_How they had chroniclers to record their deeds, and of the QUIPOS, what
they were, and what we see of them._
What I have written respecting the placing of the images in the square
was done by order of the Incas, and some of the most learned of the
people were chosen to make known the lives of those lords in songs, and
the events of their reigns, with the object I have already described.
And it is also to be noted that besides this, it was the custom among
them, and a law much kept and observed, for each king, during his reign
to select three or four old men, known for their intelligence and
ability, who were instructed to retain in their memory all the events
that happened in the provinces, whether they were prosperous, or whether
they were the reverse, and to compose songs to be handed down, so that
the history of the reign might be had in remembrance in after times. But
these songs could not be recited or made public, except in the presence
of the lord, and those who were charged with this duty, during the reign
of the king, were not allowed to say anything which referred to him. But
after his death they spoke to his successor in the empire, almost in
these very words: “Oh! great and powerful Inca, the Sun, the Moon, the
earth, the hills and the trees, the stones, and thine ancestors, may
they all preserve thee from misfortune and make thee prosperous, happy,
and successful over all that are born! Know that the events which
occurred in the days of thy fathers are these.” Then, in the narration,
they stood in great humility, with eyes cast on the ground and hands
lowered. They could well do this, for there were among them some men
with very good memories, sound judgments, and subtle genius, and full of
reasoning power, as we can bear witness, who have heard them even in
these our days.
As soon as the king understood what was related to him, he caused other
aged men to be called, and charged them with the duty of learning the
songs which were handed down from memory, and to prepare others touching
the events which might occur in his own reign. The expenditure and the
account of contributions from the provinces were recorded in the
_quipus_, that it might be known how much was paid in the former reign,
and also during that of the new lord. No one was allowed to treat of
historical events, except only on days of great rejoicing, or on days of
mourning and sadness for the death of some brother or child of the king.
If the histories were recited on other occasions, those who did so were
severely punished.
They had another method of knowing and understanding what had been
received from the contributions in the provinces, what provisions were
stored on the routes that the king would take with his army or when he
was visiting the provinces, how much was in each place of deposit, how
much was delivered out. And this method exceeded in artifice the
_carastes_ used by the Mexicans for their calculations.[94] The system
of the Peruvians was by _quipus_. These were long ropes made of knotted
cords, and those who were accountants and understood the arrangement of
these knots, could, by their means, give an account of the expenditure,
and of other things during a long course of years. On these knots they
counted from one to ten, and from ten to a hundred, and from a hundred
to a thousand. On one of the ropes are the units, on another the tens,
and so on. Each ruler of a province was provided with accountants who
were called _quipucamayos_, and by these knots they kept account of what
tribute was to be paid in the district, with respect to silver, gold,
cloth, flocks, down to fire-wood and other minute details. By the same
_quipus_ they could report to those who were commissioned to take the
account at the end of a year, or of ten or twenty years, with such
accuracy that so much as a pair of _alpargatas_[95] would not be
missing.
I was incredulous respecting this system of counting, and although I
heard it described, I held the greater part of the story to be fabulous.
But when I was at Marcavillca, in the province of Xauxa, I asked the
lord Guacarapora to explain it in such a way as that my mind might be
satisfied, and that I might be assured that it was true and accurate. He
ordered his servants to bring the _quipus_, and as this lord was a
native, and a man of good understanding, he proceeded to make the thing
clear to me. He told me to observe that all that he, for his part, had
delivered to the Spaniards from the time that the Governor Don Francisco
Pizarro arrived in the valley, was duly noted down without any fault or
omission. Thus I saw the accounts for the gold, the silver, the clothes,
the corn, sheep, and other things; so that in truth I was quite
astonished.
There is another thing that should be known, for I take it to be very
certain. The long wars, cruelties, robberies, and tyrannical treatment
which these people have suffered from the Spaniards would have led to
their complete destruction, if it had not been for the excellent order
and concert of their regulations. But they, having been trained in the
intelligent system of accounts which was established by their wise
princes, made an agreement among themselves that if an army of Spaniards
passed through any of the provinces, and did such damage as would be
caused by the destruction of growing crops, sacking of houses, and other
mischief of still worse kinds, all the accountants should make the best
provision possible in the districts through which our people passed, in
order that all might not be devastated. So it was arranged, and as soon
as the Spaniards were gone, the chiefs assembled, the _quipus_ were
examined and checked, and if one province had lost more than another,
that which had suffered less made up the difference: so that the burden
was shared equally by all.
To this day these accounts are kept in each valley, and there are always
as many accountants as there are lords, and every four months the
accounts are made up and balanced. Through their former orderly
government they have been able to endure such great oppression, and if
God should be served by all ending with the good treatment that the
people now receive, and with the decent order and justice that has been
introduced, this kingdom might again be, to some extent, what it once
was. But I believe that such a result will come tardily or never.
It is true that I have seen towns, and towns of considerable size, and
after Christian Spaniards have passed through but one single time, they
are left in such a state as to appear as if a fire had consumed them.
And where the people were not so well trained, they did not help each
other, and afterwards perished from pestilence and famine. For among
some of them there is little charity, and each one is lord of his house
and does not wish to take account of others. But this systematic order
in Peru was due to the lords who commanded, and knew how to arrange all
things as we see in those matters which have been described. And with
this I will pass onwards.