the use of those women. When I saw them, the convent had become the house of the sons of Pedro del Barco, who were my school-fellows.

The crops of the Sun and those of the Ynca were shut up in places apart though in the same depôt. The seeds for sowing were given by the Lord of the land, who was the Sun or the King; and in the same way for the sustenance of the Indians who worked, that they might be maintained each out of his own estate, when they tilled and cultivated their lands; so that the Indians only had to give personal labour as their tribute. The vassals paid nothing to the Ynca from their own crops. Father Acosta says the same in the fifteenth chapter of his sixth book, in these words,

The Ynca gave the third part of the land to the people. It has not been ascertained how much this portion was, whether larger or smaller than that of the Ynca and the Huacas, but it is certain that care was taken that it should be sufficient to maintain the people. No person had any private right in this third part, nor did the Indians possess private property. All was held through the generosity of the Yncas, and the people were not allowed to alienate it, or even to divide it amongst their heirs. These lands of the people were divided every year, and each man was assigned a certain portion to maintain himself and family, so that some years it was smaller and others larger, according to the size of his family; for there was a special measurement of land assigned according to the number to be maintained. This land, which was divided each year, never paid any tribute; for the tribute consisted solely in personal service on the lands of the Yncas and of the Huacas, and in the storing the crops in the granaries.

So far is from Father Acosta. He calls the lands of the Sun"of the Huacas," because they were sacred.

Throughout the whole province called Colla, which is more than one hundred and fifty leagues long, no maize is grown on account of the cold. But much quinua is raised, which is like rice, as well as other cereals and pulses which ripen. Among these there is one called papa, round and moist, and inclined to rot soon, on account of its moistness. To preserve it, they put it in the earth, and cover it with a very good kind of grass that grows in the fields there. They leave it for many nights exposed to the frost, for it freezes hard throughout the year in that province. As soon as the frost is passed, they cover the papas with straw, and press them gently to squeeze out all moisture, both that naturally existing and that caused by the frost. After they have been

well pressed, they expose them to the sun until they have been completely dried. Prepared in this way the papa will keep for a long time; its name is then changed, and it is called a chuñu. This is the way all the papas were treated that were gathered from the lands of the Sun and the Ynca; and they were then stored in the depôts with the other provisions.

THEY MADE CLOTHING, ARMS, AND SHOES FOR THE SOLDIERS

The principal tribute was to sow the lands, reap the crops, and till the ground of the Sun and the Ynca; but the people also paid another sort of tribute, which was to make clothes, shoes, and arms for the soldiers and the poor who could not work themselves, owing to age or infirmity. In distributing and ordering this second tribute, the same rules were observed as in all other similar matters. The cloth, in all parts of the Sierra, was made of wool, which the Ynca supplied from his innumerable flocks, and those of the Sun. On the plains of the sea coast, where the climate is warm and they do not dress in woollens, they made cotton cloths, the cotton being provided from the crops of the Ynca and of the Sun. They made three kinds of woollen cloth. The coarsest, called arasca, was for the common people. Another finer kind, called compi, was used by the captains, curacas, and other officials. They made it of all colours and patterns, on a frame, as they make the cloths of Flanders, and it was wove double. Another kind was very fine, and was also called compi. It was reserved for persons of the blood royal, whether they were captains of soldiers or royal governors. The fine cloth was made in the provinces, where the natives were most expert and handy in its manufacture, and the coarse kind was wove in districts where the natives had less skill. All the wool for this cloth was worked up into thread by the women, and they also wove the coarser kind called arasca, but the fine cloth was wove by men, because they worked standing. Both were made by vassals, and not by the Yncas, who did not even weave the cloth for their own dresses. I say this because there are those who have asserted that the Yncas themselves wove. Further on, when we treat of the way in which knights were armed, we shall explain how it is that the Yncas were said to spin. The shoes were made in the provinces where aloes were most

abundant, for they were made of the leaves of a tree called maguey. The arms also were supplied by the provinces where the materials for making them were most abundant. In some they made bows and arrows, in others lances and darts, in others clubs and axes, in others slings and lashings, in others shields, for these shields were their only defensive weapons. In fine, each province furnished its own produce, without seeking in any strange land for what it did not yield itself, for no province had to supply anything that did not belong to it. Thus they paid their tribute without having to leave their homes, and it was the universal law throughout the empire that no Indian should be obliged to go beyond his own home to seek what he had to furnish as tribute. For the Yncas said that it was unjust to expect from their vassals any articles that their district did not produce, and that such demands would open the door to people wandering about from place to place, and becoming vagabonds. Thus they had four things to supply to the Ynca, namely, provisions from his own lands, cloth made from the wool of the royal flocks, arms, and shoes, according to the products of their respective districts. The demands were divided with great care and regularity. The provinces that were charged with the supply of cloth, owing to the peculiar facilities they had for weaving it, were relieved of all demands for arms and shoes, and so on with the others; and in this way no province could feel any grievance. This kindly forethought led the vassals to serve the Ynca with such pleasure and satisfaction, that a famous Spanish historian, speaking of these rules, uses the following words: "But the greatest source of wealth of these barbarous kings was that all their vassals were their slaves, whose labour they made use of as they pleased; and that which causes astonishment is that they were served by these vassals with so much order and regularity that their lives were very happy and not in any way lives of slavery." So far is from another writer, and I insert it here as I shall quote this most venerable author in other places. He is the father José de Acosta of the Company of Jesus; whose authority, and that of other Spanish historians, I desire to appeal to against evil speakers, who will not then be able to say that I invent fables in praise of my country and my relations. Such was the tribute that the Indians paid, in those days, to their idolatrous kings.

Another sort of tribute was imposed upon those who could not work, and were called poor; and this was that, at certain intervals, they had

to deliver a specified number of cane joints full of lice to the governor of their village. They say that the Yncas imposed this tribute in order that no one (except those exempted from tribute) should contribute nothing, however poor he might be; and therefore from those who were disabled from paying tribute in personal service was exacted a tribute of lice. It was also said that the chief reason of the Yncas for requiring this tribute was a loving care for these poor people, that they might be obliged to clean themselves, and not become a prey to the lice. For such thoughtful care as this, which the Yncas showed in all things, they were called the Friends of the Poor. The Decurions (of whom we have already spoken) were expected to see that this tribute was paid. The following persons were exempt from tribute: all members of the royal family, priests, ministers of the temple, Curacas or lords of vassals, captains and officers down to centurions even if they were not of the blood royal, all governors, judges, and royal officials during their terms of office, all soldiers while on active service, and youths who had not reached the age of twenty-five years; for up to that time they were expected to help their parents, and were not allowed to marry. After marriage they were free from payment of any tribute for the first year. Old people, from fifty upwards, were also exempt, and all women, as well maidens as widows and married women; though many Spaniards have it that women paid tribute, because they all had to work. But they are mistaken; for when the women did any work, it was to help their fathers or husbands to complete their tasks more easily, and not because tribute was required from themselves. The sick were also exempt until they recovered their health, as well as the blind, lame, and maimed. But the deaf and dumb were not exempt, because they were able to work. Personal labour was the tribute that each man paid. Father Blas Valera says the same, as we shall see further on, and it will be found that he agrees exactly with me in all matters relating to the tribute.

GOLD AND SILVER AND OTHER THINGS OF VALUE WERE NOT OFFERED AS TRIBUTE, BUT AS PRESENTS

The gold, silver, and precious stones which the Yncas possessed in such great quantities, as is notorious, were not the fruits of enforced tribute that the Indians were obliged to give, nor did the Yncas re

quire them, because they were not necessary either for the affairs of war or peace. These things were not valued as treasure, because buying and selling with gold and silver were unknown, nor were the soldiers paid with these metals; nor were they spent in procuring anything whatever. They were merely valued for their beauty and splendour, to adorn the palaces, temples, and convents of virgins, as we have stated in its place, and shall further enlarge upon hereafter.

The Yncas had discovered quicksilver, but they had no use for it, and indeed believed it to be hurtful. Its extraction was therefore forbidden; and further on we shall give a fuller account of it.

We have said that gold and silver were presented to the King, and were not forced tribute; for the Indians, then as now, never thought of approaching a superior without bringing a present, and when they had nothing else, they offered a basket of green or dried fruit. The Curacas, lords of vassals, visited the Ynca on the principal festivals of the year, especially on the greatest of all in honour of the Sun, called Raymi, and on occasion of the triumphant celebration of victories, and when the heir to the throne was shorn and named, and on many other occasions during the year; such as when they had an interview with the King touching their own affairs, or when the King visited his provinces. On all these occasions the Curacas never kissed his hands without presenting him with all the gold and silver and precious stones that their Indians could collect when they had no other work to do. But as these were not things necessary for existence, they did not wish for them unless they had no other work to employ their time. Yet, as they saw that these metals were used to adorn the palaces and temples (places which they valued so highly), they employed their spare time in seeking for gold, silver, and precious stones to present to the Ynca and to the Sun, who were their gods.

Besides these treasures, the Curacas presented to their Kings many kinds of precious woods for the palaces. They also brought with them the men who excelled in any art, such as silversmiths, painters, singers, and carpenters. For the Yncas had men skilled in all these arts, and the Curacas presented such men, as worthy to serve their King. The common people did not require the aid of such artizans, because each Indian knew how to supply what he and his household needed; such as to make clothes and shoes, and to build a poor hut in which to live; though then these huts were given them ready made by the officials,