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.

60 Royal Commentaries. BooK III. means to reduce them, and thongh they fhould find fome fo obfünate and perri- nacious, as not t<? be prevailed •vith by any terms of frien~ly aq:ommodati?!1; yet notwichíl:andmg tlut they fhould not prefencly break meo open Hofühty wich them, being aí!ured, that what oppofüion foever the bí:¡roarous people made, it would be more difadvantageous , and of lofs to themfelves 1 than cheir voluntary fubmiffion could prove of benefit to the Inca . With thefe Infüuél:ions, and great fupplies of Provifions, which they daily gathered in rheir march, they paífed the fnowy Mount"1in wich the more difficulcy, becaufe they found no path to guide them, travelling for che fpace of ar leaíl: thirty Leagues, chrough an un- peopled, and a moíl: defolate Countrey; ar lengrh they carne to che Province Cu- ch1ma, which was well inhabited, though rhey lived not in Towns or Villages, but fcaccered over che Countrey, where every one was moíl: pleafed to raife his Coccage. The Natives being allarmed with che approac 1 of chis Army, built a Fomeís, and recired into it with rheir Wives and Children ; che place was fo . weak, chat it might eafily have been forced; bue che Inca;; in obedience tb their King , eqcornpaíied it wich their Army, and offered chem conditions of Peace and Fi:iendfhip; all which chey refufed, and for che fpace of above fifty days per- fiíl:ed in their obíl:inace Refolurion ; during which time che Inca& had fr.equent op- portunities to bave deíl:royed them; bue che orders of their King, and their for- mer Cuíl:oms and Principies of Merey and Gentlenefs forbad chem to make ufo of che advantages which offered. Howfoever at length Famine, the ufual ele-. füoyer of che belieged, began ro rage amongíl: them, having not had time to make their provifions for a Sjege, which they could not imagine would have endured fo long; bue being much diíl:reffed by Hunger , which che Men and Women more ealily fuffered chan their Children , were forced at le>ng· 1 co pennit the younger fort to advem ure a broad, and gacher the herbs of che held for cheir fü!te- nance; many of chem fl.ed ro che Enemy, which che Parenrs m1re willingly fnf- fered , chan to fee th em c ;lie with hunger before their faces. The IncaJ feizing thore chat were fent abroad, gave them to eat, with fome ProviÍlons to carry with them to cheir Parents, and with the fame occaGon offered che ufual and accuílomary cerms of Peace and Friendfhip. The JndianJ obferving this kind crearment, and being without all expeétacion of Succour, refolved ro com- mit chemfelves to che Merey of their Enemies, concluding, rhar if they \!\'ere fo p1tifull to them at a time when they íl:ood ouc in oppolition to them, how rnuch more compaflionate would they be after their fubmiflion and relignnion to their Will and Pleafure: Wirh thefe hopes rhey Jefe their Forcre~, and furren- dred all to the Command. of che IncaJ; nor were cbey deceiveJ in tbeir expeél:a- tions, for ali kind and friendly recepcion was given chem, mear being fer before them to fatisfie cheir hunger; and then they farther informed chem, chat che Inca, whofe Father was che Sun, had no ocher deÍlgn than of doing good ro the Inhabi- tancs of che Eartb, and that they might be beccer aífured hereof by cheir own ex- perience, Garments, and orher Prefents, were given to che moíl principal Com- manders of chem, in che name of the Inca ; and che common fort being fe íl:ed, ac leal! their preTent hunger fatisfied, they were ali difiniífed, and fent to cheir own homes with encire contentment and affured fecuricy. The G eneralsafter this difpeeded lntelligence to che Inca of all that had paffed, defiri.ng chat People mighc be fent them for plaming cwo Colonies in rhat Cou,n- crey ; f or in regard the foil was rich and fruicfull , ir was capable ro maintain a con6derable number of. People; and cha~ it would be requHite alfo to eíl:ablifü a G~rifon in chofe.par~s¡,. boch for ~curity of. cbe lace Cooqueíls, :is alfo for pre- venuon of fuch m1fduets as may anf~ for che future. The Inca accordingly fent- tbem Wornen with cheir Children, fufficient for cwo Colonies, one of whic;h they planted at che foot of che Mountain, where che Forcrefs was builr, which they, called Cuchuna: af~er che name of che Mouncain, and tbe other A.foquehua; wh1ch People are d1íl:ant five Leagues one from the orher, and tbe Provinces coa- (erve ll:ill tneir denomiflation, being wichin tbe Jurifdiél:ion of Co!lifúyu. Whilft the!e .Comm~nd~rs we~e. bulied_io regulating thefe People, and giving orders for dmr m_íl:ruél:ton mRehg1on and Laws, they carne to underftand rhat chefe lndians were nocorioufly sktlled in,che ares of poifoning, '~ hich upon every occaíion of o~ence they admiP,i(l~ed t? their Adverfaries, the which was r¡ot fo deadly as to kill prefemly, but w1th tune redqc~d the body to :i languiíhing and maceraced · condi·