prince was deemed worthy to sit in the councils of his father, and to
serve under distinguished generals in time of war, and finally himself
to carry the rainbow banner of his house upon distant campaigns.

The Inca lived with great pomp and show. His dress was of the finest
vicuna wool, richly dyed, and ornamented with gold and jewels. Round his
head was a many-coloured turban and a fringe like that worn by the
prince, but of a scarlet colour, and placed upright in it were two
feathers of a rare and curious bird called the coraquenque, which was
found in a desert country among the mountains. It was death to take or
destroy one of these birds; they were reserved exclusively to supply the
king's headgear. In order to communicate with their people, the Incas
were in the habit of making a stately progress through their land once
in every few years. The litter in which they travelled was richly
decorated with gold and emeralds, and surrounded by a numerous escort.
The men who bore it on their shoulders were provided by two cities
specially appointed for the purpose, and the service was no enviable
one, since a fall was punished by death. Halts were made at the
'tambos,' or inns regularly kept up by the Government along all the
principal roads, and the people assembled all along the line, clearing
stones from the road and strewing it with flowers, and vying with one
another in carrying the baggage from village to village. Here and there
the Inca halted to listen to the grievances of his subjects, or to
decide points referred to him by the ordinary tribunals, and these spots
were long held in reverence as consecrated by his presence. Everywhere
the people flocked to catch a glimpse of their ruler, and to greet him
with acclamations and blessings.

The royal palaces were on a magnificent scale, and were scattered over
all the provinces of the great empire. The buildings were low, covering
a large space, the rooms not communicating with each other, but opening
upon a common square. The walls were of stone rough hewn, and the roofs
of rushes; but inside all was splendour. Gold, silver, and
richly-coloured stuffs abounded, covering the walls, while in niches
stood images of animals and plants curiously wrought in the precious
metals. Even the commonest household utensils were of gold. The
favourite residence of the Incas was the delicious valley of Yucay,
about twelve miles from Cuzco; there they loved to retreat to enjoy
thei