"There were gardens and orchards for the Inca's recreation, attached to the royal palaces, in which they planted all the beautiful trees and sweet flowers that were found in that land. They also imitated them all in gold and silver, with their leaves, flowers and fruit; some just beginning to sprout, others half grown, others having reached maturity. They made fields of maize, with their leaves, mazorcas, canes, roots, and flowers, all exactly imitated. The beard of the maize was of gold, and all the rest of silver, the parts being soldered together. They did the same with other plants, making the flower, or any part that became yellow, of gold, and the rest of silver.

"They also imitated large and small animals in gold and silver, and hollowed them out for cups. In this way they made imitation rabbits, rats, lizards, snakes, butterflies, foxes, and wild cats, for they had no domestic cats. They also imitated birds of all kinds, some sitting on branches as if they were singing, others flying and sucking honey from the flowers. In the same way they made deer, lions, tigers, and all other animals and birds that are found in that land, each placed in the position that would appear most natural. In most, if not all the houses, there were baths, consisting of great jars of gold and silver, in which they washed, with pipes of the same metals for bringing the water. And in places where there were natural hot springs , they had baths erected with great splendour and luxury. Among other magnificent ornaments they had piles and heaps of firewood, all imitated in gold and silver, and placed just as if they were intended to be used for the service of the house.”