Travels in Peru and India: While Superintending the Collection of Chinchona Plants and Seeds in South America, and Their Introduction into India.Markham, Clements R. (Clements Robert), Sir
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Travels in Peru and India: While Superintending the Collection of Chinchona Plants and Seeds in South America, and Their Introduction into India.
Markham, Clements R. (Clements Robert), Sir
Cinchona; India -- Description and travel; Peru -- Description and travel
It is necessary to record the diabolical cruelties of the visitador
Areche, and his assistant Matta Linares, in order to complete the
narrative of the ill-fated Inca's life, and to show into whose hands
the fate of the Peruvian Indians was placed by the Spanish viceroy,
and of what devilish atrocities they were capable. On the 15th of May,
1781, the visitador Areche pronounced a lengthy sentence, in which he
declared that it was necessary to hasten its execution, in order to
convince the Indians that it was not impossible to put a man of such
elevated rank to death, merely because he was the heir of the Incas
of Peru. He then accused the Inca of rebellion, of destroying the
_obrajes_, of abolishing the _mita_, and of causing pictures to be
painted of himself dressed in the imperial insignia of the _uncu_ or
mantle, and _mascapaicha_ or head-dress; and others representing the
triumph of his arms at Sangarara. He condemned his victim to behold
the execution of his wife, his son, his uncle, his brother-in-law
Antonio Bastidas, and of his captains; to have his tongue cut out,
and afterwards to have his limbs secured to the girths of four horses
dragging different ways, and thus to be torn in pieces. His body to
be burnt on the heights of Picchu, his head to be stuck on a pole
at Tinta, one arm at Tungasuca, the other in Caravaya, a leg in
Chumbivilicas, and another in Lampa. His houses to be demolished,
their sites strewn with salt, all his goods to be confiscated, all his
relations declared infamous, all documents relating to his descent to
be burnt by the hangman, all dresses used by the Incas or caciques
to be prohibited, all pictures of the Incas to be seized and burnt,
the representation of Quichua dramas to be forbidden, all the musical
instruments of the Indians to be destroyed, all signs of mourning
for the Incas to be forbidden, all Indians to give up their national
costumes, and dress henceforth in the Spanish fashion, and the use of
the Quichua language to be prohibited.
In the annals of barbarism there is probably not to be found a document
equalling this in savage wickedness and imbecile absurdity: and this
was written by a Spanish judge only eighty years ago.[231]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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