C THE WORKS OF WILLIAM ROBERTSON, D.D. TO WHICH IS PREFIXED, AN ACCOUNT OF THE LIFE AND WRITINGS OF THE AUTHOR, BY DUGALD STEWART, F.R.S. EDIN. IN SIX VOLUMES. VOL. VI. HISTORY OF AMERICA. LONDON: LONGMAN, BROWN, GREEN, & LONGMANS; J. M. RICHARDSON; SIMPKIN, MARSHALL, & co. ; 1851. THE HISTORY OF AMERICA. BOOK VII. As the conquest of the two great empires of Mexico and Peru forms the most splendid and interesting period in the history of America, a view of their political institutions, and a description of their national manners, will exhibit the human species to the contemplation of intelligent observers in a very singular stage of its progress." Peru more polished parts of When compared with other parts of the New Mexico and World, Mexico and Peru may be considered as polished states. Instead of small, independent, hostile than other tribes, struggling for subsistence amidst woods and America. marshes, strangers to industry and arts, unacquainted with subordination, and almost without the appear ance of regular government, we find countries of great extent subjected to the dominion of one sovereign, the inhabitants collected together in cities, the wisdom and foresight of rulers employed in providing for the maintenance and security of the people, the empire of laws in some measure established, the authority of AM. VOL. II. a See Note I. B VII. BOOK religion recognised, many of the arts essential to life brought to some degree of maturity, and the dawn of such as are ornamental beginning to appear. The inferiority to of the an cient con tinent. But if the comparison be made with the people of the nations the ancient continent, the inferiority of America, in improvement, will be conspicuous, and neither the Mexicans nor Peruvians will be entitled to rank with those nations which merit the name of civilized. The people of both the great empires in America, like the rude tribes around them, were totally unacquainted with the useful metals, and the progress which they had made in extending their dominion over the animal creation was inconsiderable. The Mexicans had gone no farther than to tame and rear turkeys, ducks, a species of small dogs, and rabbits." By this feeble essay of ingenuity, the means of subsistence were rendered somewhat more plentiful and secure, than when men depend solely on hunting; but they had no idea of attempting to subdue the more robust animals, or of deriving any aid from their ministry in carrying on works of labour. The Peruvians seem to have neglected the inferior animals, and had not rendered, any of them domestic except the duck; but they were more fortunate in taming the llama, an animal peculiar to their country, of a form which bears some resemblance to a deer, and some to a camel, and is of a size somewhat larger than a sheep. Under the protection of man, this species multiplied greatly; its wool furnished the Peruvians with clothing, its flesh with food. It was even employed as a beast of burden, and carried a moderate load with much patience and docility. It was never used for draught; and the breed being confined to the mountainous country, its service, if we may judge by incidents which occur in the early Spanish b Herrera, dec. xi. lib. vii. c. 12. c Vega, i. lib. viii. c. 16. Zarate, lib. i. c. 14. |