ABSTRACT
VERY great things happened in the Realm at this time; and notwithstanding the constant wars, the people who lived in it appeared very contented and seemed to take fresh heart, at all points. And it pleased God, in appreciation of the Christian zeal of the Emperor Don Carlos, our lord, that great kingdoms and provinces should be discovered during his reign, full of rivers and hills, the richest in metals of gold and silver that have ever been seen. Although the sins of the men who live out here are many, their Catholic aspirations and eagerness to make war on the infidels in support of the great expense and disbursements involved, led them on in these enterprises. So it was that in this year the richest of all the gold mines in this country were found at a river called Caravaya—of which I do not treat here, because I have told about it in my “Book of Foundations.” The gold that was extracted was of perfectly pure quality, and there were many instances of 500 and 1,000 pesos being taken from one trough. Altogether they got from this river more than 1,300,000 pesos’ worth. As the treasure was so great, so also the labour was not less. It employed many gangs of Indians and, the climate being very different from that of Peru, a great number of them died. From these natives Vaca de Castro got lavish supplies of gold; and, retaining the coca profits as he did for himself alone, he realized further large sums of money to meet the extravagant expenditure caused by his 309ostentation and by requiring greater ceremonial homage than was a Governor’s due. The rich yield of the river of Caravaya was increasing, and ordinances were enacted to regulate affairs concerning the mines. Hearing that great outrages were being committed on the natives because many of the post houses or tatnbos on the royal road from Cuzco to Quito were badly provided, and that some men had been carried off in chains, by which God our Lord was ill served, and his Majesty too, Vaca de Castro issued an ordinance which was very proper and beneficial at the moment. He ordered the feoffees and the caciques or Chiefs of the various provinces to see that the post houses were maintained in the same manner as in the days of the King Inca Huavna Ccapac, and that they should always be kept supplied with provisions for persons travelling in the Realm. The Chiefs were also obliged to provide certain Indians to go from tambo to tambo with what was necessary; and if any Spaniard should exact more than the statutory provision we have stated, he was to be rigorously punished. In this way the roads were well provided and Spaniards passed along them without trouble.
