16 THE INCAS AND OTHER RULERS OF PERU. 



gradually altered into tlie worsliip of tlie Sun, wliicli became tlie 

 universal religion. A governing priesthood arose, of wliicli the 

 head was generally the brother or the uncle of the reigning Inca. 

 The provinces and towns were ruled by the noble families. The 

 most singular feature of the Inca government was the land law, 

 different from any other ever known. With the exception of 

 certain lands belonging to the noblemen, the remainder of the 

 country was divided into three classes of land ; the lands of the 

 Sun (devoted to the priesthood), the lands of the Inca, and the lands 

 of the people. Amongst the latter no such thing as individual 

 property existed. The people employed themselves in tilling, 

 first the land of the priesthood, secondly their own common land, 

 and lastly the lands of the Inca. Marriages, and generally all 

 family affairs, were arranged by the state, and all work was 

 distributed and superintended by the government officials. It 

 was a curious mixture of feudalism and socialism ; and seems to 

 have endured successfully for about three centuries. The 

 people worked gold and copper mines, were skilful jewellers, 

 potters, smiths, and weavers. They wore cotton clothing near 

 the coast, woollen clothing in the higher and colder parts of the 

 country. They lived mainly on vegetable diet, and but rarely 

 ate meat. The languages they spoke were the Aymaro and the 

 Quichua, which are still used to the present day amongst the 

 Indians of the interior. They had their j)oets and even their 

 playwrights. On the whole they seem to have been leading a fairly 

 comfortable life (probably a much happier one than fell to the 

 lot of the average European in those days) in a fertile land and 

 a delightful climate, and under an apparently very paternal 

 government. The invading Spaniard was about to appear on 

 the scene, spreading death and misery over the land. 



After several fruitless attempts at exploring the Pacific coast 

 south of Panama, which occupied three years, and suffering 

 many hardships and the loss of many of his followers,. Prancisco 

 Pizarro succeeded towards the end of 1527 in reaching inhabited 

 parts of Peru, where he found the natives hospitable and 

 well disposed. Having been well and kindly received by these 

 amiable people, he hastened back to Panama to prepare an 

 expedition for the conquest of their country. The governor 

 of Panama refused, however, to authorise what he considered a 



