Which treats of the valley of Yucay and of the strong fortress at Tambo,
and of part of the province of Cunti-suyu.
About four leagues from this city of Cuzco, a little more or less, there
is a valley called Yucay, which is very beautiful, confined between
ranges of mountains in such sort that the shelter thus afforded makes
the climate very pleasant and healthy.[459] It is neither too hot nor
too cold, and is considered so excellent that the citizens of Cuzco
have several times proposed to remove the city into the valley. But as
the houses in the city are so grand, they could not undertake to build
them anew. They have planted many trees in this valley of Yucay, and
there is good hope that in time there will be large vineyards and
beautiful and refreshing orchards as well in this valley, as in that of
Vilcas, and in others; indeed, they have already been commenced. I say
more of this valley than of the others, because the Yncas thought much
of it, and went to it for their festivities and solace, especially
Huira-ccocha Ynca, who was the grandfather of Tupac Ynca Yupanqui. In
all parts of the valley are to be seen fragments of many buildings which
have once been very large, especially those at Tambo, three leagues down
the valley, between two great mountains, forming a ravine through which
a stream flows. Although the climate of the valley is as pleasant as I
have described, these mountains are quite white with snow during the
greater part of the year. In this place the Yncas had the strongest fort
in all their dominions, built on rocks, where a small force might hold
their own against a large one. Among these rocks there were certain
masses of stone which made the place impregnable, and, lower down, the
sides of the mountains are lined with terraces one above the other, on
which they raised the crops which sustained them. Among the stones there
may still be seen the figures of lions and other wild animals, and of
men with arms like halberds, as if they were guarding the way. They are
all well and skilfully executed. There were many edifices, and they say
that, before the Spaniards conquered this kingdom, they contained great
treasure. In these buildings there are stones, well cut and fitted,
which are so large that it must have required many men and great
ingenuity to raise them, and place them where they now are.[460] It is
said for certain that, in these edifices of Tambo, or in others at some
other place with the same name (for this is not the only place called
Tambo), in a certain part of a royal palace or of a temple of the sun,
gold is used instead of mortar, which, jointly with the cement that they
make, served to unite the stones together. The governor Don Francisco
Pizarro got much of this gold, before the Indians could take it away.
Some Spaniards also say that Hernando Pizarro and Don Diego de Almagro
the Younger got much gold from Paccari-tambu. I do not myself hesitate
to believe these things, when I remember the rich pieces of gold that
were taken to Seville from Caxamarca, where they collected the treasure
which Atahualpa promised to the Spaniards, most of it from Cuzco. There
was little to divide afterwards, found by the Christians, for the
Indians carried it off, and it is buried in parts unknown to any one. If
the fine cloths which were destroyed and lost in those times, had been
preserved, they would have been worth a great deal.
The Indians called Chumbivilicas, Vuinas, and Pomatambos, and many other
nations which I do not mention, lived in the country called
Cunti-suyu.[461] Some of them were warlike, and their villages are in
very lofty mountains. They have vast quantities of flocks, both
domesticated and wild. All their houses are of stone, thatched with
straw. In many places there are buildings for their chiefs. The rites
and customs of these Indians were the same as those of other parts, and
they sacrificed lambs and other things in their temples. It is notorious
that the devil was seen in a temple which they had in a certain part of
the district of Cunti-suyu, and I have heard of certain Spaniards, in
the present times, who saw apparitions of this our enemy. In the rivers
they have collected much gold, and they were getting it out when I was
at Cuzco. In Pomatambo and other parts of this kingdom they have very
good tapestry, the wool being very fine from which they make it, and the
colours with which they dye it are so perfect that they excell those of
other countries. There are many rivers in this province of Cunti-suyu,
some of which are crossed by bridges of ropes, made in the way I have
already described. There are also many fruit and other trees, deer and
partridges, and good falcons to fly at them.