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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

2. Yscay

3. Quimza

4. Tahua

5. Chumpi, picheca.

6. Zocta.

7. Canchis.

8. Puzac.

9. Yscon.

10. Chunca.

100. Pachac.

1000. Huaranca.

The Andes....Anti

The Arm......Ricra

Bad..........Mana alli143

The Beard....Zunca

Beauty.......Zumay

The Belly....Vicza

A Brother....Huauquey

A Canoe......Huampu

To Die.......Huauny, pitini

A Dog........Alles

To Drink.....Upiana

The Ears.....Rinri

Eared, or having great ears...Ringrim

To Eat.......Micuni

An Emerald...Umina

The Eye......Naui

A Family.....Ayllu

Father.......Mayu

Fire.........Nina

Many fires...Ninanina

A Fish.......Challhua

Flesh........Aycha

A Foot.......Chaqui

A Friend.....Cocho

Good.........Alli

Gold.........Cori

Gold dust....Chichi cori

Great........Hatun

A Hatchet....Avri, champi

The Hair.....Caspa

The Hand.....Maqui

The Head.....Uma

A Hog.........Cuchi

A House.......Huaci

A Husband.....Coza

Iron..........Quellay

A King........Capac, Inca

A Lake........Cocha

A Lance.......Chuqui

Land..........Allpa

Little........Huchuy

Love..........Cuyay, munay

A man.........Runa

The Moon......Quilla

Mother........Mama

A Mountain....Puna, acha

The Mouth.....Simi

No............Maria

The Nose......Cenca

A Queen, or Princess...Coya

A Sacrifice...Arpay

Sand..........Aco

The Sea.......Atun cocha144, Mama cocha145

A Ship........Huampu146

Silver........Collqui

A Sister......Panay

Snow..........Riti

A Son.........Churi

A Stone.......Rumi

The Sun.......Inti

Water.........Unu, yaco

Woman.........Huami

Yes...........Y

Specimen of Peruvian poetry.

Caylla Llapi To the Song

Pununqui I will Sleep,

Chaupitua At Midnight

Samusac I will come.

After the return of Don Francisco Pizarro from Spain to Panama, he made every preparation in his power for the conquest of Peru, in which he was not seconded with the same spirit as formerly by his companion Almagro, by which their affairs were considerably retarded, as Almagro was the richer man and had greater credit among the settlers. Diego Almagro, as formerly mentioned, was much dissatisfied with Pizarro for having neglected his interest in his applications to his majesty; but at length became pacified by his apologies and promises, and their friendship was renewed; yet Almagro could never be thoroughly reconciled to the brothers of Pizarro, more especially Ferdinand, against whom he had a rooted dislike. Owing to these disputes a considerable time elapsed; but at length Ferdinand Ponce de Leon147 fitted out a ship which belonged to him, in which Don Francisco Pizarro embarked with all the soldiers he could procure, which were very few in number, as the people in Panama were much discouraged by the great difficulties and hardships which had been suffered in the former attempt, and the poor success which had then been met with148. Pizarro set sail about the commencement of the year 1531; and in consequence of contrary winds was obliged to land on the coast of Peru a hundred leagues more to the north than he intended149; by which means he was reduced to the necessity of making a long and painful march down the coast, where he and his troops suffered great hardships from scarcity of provisions, and by the extreme difficulty of crossing the different rivers which intersected their line of march, all of which they had to pass near their mouths, where they are wide and deep, insomuch that both men and horses had often to pass them by swimming. The courage and address of Pizarro was conspicuous amidst these difficulties, by encouraging the soldiers, and frequently exposing himself to danger for their relief, even assisting those who were unable to swim. They arrived at length at a place named Coaque150 on the sea side, which was well peopled, and where they procured abundance of provisions to refresh and restore them after the hardships and privations they had undergone. From that place, Pizarro sent back one of his vessels to Panama, and the other to Nicaragua, sending by them above 30,000 castillanas151 of gold, which he had seized at Coaque, to encourage fresh adventurers to join him, by giving a specimen of the riches of the country. At Coaque the Spaniards found some excellent emeralds, as this country being under the line, is the only place where such precious stones are to be had. Several of these were destroyed by the Spaniards, who broke them in order to examine their nature; as they were so ignorant as to believe that good emeralds ought to bear the hammer without breaking, like diamonds. Believing therefore that the Indians might impose false stones upon them, they broke many of great value through their ignorance. The Spaniards were here afflicted by a singular disease, formerly mentioned, which produced a dangerous kind of warts or wens on their heads faces and other parts of their body, extremely sore and loathsome, of which some of the soldiers died, but most of them recovered, though almost every one was less or more affected.

Leaving Coaque on account of this strange disease, which Pizarro attributed to the malignity of the air, he marched on to that province or district in which Puerto Viejo now stands, and easily reduced all the surrounding country to subjection. The captains Sebastian Benalcazar and Juan Fernandez joined him at this place, with a small reinforcement of horse and foot, which they brought from Nicaragua152.