The interior of the temple was most worthy of admiration. It was literally a mine of gold. On the western wall was emblazoned a representation of the deity, consisting of a human countenance looking forth from amidst innumerable rays of light which emanated from it in every direction, in the same manner as the sun is often personified with us. The figure was engraved on a massive plate of gold of enormous dimensions, thickly powdered with emeralds and precious stones. It was so situated in front of the great eastern portal that the rays of the morning sun fell directly upon it at its rising, lighting up the whole apartment with an effulgence that seemed more than natural, and which was reflected back from the golden ornaments with which the walls and ceiling were everywhere encrusted. Gold, in the figurative language of the people, was “the tears wept by the Sun,” and every part of the interior of the temple glowed with burnished plates and studs of the precious metal.
From Prescott’s “Conquest of Peru.”
ENTRANCE TO DOMINICAN CHURCH, CUZCO, PERU
THE INCAS
The Tellers of the Story
ONE
Rude and destructive as were most of the Spanish conquistadores (con-kees-tä-dõ´-rays), many of them sympathized with the conquered people, and it is from the records of their impressions that we have obtained most of what we know about the Incas. Four of these Castilian diarists whose work is most valued were soldiers. Of their number, Pedro de Cieza de Leon (pay´-dro day see´-ay-sa day lay´-on) has given us the fullest and most interesting account of the ancient Peruvians. Only a boy of fourteen was he when he embarked on the Spanish Main, and he was only nineteen when, in 1538, he joined an expedition up the valley of the Cauca (kä-oo´-kä). He commenced his chronicle in 1541, and for ten years traveled from one end of Peru to the other, writing down his impressions as he went. The first part of his journal was published in 1554. Juan de Betanzos (hwän day bay-tän´-sos), another soldier, has left us but a portion of his work. We have only the record used by Friar Gregorio de Garcia (gray-go´-rio day gar-see´-a) in the first two chapters of his “Origen (o-ree´-hen) de los Indios,” and an incomplete manuscript in the Escurial (ay-skoo-ree-al). This was edited and printed in 1880 by Jimenez de la Espada (hee-may´-nes day lä ay-spä´-dä). Betanzos’ work is valuable, as he learned the Quichua (kee´-choo-a) language and was an official interpreter. Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa (pay´-dro sär-mi-ayn´-to day gäm-bo´-ä), a militant sailor, accompanied the Viceroy Toledo (to-lay´-do), and was employed by him to write a history of the Incas. Finished in 1572, it is without doubt the most authentic and reliable we possess as regards the course of events. Pedro Pizarro, a cousin of the conqueror, was also a historian of merit, finishing the “Relaciones” (rā-lä-see´-o-nays) at Arequipa (är-ay-kee´-pä) in 1571.
The writings of lawyers have been of little value, although Prescott made use of the unpublished “Relaciones” of Polo de Ondegardo (po´-lo day on-day-gär´-do), written in 1561 and 1570.