History of the Incas | Page 3

sent to the
King from Cuzco, and a history of the Incas written by Captain Pedro
Sarmiento de Gamboa. On three cloths were figures of the Incas with
their wives, on medallions, with their Ayllus and a genealogical tree.
Historical events in each reign were depicted on the borders. The fable
of Tampu-tocco was shown on the first cloth, and also the fables
touching the creations of Viracocha, which formed the foundation for
the whole history. On the fourth cloth there was a map of Peru, the
compass lines for the positions of towns being drawn by Sarmiento.
The Viceroy also caused reports to be made to him, to prove that the
Incas were usurpers. There were thirteen reports from Cuzco,
Guamanga, Xauxa, Yucay, and other places, forming a folio of 213
leaves, preserved in the Archivo de Indias[1]. At Cuzco all the Inca
descendants were called upon to give evidence respecting the history of
Peru under their ancestors. They all swore that they would give truthful
testimony. The compilation of the history was then entrusted to Captain
Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa, the cosmographer of Peru. When it was
completed the book was read to the Inca witnesses, chapter by chapter,
in their own language. They discussed each chapter, and suggested
some corrections and alterations which were adopted. It was then
submitted to the Viceroy, who caused the documents to be attested by
the principal Spaniards settled at Cuzco, who had been present at the
conquest, or had taken a leading part in the subsequent administration.
These were Dr Loarte, the licentiate Polo de Ondegardo[2], Alonso de
Mena[3], Mancio Serra de Leguisano[4], Pero Alonso Carrasco, and
Juan de Pancorvo[5], in whose house the Viceroy resided while he was

at Cuzco. Mancio Serra de Leguisano married Beatriz Ñusta, an Inca
princess, daughter of Huayna Ccapac. The Viceroy then made some
final interpolations to vilify the Incas, which would not have been
approved by some of those who had attested, certainly not by Polo de
Ondegardo or Leguisano.
[Note 1: Printed in the same volume with Montesinos, and edited by
Jimenes de la Espada, Informaciones acerca del señorio y gobierno de
los Ingas hechas por mandado de Don Francisco de Toledo, 1570--72.]
[Note 2: The accomplished lawyer, author, and statesman.]
[Note 3: One of the first conquerors. His house at Cuzco was in the
square of our Lady, near that of Garcilasso de la Vega.]
[Note 4: A generous defender of the cause of the Indians.]
[Note 5: One of the first conquerors. He occupied a house near the
square, with his friend and comrade Alonso de Marchena.]
Sarmiento mentions in his history of the Incas that it was intended to be
the Second Part of his work. There were to be three Parts. The First, on
the geography of Peru, was not sent because it was not finished. The
Third Part was to have been a narrative of the conquest.
The four cloths, and the other documents, were taken to Spain, for
presentation to the King, by a servant of the Viceroy named Geronimo
Pacheco, with a covering letter dated at Yucay on March 1st, 1572.
Of all these precious documents the most important was the history of
the Incas by Sarmiento, and it has fortunately been preserved. The
King's copy found its way into the famous library of Abraham
Gronovius, which was sold in 1785, and thence into the library of the
University of Göttingen, where it remained, unprinted and unedited, for
120 years. But in August, 1906, the learned librarian, Dr Richard
Pietschmann published the text at Berlin, very carefully edited and
annotated with a valuable introduction. The Council of the Hakluyt
Society is thus enabled to present an English translation to its members

very soon after the first publication of the text. It is a complement of
the other writings of the great navigator, which were translated and
edited for the Hakluyt Society in 1895.
The manuscript consists of eight leaves of introduction and 138 of text.
The dedicatory letter to the King is signed by Sarmiento on March 4th,
1572. The binding was of red silk, under which there is another binding
of green leather. The first page is occupied by a coloured shield of the
royal arms, with a signature el Capitã Sarmi de Gãboa. On the second
page is the title, surrounded by an ornamental border. The manuscript
is in a very clear hand, and at the end are the arms of Toledo (chequy
azure and argent) with the date Cuzco, 29 Feb., 1572. There is also the
signature of the Secretary, Alvaro Ruiz de Navamuel[6].
[Note 6: Alvaro Ruiz and his brother Captain Francisco Ruiz were the
sons of Francisco Santiago Rodriguez de los Rios by Inez de Navamuel.
Both used their mother's name of Navamuel