120 CUSTOMS OF THE CACIQUES. Chap. VIII. 



" all future rulers of Peru were but disciples of Francisco de 

 Toledo, that great master of statesmanship." 



By his Lihro de Tasas, or Book of Eules, Toledo fixed the 

 tribute to be paid by the Indians, exempting all men under 

 the age of eighteen, or over that of fifty. The Indians were 

 governed by native chiefs of their own people, whose duty it 

 was to collect the tribute, and pay it in to the Spanish eor- 

 regidor or governor of the })rovince, as well as to exercise 

 subordinate magisterial functions. These chiefs, called 

 Curacas in the time of the lucas, were ordered by Toledo 

 to be named Caciques, a word brought from tlie West Indian 

 islands f and under them there were two other native oiScials 

 — the Pichca-jmcliacas^ placed over 500 Indians, and the 

 Pachacas over 100. Tliese offices were inherited from father 

 to son, and their possessors enjoyed several privileges, such 

 as the exemption from arrest, except for grave offences, and 

 they received a fixed salary. The native Caciques were often 

 men of considerable wealth ; some of them were members of 

 the royal family of the Incas ; they were free from the pay- 

 ment of tribute and from personal service ; and thus occupied 

 positions of importance amongst their countrymen.^ They 

 wore the same dress which distinguished the nobles of the 

 Inca's court, consisting of a tunic called uncu, a rich mantle 

 or cloak of black velvet called yacolla, intended as mourning 

 for the fall of their ancient rulers ; and those of the family of 

 the Incas added a sort of coronet, whence a red fringe of 

 alpaca-Avool descended as an emblem of nobility. This head- 

 dress was called mascapayeha. They had pictm-es of the 

 Incas in their houses, and encouraged the periodical festivals 

 in memory of their beloved sovereigns, when plays were 

 enacted, and mournful music was produced from the national 



- others say that the word Cacique I ^ Prince of Esqiiilache's despatcli, 

 was brought from the Okl Workl by a.d. 1G18, No. 6, p. 344, II. 5B. MS. 

 the Spaniards, and that it is a ciurup- despatelifs in tlie national library at 

 tion of tli<i Arabic Sheihh. Madrid. 



