202 



THREE YEARS IN THE PACIFIC. 



Sangallan, and others from Jauja, increasing the number to 

 seventy. 



The valley of Rimac was inhabited, previous to the conquest, 

 by the subjects of the Grand Chimu, who was conquered by 

 the Inca Yupanqui. In this valley were many large Huacas, 

 of which there are extensive remains to this day. The Huaca 

 of Rimac, or *«the God that speaks," was near the garden or 

 orchard of the convent of Santo Domingo, formerly called 

 La chacra de Rimactanpii, now Limatamho. The term 

 Rimac is the opposite of Pachacamac, which designates the 

 God who created the world and gave life to the universe, but 

 who was never heard nor seen. The ruins of the temple of 

 Pachacamac still remain, and are visited by all travellers in 

 Peru. It is supposed by some, that the valley Rimac derived 

 its name from the noise made by the river in its brawling 

 course ; but the Fray Calancha tells us, that he inquired of an 

 old Indian who was governor of Magdalena, why they called 

 it Rimac. He replied; <«Art thou, perchance, one of those 

 who believe that it is so called on account of the river ? The 

 God whom my ancestors adored was thus named, because he 

 spoke to them and answered their questions, which was never 

 known of the Huaca of Pachacamac ; and, therefore, in honor 

 of their God, they called his valley Rimac." This explana- 

 tion was never contradicted by any one of the many Indians of 

 whom Calancha asked the meaning of the term. 



The above account is given on the authority of Francisco 

 Antonio Montalvo, (Life of Santo Torribio, written in 1683, 

 and printed by the procurement of Doctor Don Juan Francisco 

 de Valladolid, under the title of Albores del Sol del nuevo 

 mundo;") of Fray Antonio de la Calancha, ("Choronica del 

 orden de San Augustin ;) of Garcilaso (" Comentarios Reales 

 of Antonio de Herrera ("Historia de las Indias;") and of Pe- 

 ralta, (" Lima Fundada, o' Conquista del Peru," an epic poem, 

 printed at Lima, 1732). 



