* * * * *
As the empire of Peru was made up of many barbarous tribes, its native
inhabitants spoke many languages or dialects, which were only understood
in their own particular districts. The language of the ruling people or
tribe to which the royal family belonged, called the _Quichua_, was solely
used at court, and we have already seen that the sons of all the chiefs or
curacas of the empire were ordered to be educated at Cuzco, that they
might be all able to converse with the sovereign. In this language the
sounds of _b, d, f, g_, and _r_, are said to have been wanting; and yet
that of the _r_ occurs in the names of several of their kings. Garcilasso
says that this letter had a guttural sound, perhaps resembling the burr,
or _parler gras_ of the French: And it is alleged that this language of a
comparatively barbarous people was nearly as copious and as artificial as
the Greek. The following specimens are given in the Modern Geography, III.
585, to which are added two examples of what are called Peruvian poetry,
from Garcilasso de la Vega, p. 50. The nouns in this language are declined
by altering the terminations thus; _Runa_, a man; _Runap_, of a man;
_Runapac_, to a man, &c. The verbs have also moods and tenses, the
terminations often extending to a great length.
1. Huc 5. Chumpi, picheca. 9. Yscon.
2. Yscay 6. Zocta. 10. Chunca.
3. Quimza 7. Canchis. 100. Pachac.
4. Tahua 8. Puzac. 1000. Huaranca.
The Andes....Anti A Hog.........Cuchi
The Arm......Ricra A House.......Huaci
Bad..........Mana alli[A] A Husband.....Coza
The Beard....Zunca Iron..........Quellay
Beauty.......Zumay A King........Capac, Inca
The Belly....Vicza A Lake........Cocha
A Brother....Huauquey A Lance.......Chuqui
A Canoe......Huampu Land..........Allpa
To Die.......Huauny, pitini Little........Huchuy
A Dog........Alles Love..........Cuyay, munay
To Drink.....Upiana A man.........Runa
The Ears.....Rinri The Moon......Quilla
Eared, or having Mother........Mama
great ears...Ringrim A Mountain....Puna, acha
To Eat.......Micuni The Mouth.....Simi
An Emerald...Umina No............Maria
The Eye......Naui The Nose......Cenca
A Family.....Ayllu A Queen, or
Father.......Mayu Princess...Coya
Fire.........Nina A Sacrifice...Arpay
Many fires...Ninanina Sand..........Aco
A Fish.......Challhua The Sea.......Atun cocha[B]
Flesh........Aycha .......Mama cocha[C]
A Foot.......Chaqui A Ship........Huampu[D]
A Friend.....Cocho Silver........Collqui
Good.........Alli A Sister......Panay
Gold.........Cori Snow..........Riti
Gold dust....Chichi cori A Son.........Churi
Great........Hatun A Stone.......Rumi
A Hatchet....Avri, champi The Sun.......Inti
The Hair.....Caspa Water.........Unu, yaco
The Hand.....Maqui Woman.........Huami
The Head.....Uma Yes...........Y
_Specimen of Peruvian poetry_.
_Caylla Llapi_ To the Song
_Pununqui_ I will Sleep,
_Chaupitua_ At Midnight
_Samusac_ I will come.
[A] Not good.
[B] Great Lake.
[C] Mother Lake.
[D] Huampu likewise signifies a canoe, and probably a ship might be named
Atun huampu, a great canoe. - E.
[1] In a note of the French edition of 1742, it is said that, in the folio
edition of Zarate printed at Seville in 1677, Luque was called the
father of Almagro, and that no mention is made of that ecclesiastic
having taken any part in the expedition. Robertson, in his History of
America, II. 273, says that Pizarro was the natural son of a gentleman
of honourable family by a low woman, and that his education was so
entirely neglected that he could neither read nor write. He adds that,
after serving some years in Italy, he embarked for America, where he
greatly distinguished himself. In our last chapter, Diaz makes
frequent mention of Pizarro as serving with reputation under Cortes,
in the early part of the expedition to Mexico; but gives no account of
his quitting the service of Cortes; to whom he was probably somehow
related, as the mother of Cortes was named Catalina Pizarro Altamirano.
Almagro, according to Robertson, was a foundling, and bred like
Pizarro in the army. Luque acted as priest and schoolmaster at Panama,
and had amassed considerable riches. - E.
[2] Named Pedrarias by Robertson. - E.
[3] Chinchama, by the map in Zarate is that part of the western coast of
Tierra Firma or Darien, opposite the Isla del Rey. The poor province
of Peru, beyond or to the southwards of Cinchama, is that now called
Biruquete; and the Pueblo quemada, or Burnt People, must be looked for
in the province of Novita, perhaps Nounamas, immediately to the south
of which is the river of St Juan. - E.
[4] Tacamez, otherwise called the district of _Esmeraldas_, or of emeralds,
is in the kingdom of Quito near the equinoctial line. - E.
[5] Instead of _twelve_, the text only names _eight_ of the brave
associates of Pizarro. - E.
[6] Morope, in lat. 6 deg. 35', in the district of Sana, is in the situation
of the place mentioned in the text. - E.
[7] This river, otherwise called Amatape, runs into the bay of Payta, in
lat. 5 deg. 10' south. - E.
[8] Under the name of Peruvian sheep, five species of the Camel genus are
known to naturalists, the Glama or Llama, Guanaco, Chillihueque,
Vicugna, and Pacos. The three former were used as animals of burthen
by the native Peruvians, and domesticated, the two latter, especially
the Vicugna, are valuable for the firmness of their fleeces. The three
larger species carry loads of about a hundred pounds weight, the other
two, when domesticated, may be made to carry smaller burdens of from
fifty to seventy-five pounds. - E.
[9] It was now towards the close of 1527, the third year from the first
departure of Pizarro from Panama. - Robertsons America, II. 281.
[10] Robertson, II. 284. gives a different account of these four relations
of Francisco Pizarro from Zarate.
