Concerning the road which leads from the province of Quito to the coast
of the South Sea, and the bounds of the city of Puerto Viejo.
I have now brought my narrative as far as the buildings of Tumebamba,
and it is necessary that I should describe the cities of Puerto Viejo
and Guayaquil, although I would rather go on, both because I have not
been much in the latter districts, and because the natives are deficient
in intelligence, and it is difficult to get information from them. Also
because it seemed to me sufficient that I should conduct the reader
along the royal road; but my obligation to satisfy the curious obliges
me to give a true account of everything that has come within my
observation; and I feel certain that this will be agreeable to all
learned, benevolent, and judicious readers. Thus I make the following
statements with all the truthfulness and exactness that I am master of.
Having said so much concerning these provinces, I will then return to
the royal road.
To go, then, to these cities of Puerto Viejo and Guayaquil, it is
necessary to take the road from Quito to the coast of the South Sea, and
I will commence my account at Guaque, which is the beginning of the one
region and the boundary of the other. From Tumebamba there is no direct
road to the coast, except in the direction of the city of San Miguel,
the first settlement made by the Christians in Peru.
In the district of Quito, not very far from Tumebamba, there is a
province called Chumbo, but before reaching it there are other villages
of various sizes, inhabited by Indians wearing clothes, with
good-looking women. There are royal buildings in the villages, as in
those we have passed, and the people obeyed the Lords Yncas, and used
the general language which was ordered to be talked in all parts. The
natives have the same customs as their neighbours, and the same
religion, worshipping the sun and other gods, and believing in the
immortality of the soul. They had relations with the devil, and, God
permitting it for their sins, the evil one had great power over them.
Now, as the holy faith is preached in every direction, many of them have
become Christians, and friars are living amongst them, who teach them
the things concerning the faith.
The natives of these parts have a very well marked sign of distinction,
by which they may be known of all men. When I was in Cuzco people
arrived there from all parts, and we knew by their distinguishing marks
that some came from Canchiz, others from Canas, others from Collao,
others from Huancas, and others from Chachapoyas. This was, assuredly,
an excellent invention, by means of which, in time of war, they could
not mistake one tribe for another, and, in time of peace, each man knew
his own countryman. Without some distinguishing mark, there would be
many tribes gathered together by order of their chiefs, all of one
colour, with the same features and appearance, all without beards, the
same dress, and using one language.
In all these villages there are now churches where they say mass, and
great care is taken to teach the children their prayers, so that, with
the help of God, there is hope that things will go on improving.
From this province of Chumbo the road continues for fourteen leagues
over rugged and sometimes difficult ground, until a river is reached
where there are always natives with _balsas_ who ferry travellers
across. This place is called the pass of Huayna Ccapac, and it is said
to be twelve leagues from the island of Puna. Further on the Indians are
not so civilised as those we have passed, because some of them were not
completely subjugated by the Kings Yncas.