CHAPTER XII.

COATI ISLAND AND THE RUINS OF TIAHUANACO.--RETURN TO PUNO.--CUZCO, AND THE TEMPLES, PALACES, AND FORTRESSES OF THE INCAS.--PLANS FOR DEPARTURE.

The party spent the day on Titicaca Island, examining the ruins which attested the power of the Incas and their predecessors, and studying the magnificent views that were presented in almost every direction. In the east lay the Andes of Bolivia, while to the west was the chain of the cordillera they had crossed on their way from the coast to Puno. Lake Titicaca lies between Peru and Bolivia, the western shore belonging to the former country, and the eastern to the latter. The outlet of the lake is the dividing-line, and at each end of the bridge which crosses the river there is a custom-house, where officials of the respective countries are stationed. The bridge is built on rafts, or balsas, made of the reeds growing in the lake; the footway is composed of these reeds, and supported by the balsas beneath it.

They returned to the steamboat at nightfall, and gave orders for the captain to move to Coati Island, about six miles distant, as soon as daylight permitted. Weary with their tramp, they slept soundly; when they waked in the morning the steamer was at anchor at its destination, and as soon as breakfast was over they went on shore.

Titicaca Island was specially consecrated to the sun, while Coati was dedicated to the moon. The former is steep and rugged; the latter is only moderately elevated, and capable of cultivation from one end to the other. It is about half as large as Titicaca Island, and is occupied by a few families of Indians, who cultivate potatoes and other things, and look after a flock of sheep which is pastured there. Judging by the appearance of the sheep, Frank and Fred were of opinion that the pasture was a good one.

Coati contains a Temple of the Moon and a Palace of the Virgins; both are greatly ruined, but sufficiently preserved to indicate their original extent and character. Near the ancient landing-place there are gates, and temples of purification similar to those on Titicaca Island, and doubtless used for the same purposes. About midway of the island is the principal group of ruins, and our friends spent several hours in examining the walls and terraces, and studying what is left of the architecture of the buildings. Only the lower story of the edifice remains; the upper part appears to have been made of wood, and disappeared long ago.

An inner court of the building is now used by the Indian shepherds as an enclosure for their sheep at night, and when Frank and Fred entered it one of the guardians of the flock was driving his charges out to pasture. According to tradition, this court-yard was the corral where the sacred llamas and vicunas were kept in the days of the Incas; from their wool the royal garments and the hangings of the temple were made, by the women who inhabited the palace near by.

The temple is elevated some distance above the lake; between the temple and the edge of the water the ground slopes off in a series of terraces carefully built of stone. Each terrace has a wall about breast-high around its edge, and a person walking there ran no risk of falling down the declivity. From one terrace to another there is a series of stone steps, so that the ascent and descent were easy.

Sitting on the front of the upper terrace the travellers mused upon the scenes of the past, and endeavored to picture the appearance of the island in the days when the Incas were in the height of their power, and the temples were crowded with pilgrims from all parts of the empire.

"These temples and palaces," said the Doctor, "are by no means the finest monuments of the ancient Peruvians in the Titicaca basin. A little beyond the southern extremity of the lake is the village of Tiahuanaco, where the ruins are far more extensive than on either of the islands."

"Mr. Squier calls Tiahuanaco the Baalbec of America," said Fred. "To judge by his description of the remains he found there, the name is well merited."

Frank had not yet read the account which Mr. Squier gives of his visit to the spot. At his request Fred made a brief synopsis of the story.

"On his arrival," said Fred, "he was impressed with the great number of finely cut stones that were built into the rudest edifices, or were used for pavements. The church is mainly constructed of them, and the cross in front of it stands on an ancient stone pedestal, which far surpasses it in the excellence of its workmanship. On all sides are the relics of antiquity adapted to the uses of the present time; Tiahuanaco has been used as a quarry, from whence have been taken the finely cut and polished stones for building all the churches and villages of the valley, and even for the roads and bridges.

"He happened to arrive at the time the Indians were engaged in celebrating the _chuno_, or potato festival; they were dancing in the public square, beating on drums or tambourines, and wearing head-coverings that resembled enormous umbrellas. Each group of men was accompanied by several female dancers, the latter wearing hats with broad, stiff brims, and ornamented above the brims with semicircular representations of the rays of the rising sun, that closely resembled an open fan. There were three of these semicircular pieces above the brim of the hat, and each of the dancers wore a scarf over the left shoulder; the scarf was of variegated colors, but the rest of the costume was blue.

"The dance was kept up all day and all night, and, as the whole population took part in the festival, it was impossible for Mr. Squier to hire the laborers he desired to assist in making his explorations. The festival is a curious mingling of the customs of the ancient Peruvians and of the modern church; it was under the control of the priests of Tiahuanaco, and the ceremonials were so closely blended that it was impossible to draw a dividing-line between them. The chuno dates far back before the conquest by the Spaniards, and it is probable that the early settlers found it to their advantage to combine it with some of their own ceremonials.

"The ruins are about fifteen minutes walk from the village, and cover an area of two or three miles. They are on a level plain, and consist of several mounds of earth, one of them larger than any of the others, and the remains of numerous buildings and enclosures. The most conspicuous part of the ruins is about a mile square, and includes the large mound just mentioned.

"This mound is generally called 'The Fortress,' and was originally terraced, each terrace being supported by a massive wall of cut stones, and the top of the mound covered with stone structures of which considerable portions are in their original places. Close by the mound are the ruins of a building or enclosure known as 'The Temple,' which was 445 feet long by 388 feet wide. The stones composing it are sunk into the ground like gate-posts; the part that appears above the earth varies from nine to fourteen feet in height, and the blocks are about thirty inches thick. Mr. Squier calls this enclosure 'The American Stonehenge,' from its resemblance to Stonehenge, one of the famous monuments of England.

"Scattered in the vicinity are many highly finished stones, which seem never to have been placed in the walls for which they were intended."

"How much like Baalbec!" exclaimed Frank. "You remember we found the people using the stone from the temple for constructing their buildings, and the greatest stone of all was in the quarries, and not quite detached from the bed where it was hewn."

"Yes," chimed in the Doctor, "and we may compare this Peruvian Tiahuanaco to the Egyptian Thebes and Karnak. What we find here is very much like what we found in those old cities of the East."

"But I'm coming to a still closer comparison to Thebes and Baalbec," said Fred. "You remember the great stones of Baalbec, and how much we wondered at them?"

Frank nodded assent.

"Well, here in Peru," was the reply, "we find there was a doorway made of a single stone, which is still standing, though it has been broken by an earthquake, or by lightning--the natives say by the latter. Here are the figures of its measurement, as given by Mr. Squier:

"Thirteen feet five inches long, seven feet two inches high above the ground, and eighteen inches thick. Through the centre is a doorway, four feet six inches high, and two feet nine inches wide. The upper part is carved with figures in low relief, much like the sculpture we saw in Egypt, and Mr. Squier says he does not believe there is a finer piece of cutting in the same kind of stone on this or any other continent.

"In another enclosure is a horizontal slab of stone about fourteen feet square, with a deep cutting in the centre, which is supposed to have something to do with the religious observance of the people who made it. The building that contained it was constructed of blocks of stone fourteen feet long, and of corresponding depth and thickness, and all the work was performed with great care."

Frank asked what the Peruvians used for hewing the stone of which these buildings were made.

"As far as we can learn," replied the Doctor, "they were unacquainted with iron or steel; they were familiar with bronze, and some implements of this metal have been found. They had no knowledge of gunpowder, or other explosives, and it is not at all probable that they had any other power than that of men. The blocks found at Tiahuanaco must have been brought a considerable distance; they are of red sandstone, slate-colored trachyte, and dark basalt, none of which are found in the vicinity. There are cliffs of red sandstone about fifteen miles away, while the other stones are not less than forty miles distant. The conclusion is inevitable that the huge blocks in the ruins were transported from the cliffs I have mentioned."

"Egypt again," said Frank. "The stone for the Great Pyramids was carried across the Nile from the present site of Cairo, and the red granite blocks at Thebes, Sakhara, and other places were floated down on boats or rafts from the first cataract of the Nile."

The conversation was brought to an end by a proposal from the Doctor to descend the terraces to the shore of the lake, and return to the steamer. With a few slips and falls they made their way down the broken stairways, and were soon at the edge of the water. A balsa was obtained from one of the Indians, and as there was no wind blowing they made the trip over the water without mishap. Just at sundown they anchored as near Puno as the steamer could go; the row-boat was waiting for them at the anchorage, and, after a tortuous passage among the reeds, as before, they were back again at their starting-point.

The morning after their arrival was naturally devoted to a discussion of plans for continuing their journey. Frank and Fred wished to visit Cuzco, the ancient capital of the Incas. Their journey to Titicaca Island had roused their interest in the antiquities of Peru, and they wished to learn more about them. Dr. Bronson said it would not be feasible for them to go to that city in the time they had at their disposal, as the distance was long and the roads were primitive. "It is more than two hundred miles," said he, "from Puno to Cuzco; the route is not practicable for wheeled vehicles, and I think we are hardly enthusiastic enough to undertake the journey on mules or horses, for the sake of seeing the remains of the Inca Empire."

The youths agreed with him, but determined to inform themselves concerning the sights of the ancient capital of Peru. The Doctor went out to make arrangements for their departure from Puno, and was gone two or three hours. By reading the descriptions at hand, and from subsequent conversations with persons who had been at Cuzco, they prepared the following:

"After Manco Capac founded the temples on Titicaca Island he went north and founded the city of Cuzco. It is in a beautiful valley, elevated about eleven thousand feet above the level of the sea, and is said to have at the present time not far from fifty thousand inhabitants. It has a large square in the centre, and the streets cross each other at right angles. There are many fine buildings in Cuzco, but they are mostly of modern construction; the old dwellings of the people exist no longer, but some of the temples were converted into churches and convents. A few of the ancient gateways were kept by the conquerors, and occasionally a doorway and part of the wall of a house have been reserved for modern uses.

"The great square of the ancient city was practically the _Plaza Mayor_ of the modern one, though a portion of it has been built upon. Two small rivers running through ancient Cuzco were enclosed between high walls and crossed by bridges formed of projecting stones; some of these bridges are still in use, and the walls have not been displaced. Modern engineers say the walls could not easily be improved, and the fact that they have stood unharmed through centuries shows their substantial character. At intervals there are steps leading down to the water, and some of them have been deeply worn by the many thousands of feet that have trodden there.

"The city was on rough ground, and its builders were obliged to make many terraces and remove inequalities in order to provide suitable sites for their structures. In building their terraces they constructed walls of the kind known as 'cyclopean,' and many of these walls form the lines of the streets of to-day. We will explain that a 'cyclopean' wall is made of stones of irregular shape and size, but all carefully fitted together, like the scraps that form the pattern of a so-called 'crazy-quilt.' The resemblance to the Inca architecture in these walls and in many other things is very noticeable, but there is no reason to suppose that the two systems had a common origin.

"The Convent of Santa Catalina was established on the site of the Palace of the Virgins of the Sun; the nuns of the modern edifice may be said to replace the vestals of the old. Part of the walls of the old palace were retained, and enough remains of the building to indicate its character very distinctly. The church and convent of Santo Domingo occupy the Temple of the Sun, but the greater part of the walls have fallen, and the present structure is without shape or intelligible design. Inside the court-yard is preserved the fountain of the Incas, which ornamented the ancient temple, but in these latter times has been consecrated to baptismal purposes by the church.

"And what do you suppose was once on the site of the great Cathedral of Cuzco?

"It was here that the eighth Inca of Peru erected a building dedicated to the festivals of the people; it was so large that the ancient chronicles say a whole regiment could exercise beneath its roof. In this building the troops of Gonzalez Pizarro barricaded themselves for a battle with the Peruvians, which was to decide the fate of their campaign; it was the last hope of the invaders, who had encountered unexpected resistance, and defeat was equivalent to death.

"The battle was won by the Spaniards, and the Inca power was broken forever. According to a legend sculptured over the doorway, St. James descended from heaven, on a milk-white horse, and took part in the contest for the overthrow of the heathen dominion and the establishment of Christianity in South America.

"A curious circumstance connected with the antiquities of Peru is the extreme rarity of statues of stone or other material. Some have been found, but not many; in Cuzco there are a few figures in terra cotta and also in stone, but probably not twenty in all. The few that exist are quite rude in character, and not at all comparable to the admirable works of art which abounded in ancient Egypt. Two stone figures representing animals in a sitting posture were taken from the ruins of the Garden of the Sun; they are each about twenty-four inches high, and the shape of the pedestals seems to indicate that they were originally placed on the coping of a wall. If the sculptor made a true representation of his model, it is easy to believe that the animal could walk down his own throat without difficulty.

"Cuzco was defended by a fortress on a high hill just in the rear of the city. The fortress was a remarkable piece of work, and is said to have been built in the twelfth century; it held the same relation to Cuzco that 'The Rock' does to Gibraltar, or the Acropolis did to Athens. It consists of terraces near the summit of the hill, seven hundred and sixty-four feet above the grand square of the city, and of zigzag roads leading from below. All the roads are made so that they can be easily defended; the terraces are three in number, and have a total height of sixty feet.

"Military men who have examined the fortress say that the walls were constructed quite in accordance with the best engineering science of modern times; on its only assailable side the walls are provided with salients, so that every point could be covered by a parallel fire from the weapons of the defenders. The walls are composed of immense blocks of blue limestone, and each salient has one of these at its end. In some places the great stones are piled one above the other; one stone, twenty-seven feet high, fourteen broad, and twelve in thickness, lies upon another of almost the same dimensions. Blocks measuring fifteen feet in length, twelve in width, and ten in thickness are common in the outer walls!

"Turn to the description of the Temple of the Sun, at Baalbec, and see how much the work of the Peruvians resembles that of the people of ancient Palestine.

"Some of these stones were hewn from the hill not far from where they are found, while others were brought from the cliffs three fourths of a mile away. In the quarries at the cliffs there are several stones partly hewn, and there are two roads still to be traced, along which the blocks were drawn. The evidences are that the stones were roughly cut at the quarries, then drawn along the roads, and fitted in their places on arriving at the fortress.

"To have a realizing sense of the size of the stones used in building the fortress of Cuzco, look at the picture of one of the salient angles of the wall, and the figure of the man leaning against it. Consider the man to be of ordinary stature, and you can readily compute the height of the stone.

"In the neighborhood of Cuzco there are many other remains of palaces, temples, and fortresses, but we have said enough to give you an idea of what the ancient Peruvians left behind them. In some of the native villages the houses are the same that were inhabited four or five hundred years ago; the roofs have been renewed, but the walls remain unchanged. In many instances the natives have erected hovels by the side of the ancient houses, through their unwillingness to take the trouble to renew the roofs, which had been destroyed by time and the elements.

"The roads which the Incas built have been mostly allowed to go to decay, by their successors, though some parts of them are still in use. The new ones are far inferior to the old, and nothing better demonstrates the slovenly character of the invaders than a comparison of their wretched paths through the mountains with the paved tracks of the original possessors of the land. The Spaniards came in search of gold, and did not intend remaining; circumstances kept them here, but they were always looking for a speedy return to their native land, and made no effort to improve or even to preserve what they found on their arrival. Their descendants are still searching for treasures among the palaces of the Incas, and a visitor to the ruins in and around Cuzco can see, almost any day, men digging among the rubbish for the gold which is supposed to be concealed there."

As the youths finished their account of the wonderful city of Cuzco and its surroundings, the Doctor returned from his walk. They read to him what they had written; he gave his approval, with an intimation that it might be dull reading to some of their schoolmates, but was a necessary part of a narrative of travels in Peru.

Fred suggested that anybody who did not like it was at liberty to skip a few pages, till he reached something more interesting. Frank was of the same opinion, and with this the manuscript was folded and laid away.

"I cannot obtain very definite information about the route we are to travel," said Dr. Bronson, "as I can find nobody who has been over it. Bolivia is without good roads, and though several plans have been proposed and undertaken for making them, they have not amounted to much. We shall have a rough journey, but I think we may get through without accident or detention.

"We are to cross Lake Titicaca," continued the Doctor, "and enter Bolivian territory. I have engaged a man to accompany us as far as we wish him to go; he knows a part of the region we are to traverse, though not all of it, but thinks he can learn enough as he goes along. Our route will be through northern Bolivia, past the base of Sorata, the grand mountain we have admired so much, and then down the eastern slope of the Andes till we reach the waters of the Beni River.

"The Beni is a tributary of the Madeira, and the Madeira flows into the Amazon. When we leave Puno to-morrow our watchword will be,

"TO THE AMAZON!"