CHAPTER XVI
THE CATACLYSM
The overwhelming catastrophe, which destroyed the delicate and complicated organism of Peruvian civilisation, had been preceded by a war of succession. There had been events of this kind before, the last recorded one having preceded the accession of Pachacuti. None had ever been so prolonged and so serious. Yet it is probable that it would not have had any disastrous effect on the general well-being of the empire. It only temporarily affected that section of the community which was told off for military duties. One is reminded of the evidence given by Mr. Thorold Rogers respecting our War of the Roses. The conflict so little affected the daily work of the people and the business transactions of the community that, in all the hundreds of manor accounts over all parts of the country that he had examined during the period, there is not a single allusion to the civil war.
The great Inca Huayna Ccapac left Cuzco on his northern campaign in about the year 1513, and was occupied for twelve years in completing his conquests around and to the north of Quito. At the
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