Which treats of the valley of Xauxa, and of its inhabitants, and relates
how great a place it was in times past.
A river flows through this valley of Xauxa, which is that which I said,
in the chapter on Bombon, was the source of the river of La Plata. The
valley is fourteen leagues long, and four to five broad, in some places
more, in others less.[415] It was so populous throughout, that, at the
time the Spaniards first entered it, they say for certain that it
contained more than thirty thousand Indians; now I doubt whether it has
ten thousand. They were divided into three tribes, although all are and
were known by the name of _Huancas_.[416] They say that this
arrangement has existed since the time of Huayna Ccapac, or of his
father, who divided the lands and settled their boundaries. One of these
tribes was called Xauxa, whence the valley took its name, and the chief
Cucixaca. The second was called Maricavilca, over which Huacarapora was
chief. The third was known as Llacsapallanca, and its chief Alaya. In
all these parts there are great buildings of the Yncas, but the largest
edifices were in the principal part of the valley, called Xauxa. Here
there was a great area covered with strong and well-built stone
edifices, a house of virgins of the sun, a very rich temple, and many
store-houses well supplied with provisions. Here there were many workers
in silver, who made vases of silver and gold for the service of the
Yncas, and for ornaments in the temple. There were more than eight
thousand Indians set apart for the service of the temple and palaces.
These edifices were all of stone, above which there were enormous beams
covered with long straw. These _Huancas_ had great battles with the
Yncas before they were conquered, as I will relate in the second part.
The virgins of the sun were guarded with great vigilance, and if they
had any intercourse with men they were severely punished.
These Indians relate a very pleasant legend. They affirm that their
origin is derived from a certain man (whose name I do not recollect) and
a woman called Urochombe, who came forth out of a fountain called
Huarivilca. These two were so prolific, that all the _Huancas_ have
proceeded from them. In memory of this pair the fathers of the present
inhabitants made a great and high wall, and near it they built a temple,
to which the Indians all go to worship. It may be gathered from this
that, as these Indians were ignorant of the true faith, God, for their
sins, allowed the devil to attain great power over them, and, that he
might secure the perdition of their souls, which is his desire, he made
them believe these follies and others, such as that they were born from
stones and lakes and caves; all that they might erect temples in which
to adore him.
These _Huancas_ know that there is a Creator of all things, whom they
call Ticeviracocha. They believe in the immortality of the soul. They
flayed the captives they took in war, making some of the skins into
drums, and stuffing others with ashes. The Indians go dressed in shirts
and mantles. The villages had fortresses of stone, like small towers,
broad at the base and narrow above. Even now they appear, to one seeing
them from a distance, like the towers of Spain. In ancient times all
these Indians made wars with each other, but, after they were subjugated
by the Yncas, they became expert workmen and bred large flocks. Their
head-dress consisted of a woollen wreath about four fingers broad. They
fought with slings and lances. Formerly there was a fountain, over
which, as has been already said, they built a temple, called
Huarivilca.[417] I saw it, and near it there were three or four trees
called _molles_,[418] like walnut-trees. These trees were considered
sacred, and near them there was a seat made for the chiefs who came to
sacrifice, whence some paved steps led to the precincts of the temple.
Porters were stationed to guard the entrance, where a stone flight of
steps led down to the fountain already mentioned. Here there is an
ancient wall of great size built in the form of a triangle. Near these
buildings there is a plain, where the devil, whom they adored, is said
to have been, and to have conversed with some of them.
These Indians relate another legend which they heard from their
ancestors, namely, that a great multitude of devils once assembled in
these parts, and did much damage to the natives, terrifying them with
their looks. While this was going on five suns appeared in the heavens,
which, with their brilliant splendour, annoyed the devils, who
disappeared with loud screams and groans. The devil Huarivilca, who was
in this place, was never seen again, and all the places where he had
stood were scorched and burnt. As the Yncas were lords of this valley, a
grand temple of the sun was built for them, as in other parts, but the
natives did not cease to offer sacrifices to this Huarivilca. The temple
of the sun, equally with that of Huarivilca, is now in ruins, and full
of weeds and abominations; for when the governor Don Francisco Pizarro
entered the valley, the Indians say that the bishop, Friar Vicente de
Valverde,[419] broke the idols, and the devil was never again heard in
that place. I went to see this temple with Don Cristoval, son of the
chief Alaya, who is now dead, and he showed me the monument. He, as well
as the other chiefs of the valley, has turned Christian, and there are
two clergymen and a friar who have charge of the instruction of these
Indians in our holy catholic faith. This valley of Xauxa is surrounded
by snowy mountains, and in many parts of them there are ravines where
the _Huancas_ raise their crops. The City of the Kings was seated in
this valley before it was removed to the place where it now is, and the
Spaniards found a great quantity of gold and silver here.