29.8 America: a.d. 1401 to 1500

Much of the original capital city at Cuzco, on the eastern slope of the Peruvian Andes at just over 11,000 feet altitude, has been excavated, including the famed Inca Shrine and the Temple of the Sun, the walls of which were faced with gold plates. The Inca rulers were absolute despots, taking 2/3 of each conquered peasant's harvest. In the south both Pachacuti and Topa Yupanqui had difficult campaigns to subdue the Collaos, which although desolate now, must have been one of the most densely populated areas of the Andes at that time. This opened the way to the eastern slopes and to Bolivia and from there Topa subdued the Diaguites of Chile, down to the edge of Araucanian territory. The area of Collaos had huge stone storehouses and silos, each capable of containing tons of grain. By the end of the century the empire covered 37 degrees of latitude. (Ref. 10 , 62 )

Eastern and central south america

There were as many and varied peoples in eastern South America as in the Andes. There were various forest groups and in the south the Puelche, Charrua and the Mataco stone-age people. No one knows for certain the date of arrival or the origin of the aborigines of Brazil, but many recognize what appears to be a common cradle in southeast Asia. The tropical Malays and the jungle Brazilians have a striking physical analogy and many common cultural elements, such as the poisonous blow pipe. Such jungle equipment could certainly not have survived the barren arctic tundra and very possibly indicates an involuntary passage along the Urdaneta (Japanese) Current and down the American coast, or even more reasonable, although unprovable, a migration of Malaysians across the Indian Ocean west to Madagascar, then to the tip of South Africa and then, riding the southern Atlantic current, to Brazil. (Ref. 95 ) Most of the eastern South American Indians, particularly those of Brazil, were cannibals, with the dominant tribes often fattening their victims like cattle before the kill. The victims' lard was collected in buckets and a portion of the meat was smoked and hung, as fish or other animal flesh is preserved.

Enemies appear to have been barbecued. In Tannahill's book Food in History (Ref. 211 ) on page 266 there is a gruesome picture depicting this, with the title, " Comment les sauvages rotissent leurs ennemis ."

The name "Brazil" was taken from the brazilwood trees found there. It seems probable that Portuguese fishermen knew of the existence, not only of the Azores, but also the coast of Brazil long before the time of Columbus and certain customs in both Brazilian and Argentinian Indians are compatible with an African connection, also. (Ref. 62 ) In 1500, the same year in which Columbus was taken back to Spain in chains from his third trip to the Caribbean, the Portuguese Admiral Pedro Alvares Cabral landed in Brazil.

Actually he had been headed for India via Cape of Good Hope from the Cape Verde Islands, with 13 caravels, when contrary winds had driven him westward. He took possession of Brazil in the name of Manoel I, of Portugal. (Ref. 222 )

Forward to America: A.D. 1501 to 1600

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