_Which treats of the riches of the temple of Curicancha, and of the
veneration in which the Incas held it._
Having completed an account of some things that it is necessary for my
purpose that I should describe, we will then return to the succession of
the kings that ruled down to Huascar, recounting the events of each
reign with great brevity. But now I will speak of the great, most
wealthy, and most renowned temple of Curicancha, which was the principal
one in all these kingdoms.
It is a received fact among the Indians that this temple is as ancient
as the city of Cuzco itself. But the Inca Yupanqui, son of Viracocha
Inca, increased its riches to the extent in which it was found when the
Christians arrived in Peru. Most of the treasure was brought to
Caxamarca for the ransom of Atahualpa, as we shall relate in its place.
The Orejones say that after the doubtful war between the inhabitants of
Cuzco and the Chancas, who are now chiefs of the province of
Andahuaylas, the Inca Yupanqui found himself very rich and powerful, and
people came to serve him from all parts, bringing presents; and the
provinces contributed great service in gold and silver. For in those
days there were very rich mines and veins of the precious metals.
Finding himself so rich and powerful, the Inca resolved to ennoble the
house of the Sun, which in their language is called _Inti-huasi_, and
also _Curi-cancha_, meaning “the place of gold”, and to increase its
wealth. That all those who may see and read this may understand how rich
the temple at Cuzco was, and the merit of those who built and completed
such great things, I here will preserve the memory of it. I will relate
what I saw, and what I heard from many of the first Christians, who
received the account from the three men[140] that first came from
Caxamarca, and who saw everything. But the Indians themselves tell us so
much, and are so truthful, that other evidence is unnecessary.
This temple was more than four hundred paces in circuit, entirely
surrounded by a strong wall. The whole edifice was of excellent masonry,
the stones very well placed and fixed. Some of the stones were very
large. There was no mortar, either of earth or lime, but a sort of
bitumen with which they used to fix their stones. The stones themselves
are so well worked that no joining or cement can be seen. In all Spain I
have not seen anything that could be compared with the masonry of these
walls, except the tower which they call Calahorra, near the bridge of
Cordova, and a work which I saw at Toledo, when I came there to present
the First Part of my Chronicle to the Prince Don Felipe.[141] I allude
to the hospital which the Archbishop of Toledo, Tavera, ordered to be
built.[142] Although these edifices have some resemblance to those I
have mentioned, yet they are the best as regards the masonry of the
walls, the stones being so admirably worked, and placed with such great
ingenuity. The encircling wall was straight, and very well traced out.
The stone appeared to me to be of a dusky or black colour, and most
excellent for building purposes. The wall had many openings, and the
doorways were very well carved. Round the wall, half way up, there was a
band of gold, two _palmos_ wide and four _dedos_ in thickness. The
doorways and doors were covered with plates of the same metal. Within
there were four houses, not very large, but with walls of the same kind,
and covered with plates of gold within and without, as well as the
woodwork. The covering was of straw, which served as a roof. Against the
wall there were two benches, from which the Sun could be seen when it
rose. The stone in front was subtly bored, and the holes were adorned
with emeralds and other precious stones. These benches were for the
kings, and no one else was allowed to use them on pain of death.
At the doors of these houses porters were stationed to keep guard over
the virgins, many of whom were daughters of great lords, the most
beautiful and charming that could be found. They remained in the temple
until they became old. If one of them had knowledge of a man, they
killed her by burying her alive; and the same penalty was suffered by
the man. These women were called _mama-cunas_. Their only occupations
were to weave and dye woollen cloth for the service of the temple, and
to make _chicha_, which is the wine they make, of which they always kept
large full jars.
In one of these houses, which was the richest, there was the figure of
the sun, very large and made of gold, very ingeniously worked, and
enriched with many precious stones. This temple also contained some of
the figures of the former Incas who had reigned in Cuzco, and also a
vast quantity of treasure.
Round the temple there were numerous small dwellings of Indians who were
employed in its service; and there was an enclosure where they kept the
white lambs, children, and men for sacrifice. They had also a garden,
the clods of which were made of pieces of fine gold; and it was
artificially sown with golden maize, the stalks, as well as the leaves
and cobs, being of that metal. They were so well planted, that even when
there was a high wind they were not torn up. Besides all this, they had
more than twenty golden sheep with their lambs, and the shepherds with
their slings and crooks to watch them, all made of the same metal.
There was a great quantity of jars of gold and silver, set with
emeralds; vases, pots, and all sorts of utensils, all of fine gold. On
other walls were sculptured and painted various notable things; and, in
fine, it was one of the richest temples in the world.
The High Priest, called Villac Umu, resided in the temple, and offered
up the ordinary sacrifices, accompanied by superstitious rites, with the
help of the other priests, according to their custom. At the important
festivals the Inca was present at the sacrifices, and there were great
rejoicings. Within the enclosure of the temple there were more than
thirty granaries of silver in which the maize was stored; and many
provinces sent their tribute for the service of the temple. On certain
days the devil was seen by the priests, who gave them deceptive answers,
in conformity with what might be expected from him.
Many other things might be said of this temple, which I omit because it
seems to me that I have said enough to shew what a grand place it was;
so I shall not treat further of the silver work, of the _chaquira_, of
the plumes of gold and other things, which, if I wrote down, I should
not be believed. That which I have described has been seen, or the
greater part, by Christians who are still alive, when it was brought to
Caxamarca as a ransom for Atahualpa. But a great deal was hidden by the
Indians, and is now buried and lost. Although all the Incas added to the
adornment of the temple, in the time of the Inca Yupanqui its riches
were increased to such an extent that when he died, and his son Tupac
Inca succeeded, it remained in its complete state.