Of the other valleys and villages along the coast road, as far as the
City of the Kings.
In the mountains, before reaching the City of the Kings, are the cities
of the frontier of Chachapoyas, and that of Leon de Huanuco. I have
determined that I will say nothing of these until I begin to give an
account of the villages and provinces in the mountains, which still
await my notice. I will then write conceiving their foundation, with as
much brevity as I can, but at present we must pass forward on our road.
The distance from the city of Truxillo to that of the Kings is eighty
leagues, over sandy deserts and intervening valleys.[364] After leaving
Truxillo the first village is Guanape, being seven leagues on the road.
This valley was no less noted among the natives in times past for the
_chicha_ which was brewed there, than Madrigal or San Martin in Castille
are for the good wine that they yield. In ancient times the valley of
Guanape was very populous, and was the residence of chiefs, who were
honourably and well treated by the Yncas after they submitted to their
rule. The Indians who have survived the wars and troubles are skilful in
their labour, drawing channels of water from the river to irrigate their
fields. The remains may be clearly seen of the buildings and
store-houses erected by the Kings Yncas. There is a useful port at this
valley, where many of the ships which sail on the South Sea, from Panama
to Peru, call for supplies.
From Guanape the road leads to the valley of Santa, but before reaching
it there is a valley with no river, but a small well at which travellers
quench their thirst. This well may be caused by some river which flows
through the bowels of the earth. In former days the valley of Santa was
very populous, and there were great chiefs who, at first, even defied
the Yncas. They say of them that it was more by intrigue and a display
of friendship than by force of arms, that they were induced to
acknowledge the Yncas as their lords. Afterwards the Yncas honoured
them, and held them in great esteem, and the chiefs erected grand
edifices by order of the Yncas. This valley is one of the largest of any
we have passed. A great and rapid river flows through it, which is much
swollen when the season in the _Sierra_ is winter, so that some
Spaniards have been drowned in crossing from one side to the other.[365]
There are now _balsas_ for crossing in. The valley contained many
thousands of Indians in former times, but now there are only four
hundred; and this is a lamentable thing to contemplate. That which I
most admired, in passing through this valley, was the great number of
burial-places, and that in all parts of the barren hills above the
valley there were quantities of tombs made according to the custom of
the Indians, and full of the bones of the dead. Thus the things that are
most worthy of notice in the valley are the tombs of the dead and the
fields which they cultivated when alive. They used to take great
channels of water from the river, with which they irrigated the land.
But now there are few Indians, and most of the fields which were once
cultivated, are converted into woods, ground overgrown with brambles,
and such dense thickets that, in some places, it is difficult to make a
way through them. The natives go dressed in shirts and mantles, and the
women also. They wear a head-dress on their heads to distinguish them
from other tribes. All the fruits I have already mentioned grow well in
this valley, and the pulses of Spain; and the Indians kill much fish.
The ships sailing along the coast always take in water at the river of
Santa. And as there are many thickets and few inhabitants, the mosquitos
swarm in such numbers as to be grievous to those who pass through or
sleep in this valley.
Two days’ journey further on is the valley of Huambacho, of which I
shall say no more than that it resembles those already described, that
there were buildings in it erected by its chiefs, and that the
inhabitants drew channels of water from the river which flows through
it, to irrigate their crops.
I went in a day and a-half from this valley to that of Guarmay, which
was likewise very populous in former days.[366] At present they breed
great quantities of cattle, horses, and pigs in it.
From Guarmay the road leads to Parmonga, which is no less pleasant than
the other valleys, but I believe that it contains no Indians at all who
avail themselves of its fertility. If, by chance, a few remain, it must
be in the upper parts near the foot of the mountains, for we saw nothing
but trees and wild thickets. There is one thing worth seeing in this
valley, which is a fine well-built fortress, and it is certainly very
curious to see how they raised water in channels to irrigate higher
levels. The buildings were very handsome, and many wild beasts and birds
were painted on the walls, which are now all in ruins and undermined in
many places by those who have searched for buried gold and silver. In
these days the fortress only serves as a witness to that which has
been.[367]
Two leagues from this valley is the river _Huaman_, a word which, in our
language, means “falcon,” but it is usually called “the ravine.”[368]
When it rains much in the _Sierra_, this river is dangerous, and some
people have been drowned in crossing it. One day’s journey further on
brings us to the valley of Huara, whence we pass to that of Lima.