The Place Which They
Discovered, Called Bracamoras, Is A Hundred And Sixty Leagues From Quito
By Way Of The Mountain; And Eighty Leagues Farther South They Discovered A
Province Named Chacaapoyas, Where There Is A Small Christian Town Named
_Levanto_[24].
This province abounds in provisions, and has mines of some
value.
Its situation is peculiarly strong against an enemy, as it is
surrounded on all sides by a deep valley, in which runs a considerable
river; so that by breaking down the bridges, it may be made very difficult
of access. The Maestre de Campo Alfonzo de Alvarado, who held the command
of this province, established a colony of Christians at this place.
Sixty leagues farther to the south, in the district of _Guanuco_, Vaco de
Castro established a colony which he ordered to be called _Leon_, as he
came from the city of that name in Spain. The country of Guanuco is
fertile and abounds in provisions; and valuable mines are believed to
exist on that side which is occupied by a warlike and powerful inca in a
province of the Andes, as shall be mentioned hereafter[25]. There is no
other place in the mountains farther south which has been as yet settled
by the Christians, till we come to the province of _Guamanga_, in which is
a small town named San Juan de la Vittoria[26], which is sixty leagues
from Leon. In San Juan there are very few Spaniards, but their number is
expected to increase, if the neighbouring inca can be induced to submit to
peace; as he at present occupies the best lands belonging to that city, in
which there are many mines, and which produces the herb called _coca_ in
great abundance, formerly mentioned as of great value. The town of
Guamanga is about eighty leagues from the city of Cuzco; the road between
being exceedingly difficult, as it goes over high and precipitous
mountains, and through very dangerous passes.
Before the arrival of the Spaniards, the kings of Peru resided in the city
of Cuzco, whence they governed the whole of this great country of which I
have endeavoured to give some account, and which will be more particularly
treated of in the sequel of this history. This city served as the common
centre for all the chiefs or caciques of this vast kingdom, to which they
resorted from all quarters, to pay their tributes to the king, and to
obtain justice in case of disputes among each other. At that time Cuzco
was the only place in all Peru that had the least resemblance to a city.
It had even a strong fortress, built of such enormous dressed stones, that
it was very wonderful to conceive in what manner the Indians had been able
to transport such vast masses of stone without the aid of any animals of
draught. In fact some of these are so large that they would have required
ten yokes of oxen to have dragged them along on a fit carriage.
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