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.