Ecuador -- History -- To 1809; Peru -- History -- 1548-1820; Peru -- History -- Conquest, 1522-1548; Pizarro, Gonzalo, -1548
Presently he sent for me, and passing through that multitude of Indians,
I took off my hat and made a speech to him. I said that I had come from
Cuzco solely to know and serve him. If I wore a sword and dagger it was
to serve him with them, and not to offend him. To this he answered that
it was for men to bear arms and not for women or cowards, and he did
not, therefore, hold me in more esteem for that. But he said he was
pleased at the trouble I had taken to come from such a distance to him,
adding that he had come 40 leagues only to see and converse with me.
Then he gave me a cup of chicha, asking me to drink it for his service.
I drank a quarter of it, and then began to make faces, and wipe my mouth
with a handkerchief. He began to laugh, understanding that I did not
know that liquor. Then he spoke to the mulatto, asking him how this was,
and that our Lord Jesus Christ should be remembered for he had blessed
such work. He said that he would show me the governor Yamqui Mayta, that
I might talk to him. He came and embraced me as the Inca had done, and
he was seated on the Inca’s right hand.
Presently I returned to my lodging, with permission of the Inca, and he
sent me, by the governor, a macaw and two baskets of earth nuts. Then
the mestizo came with a very small cup of chicha, with a message from
the Inca asking me to drink it, that he looked upon me as a friend, and
that when I liked, we could treat of the matters about which I had come.
I took a sip, and gave the rest to one of the Indians who had come with
me. He sent a message by the mestizo that I must rest, that I must be
tired, and that another day he would do all that I desired. I sent him
four pieces of glass, and a case of comfits, which were the presents the
Judge Matienzo had sent, and had mentioned in his letter. I also sent
half an _arroba_ of crystals and pearls, and seven bracelets of silver,
saying that the glass was sent by Matienzo, because it was a thing held
in high estimation and that as the comfits gave a pleasant taste to the
tip of the tongue, so I trusted that my words would give satisfaction,
and that I wished to be of service as the messenger and ambassador who
came to him. He took it all in, and rejoiced greatly. That he might not
hesitate to eat the comfits, I said that they were very good, and that
he might be sure that they would do him no harm, I wished to eat some in
his presence. I did eat with the mestizo and invited him, who ate them
also. Then I gave two sheathed knives, a head cloth, and other things to
the governor Yamqui Mayta. I distributed presents to all the other
captains pointed out to me by the mestizo, embraced them all, and
returned to my lodging.
Then the people of the village brought much food and presented it to the
Inca, and to those who had come with him. The Inca did not eat on
cloths, but on green rushes, and the rest on the ground.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account