It has been a while since I have seen a copy (can get it at hebrewbooks.org) , but R’ Menashe ben Israel wrote Mikveh Yisrael in approximately 1650. He discusses the aseres hashvatim and if they would be various peoples discovered in the “new world”. I believe there is a chapter devoted to the Inca of Peru. I dont remember his conclusions. He was the Sephardic (I dont think there were many ashkenazim in the country at the time at the time) Chief Rabbi of Holland I believe. The dutch, and many of its Jews were huge explorers of the new world, settling many areas and establishing trade, to the point that Holland was a “major player” in the new world at the time. In the sefer, he records that a jewish captain returning from the new world told him that he was in what is now southern georgia (I believe in the sefer they name the mountain range which is in the southern appelaichan mountians), he and his assistant, also jewish, met with natives and they tried to converse with them in all languages that they knew, with no luck. When the captain turned to his assistant and spoke to him in hebrew, the native replied to him and then proceeded to recite Shma Yisroel….
That is the story as it is recorded. He discusses this and other stories he heard, or were told to him and tries to determine, based on what we know from chazal if they could be from the aseres hashvatim.
He addressed this because “messianic fever” was very high. The expulsion from Spain was just more than 150 years earlier, the inquisition was in full force, the ashkenazic jews just suffered through tach vtat and yidden were looking for any sign that moshiach was on the way. the native americans and the tales of the lost shevatim being found were fueling hopes that moshiach was right around the corner as kibbutz galios was starting (hence the title, Mikveh Yisroel). I dont remember his conclusions about the Incas or othe rindian tribes. if anyone wants to do us a favor and read it and report back, thank you in advance.