Thus They Call Those Chiefs _Caciques_, Who In Their Own
Language Are Named _Curacas_, Their Bread Corn And Drink, Which In The
Peruvian Are _Zara_ And _Azua_, They Denominate _Maize_ And _Chica_, Which
Names Were Brought From The Islands By The Spaniards.
These curacas or
caciques were the judges and protectors of their subjects in peace, and
their leaders in war against the neighbouring tribes.
The whole people of
Peru lived in that manner for many years under a multiplicity of
independent chiefs, having no king or supreme chief; until at length a
warlike nation came from the environs of the great lake Titicaca named the
Incas in the language of Peru. These men had their heads close shaven, and
their ears pierced, in which they wore large round pendents of gold, by
which their ears were dragged down upon their shoulders, in consequence of
which they were called _ringrim_, or the large ears. Their chief was
called _Zapalla Inca_[30], or the only king; though others say that he was
named _Inca Vira cocha_, or the king from the scum of the lake, because
the astonished natives, not knowing the origin of their invaders, believed
that they had started into existence from the scum or mud of the great
lake. This great lake of Titicaca is about eighty leagues in circumference,
from which a large river runs to the southwards, which in some places is
half a league in breadth, and which discharges its waters into a small
lake about forty leagues from the great lake, which has no outlet.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 561 of 796
Words from 155246 to 155506
of 221091
