids in Eg¿p'r , to remain f or a Tro- phy of rhe Greatnefs of that M onarch who ereiled it. On one f tde of thismighty heap are the Starues of two Giants cuc in Stone, with long Robes to the ground, and Wreaths or Binders about their. heads; which being much impaired by time fhews che Antiquicy of chem. There is alfo a ífrange Wall to he feen, raif~d whh Scones of an extraordinary bignefs; and what i.s moíl: woilderf.ull to aonfi- der, is, hovv·, or in whac manner they were bro~ght th1ther by torce ofMen;.who had not yec atcained co che knowledge of Engmes fü for fuch a work, and from whacplace they were brought, there being no Rocks or Qiarries bue fuch as are ac a far diílance from thence. There appear alfo many greac :md lofty Edifices; and whac is more íl:range, there are in divers places great Portals of Scone, and rnany of them whole and perfeél, made of one fingle and entire Scone; which being raifed on Pedeíl:als, are found by thofe who hav~ ·mea fured tbem to be :¡o foot in lengd1, and 1 > in breadth , which Pedeíl:als, as well as the Arches of che Portals, were all of one fingle Stone : And then we may coníider how greac chofe Stones were before they were fhaped, and what tools of Iron were requifüe for fucha labour. · The Natives report that thefe Buildings, and others of che 'like nacure not men- tioned here, were rai[ed before the times of the IncM, and that che Model of che Fomefs at Co:uo was taken from chem, as we fhall hereafrer more particularly de- fcribe: Who they were that ereéted them, they do not know, onely·they have heard fay by tradition from their Anceílours, that chofe prodigious Works were the effeéts of one nights labour ; which feem, in reality, to nave been the be- ginnings onely, and foundations for fome mighty Struéture. Thus muth Pdro de Cieia in his Remarks concerning Pern, and its feveral Provinces relates ; to which 'I íhall farther add, what a cerrain Prieíl: called Diego de Alcd6afa, who was rny School-fellow ; and whom I may cal! my Brorher, nec:mfe we were both born in the fame houfe, and bis Father educated me as my Tutour and Maíl:er: This per- fon, I fo.y, amongíl: the many relations of, things which both he and others fenc me, concerning my own Cquntrey ; coming to [peak of the Buildings of 7íah11a- naC11, harh thefe words : ' ' In 7íah11anacu, which isa Province of Col/110, amongíl: " many ocher Antiquities worchy of immorral memory, there is one panicularly ' ' famous, adjoining to che Lake, which iscalled by the Spaniards Chucuyru, though " its true name be Chuquivitts ; chis is a Pile of Monffrous Buildings, to which " is an open Court of 1 > Yards fquare every way, the Building is two Stories ce high; and on one fide of rhis great Yard or Square is a large Ha~I of 4) fooc " in lengrh, and zz in breadth ; the Covering appears to be Tlmch, like chofe " on rhe Temple of the Sun, in the City of Couo : Ali this Com't, or Yard, " which we memion, with its Walls, Floor, Hall, Roof, l?orrals and Jams of ce the doors, and back-gate to thisBuilding, is a11 of one enrire Stone, hewed out " of a Rock; che Walls of the Court, and of the Hall, are three quarrers of a " Yard thick, and fuch alfo is the Cove1'ing or Roof; which though it may feern · ~ to be Thatched with Scraw, is yet <;>Í Stone; for the Indians ha ve wo rked it fo' ce artificially, and with chofe .naturJ! lines, thac the Scones appear li.ke Straw laid " in the moíl curious manner of Thatch : theWaren; of the Lake beat againíl: the " fide oftheíe Walls; and both this,and all the other Edifices here about, were all, " as the Natives repon, dedicated to the Maker of the Univerfe. Moreover, '~ befides thefe Works, there are divers othedigures of Men and \i\T omén cut in ce Scone, fo nacurally, that they [eem to be living: Sorne of them are drinking " with Cups in their hands, fome are fitting, forne íl:anding, fome are·walking in " the íl:ream which glides by the·Walls ; other Statues there are of Women·car- " l'ying Children in their armes, and in the fokls of their garments; others with, '.' them on their backs, and in a thoufand other manners and poílures. The Jndi~ " ans of thefe days rep~rt, tbat for the great Sins of that people, in having íl:oned . '~ a Stranger, who paíTed through their Province, God in his judgment nad con- " verted thofe Men and Wornen into Stone. Thefe are the words of Diego de Al- cobara, who hatb been Vicar-Gene.ral of many Provinces in that Kingdom, and Preacher of the Jndians ; for being a Native of Couo, and of Spanijh and Jndian ~loud, and confequenrly acquainted with the Indian Language, was moíl: able to in- forrn and infüuét that people; and in. ali probability., he ·was the moíl: likely Mao to deliver che moft true and authéntick Relation of chofe Countries. . . CH A p.