History of the Incas Part 19

[Note 125: Cieza de Leon and other authorities adopt a more moderate chronology.]

CERTIFICATE OF THE PROOFS AND VERIFICATION OF THIS HISTORY.

In the city of Cuzco, on the 29th day of February, 1572, before the very excellent Lord Don Francisco de Toledo, Mayor-domo to His Majesty, and his Viceroy, Governor, and Captain-General of these kingdoms and provinces of Peru, President of the Royal Audience and Chancellory that resides in the city of the Kings, and before me Alvaro Ruiz de Navamuel his Secretary and of the Government and General Visitation of these kingdoms, the Captain Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa presented a pet.i.tion of the following tenor:

Most Excellent Lord,

I, the Captain Pedro Sarmiento, Cosmographer-General of these kingdoms of Peru, report that by order of your Excellency I have collected and reduced to a history the general chronicle of the origin and descent of the Incas, of the particular deeds which each one did in his time and in the part he ruled, how each one of them was obeyed, of the tyranny with which, from the time of Tupac Inca Yupanqui, the tenth Inca, they oppressed and subjugated these kingdoms of Peru until by order of the Emperor Charles V of glorious memory, Don Francisco Pizarro came to conquer them. I have drawn up this history from the information and investigations which, by order of your Excellency, were collected and made in the valley of Xauxa, in the city of Guamanga, and in other parts where your Excellency was conducting your visitation, but princ.i.p.ally in this city of Cuzco where the Incas had their continual residence, where there is more evidence of their acts, where the _mitimaes_ of all the provinces gathered together by order of the said Incas, and where there is true memory of their _ayllus_. In order that this history may have more authority, I pray that you will see, correct, and give it your authority, so that, wherever it may be seen, it may have entire faith and credit.

Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa.

Having been seen by his Excellency he said that it may be known if the said history was in conformity with the information and evidence, which has been taken from the Indians and other persons of this city and in other parts, and he ordered that Doctor Loarte, Alcalde of the court of his Majesty should cause to appear before him the princ.i.p.al and most intelligent Indians of the twelve _ayllus_ or lineages of the twelve Incas and other persons who may be summoned, and being a.s.sembled before me, the present Secretary, the said history shall be read and declared to them by an interpreter in the language of the said Indians, that each one may understand and discuss it among themselves, whether it is conformable to the truth as they know it. If there is anything to correct or amend, or which may appear to be contrary to what they know, it is to be corrected or amended. So I provide and sign

Don Francisco de Toledo Before me Alvaro Ruiz de Navamuel.

Afterwards, on the abovesaid day, month, and year the ill.u.s.trious Doctor Gabriel de Loarte, in compliance with the order of his Excellency and in presence of me the said Secretary, caused to appear before him the Indians of the names, ages and _ayllus_ as follows:

_Ayllu of Manco Ccapac._

Aged Sebastian Ylluc 30 Francisco Paucar Chima 30

_Ayllu of Sinchi Rocca._

Diego Cayo Hualpa 70 Don Alonso Puzcon 40

_Ayllu of Lloqui Yupanqui._ Hernando Hualpa 70 Don Garcia Ancuy 45 Miguel Rimachi Mayta 30

_Ayllu of Mayta Ccapac._ Don Juan Tampu Usca Mayta 60 Don Felipe Usca Mayta 70 Francisco Usca Mayta 30

_Ayllu of Ccapac Yupanqui._

Aged Don Francisco Copca Mayta 70 Don Juan Quispi Mayta 30 Don Juan Apu Mayta 30

_Ayllu of Inca Rocca._ Don Pedro Hachacona 53 Don Diego Mayta 40

_Ayllu of Yahuar-huaccac._ Juan Yupanqui 60 Martin Rimachi 26

_Ayllu of Viracocha._ Don Francisco Anti-hualpa 89 Martin Quichua Sucsu 64 Don Francisco Chalco Yupanqui 45

_Ayllu of Pachacuti._ Don Diego Cayo 68 Don Juan Hualpa Yupanqui 75 Don Domingo Pascac 90 Don Juan Quispi Cusi 45 Don Francisco Chanca Rimachi 40 Don Francisco Cota Yupanqui 40 Don Gonzalo Huacanhui 60 Don Francisco Quichua 68

_Ayllu of Tupac Inca._ Don Cristoval Pisac Tupac 50 Don Andres Tupac Yupanqui 40 Don Garcia Pilco Tupac 40 Don Juan Cozco 40

_Ayllu of Huayna Ccapac._ Don Francisco Sayri 28 Don Francisco Ninan Coro 24 Don Garcia Rimac Tupac 34

_Ayllu of Huascar._ Aged Don Alonso t.i.tu Atauchi 40

_Besides these Ayllus._ Don Garcia Paucar Sucsu 34 Don Carlos Ayallilla 50 Don Juan Apanca 80 Don Garcia Apu Rinti 70 Don Diego Viracocha Inca 34 Don Gonzalo Tupac 30

These being together in presence of his Excellency, the said Alcalde of the court, by the words of Gonzalo Gomez Ximenes, interpreter to his Excellency, in the general language of the Indians, said:--"His Excellency, desiring to verify and put in writing and to record the origin of the Incas, your ancestors, their descent and their deeds, what each one did in his time, and in what parts each one was obeyed, which of them was the first to go forth from Cuzco to subdue other lands, and how Tupac Inca Yupanqui and afterwards Huayna Ccapac and Huascar, his son and grandson became lords of all Peru by force of arms; and to establish this with more authenticity, he has ordered that information and other proofs should be supplied in this city and other parts, and that the said information and proofs should be, by Captain Pedro Sarmiento to whom they were delivered, digested into a true history and chronicle. The said Pedro Sarmiento has now made it and presented it to his Excellency, to ascertain whether it is truthfully written in conformity with the sayings and declarations which were made by some Indians of the said _ayllus_. His Excellency is informed that the _ayllus_ and descendants of the twelve Incas have preserved among themselves the memory of the deeds of their ancestors, and are those who best know whether the said chronicle is correct or defective, he has therefore caused you to a.s.semble here, that it may be read in your presence and understood. You, among yourselves, will discuss what will be read and declared in the said language, and see if it agrees with the truth as you know it, and that you may feel a stronger obligation to say what you know, it is ordered that you take an oath."

The said Indians replied that they had understood why they had been sent for, and what it was that was required. They then swore, in the said language, by G.o.d our Lord, and by the sign of the cross, that they would tell the truth concerning what they knew of that history. The oaths being taken the reading was commenced in sum and substance. There was read on that and following days from their fable of the creation to the end of the history of the Incas. As it was read, so it was interpreted into their language, chapter by chapter. And over each chapter the Indians discussed and conferred among themselves in the said language.

All were agreed in confirming and declaring through the interpreter, that the said history was good and true, and in agreement with what they knew and had heard their fathers and ancestors say, as it had been told to them. For, as they have no writing like the Spaniards, they conserve ancient traditions among themselves by pa.s.sing them from tongue to tongue, and age to age. They heard their fathers and ancestors say that Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui, the ninth Inca, had verified the history of the former Incas who were before him, and painted their deeds on boards, whence also they had been able to learn the sayings of their fathers, and had pa.s.sed them on to their children. They only amended some names of persons and places and made other slight corrections, which the said Alcalde ordered to be inserted as the Indians had spoken, and this was done. After the said corrections all the Indians, with one accord, said that the history was good and true, in conformity with what they knew and had heard from their ancestors, for they had conferred and discussed among themselves, verifying from beginning to end. They expressed their belief that no other history that might be written could be so authentic and true as this one, because none could have so diligent an examination, from those who are able to state the truth. The said Alcalde signed

The Doctor Loarte Gonzalo Gomez Ximenes Before me Alvaro Ruiz de Navamuel.

After the above, in the said city of Cuzco, on the 2nd of March of the same year, his Excellency having seen the declaration of the Indians and the affidavits that were made on them, said that he ordered and orders that, with the corrections the said Indians stated should be made, the history should be sent to his Majesty, signed and authenticated by me the said Secretary. It was approved and signed by the said Doctor Gabriel de Loarte who was present at the verification with the Indians, and then taken and signed

Don Francisco de Toledo Before Alvaro Ruiz de Navamuel

I the said Alvaro Ruiz de Navamuel, Secretary to his Excellency, of the Government, and to the general visitation of these kingdoms, notary to his Majesty, certify that the said testimony and verification was taken before me, and is taken from the original which remains in my possession, and that the said Alcalde, the Doctor Loarte, who signed, said that he placed and interposed upon it his authority and judicial decree, that it may be valued and accepted within his jurisdiction and beyond it. I here made my sign in testimony of the truth

Alvaro Ruiz de Navamuel

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Facsimile (reduced) of the_ SIGNATURES OF THE ATTESTING WITNESSES TO THE SARMIENTO MS. 1572. _From the original, Gottingen University Library. Reproduced and printed for the Hakluyt Society by Donald Macbeth_.]