The situation of this city of Leon de Huanuco is good, and is considered very healthy. It is praised as a place where the nights and mornings are cool, and where men are healthy, owing to a good climate. They reap wheat and maize in great abundance, and they also have grapes, figs, oranges, lemons, limes, and other fruits of Spain; and of the fruits of the country there are many kinds which are excellent. They grow the pulses of Spain, and besides all these there are large banana plantations. Thus it is a prosperous town, and there is hope that it will increase every day. They breed many cows, goats, and mares in the fields, and have abundance of pigeons, doves, partridges, and other birds, as well as falcons to fly at them. In the forests there are some lions and very large bears, besides other animals. The royal roads passed through the villages near this city, and there were store-houses of the Yncas, well supplied with provisions.

In Huanuco there was a fine royal edifice, the stones of which were large and very accurately set. This palace was the chief place in the provinces of the Andes, and near it there was a temple of the sun, with many virgins and priests. It was so grand a place in the time of the Yncas, that more than 30,000 Indians were set apart solely for its service.