136 CAREER OF TUPAC AMARU. Chap. IX. 



Before lie was twenty he snecceded liis father as Cacique 

 of TungasiTca, Pampamarca, and Surimani, three villages 

 situated on the cold and lofty region which overhangs the 

 valley of the Vilcamayu ; and in 1760 he was married to 

 Micaela Bastidas, a beautiful Indian girl of Abancay.* 



In person Jose Tupac Amaru was five feet eight inches in 

 height, well-proportioned, sinewy, and firmly knit. He had 

 a handsome Indian face, a slightly aquiline nose, full black 

 eyes, and altogether a countenance intelligent, benign, and 

 expressive. His address, remarkable for gentlemanlike ease, 

 was dignified and courteous towards superiors and equals ; 

 but ill his intercourse with the aborigines, by whom he was 

 profoundly venerated, there was a sedateness not inconsistent 

 with his legally-admitted claims (de jm-e) to the diadem of 

 the Incas. In mind he was enterprising, cool, and perse- 

 vering. He lived in a style becoming his rank, and, when 

 residing at Cuzco, usually wore a black velvet coat and small- 

 clothes in the fashion of the day, a waistcoat of gold tissue, 

 embroidered linen, a Spanish beaver dress hat, silk stockings, 

 and gold knee and shoe-buckles, and he allowed his glossy 

 black hair to flow in ringlets which extended down nearly to 

 his waist."* The chief source of his income arose from thirty- 

 five piaras or troops of mules, each piara consisting of ten, 

 which were regularly employed or hired out in the transport 

 of merchandise, home-made stuffs, sugar, and quicksilver to 

 Potosi and other parts.^ He had travelled over a considerable 



Astete, aged 80, given to Gen. Miller 

 at Cuzco in 1835. Astete's father had 

 been an intimate friend of Tupac 

 Amaru, but afterwards served against 

 him. 



* Information from Dominga Bas- 

 tidas, a cousin of Tupac Amaru's wife, 

 given to Gen. Miller at Cuzco in 1835. 

 Slie said that Micaela was always con- 

 sidered to have been very beautiful ; 

 and added, that the sons of Tupac 

 Amaru, wlien at college at Cuzco, 



spent the feast-days at her house. In 

 1835 she was a very old woman. 



* Tills description of Tupac Amaru 

 is almost word for word as it was given 

 to Gen. Miller by Don Pablo Astete, 

 who well remembered him. 



® The inhabitants of Tungasuca, 

 about 500 in niunbcr, were as remark- 

 able for their agiicultural industry in 

 1853, when I saw them, as they for- 

 merly were as miUeteers. 



