How the Incas ordered the people to form settled towns, dividing the lands concerning which there was any dispute, and how it was ordered that all should speak the language of Cuzco.

IN former times, before the Incas reigned, it is well understood that the natives of these provinces had no towns as is now the case, but only strong places with forts, which they call pucaras, whence they came forth to make war one with another; and so they always passed their time, living in great trouble and unrest. The Incas, reigning over them, considered their manner of living to be evil, and induced them, partly by menaces and partly by favours, to see the wisdom of ceasing to live like savages, but rather as reasonable beings, establishing themselves in towns, both on the plains of the coast and in the mountains, and settling on the land according to the regulations that were made. In this way the Indians abandoned the pucaras in which they originally dwelt, and formed themselves into communities in towns, as well in the valleys of the coast as in the mountains, and on the plain of the Collao. The Incas caused the boundaries of fields to be set up, in order to prevent quarrels, settling the land which each man was to occupy, for their knowledge and for that of those who might be born after them. The Indians at the present day clearly state that this division was made. They told me at Xauxa that one of the Incas divided the plains and valleys amongst them which they now hold, and that this arrangement was then in force, and would continue. In many places in the mountains there are irrigating channels taken from the rivers with great skill and ingenuity, while all the towns were full of lodgings and store-houses of the kings, as I have already stated in many places.

It was understood by them that it would be very troublesome to travel for great distances over the land, and at each league to have a new language; while it would be very difficult to find interpreters for all of them. Selecting the best language, the Incas ordered, on pain of serious punishment, that all the natives of the empire should understand the tongue that was spoken at Cuzco, as well the men as the women. Even a child had scarcely left the breast of its mother before they began to teach it the language which it was bound to know. Although this rule was difficult to enforce at first, and many only wished to talk in their own native tongue, yet the power of the kings was such that they succeeded in enforcing their intention, and the people found it to be best to comply with their order. So completely was this policy enforced, that in a few years the language was understood and used over an extent of more than twelve hundred leagues. Yet although this language was used, all the tribes also spoke their own, which were so numerous that if they should be written down it would not be believed.

When a captain of Cuzco, or some one of the Orejones, set out to take an account of the revenues, or to act as judge on commission among the provinces, or on any other duty, he did not speak any other language than that of Cuzco to the people, nor they to him. This language is very good, concise, and comprehensive, and composed of many words. It is so clear, that in the few days that I studied it, I knew sufficient to ask for many things in the part where I wished to travel. They call

I only insert these words in my chronicle because I now see, that even as regards the language that was formerly used in Spain, they are varying and altering it bit by bit; and as regards the days that are to come, it is only God that knows what will happen in them. If the time should come when a language which was used by so many people shall be forgotten, it should at least be known which words belonged to the first and general language, and whence they came. Further, I declare that it was a great advantage to the Spaniards to have found this language, for with it they could travel in all directions; but now in some places it is beginning to be lost.