. . . It recounts the life of the officials, the notaries,
the deputies, the proprietors of Indian labour, the
priests, the miners and the Spaniards who travel
from post to post along the roads and rivers of
Peru; the visitors, the judges, the Indian chiefs
and their subjects, including the very poor.
In my work I have always tried to obtain the
most truthful accounts, accepting those which
seemed to be substantial and which were
confirmed from various sources. I have only
reported those facts which several people agreed
upon as being true. . . .
— Huamán Poma, Letter to a King: A Peruvian Chief’s
Account of Life Under the Incas and Under Spanish Rule,
E. P. Dutton
According to this author, accounts used in making
statements of fact must be
(1) brief (3) verified
(2) interesting (4) unbiased