586 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 102 



means blood lake, for it became red with the blood of the culprits 

 beheaded. 



1578. He built the two famous highways through the sierra and 

 through the plains, which are called the Inca's Highways. For that 

 of the sierra he had mountains leveled and cast down and ravines 

 filled up so that they should be even and the highway should run 

 smoothly over the peaks and heights of the mountains. Furthermore 

 he ordered cabins built at intervals of a league one from the other 

 over the entire distance of the highway for the couriers, who were 

 absolutely necessary for the speedy transmission of any news over 

 such a vast and far-flung empire. These were normally occupied 

 by Indians appointed by the elders for that special purpose ; these 

 were called chasques, and each ran the league that fell to him with 

 the message or information for the Inca ; thus in less than 8 days 

 they ran with a message more than 500 leagues. Besides the above, 

 there were royal apartments at stated intervals, where the royal 

 family lodged when they went traveling, and round about them many 

 buildings which served for the storage of foodstuffs and other pur- 

 poses. Most of these buildings serve the Spaniards at present as 

 tambos or taverns, for they come at the intervals of the day's journeys 

 which they make. 



Over the plains he built another similar highway, like a broad 

 straight avenue with walls at the sides built very carefully of adobe 

 bricks (tapia) ; these too had royal apartments at intervals. At the 

 present day one can see the ruins and the construction of these 

 buildings, and part of the highway is still standing, but much of 

 it is wrecked and other stretches are choked with guarango groves. 

 These were achievements worthy of such a wise and magnanimous 

 king ; it would have been very sensible to have taken more care of 

 the roads, for their preservation, for that would have been to the 

 advantage of the Spaniards ; but as no one looks beyond his own 

 private interest to the general good, it is all going to ruin. 



1579. This wise and powerful King ruled over 42 years, during 

 which he subdued many provinces and tribes and chastised some for 

 having rebelled, as being barbarous and ungrateful. He uttered many 

 wise sayings, and had knowledge of the true God, and that the Sun 

 was not God. He knew of the coming of the Spaniards and enjoined 

 upon his subjects that they should be loyal and obedient to them, for 

 the Law which they would teach them was better than the law of the 

 Incas. He had more than 200 sons and daughters, legitimate of their 

 blood royal, and illegitimate. His successor was Huascar Inca; but 

 with his consent he established another Kingdom for Atahualpa, his 



