Ch. XíL south AMERICA. 129 



and fruits. It also abounds in valuable silver mines, in 

 which chiciiy the riches of Peru consist and by that 

 means made the center of a very large commerce ; 

 great numbers of merchants resorting hither with their 

 goods, and others for purchasing such provisions as 

 their own ^countries do not afford, for which they give 

 in exchange ingots and pinnas of silver. 



ill. Diocess of the Audience of Lima. Cusco. 



Of ail the cities in Peru^ Cusco is the most an- 

 cient, being of the same date v»iih the east empire of 

 the Yncas. It was founded bv the first Ynca Mango 

 Capac, as the seat and capital of his empire. Hav- 

 ing peopled it with the first Indians who voluntarily 

 submitted to him, he divided it into two parts, 

 which he called high and low Cusco, the former 

 having been peopled by Indians \^hich the emperor 

 jiims If had assembled, and the latter by those whom 

 his consort Mama-Oello had prevailed upon to lea:ye 

 their \iandering manner of life. The first forms the 

 N. and the latter the S. part of the city. The houses 

 originally were low and small like cottages ; but as 

 the empire encreased, they assumed a new appearance ; 

 so that when the Spaniards landed in these parts, they 

 were astonished at the largeness and splendour of the 

 city, especially the magnificence of the temple of the 

 sun, the grandeur of the palaces of the Ynca^ and 

 the pomp and richness becoming the seat of so vast 

 an emj)ire. It was in the month of October 1534, 

 when Don Francisco Pizarro entered and took pos- 

 session of it in the name of Charles V. emperor and 

 king of Spain. This was followed by a siege of the 

 Ynca Mango, who laid great part of it in ashes, 

 but without dislodging the Spaniards. » 



This city stands in a very ulieven situation on the 

 sides of the mountains, there being no other more 

 convenient near it. On a mountain contiguous to 

 the north part of the city are the ruins of that fa- 



VÓL. II. K mou» 



