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748 
their treatment by the mother-country during the courfe 
of the late general war, fee the article Mexico, vol. xv. 
p. 308. and the article London there referred to. 
In one refpeft, the revolutionary authorities in thefe 
revolted colonies appear to us to have afted unwifely ; 
namely, in ifiuing letters of marque, and encouraging 
an extenfive praftice of privateering. All the profit of 
thefe predatory expeditions paffes into the hands of Ame¬ 
rican and Englifh adventurers, who are progrefiively 
reviving a pernicious bucaneering fyftem, and converting 
the Gulf of Mexico into a neft of pirates. Thefe illicit 
gains may be acquired at the expenfe of loyal Spaniards, 
and thus in fome degree cripple the refources of an 
opponent party: but ftill they are all made at the coll of 
the country which grants the letters of marque, and mult 
confiderably retard the regular natural progrefs of opu¬ 
lence in the various fea-ports whofe Ihipping is thus 
offered as the prize of courage, indeed, but alfo as the 
premium of robbery. Surely, it would have been more 
worthy of the caufe of independence to endeavour to 
confine the mifchiefs of warfare to organized armies and 
fleets; and, if poflible, wholly to exempt from it the 
lives and fortunes of private individuals. 
Venezuela, Buenos Ayres, Chili, and Peru, have found 
it neceflary to make their local governments independent 
of each other, but they have found in a common danger 
from the fame mother-country, a fufficient motive for 
federal union, and for co-operating in purpofes of ex¬ 
ternal defence and interior improvement. Should this 
union endure, it will prepare the growth of one of the 
moll important empires which the world has ever feen. 
Ancient Customs, Civil Institutions, Govern¬ 
ment, &c. 
We poflefs little information concerning the manners 
and government of the native Indians previous to their 
conquell by the Spaniards; a circumftance which does 
not feem furprifing, when we recolleft, that the only 
modes of preferring the memory of events among the 
aborigines were the quipos, traditions, and the rude fculp- 
tures and paintings of emblematical fymbols. The firft, 
however, was nothing (as it feems from the bed hiftorians) 
but a bundle of knots of various colours; the colour of 
the knots defignating the nature of the fubltance to be 
defcribed, and multiplicity of objefts being denoted by 
their number. Nor have the rude fpecimens of fculpture 
furnifhed more information; with their paintings, they 
have been neglefted or deflroyed by their barbarous inva¬ 
ders. To traditions only we therefore look for the early 
hillory of the Peruvian race; and of thefe one only is 
worthy of record, and that merely becaufeit is connected 
with the civil policy of their government. 
The Peruvians affirmed, that their earlielt Hate was 
that of fmall independent tribes who knew of none of the 
arts or comforts of focial life: They had llruggled for 
feveral ages with the hardfhips and calamities which are 
inevitable in fuch a flate; and, when no circumftance 
feemed to indicate the approach of any uncommon effort 
towards improvement, we are told that there appeared on 
the banks of the lake Titiaca, a man and woman of ma- 
jeftic form, and clothed in decent garments. They de¬ 
clared themfelves to be Children of the Sun, lent by their 
beneficent parent, who beheld with pity the miferies of 
the human race, to inftruft and to reclaim them. At 
their perfuafion, enforced by reverence for the divinity 
in whofe name they were fuppofed to fpeak, feveral of 
the difperfed lavages united together, and, receiving their 
commands as heavenly injunctions, followed them to 
Cuzco, where they fettled, arid began to lay the founda¬ 
tions of a city. 
Mango Capac and Mama Ocollo, for fuch were the 
names of thofe extraordinary perfonages, having thus col¬ 
lected fome wandering tribes, formed that focial union, 
which, by multiplying the defires and uniting the efforts 
of the human fpecies, excites induftry and leads to im- 
R U. 
provement. Mango Capac inftrufted the men in agri¬ 
culture, and other ufeful arts. Mama Ocollo taught the 
women to fpin and to weave. By the labour of the one 
fex, fubfiftence became lefs precarious: by that of the 
other, life was rendered more comfortable. After fecu- 
ring the objeCts of firft neceffity in an infant flate, by pro¬ 
viding food, raiment, and habitations, for the rude 
people of whom he took charge, Mango Capac turned 
his attention towards introducing fuch laws and policy 
as might perpetuate their happinefs ; and it is clear that 
in the performance of this talk he left great and incon- 
teftible evidence of his powers as a legiflator. In all 
early dates of fociety, we obferve that it is impoffible to 
influence mankind by motives of expediency, or to make 
them comprehend (much lefs aft on the conviftion) that 
the convenience of the few muft ever be fubfervient to 
the good of the many. Law, therefore, was always at firft 
leagued with religion; and, united, their effeft was pow¬ 
erful and falutary. 
It feems that this was underftood by the firft civilized 
ruler of the Peruvians. He defcribed himfelf and confort 
as Children of the Sun. The law, and the right of govern¬ 
ing, he profefied to have received from the great luminary 
which the Peruvians worfhipped as the Eternal Being. 
He fixed clearly the right of defcent; and, to preferve the 
facred majefty of the royal blood, the fons of the inca 
always married their fitters. The fway of the inca was of 
courfe abfolutely defpotic, for his word was the mandate 
of heaven ; and, for the fame reafon, treafon or faftion 
could not poffibly arife in the ftate. Even the punifhed 
criminal could fcarcely murmur againft a fentence which 
his creed muft have taught him came direftly from the 
Ruler of all. This fyftem of government (impregnable 
while religion held its fway) releafed the Peruvians from 
all civil diflentions and calamities, and was in the high- 
eft degree calculated to enfure the gradual progrefs of 
civilization ; and fortunately this improvement acquired 
ftrength from the happy difpolition of the fucceeding 
incas; for, though twelve in number, the uniform cha- 
rafter of their reign was that of mildnefsand clemency. 
Agriculture, fo eftential to the well-being of the com¬ 
munity, was much encouraged by the incas. The chil¬ 
dren of the fun cultivated a field near Cuzco with their own 
hands. All the lands capable of cultivation were divided 
into three parts: one was confecrated tothe'Sun and to 
the rites of religion ; the fecond belonged to the inca, for 
the fupport of government; the third and larged (hare 
was referved for the maintenance of the people, among 
whom it was parcelled out. Neither individuals, how¬ 
ever, nor communities, had a right of exclufive property 
in the portion fet apart for their ufe. They polfefled it 
only for a year, at the expiration of which a new divifion 
was made in proportion to the rank, the number, and 
exigencies, of each family. All thofe lands were culti¬ 
vated by the joint induftry of the community. The 
people, fummoned by a proper officer, repaired in a body 
to the fields, and performed their common talk, while 
longs and mufical inftruments cheered them to their la¬ 
bour. Even the calamity of an unfruitful feafon was but 
little felt; for theproduft of the lands confecrated to the 
Sun, as well as that of thofe fet apart for the incas, being 
depofited in llorehoufes, it remained as a Hated provifion 
for times of fcarcity. 
The progrefs of the Peruvians in the arts was rapid. 
Their (kill in architecture is exemplified in the temple of 
Pachacamac, (which fee,) and in the great roads from 
Cufco to Quito, extending above 500 miles in length, 
and their aquedufts. They difplayed much ingenuity in 
fmelting ore, and refining; in making mirrors, and va¬ 
rious implements both for war and labour. 
Confidering thefe happy conftitutions, the mild and 
gentle difpofition of this people, fo favourably contrafted 
with that of the fanguinary Mexicans; the frank and ge¬ 
nerous fpirit with which they admitted into their bofoms 
the deceitful Spaniards 5 we cannot fufficiently regret the 
early 
