The War of Quito

by Pedro de Cieza de León

On the 7th of May as many as a hundred Indians came to meet me and accompany me over the road of Marainiyo, a very rough country with much vegetation and some swamps. They asked me if it was I who had put up the flag which I mentioned before. I said yes and that I had hoisted it as a signal that I came on an errand of peace. They answered that it was a great piece of insolence for anyone to hoist a flag in the territory of the Inca, and if it had not been that the Inca had given orders for me to enter, they would have killed me there and then. Each one then began to brandish his arms, calling the Spaniards bearded cowards and thieves. Others said, “May we not kill this little bearded one, to avenge what his brethren have done to us.” I appeased them by saying it was true than when the Spaniards came they did much harm; but that now there was justice, that the people were favoured and had their liberty. They then asked me if I was one of those who came first, or whether I had arrived recently. I answered that it was seventeen years since I came from Spain, that in all times there were some good and some bad, and that now they deserved much honour for it seemed to me that they were good men. As to what others had done, the fault did not lie with me. I then gave them some drink, and I gave some of them needles, ornaments, knives, and other things, so we made friends. I then wrote to the Inca to say that I had entered his country, but had not yet come to where he was, and that in token of friendship I sent him two glass jars and two dozen buttons of green glass that looked like emeralds.

On the 8th of May we departed from the station of the Inca called Marainiyo, and marched to an Indian village named Lucuma where four Indians came to see me from a captain, who was on that frontier, named Cayanbi. I sent him salt and knives, and in return he supplied me with maize and chicha, asking me not to pass on, because he had not sent to tell the Inca anything about my arrival, but that he would come and sleep that night, to accompany me. Considering the abominable road, and the discomfort of having to travel on foot, and seeing that though I was near the goal they would not let me reach it, I sent to say that I would not go, and that I wanted to return to Cuzco. So I ordered the Indians to take the road by which we had come, and I wrote a very angry letter to the Inca saying that I had arrived at Lucuma by his order, and that one of his captains, who was on that frontier, had refused to receive me in his land. With the letter I sent a hat with two plumes of feathers. When the captain saw my determination to return to Cuzco he came to me, on the road, and begged me not to go until a reply came from the Inca. He also brought plenty of food of the country.

I remained with the captain until another day when the reply of the Inca came, the runner having covered 40 leagues in two days, saying in his letter that he was very angry with the captain who would be well punished. He sent another in his place named Vilcapaniguana, with a hundred Indians to help in my journey. I was lodged in Arancalla, a village of a hundred Indians, in a very rough country near the snows, where there was a large fort.

I arrived there on the 9th of May, and they made me two houses on a hill two arquebus shots from the village. Presently the inhabitants of the village came with provisions for my party. Above all things they asked me to show them the contents of my loads, because they desired much to know. At first I refused, but as it seemed to me that they would manage to find out, against my will, I thought that it would be well to let them see. So they looked at everything. They saw that I carried a sword and dagger, and said that I should show them to the Inca as he would rejoice to see them. The same day a servant of the Inca arrived, with two baskets of earth nuts[83], to visit me on his part. I received him well and gave him a head cloth and an ornament; and for the Inca two packs of cards and two pair of scissors. I understood that he came to see what manner of man I was, and to learn from those who came with me what I had asked, said, and done. They took leave, very well contented.

On the next day, the 11th of May, I received another letter from the Inca, in which he made great offers to me, owing to the good report he had heard of me from Cuzco, and that I was to come to a village further on called Bambacona that we might sooner meet, and that he would be there in two days.

I set out on the 12th of May and went on to Viticos where the seven Spaniards killed the Inca, and their heads are exposed. The Indians told me that those Spaniards had killed him to raise the land, and that they determined to kill him while playing at la herradura. One Mendez[84] did it with four or five stabs behind until he killed him; and to Titu Cusi, the Inca who is now, they would have done the same, but he escaped down some rocks, which they showed me. They, however, succeeded in giving him a stab in the leg, the mark of which he afterwards showed me. If they had wanted to kill some Indians they could have done so, but their object was to kill the Inca. Then many Indians and captains assembled, who seized the Spaniards and killed them.

On the 13th of May I sent two of my Indians to the Inca with some refreshments of raisins, figs, and other things. The Inca received them well, and gave them two baskets of earth nuts which they were to take to me, with a message that next day he would arrive, so that we should see each other soon, and that I need not travel further.

On the 14th of May the Indians of Bambacona had made a large house on a strong height surrounded by entrenchments. Below were the houses of the inhabitants. The road by which he was to come was very clean and passed over a great plain. The three hundred Indians with their lances, and others from the surrounding country, had made a great theatre for the Inca, of red clay. They were awaiting his arrival, and wished me to go out to meet him. They told me that the people of the village would wait on the plain, and that they would show me a place where they had brought two loads of straw, half a stone’s throw from the rest of the people. They told me to wait there, and see the entry of the Inca, and not to move until the Inca sent for me.

Many lances were drawn up on a hill, and messengers arrived to say that the Inca was coming. Presently the escort of the Inca began to appear. The Inca came in front of all, with a head-dress of plumes of many colours, a silver plate on his breast, a golden shield in one hand, and a lance all of gold. He wore garters of feathers and fastened to them were small wooden bells. On his head was a diadem and another round the neck. In one hand he had a gilded dagger, and he came in a mask of several colours. Arriving on the plateau where the places of the people were, and his seat was set up, and mine, he gazed where the sun was, making a sort of reverence with his hand, which they call mucha, and then went to his seat. There came with him a mestizo with a shield and sword, and in a Spanish dress and a very old cloak. Presently he turned his eyes in the direction where I was, and I took off my hat. The Indians did not notice this. I held up an image of our Lady which I carried in my bosom, and though the Indians saw it, they took no notice. Then two orejones came near the Inca with two halberds, dressed in diadems of plumes with much adornment of gold and silver. These made obeisance and reverence to the sun and then to the Inca. All the rest were standing near his seat, encircling him in good order. Presently the governor came, named Yamqui Mayta, with 60 or 70 attendants with their silver plates, lances, belts of gold and silver, the same dresses as were worn by all who came with the Inca. Then came the Master of the Camp with the same gaily dressed following: and all made obeisance first to the sun and then to the Inca, saying, “Child of the Sun thou art the child of the day[85].” Then they took up their positions round the Inca. Then another captain entered, named Vilcapari Guaman, with about thirty Indians bearing lances adorned with feathers of many colours. Then twenty men with axes, making reverences to the sun like the rest. All wore masks of different colours, which they put before their faces. Next a little Indian entered who, after making reverences to the sun and the Inca, came towards me, brandishing a lance, and raising it with great audacity. He then began to cry out in Spanish “Get out! get out!” and to menace me with his lance. Next another captain entered named Cusi Puma, with about 50 archers; who are Antis eating human flesh. Presently all these warriors took off their plumes of feathers and put down their lances. With their daggers of bronze and their shields of silver, or leather, or of feathers, each one came to do reverence to the Inca who was seated, and then returned to their places.

Presently he sent for me, and passing through that multitude of Indians, I took off my hat and made a speech to him. I said that I had come from Cuzco solely to know and serve him. If I wore a sword and dagger it was to serve him with them, and not to offend him. To this he answered that it was for men to bear arms and not for women or cowards, and he did not, therefore, hold me in more esteem for that. But he said he was pleased at the trouble I had taken to come from such a distance to him, adding that he had come 40 leagues only to see and converse with me. Then he gave me a cup of chicha, asking me to drink it for his service. I drank a quarter of it, and then began to make faces, and wipe my mouth with a handkerchief. He began to laugh, understanding that I did not know that liquor. Then he spoke to the mulatto, asking him how this was, and that our Lord Jesus Christ should be remembered for he had blessed such work. He said that he would show me the governor Yamqui Mayta, that I might talk to him. He came and embraced me as the Inca had done, and he was seated on the Inca’s right hand.