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PERUVIAN, OR QUICHUA.
"QUICHUA was the
predominant language of Peru during the
sovereignty of the ancient Incas. It
still prevails on the plateau of the Andes, from Quito to Santiago del
Estero, a distance of more than a
thousand leagues; and it is so exclusively spoken in some districts, that in
the war of independ-
ence, the officers of armies were compelled to acquire some knowledge of this
language, in order to
instruct the soldiers in the military duties. According to
D’Orbigny, the descendants of the Quichua
subjects of the Incas now number about 934,000, while the race derived from
intermarriages between
the Quichua and Europeans number about 458,000 individuals. The
Quichua language is employed
by both classes.
The character of the Quichua Indians has greatly deteriorated
under the influence of Spanish
domination. The remains of aqueducts, palaces, temples, and other
monuments of art found in Peru,
sufficiently attest that when, in 1532, that country fell a prey to Pizarro
and his sanguinary followers,
the inhabitants had made some advance in civilisation and the arts of
civilised life. Now, they are
represented by Ulloa and other accurate observers as sunk into a state of
semi-barbarism, indolence,
and apathy, from which, it is said, they can rarely be roused, except when
opportunities occur of
indulging to excess in ardent spirits. Their habitations are miserable
hovels, their dress is poor and
mean, and their food coarse and scanty. Their religion consists in the
superstitious observance of the
rites and ceremonies of the Roman
Catholic Church, with which they commingle some remains of
their
ancient superstitions. The Romish clergy
stationed among them are, generally speaking, very remiss
in the discharge of their duty; and the Indians and priests are often seen driving "hard
bargains" in
relation to first-fruits and other dues claimed by the State for the
Church.
Being thus destitute of the means of true spiritual instruction,
a version of the Scriptures in their
vernacular language is more especially needful to this degraded people.
The preparation of such a
version was contemplated by Professor Vater, of Königsberg, in 1817; but
no attention seems to have
been paid to his proposal of undertaking it. In 1823
Mr. Thomson, agent of the British and Foreign
Bible Society, employed a native Peruvian to commence a translation of the
Gospels. The work
proceeded under the sanction of the Society; and in 1825 a version of the
entire New Testament was
completed. Five persons, of whom one was a clergyman and another a
theological tutor, accurately
revised and corrected the manuscript. In 1830 Dr. Pazos
Kanki, who had been
professor of the
Peruvian language in the University of Cuzco, offered his services to the
British and Foreign Bible
Society to translate the Psalms; but no further steps appear to have
been taken towards bestowing
upon Peru any portion of the Quichua Scriptures: and even the version of the
New Testament, though
completed so many years ago, has not yet been committed to the press.
This lamentable circumstance
is to be attributed to the still unsettled state of the country, and to the
many political vicissitudes to
which the ancient empire of the Incas has been subjected." --The Bible
of Every Land. (1860, Second Edition) Samuel Bagster [Info
only: James Thompson, a Scottish Baptist per JCT.]
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