The travels of Pedro de Cieza de Léon; part 2

by Pedro de Cieza de León

THE empire of Peru is so vast, that the Incas ordered a road to be made, as I have already stated on many occasions, from Chile to Cuzco, and even from the river of Maule[132] as far as the river Angasmayu.[133] If the king was at one of these extreme points, he could be informed of what had taken place at the other; but for one man to make such a journey, even by very long marches, it would take a considerable time. At the end of a journey, of a 1,000 leagues, there might be no time left to take the needful measures, and to remedy any wrong step that had been made. The Incas therefore, with a view to the efficient government of the empire, invented a system of posts, which was the best that could be thought of or imagined. The system is entirely due to the Inca Yupanqui, who was son of Viracocha Inca, and father of Tupac Ynca, according to the accounts given in the songs of the people, and in the statements of the Orejones. The Inca Yupanqui not only invented the system of the posts, but he did other great things, as I shall presently relate.

From the time of his reign, throughout all the royal roads, there were built, from half-league to half-league, a little more or less, small houses well roofed with wood and straw; and among the mountains they were constructed against the rocks. Thus the roads were lined with these small houses at regular intervals. The order was that in each house there should be two Indians with provisions, stationed there by the neighbouring villages.[134] They were not permanently left there, but were relieved by others from time to time; and the system of government was so efficient that it was only necessary to give the order, to ensure that these men should always be at their stations so long as the Incas reigned.

Each province took charge of the posts within its boundaries, including those which were on the coast deserts or in the region of snowy heights. When it was necessary to give notice to the kings in Cuzco, or in any other part, of any event that had taken place, or which was connected with their service, the men at the posts set out from Quito or Tomebamba, or from Chile or Caranqui, or from whatever other part of the empire, whether along the coast or in the mountains, and they ran with great speed, without stopping, each one over his half league. For the Indians who were stationed at the post houses, were chosen from among the most active and swiftest of all their countrymen. When one approached the next post house, he began to call out to the men who were in it, and to say:—“Start at once, and go to the next post with news that so and so has happened, which such a Governor wishes to announce to the Inca.” When the other runner heard what was shouted to him, he started with the utmost speed, while the runner who arrived went into the house to rest, and to eat and drink of what was always kept in store there; while the other did, in like manner, at the next post house.

So well was this running performed, that in a short time they knew, at a distance of 300 leagues, 500, and even 800, what had passed, or what was needed or required. With such secrecy did the runners keep the messages that were entrusted to them, that neither entreaty nor menace could ever extort a relation of what they had thus heard, although the news had already passed onwards. The roads pass over rugged mountains, over snow covered ridges, over stony wildernesses, and forests full of thorny thickets, in such sort that it may be taken as quite certain that the news could not have been conveyed with greater speed on swift horses or on mules, than by these foot posts. For the men on foot have no impediments, and one of them can do more in a day than a mounted messenger could do in three. I do not mean one single Indian, but one running for one half league, and another for the next, according to the established order. And it must be understood that neither storms nor anything else prevent the due service of the posts in the wildest parts, and as soon as one started another arrived to wait in his place.

In this way the lords were kept informed of all that happened in every part of the empire, and they arranged all that was needful for the ordering of the government, in the same way. In no other part of the world do we read of any such invention; although I am aware that when Xerxes the Great was defeated, the news was conveyed by men on foot, in a short time. Certainly this system of posts was very important in Peru, and by it we may well see how good was the government of these lords. At the present day some of these post-houses may be seen near the royal roads, in many parts of the mountains, and they bear testimony to the truth of what has been said. I have also seen some of the topos, which as I have already explained, are like heaps for landmarks, except that these are larger and better made, and were used for counting the distance, each interval between them being one and a half leagues of Castille.

CHAPTER XXII.

How the Mitimaes were established, and of the different kinds of them, and how they were highly esteemed by the Incas.

IN this chapter I wish to describe that which appertains to those Indians called mitimaes, for many things are related concerning them in Peru, and they were honoured and privileged by the Incas, being next in rank to the Orejones, while in the History which they entitle Of the Indies, it is written by the author,[135] that they were slaves of Huayna Capac. Into this error all those writers fall who depend upon the relations of others, without having such knowledge of the land concerning which they write, as to be able to affirm the truth.

In most, if not in all parts of the provinces of Peru there were and still are these mitimaes, and we understand that there were three classes of them. The system conduced greatly to the maintenance, welfare, and peopling of the empire. In considering how and in what manner these mitimaes were stationed, and the nature of their services, my readers will appreciate the way in which the Incas understood how best to order and regulate the government of so many regions and provinces.

Mitimaes is the name of those who are transported from one land to another. The first kind of mitimaes, as instituted by the Incas, were those who were moved to other countries, after a new province had been conquered. A certain number of the conquered people were ordered to people another land of the same climate and conditions as their original country. If it was cold, they were sent to a cold region, if warm, to a warm one, where they were given lands and houses such as those they had left. This was done that order might be secured, and that the natives might quickly understand how they must serve and behave themselves, and learn all that the older vassals understood concerning their duties, to be peaceful and quiet, not hasty to take up arms. At the same time, an equal number of settlers was taken from a part which had been peaceful and civilized for a long time, and sent into the newly conquered province, and among the recently subjugated people. There they were expected to instruct their neighbours in the ways of peace and civilization; and in this way, both by the emigration of some and the arrival of others, all was made secure under the royal governors and lieutenants.