n 
 
 OR, 
 
 A PEEP AT THE AZTECS, 
 
 ONE WHO HAS SEEN THEM. 
 
 2d EDITION, 
 WITH MAP AND ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 NEW YORK: 
 
 CHARLES B. NORTON. 
 
 1854. 
 
TO 
 JOtlN L. STEPHENS, Esa., 
 
 This little volume 
 
 la 
 
 Most respectfully dedicated, 
 As a slight expression of the esteem and 
 
 Admiration of one 
 Who would be his emulator in 
 Antiquarian Researches. 
 
 THE AUTHOR. 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 PART FIRST. 
 
 KIND READER : 
 
 In thus presenting himself to your notice, 
 for the first time, the author begs leave to state, 
 merely for his own interest, that the substance 
 of the following pages was not originally written 
 with the intention of being published, but was 
 comprised in a journal, kept for the amusement 
 of his family and a few very intimate friends. 
 But during a visit, recently made to the city of 
 New York, several works, of a similar character 
 to that which is now given up for inspection, were 
 placed in his hands, and, on reading them, it 
 appeared to him that the latter part of his travel- 
 ling journal might, with but little trouble, be 
 altered into a book, which, in its singularity, 
 
might equal, and, possibly, in its truth, excel, 
 those with which he had met. Persuaded of this, 
 he consulted the few who had read his narrative, 
 and, fortified by their unanimous advice to have 
 it exposed to the censorship of the public^ he 
 commenced his pleasant task of reducing it from 
 its voluminous dimensions, to the size in which it 
 now makes its appearance. 
 
 As to the truth of the work presented to you, 
 the author will vouch for every word, although he 
 has not sufficient vanity to let you read it without 
 stating that he does not pretend to be anything 
 like a good writer ; and that his production is not 
 given as an artistic performance, but as a plain 
 and concise statement of facts, of things that if 
 disbelieved now, will soon be verified by future 
 travellers. Bruce's great discoveries in Abyssi- 
 nia were laughed at and scorned, by even the 
 learned of the world, as the romantic effusions of 
 a traveller who wished to ascertain how much the 
 stay-at-homes could be fooled into crediting. This 
 simple narrative merely tests and confirms the 
 truth of the traditions current among the Quich- 
 uas of Peru, and may also be ridiculed and 
 derided ; not that the author compares himself 
 to James Bruce, for the orbit of the last is entirely 
 beyond the reach of the former's vision, though 
 not of his ambition. 
 
PREFACE. Ill 
 
 The discovery, if he may so term it, that is 
 narrated in the following pages will at least afford 
 a solid foundation for men, more learned than 
 himself, to erect an imperishable edifice upon. 
 
 The author finds it exceedingly difficult to 
 inform the reader in what style the present com- 
 position is written, it being partly in the form of 
 a narrative, and partly taken, verbatim, from the 
 journal ; but if this curious compound fails to give 
 satisfaction, he believes that, at least, it is " some- 
 thing new." 
 
 Now, considerate peruser, your most humble 
 servitor must confess that he has a particular dis- 
 like of those works, which are what is usually 
 termed "spun out," and, in consequence, he has 
 done his best not to be prolix. In carrying out 
 this purpose it is not at all improbable but that 
 he has fallen over the other side of the fence, 
 and been entirely too concise. However that 
 may be, whether his book is good, bad or indiffer- 
 ent, he presents it to you, leaving it to your bet- 
 ter judgment to decide, requesting permission, at 
 the same time, to sign himself, in advance, 
 
 Gentle reader, your most obliged and 
 obedient servant, 
 
 A. R. MlDDLETOUN PAYNE. 
 Philadelphia, August 2<M, 1849. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 PART FIRST. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 The Start, . . . . .13 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 The Voyage. Arrival at Para. Cause of the Expedi- 
 tion. A Meeting on the Banks of the Dead Sea. 
 Object of the Expedition, . . . .18 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 Departure from Para. Character of Baggage. The Rio 
 Tapajos. A Meeting in the Wilderness, . . 25 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 The Navigation of the lower Tapajos. Aground. The 
 Rio Arinos. Povoacao. The Beginning of the Journey, 31 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 A Brazilian Forest.' A Curiosity. A Lion monkey. 
 The Hills. An Ascent. A Supper in the dark. . 37 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 First View of the Valley. Encounter on the descent. 
 The Cura9aofOcopaltepec, . . . .44 
 
X CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Departure from Quauhtitlan. Ocopal. Colucatl. The 
 Mexican Character of Names. Night View from the 
 Fortress, . . . . . .52 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 A mistake. First View of the Capital. Reception at the 
 Gates, ....... 58 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Description of the Park and Palace, . . .64 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 Dinner. A Promenade. The Court of Justice. Tian- 
 guez The Close of the first day, . . .72 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 The Audience. Exchange of presents. An Afternoon's 
 Ramble in Search of Sights. The Streets, . .81 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 The Tianguez. Visit from the Inca. A proposed Change 
 of Quarters. A Walk to see the Premises. A Remove. 90 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 The 'Stall.' Inca's Visit. The Incaress. Moderate 
 Prices. Business. Sunday. . . . .98 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 4 
 
 Selling Out. The Chronology of Geral. Another Re- 
 move, . . . . . . ,104 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 The New Calendar. A visit to an Useful Institution. 
 A Present, . . . . . .113 
 
CONTENTS. xi 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 The Council House. Tribunal of Music, . .119 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 An Excursion. The Upper Lake. Patapalanamit. 
 Izlinapan. Pocotatl. Return toGeral. Temple of the 
 Sun, 127 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 A Visit to the Royal Library. An Invitation. The Pa- 
 lace of the Manitepec. An Incident, . .135 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 Tezcutlipotenango. Otompan. Mixocolo. The Covered 
 Market Place. Poanango, . . . .143 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 Atalatl. Xaromba. A Visit to the Salt Mines. A Dan- 
 gerous Piece of Fun. . . . . .151 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 Tcman. The Temple of the Sun at Panonco. Gopal. 
 The Temple on the Atolatepec. Tontam. Edarallaqua, 1 60 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 The Magazines of the Edarallaquatepec. The Fortress 
 of Jacoqulatl. Acaposinga, . . . .168 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 The Audience Chamber. Temple of the Moon. Depar- 
 ture from Acaposinga. The Canoa. Gymnasium, . 174 
 s 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 New Year's Day. The Empress's Throne Room. Her 
 Costume. Farewell Audience. Presents. Departure 
 from the Valley, . . . . 182 
 
 I - 
 
Xll CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 What occurred on the route from the Sierra to Povoacao. 
 A Little too Late. Povoacao to Angejo. Conclusion, . 189 
 
 APPENDIX. No. 1. 
 
 The Tianguez, (Chap. X.); and Gymnasium, (Chap. 
 XXIII.), . . . . . .195 
 
 APPENDIX. No. 2. 
 
 The New Calendar, (Chapter XVII.) . . .198 
 
 APPENDIX. No. 3. 200 
 
 INTRODUCTION TO SUPPLEMENT. 205 
 
 PART SECOND. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Government, Rerenue, Military and Civil Institutions, etc. 208 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 Modes of Communication, . . . 220 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 Buildings : Materials, Style, Solidity, &c., . . 230 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Domestic Manners and Customs, .... 240 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Pastoral Life, . . . 25G 
 
PART FIRST. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 The Start. 
 
 ON Monday, August 16th 1847 I left the 
 Charleston Hotel in Meeting Street, in company 
 with Edward Laury Grey Esq, who was to be 
 my companion throughout my travels, for the 
 large brig Augusta, of Baltimore, bound for Rio 
 Janeiro but which was to drop us at Para. 
 
 I had not yet seen the accommodations of the 
 vessel as my friend Grey had arranged all the 
 preliminaries without troubling me, for which I 
 was very thankful, and full of confidence in his 
 talents for getting ready the l fixings* necessary for 
 such a voyage, I ascended the side, and stepped 
 or rather stumbled on board ; for the fact of the 
 taffrail's being considerably above the level of the 
 deck, entirely escaping my memory, I placed one 
 foot on the top of the former and bringing my 
 other one up too quickly, I lost my balance, and 
 thinking it preferable to fall on a barrel of pickled 
 pork than into the Cooper River, made a plunge 
 forward, and the next second was sprawling on 
 
 2 
 
14 THE START. 
 
 the top of the selected pedestal. However I soon 
 * righted myself as the sailors would say, and get- 
 ting into a more dignified position, looked around 
 me. 
 
 Confusion worse confounded ! The brig was 
 taking in the fag end of the provisions for the 
 voyage, and the men were rolling barrel on barrel 
 of salt beef, pork, butter, and various other un- 
 palatable edibles, so close to the extremities of 
 our patent leathers, that Grey and I determined 
 to evacuate this provisional department, and de- 
 scended into the lower regions, that I might in- 
 spect the lodgings, I positively have not, now, the 
 assurance to call them accommodations,' which 
 had been prepared for us. 
 
 My stateroom was the first visited. 
 
 We both got in, somehow ; and it is but fair 
 that I should tell of the state in which it was. 
 The two berths were without mattresses, pillows, 
 sheets, or coverlid, being nothing but the slats on 
 which all the above enumerated comforts are 
 usually placed ; two chairs in a very dilapidated 
 plight comprised the sitting down conveniences. 
 One of these was frightfully near being seatless, 
 but this I subsequently remedied by tacking a stout 
 India silk handkerchief over the frame, while 
 the other which was tetertortering on two legs, 
 fortunately diagonally opposite each other, I ren- 
 
OUR STATEROOMS. 15 
 
 dered available bv snrvnorting one of the vacated 
 corners on the ledge of the lower berth, and prop- 
 ping up the other by an apparatus consisting of 
 the wall, a carpet bag, and a portable fishing rod ; 
 when thus -arranged it could be used, but when 
 seated upon it, the occupant had to be on the 
 look out, for at best it was but a precarious situa- 
 tion. 
 
 The washstand was a fixture in the shape of a 
 quarter segment of a circle, fastened in the corner 
 behind the door, considerably interfering with 
 the opening propensities of the latter, and forc- 
 ing the person seeking an entrance, to slide in 
 sideways, much to the danger of coat-tails from 
 a preposterously large catch, set into the door- 
 post. 
 
 Ned's stateroom was far better furnished than 
 mine, but was much less clean, so leaving him to 
 put to rights his vast chamber, I started on a tour 
 of inspection in the centre cabin, or "saloon," 
 to call it by the name with which it was compli- 
 mented by the master of the brig. 
 
 Having come out of a stateroom, it had really 
 an imposing appearance, and looked to me like 
 quite a sizeable apartment, but in fact it was the 
 smallest one I had ever seen, in a vessel of the 
 Augusta's dimensions. Along the middle of it 
 was a stationary mahogany dining, breakfasting 
 
16 THE START. 
 
 and suppering table, all in one, which . was 
 amazingly far from clean. All around this fixture 
 were backless benches, also elected to the deck 
 and at a most uncomfortable distance from the 
 eating board, so arranged, perchance, in accord- 
 ance with a " notion" that, if a sudden lurch 
 should occur while the passengers were at meals, 
 the contents of their plates, and the condiments 
 waiting to go on them, could slip on the floor 
 between the edge of the table and the knees of 
 the eaters. If this had been the intention, 
 although it might have answered in common 
 cases, on an uncommon one it did not, as I dis- 
 covered, to the severe detriment of a new pair of 
 inexpressibles. 
 
 Over the centre of the table depended a trio of 
 swinging lamps, vi ich being of a construction un- 
 suited for ships, and burning oil of the odoriferous 
 kind, had a very singular fancy, when filled and 
 lit at supper, of sprinkling everything on the 
 table that was within the range of their devas- 
 tating showers. 
 
 On each side of the 'saloon,' were several 
 doors leading into the staterooms, and at the end, 
 a pair of folding doors admitted me to the private 
 or ladies' cabin, which, for a wonder, was scrupu- 
 lously clean and neat, forming, as may be imagin- 
 
THE START. IT 
 
 ed rather a strong contrast with what I had pre- 
 viously seen. 
 
 Having fully explored the premises I returned 
 to Grey, and together we ascended the companion 
 way to take a last glimpse at Charleston. As we 
 stepped on deck, a tug which had been getting 
 up steam ever since we had come on board let 
 go her ropes, and the Augusta, being fastened to 
 her, in five minutes we had started fairly on our 
 long tour. 
 
18 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 The Voyage. Arrival at Para. Cause of the Expedition. A 
 Meeting on the Banks of the Dead Sea. Object of the Ex- 
 pedition. 
 
 IF I wished I could make a volume of our voy- 
 age alone, but as others have written on that 
 subject numberless times, far better than I ever 
 hope to, and as I do not wish to be long from the 
 object of our tour and this book, I will give but 
 a short account of my uncomfortablenesses. On 
 the first night out I obtained a hammock, and 
 had it swung in the ladies' cabin, which was un- 
 occupied, where I slept very pleasantly every 
 succeeding night, until our arrival at Havana on 
 the Sunday morning following our departure. 
 At this beautiful and musical capital, the Augusta 
 remained until high tide on Tuesday morning, 
 when, having received two feminine passengers 
 among the several that came on board, I was 
 obliged to retire to my proper stateroom when we 
 sailed. In order to occupy my berth, my camp 
 bedding had to be rummaged up from among the 
 numerous bales of goods and packing cases 
 
THE VOYAGE. 19 
 
 directed to "Messrs. Payne and Grey, Para." 
 However, it was found without much difficulty, 
 and on Tuesday night I took up my quarters in 
 the upper-berth, among the cockroaches, who ex- 
 pressed their disapprobation of my invasion of 
 their territories by running over my hands and 
 face in the most obstreperous manner. I got to 
 sleep at last and slept pretty well until about two 
 o'clock in the morning, when an unexpected and 
 very severe sea struck the brig, tossing me from 
 my elevated position to the floor, where I remained 
 a few moments, covered with three carpet bags, 
 the bedding, chairs, clothes, &c., &c. I got up, 
 as soon as I could extricate myself, a good deal 
 bruised, and fully recognizing the truth, " He that 
 exalteth himself, shall be abased." I made up 
 my bed in the lower berth and slept there every 
 succeeding night that I was on board. 
 
 Now Grey and I are two of those fortunate 
 few who never suffer from sea-sickness, and it was 
 owing to this circumstance that we became ac- 
 quainted with each other, which occurred in 1834, 
 on board of an English ship on a voyage from 
 Great Britain to St. Petersburg, on which occa- 
 sion every soul, save us two, was down with it. 
 Ned seeing that I was the only person in the 
 cabin well enough to talk, introduced himself, and 
 we commenced conversing. Since then we never 
 
20 ARRIVAL AT PARA. 
 
 went on any travels without being together. But 
 if we were exempted, the servants which accom- 
 panied us on the present occasion, were not, all 
 three of them being incapacitated from talking 
 or walking. 
 
 The brig anchored off 'the flourishing town 
 of Para,' as the geographies have it, on the 
 morning of Wednesday, September the 15th, 
 after a moderately quick pa wage of twenty-two 
 days from Cuba. The sailors immediately com- 
 menced landing our merchandize and baggage. 
 
 The moon shone brightly over the wide harbor, 
 silvering its placid waters as Ned and I bade 
 adieu to some of our fellow-passengers, who had 
 come on shore, immediately on the arrival -of the 
 Augusta, in the morning, to spend a day t in 
 town.' They were rowed off in one of the boats 
 that had brought the last of our effects, and in a 
 few moments after they got on board, the anchor 
 was weighed, and the 'Brig Augusta, of Balti- 
 more,' set sail for Rio Janeiro. 
 
 It is now time that the object of our expedition 
 should be made known, and to do this it is neces- 
 sary to learn, first, the cause, for which I must go 
 back to the winter of 1845-6, when in company 
 with Mr. Grey, I was travelling in Syria. 
 
 It was early in the evening of the first Satur- 
 day in the February of the latter year, that we 
 
CAUSE OF THE EXPEDITION. 21 
 
 pitched our tents on the shores of Lake Asphal- 
 tites, the once Yale of Siddim. 
 
 We had hardly done so, when one of the 
 natives, attached to our little party, came to my 
 tent and said that another American gentleman 
 was at an encampment half a league further 
 south. On hearing this both Grey and I remount- 
 ed our horses, regardless of the fatigue we had 
 endured from a long day's journey, and galloped 
 to the designated spot. Here we found an Amer- 
 ican^ certainly, but he was a native of Lima, and 
 we were obliged to speak Spanish, instead of 
 English, as we had hoped to be able to do. 
 Nevertheless, we spent a very pleasant evening, 
 and, during it, the conversation naturally turned 
 upon travellers, thence to antiquarian researches, 
 and, from this, to lost nations. Grey spoke of 
 the ancient Peruvians and Mexicans, of their 
 descendants' degeneracy, in having lost the arts 
 and sciences of their ancestors, and of the gene- 
 rally received opinion that these two monarchies 
 were ignorant of one another's existence. " It is 
 true," here said the gentleman of Lima, " that 
 such is the common opinion, but it is a mistaken 
 one. The two nations of which you spoke, sir, 
 not only know the situation, resources, civiliza- 
 tion and government of each other's territory, but 
 actually exchanged visits, if I may believe a hiero- 
 
2Z CAUSE OF 
 
 glyphical manuscript which I found, accidentally, 
 among the wrecks of the once magnificent library 
 of the Museum, in the city of Mexico. What I 
 have already said, perhaps, astonishes you, but 
 there is more to be told, which I learnt from the 
 same manuscript. When Cortes, for the second 
 time, entered the valley of Tenochtitlan, many of 
 the inhabitants, contrary to the express com- 
 mands of Guatemotzin, fled from their homes, and, 
 penetrating through the territories of the Guate- 
 malan kingdoms, entered, after much fatigue, 
 and much reduced in number, the government 
 of the Incas, taking up their residence in Cuzco. 
 So far goes the scroll, but I can tell still more 
 from traditions current among the Quichuas. 
 The expatriated Mexicans had scarcely settled 
 themselves in the above named city, when Pizarro 
 and his followers, having murdered Atahuallpa, 
 and Toparca having died, entered the capital, 
 naming Manca as Inca. Notwithstanding their 
 submission to the invaders, all the Peruvians were 
 not satisfied with this rapid change of rulers, and 
 many of them, together with the Mexicans, broke 
 into the palace of the lately murdered Inca, 
 (Atahuallpa) where his wives and children were 
 still wailing at his death. The patriots and their 
 friends, persuaded several of these disconsolate 
 beings to accompany them, and this little party 
 
THE EXPEDITION. 23 
 
 set out to found an Incalate in the, to them, 
 wilderness of Brazil. 
 
 " Five years since," continued the narrator, 
 " I was spending a few weeks in the town of 
 Villa Bella, near the source of the Rio Guapore, 
 and on one occasion, being exceedingly fond of 
 excursions and rambling walks, I accompanied a 
 few friends to the foot of the Sierra Paricis, to 
 stay two or three days there. On the second day 
 we all set off, scrambling up the mountains. Most 
 of the party gave out half way up, and when I 
 got near the top, I found that I was alone. How- 
 ever, I persevered and reached the summit. 
 Before me was spread the valley of the Incas ! 
 As I commenced descending towards the thickly 
 built cities below me, my progress was arrested 
 by several men, wearing the dress ascribed to the 
 ancient Peruvians, who sprung out of a covert, 
 and obliged me to retrace my steps, telling me 
 in the Aucaquis language, whicn I fortunately 
 understood, that no armed stranger, which I 
 unhappily chanced to be, was admitted into 
 their valley, which they call Geral.* The fol- 
 lowing day our party returned to Villa Bella, 
 
 * The reader will notice that on some maps the Sierra is 
 named the Geral Mountains. It is, therefore, probable that the 
 author and his friend were not the first to penetrate this singular 
 territory. 
 
24 
 
 and you, gentlemen, are the first persons who 
 have ever heard of my adventure, and its vexati- 
 ous termination." 
 
 This , speech was the cause of our expedition, 
 and the object of it was to gain an entrance into 
 this unvisited, and nearly unknown, valley. To 
 effect this we had decided upon assuming the 
 character of merchants, and in this, the most 
 peaceful guise we knew of, we started for the 
 Geral-milco.* 
 
 * This being the first time that the title of our volume is 
 introduced, we take the opportunity of explaining thai * JtftZco' 
 is an Aztecan word, signify ing Valley. 
 
25 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 Departure from Para. Character of Baggage. The Rio 
 Tapajos. A Meeting in the Wilderness. 
 
 WE remained at Para until Saturday morning, 
 September 18th, when we embarked on board of 
 a small schooner, called the ' St. Joao,' bound 
 for the town of Santarem, at the confluence of the 
 Tapajos and Amazon, where we intended to pro- 
 cure a boat of some kind or other, to take us 
 up the former river as far as we wanted to go, 
 which I well knew was further than any boat at 
 Para had ever gone. The baggage had been 
 placed on board the schooner on Thursday, and 
 it is but fair that I should tell of what that bag- 
 gage was composed. 
 
 Our character of merchants was not so much 
 assumed as we would have liked it to have been, 
 as neither Ned nor I was, at that time, well 
 enough off in the goods of this world to travel 
 such a distance without carrying a ' venture' along 
 with us. The c venture' on this occasion was of 
 some value, as several real merchants, of our 
 acquaintance, had kindly interested themselves 
 
26 SANTAREM. 
 
 in our welfare, by consigning all sorts of things 
 to us on commission, such as cutlery, hardware, 
 tea, cooking utensils, a few agricultural imple- 
 ments, silks, satins, velvets, &c., being such arti- 
 cles as would sell to great advantage in Lima, 
 Quito, or any of the cities on the Pacific side of 
 the Andes, should we fail in obtaining admission 
 to the valley. We had, independently of the 
 above, some really valuable articles which Ned 
 and I had brought from Asia in 1842 ; and for 
 our own use during the travels, we carried edibles 
 to some amount, and all of the best quality. Our 
 personal baggage was reduced to its lowest limits, 
 and thus provided we sailed on the Amazon, em- 
 ploying the time in perfecting ourselves in that 
 most comprehensive language the Amaquis, with 
 which we had been previously acquainted in a 
 slight degree. 
 
 About eleven o'clock on the morning of the 
 Thursday following our departure from Para, we 
 arrived at the unaccountably dirty town of Santa- 
 rem, in front of which were a great many inde- 
 scribable conveyances intended to float on the 
 river. Immediately upon leaving the ' St. Joao,' 
 we pounced upon one of these, which was the 
 only specimen, that we saw, that had the slight- 
 est appearance of being able to stand upright, 
 and engaged it forthwith. 
 
RIO TAPAJOS. 27 
 
 We got off at five o'clock the next morning, 
 and, considering the singular form of our convey- 
 ance, we travelled pretty rapidly over the surface 
 of the beautiful Rio Tapajos. The wind contin- 
 ued in our favour all day, and about seven in the 
 evening we passed the last settlement of any size 
 on the river, that is to say, the village of Aldea 
 de Mondrucus, and at dark entered the verge of 
 the great interior forest of Brazil, but it was too 
 late to see anything distinctly. Our captain told 
 us that we should have enough of the woods 
 before we reached Povoacao, as there was nothing 
 else all the way, if we excepted a family or two, 
 that had cut down a few trees, and built a house 
 on the banks of the river, we consequently rolled 
 ourselves up in our cloaks and turned the after 
 deck into a bed, where, or on which, we slept 
 soundly until a little before sunrise, when the 
 captain awoke us, and we went to the side of the 
 boat to see all that was to be seen, which was not 
 much, as it was nearly as dark as pitch, but we 
 discovered that our vessel was at a stand still. 
 
 In a few moments the purple clouds, that herald 
 the rising of the sun, appeared above the horizon, 
 and, rapidly ascending to the zenith, were closely 
 followed by others, of various shades of pink, and 
 at last the sudden appearance of a globe of intense 
 light, warned us of the day's having fairly com- 
 
28 A MEETING IN 
 
 menced. We now found that our craft had 
 stopped before what, in our Western states, would 
 be called a ' clearing,' where a hut or two, built 
 of logs, proclaimed the residence of man, in a 
 more civilized state than is usually found in the 
 .interior of Brazil. 
 
 Almost with the sun, a tall, gawky looking 
 genius came out of one of the cabins with a large 
 package of skins in his hands. " That is, unmis- 
 takably, a Yankee," I whispered to Ned; "try 
 him when he comes up." So, when the "squat- 
 ter" got to the side of the boat and had, in horri- 
 bly bad Spanish, consigned his bundle to the cap- 
 tain, that it might be taken to Povoacao, Grey 
 called out, in English, 
 
 " Hollo, there ! I guess you're a Yankee, aint 
 you ?" 
 
 The poor fellow looked quite surprised at being 
 addressed in his native idiom, and stared at us 
 most unmercifully, replying: "Waal, stranger, 
 I reckon I come from the Bay state." 
 
 "How did you get into this outlandish place?" 
 was Ned's next query, and the squatter told us 
 his long and miserable tale, which I will condense 
 into the smallest space. Going on board of a 
 whaling ship, after a long and disastrous voyage, 
 the vessel was wrecked on the North-east coast of 
 Australia. With some of his ship-mates he set 
 
THE WILDERNESS. 29 
 
 out to walk from the wreck to the town of Sidney, 
 where he and one other arrived after much hard- 
 ship. Having resided in this settlement for a 
 few months, he at last joined an English convict- 
 ship, which was to return to England, touching 
 at Rio Janeiro, as a sailor. While the ship was 
 at Rio he deserted, having been badly treated, 
 and hid himself until it had departed, when he 
 applied to nearly all the United States' ships in 
 port, none of which required his services, so he 
 started alone, on foot for Para. In passing 
 through the country he thought it would be a fine 
 place to settle in. He got to Para, and found a 
 situation on board of a schooner bound for Nahant, 
 where he arrived in safety after a perilous passage. 
 The next spring he brought out his family 
 and had established himself where we had found 
 him. 
 
 We asked him how he got on, and if he liked 
 his "location," to which he replied: " Business 
 is thrivin' in the skin trade, but the Injins is 
 rayther troublesome. As to the situation, it's 
 good enough for the landway, but as hot as ten 
 thunders !" 
 
 We made him a present of some cutlery, which 
 we knew would be useful to a man in his sitivation, 
 although it was with a good deal of difficulty that 
 we got him to overcome his Yankee pride and 
 
30 A MEETING ETC. 
 
 receive it, and after a long conversation, we bade 
 farewell. Our sails were set and we once more 
 started for Povoacao. 
 
 As our captain had told us, the banks of the 
 river were covered with a thick forest, through 
 which the sun could scarcely penetrate ; there 
 was no breeze of any consequence, and we had to 
 take to the oars, to cool ourselves. 
 
31 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 The Navigation of the lower Tapajos. Aground. The Rio 
 Arinos. Povoacao. The Beginning of the Journey. 
 
 ON the second day's journey we had noticed 
 that the width of the river rapidly decreased, so 
 what was our astonishment, on awaking on Sun- 
 day morning, to find our boat sailing over an ex- 
 panse of water, at least four miles wide ! It was 
 the mouth of the Rio Azovedo, one of the largest 
 tributaries of the Tapajos, and emptying itself 
 into the latter from the south. About ten o'clock 
 we came to the mouth of another stream, pouring 
 its waters from the north, and, on my maps, with- 
 out a name, but called by our captain, the Rio 
 Urupas. At noon, or a very little after, we 
 passed the mouth of a third stream from the 
 south, named the Rio Cavaiva. 
 
 The Tapajos now grew gradually narrower, and 
 at the same time more shallow, so that one of the 
 six seamen belonging to our vessel, was constantly 
 at the bows on the look out for sand banks, sunken 
 rocks, and other enemies to navigation, for the 
 lead was not required on account of the great 
 transparency of the water. 
 
32 AGROUND. 
 
 " Labordo ! labordo ! vito ! Labordo ! Santa 
 Maria!" -suddenly exclaimed our foreman, while 
 the helmsman endeavored to obey his order. But 
 it was too late, I heard the grating noise of the 
 sand beneath the keel (if it had one,) and we 
 were aground ! The sailors calling upon all the 
 saints in the calendar, and more too, seized two 
 long stout spars, which are always carried by the 
 vessels going up and down the inland rivers of 
 South America, and with desperate shoves and 
 pushes, at length got our craft off. 
 
 At a little after six in the afternoon, the bows 
 of the boat were turned directly towards the 
 eastern shore, and I imagined that we were going 
 straight aground for a second time, as I could see 
 nothing but foliage. Notwithstanding appear- 
 ances, nothing of the kind took place, for the 
 mast, being suddenly deprived of the sails, 
 parted the branches of the trees, and in two 
 minutes we were resting quietly in the centre of 
 what we travellers at first, took for a lake, but in 
 fact jj was the mouth of the Rio Arinos. The 
 continuation of the river was invisible from our 
 situation, and that part of it which we did see, 
 was perfectly circular, entirely surrounded "by 
 hills of about fifty feet in height, thickly wooded 
 from their summits to the very edge of the river, 
 where the densely foliaged trees swept their 
 
POVOACAO. 33 
 
 luxuriant branches in the pure, cool, fresh water, 
 which flowed silently to its shallow outlet, the 
 width of which was hidden by the trees which 
 had taken root in the damp soil, and had grown 
 up, completing this grand natural amphitheatre. 
 The little lake, I must call it so, was dotted 
 over with small conical islands, covered with trees, 
 and seeming like forests growing in the water. 
 
 The sails were again set, and, with a light 
 breeze which wafted us along, we darted into the 
 Rio Arinos. 
 
 At half past twelve on Monday, we arrived in 
 front of Povoacao, further than which we could 
 not have gone, if we had wished, as about a mile 
 from the town there is a little cascade, just high 
 enough to prevent navigation. Across the Ari- 
 nos, at this town, is thrown a fragile structure, 
 honoured by the name of bridge, but on which, I 
 am not ashamed to own, I always felt very inse- 
 cure and rather alarmed. It is, or was, built in 
 the following manner. Three ropes are stretched 
 between the banks, and on these are lashed narrow 
 boards, exactly the width of the bridge in length, 
 about a foot wide, and placed about eighteen 
 inches apart. In 1830, 1 think, a bridge, similar 
 to this, broke in half during the periodical rains, 
 and precipitated several persons into a torrent 
 over which it had been cast. This accident was, 
 
34 POVOACAO. 
 
 it is said, caused by the shrinking of the wet 
 ropes. 
 
 Povoacao is, at the smallest computation, three 
 hundred and forty miles from any civilized com- 
 munity, and but little known on the Atlantic. 
 Indeed, I doubt very much if I could have found 
 a vessel, at Para, whose captain was acquainted 
 with its precise situation. It is, nevertheless, a 
 settlement of some size, and a few of the inhabit- 
 ants have immense droves of horses, mules, and 
 other beasts of burden, and they also have ex- 
 tensive plantations of tropical productions, which, 
 however, are not sufficiently well cultivated to 
 prove very lucrative. The town has suffered 
 severely from several attacks made upon it by the 
 surrounding savage tribes, who appear to bear 
 the greatest enmity towards all new settlers. 
 
 Immediately on arriving our baggage was taken 
 out of the boat, and placed, for the time being, 
 under the portico of a house, which, being desert- 
 ed, we took the liberty of entering and establish- 
 ing as our head quarters during our stay. In the 
 afternoon I procured five horses, for the use of 
 ourselves and servants, and thirty mules to carry 
 our merchandise and baggage, which we spent all 
 day Tuesday in dividing into packages suitable 
 for a mule's back, leaving the empty packing cases 
 
JOURNEY. 35 
 
 in the house, of which we had so summarily taken 
 possession. 
 
 Wednesday morning was the tug of war. We 
 got up long before dawn, and, by torchlight, com- 
 menced loading our animals, which employed 
 us fully until sunrise, when we took a slight 
 breakfast, saddled our horses, mounted them, and 
 set out on our journey. 
 
 We ventured to carry arms as far as the Terra 
 Incognita, if we were to find it, and if we did do so 
 they were such as could easily be concealed, the 
 rifles having been made with the shortest barrels 
 consistent with safety. Each of us, servants 
 included, had one of those inestimable inven- 
 tions know as Colt's Revolvers, and good stout 
 bowie knives were not omitted in our accoutre- 
 ments. 
 
 Crossing the ticklish bridge, we continued along 
 the river's bank all day long, passing at three 
 o'clock in the afternoon, the mouth of the Rio 
 Oru, which empties itself into the Arinos from 
 the south east, and at sunset we encamped for 
 the night, on the edge of the forest, at the con- 
 fluence of the two rivers, Sumidor and Flores, 
 which together form that on which Povoacao is 
 situated. 
 
 Our tents were pitched, the mules unloaded, 
 and, with the horses, turned out to graze. Large 
 
36 JOURNEY. 
 
 fires were kindled around .our small camp to 
 keep away the wild animals ; and after eating 
 our supper we sank to rest, and slept without 
 the slightest interruption until the first beams 
 of the rising sun warned us to arise and pre- 
 pare for another day's travel, which we did, and 
 pursued our way along the western bank of the 
 Sumidor. 
 
37 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 A Brazilian Forest. A Curiosity. A Lion monkey. The 
 Hills. An Ascent. A Supper in the dark. 
 
 MONDAY evening, October 4th. The fifth day 
 of our land journey ings is over, we having rested 
 all yesterday on the banks of the Sumidor, where 
 we arrived on Saturday. This morning, at sun- 
 rise, we left the river and, for the first time, en- 
 tered the Brazilian Forest, through which we have 
 been slowly forcing our way, since that time. 
 Nothing, however, can be more beautiful than the 
 scenery around some of the natural openings, in 
 one of which we are now encamped. A tiny 
 rivulet bubbles over the stony bed, with a rocky 
 shore nearly covered with the Lecythis that 
 bears the curious flower so much resembling a 
 pitcher. Trees of every tropical variety sur- 
 round this streamlet. The airy foliaged silk- 
 tree, as it is commonly called, but which I 
 think, botanists term Bombax, the trunk and 
 branches of which, particularly the latter, are 
 armed with long and sharp thorns ; the trumpet- 
 tree with its straight, tall stem and tufted bran- 
 ches, the innumerable palms, with their broad, 
 
 umbrella-like summits, grow every where of every 
 4 
 
38 BRAZILIAN FOREST. 
 
 size, from the gigantic Charita, down to the little 
 dwarf palm, which spreads its large thick leaves 
 within a few inches of the ground. Then there is 
 the glorious rosewood tree, or jacarantha, charm- 
 ing us with the richness of its enormous gold- 
 coloured flowers, and the magnificence of its 
 feathered leaves ; the delightfully perfumed 
 Vanilla, the delicious Tonquin bean; and the 
 not quite so agreeable ipecacuanha and sarsa- 
 parilla. We have just been drinking some 
 vegetable milk obtained with the assistance of my 
 pen-knife from the very appropriately named cow- 
 tree, and it is very much like animal milk, though 
 not quite so rich. Ife is said to have all the quali- 
 ties of the latter : was butter ever made of it ? 
 Ned's fowling piece and mine too, for that 
 matter, has been popping all day at the gor- 
 geously plumed birds : toucans, parrots, curas- 
 sows, macaws/paroquets, guans, and many another 
 of the feathered tribes have representativ^s in our 
 game bags, forming quite a congress, some indeed 
 calculated for a provisional government. I have 
 one of those rarely seen curl-crested Aracari so 
 much prized for their beautiful plumage. Ned is 
 decidedly jealous of this possession of mine, as I 
 am of one of his, an equal curiosity in the shape 
 of a darra, or bell bird. Unfortunately this last 
 loses its principal charm in dying, this is to say, 
 
BRAZILIAN FOREST. 39 
 
 its voice, which has the peculiar metallic sound 
 from which it derives its common name. 
 
 I have found M r e's air gun of much use 
 in killing the lovely little humming birds, thou- 
 sands of which, of every colour in the rainhow, dart 
 ahout among the singularly shaped parasitical 
 plants that cling to nearly every tree. Grey 
 intends preserving the skins of our most beau- 
 tiful birds, to take home with him and have 
 stuffed. They will form a very valuable and 
 scarce collection. 
 
 "Wednesday evening, October 6th. If there is 
 to be an end of our journey ings before we reach 
 the Pacific coast, I think that we are not now far 
 from it, being encamped at the source of the little 
 Rio Oteicorolla, a branch of the Rio St. Rito, the 
 last known tributary of any size, of the Tapajos. 
 
 We face the south west, and on our left and in 
 front of us, the serrated summits of the Sierra 
 Paricis, or Parexis, rear themselves towards 
 the sky, as we can see through the openings of 
 the forest which is not near so thick as it has been 
 during our last day's journey, and I think that 
 within a few miles of where we now are, there 
 must be either a plain or a river, but that remains 
 to be proved, as neither are down on my miserable 
 maps. 
 
 Throughout our travels from Povoacao we have 
 
40 LION MONKEY. 
 
 not seen a single wild animal, if we except the 
 tribes of monkeys, who are wild enough in all 
 conscience and infest the whole forest. We caught 
 yesterday afternoon a young lion monkey other- 
 wise called the marikina (Midas Rosalia), a most 
 ridiculous caricature of his majestic godfather, 
 being a positive daguerreotype likeness. It had a 
 ferocious mane, and a whisking, tufted, tail. His 
 actions and colour resembled the African Lion pre- 
 cisely, but the face seemed perpetually on the grin 
 from the peculiar set of the mouth. He was less 
 than a foot long, and we were anxious to keep and 
 bring him home with us, but the little rascal took 
 it into his head to make himself scarce last night 
 and we are left quite disconsolate at his loss. 
 
 I am writing in my tent by the light of a candle, 
 which, in lieu of a candle stick, is placed in 
 6 a hole,' cut in the top of a ripe pineapple. We 
 have had a long day's journey, and as I am pro- 
 portionably tired, I shall close my journal. 
 
 On Thursday morning, the seventh of October, 
 we did not commence our march until near nine 
 o'clock, having been detained by a mule having 
 strayed away. However, we found her, and set 
 out, coming, at eleven o'clock to the edge of the 
 woods. 
 
 Before us was spread a plain, and, at the dis- 
 tance of about a mile, rose a range of precipitous 
 
THE HILLS. 41 
 
 hills, nearly fourteen hundred feet high as we sub- 
 sequently found, although, at first sight, they 
 seemed much lower. Two immense mountains, 
 by comparison, reared their hoary heads behind 
 these hills, and still further back peeped the 
 Sierra Paricis, blue in the distance, but becoming 
 gradually of a more distinct colour as they swelled 
 toward our left, which they passed, being lost 
 to our veiw by the intervening forest. On the 
 right they came partially up to meet the range of 
 hills, and then retreated to their old position. 
 
 As we approached the hills, in a line towards 
 the south east, we heard the sound of descending 
 water, and at length saw, several miles to our 
 right, the mist rising from a series of broad catar- 
 acts, one above the other, being altogether, about 
 a hundred feet high. From the foot of the lowest 
 fall ran a stream, winding its tortuous way through 
 the plain, and losing itself in the woods. On the 
 extreme right, at a distance of about thirty miles 
 west-south-west of the cataracts, as well as I 
 could judge, was one of the two high mountains 
 above mentioned, a towering, needle-like peak, 
 the upper part of which was buried in snow, while 
 below this came narrow bands of different shades 
 of green. The other one was much lower and 
 about the same distance due south of us : towards 
 it we rode, examining the hills carefully, in search 
 
42 AN ASCENT. 
 
 of a sufficiently easy slope, as all we then saw, 
 were nearly inaccessible for mules, letting alone 
 the horses and ourselves. 
 
 We rode, and rode rapidly too, until our horses 
 nearly gave out, but there was still nothing to be 
 seen but absolute precipices. We had passed the 
 smaller of the two tall mountains, and were just 
 determining to call the annoying hills, the Sierra 
 Perplex-us, in contradistinction to the neighbour- 
 ing Sierra Parexis, when we discovered a gentle 
 hill, by comparison. It being very near sun- 
 down, and the ascent to the lowest plateau being 
 very long, we decided upon encamping for the 
 night at the foot of the hill, just where we were, 
 which we did, being very much fatigued after a 
 most tiresome ride. 
 
 We commenced the ascent at seven o'clock, and 
 after an exceedingly dangerous and fatiguing 
 climb, reached the first plateau from the ground, 
 at two, having been seven hours on the hill. Be- 
 tween the fatigue, excitement, heat, and a good 
 dinner, we fell asleep after having demolished the 
 latter almost entirely, and did not rouse ourselves 
 until long after three, when we recommenced 
 climbing, this time for the summit, which we did 
 not gain until the moon was shining resplend- 
 ently. 
 
 When there, the tinder box could not be found, 
 
STOPPER IN THE DARK. 43 
 
 and, as it has as yet, not been discovered what 
 kind of lens it takes to light a fire by the ray of 
 the moon, we fully expected to be obliged to go 
 to rest supperless, or nearly so, as we thought 
 that our meal could only consist of the rather 
 scanty remains of our dinner. 
 
 But such was not fated to be our doom, as our 
 most excellent and thoughtful cook, by name 
 Harry Boyd, who with his two brothers Peter and 
 Joseph, have accompanied Ned and I in all our 
 many travels, had provided, in case of accidents, 
 an ample store of bananas, pineapples, and other 
 fruits growing wild on the plain and in the forest, 
 which he now produced. 
 
 We devoured them with wondrous avidity, in 
 darkness, and in silence, all of us being much too 
 busily engaged to talk. After this we turned in 
 immediately, and slept like so many humming 
 tops, not even dreaming of what we "jjere in hopes 
 of having the pleasure of seeing on the following 
 morning. 
 
44 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 First View of the Valley. Encounter on the descent. The 
 Curac.a of Ocopaltepec. 
 
 As may be supposed, all five of us were up and 
 stirring long enough before dawn, waiting in anxi- 
 ety for the rising of the "diurnal luminary," as 
 Carlyle calls it, for we felt assured that we were 
 near the wished-for termination of our journey. 
 All that we could discern, by the light of the 
 gradually fading stars, was an indistinct mass on 
 our right, blacker than the nearly impenetrable 
 darkness, but which, from its situation, we con- 
 jectured to be the smaller peak of the two hills. 
 
 At lengtl^ after an apparently interminable 
 wait on our part, the first rays of the sun struck 
 the top of this mass, and quickly descending, dis- 
 played the mountain, terraced from its summit to 
 the ground, as we could easily see even at the 
 distance we were from it. In a moment more we 
 found that we were standing on the eastern boun- 
 dary of a valley, surrounded, on a little more 
 than two of its sides, by the towering, heaven- 
 threatening mountains of the Sierra Paricis, while 
 
FIRST VIEW OF THE VALLEY. 45 
 
 the remainder was compassed in by the hills we 
 had seen two days before. The level of the 
 valley was closely covered with fortified cities, 
 walled and unwalled towns and villages,* con- 
 nected with each other by stone causeways, 
 lined, on either side, with rows of trees. Not far 
 from the foot of the mountain on which we were, 
 stood a large walled town, whose white buildings 
 glistened in the sun's rays, and the mountain 
 itself was terraced more than three-fourths of the 
 way up, thickly strewn with hamlets and the resi- 
 dences of the owners or tenants, and of the 
 labourers on the plantations, which last glowed 
 with all kinds of vegetation, from the golden 
 wheat of the north, which was flourishing on the 
 upper terrace, and which, being moved by the 
 morning's cool and gentle zephyrs, seemed to 
 bow to the newly risen orb of day, bending its 
 bearded heads as if in humble adoration of that 
 Great Being who had sent the refreshing air, 
 down to the stately groves of banana, jatropha, 
 
 * I must here mention that' on the map, which forms the 
 frontispiece of this book, I have only placed those cities, towns, 
 &c., which I have actually visited, and of which I happen to 
 know the names and situations. By the native maps, which I 
 subsequently saw, it appears that there are more than twice as 
 many towns as I had put down. Notwithstanding this, I have 
 left the map in its original state, and thus it makes its appear- 
 ance. 
 
 4* 
 
46 VALLEY OF GERAL. 
 
 and cocoa, growing on the level of the valley, and 
 seeming to triumph in the protection of a just 
 Providence. 
 
 As the day became more advanced, the houses 
 gave up their occupants, who trooped to their 
 work through the luxuriant fields : at the height 
 which we were above them, they looked more like 
 ants than men. 
 
 Our view on the north west was bounded by 
 the tallest of the two peaks, and terminated, in 
 all other directions, by the misty-blue, undefined 
 mountains of the Sierra Paricis. On the extreme 
 south-western corner of the valley we could indis- 
 tinctly see an immense fortified city, the largest 
 in view, and which we immediately fixed upon as 
 the capital. 
 
 No ! there was not the slightest doubt about 
 it we had found the VALLEY OP GERAL ! but 
 we had not entered it. This last had now to be 
 attempted, and as a premonitory symptom of our 
 intention to do so, all our weapons and firearms 
 were concealed with the greatest care, and load- 
 ing our mules, we mounted our horses, and com- 
 menced the descent of the fertile Sierra, which 
 rolled down gracefully and gradually ; in every 
 respect the very opposite of its other side, where 
 nearly perpendicular cliffs combatted for supre- 
 macy with unmistakably sterile slopes. 
 
ENCOUNTER ON THE DESCENT. 47 
 
 We descended toward the south-west in the 
 direction of the large town, near the base of the 
 mountain, and before we reached the wheat pla- 
 teau, encountered an immense herd of llamas, 
 attended by twenty or thirty natives. These 
 last, on seeing us, took to their heels, and all but 
 flew down the terraces, closely followed by their 
 gentle and pretty charges. This annoyed us, as 
 we had wished to make friends with them, so that 
 we might give them to understand our amica- 
 ble intentions. In order to overtake them, 
 Ned and I put spurs to our horses, and, leaving 
 the mules in the care of the servants that 
 they might be made to follow us down to the val- 
 ley, we galloped after the fleeing Uamaherds. 
 
 This was easier said than done, for our steeds, 
 not having been trained to walk up and down 
 stairs, could not descend the short flights which 
 connected the terraces, without exposing their 
 riders to the danger of their relative positions 
 being reversed ; that is to say, the horse on top 
 of the man. As we did not think this would be 
 as agreeable as the usual method of riding, we 
 gave up all idea of catching the fugitives, and, 
 dismounting, led the animals. The servants and 
 mules soon joined us, the former leading their 
 horses, and the latter descending without the 
 slightest difficulty. As we went on we saw seve- 
 
48 ENCOUNTER ON THE DESCENT* 
 
 ral parties of labourers, but on our approach they 
 all fled, and we pursued our course uninterrupt- 
 edly until eleven o'clock, about which hour we 
 gained the second terrace from the ground. 
 
 Here we were rather surprised to find a large 
 body of warriors, drawn up so as to prevent our 
 further progress, and armed with bows and arrows, 
 lances, javelins, slings, and other barbarian wea- 
 pons, and also carrying numerous banners with 
 different devices on them. Those whom we sin- 
 gled out as chieftains were assembled, in front of 
 the army, around a low litter of a reddish coloured 
 wood inlaid with mother of pearl and gold. As 
 we came near, the curtains of this conveyance 
 were opened, and there descended a person evi- 
 dently somebody, attired in a superb dress. A 
 rim of gold, ornamented with pendant jewels of 
 great value, and decorated with an aigrette, com- 
 posed of the feathers of the rhea, or American 
 ostrich, dyed scarlet, encircled his head; over 
 his shoulders was a mantle of peculiar form, some- 
 what resembling a poncho, save that it was of 
 even length all around, and had holes for the 
 arms to come through, it fell nearly to his 
 knees, and was made of some thick white stuff, 
 richly embroidered with gold cross-bars, and bor- 
 dered with scarlet; his feet were defended by 
 sandals, with gold soles, and having the leathern 
 
CURACA OF OCOPALTEPEC. 49 
 
 straps bossed with the same metal. He was 
 about twenty-seven years of age, nearly six feet 
 tall, and had a very prepossessing expression of 
 countenance. 
 
 As he descended, all the attendant chiefs 
 touched, with their right hand, first their fore- 
 head and then the ground. Seeing that he 
 approached us, we all halted and awaited his 
 arrival. He came on quickly, attended by the 
 chieftains, and when immediately before us, at a 
 distance of about five feet, they all stopped short. 
 A chief, who stood by the side of the principal 
 person, now addressed us in Amaquis, which 
 speech, although it loses much by its bad transla- 
 tion, I give in full, as it was as curt as you 
 please. 
 
 " Cioaco, the brave and mighty Curaga of Oco- 
 paltepec, demands in the name of Orteguilla, the 
 Inca, our father, and the Child of the Sun, why the 
 strangers have dared to enter the Geral-milco 
 without asking the consent of our father the Inca ?" 
 
 "We come," I answered, " from the far north 
 to sell our goods in the city of the Inca, and we 
 bring presents to him." " How do we know but 
 that you come as enemies?" asked a ferocious 
 looking gentleman behind the Curaga. " If we 
 were enemies would there not be more of us ?" I 
 asked; "and since when have enemies brought 
 
50 ENCOUNTER ON THE DESCENT. 
 
 presents ? Do not enemies come with bows and 
 spears?" This was unanswerable, and Ned, 
 taking my hint, went to extract a present from 
 the load of one of the mules, while I kept up the 
 conversation. In a moment Grey reappeared 
 bearing in his arms a roll of mazarine blue silk, 
 not out of my goods, and an axe. When I saw 
 the last I felt afraid the Curaga's opinion of our 
 being enemies might return on seeing us armed 
 with such a formidable looking weapon, but when 
 I presented them to him, they were received with 
 evident admiration, and it was clear that we were 
 considered as friends now. He returned most of 
 his thanks with his fine eyes, as he said but little, 
 and the other spokesman, after conferring with 
 him for a short time, told us to accompany Cio- 
 aco's escort to the nearest town, where he would 
 leave us, while he went on to the Inca to request 
 admission in our name. 
 
 The Curaga then entered his litter and descend- 
 ed the two terraces, closely followed by our party. 
 When we got to the level of the valley, and on a 
 broad stone causeway, we mounted our horses, to 
 the great fright of the army, who had never seen 
 such big four legged animals before. 
 
 At three o'clock we arrived at the walled town 
 to which we had originally intended to direct our 
 steps, but ourselves and beasts were not permitted 
 
ENCOUNTER ON THE DESCENT. 51 
 
 to enter the gates. Consequently we encamped 
 where we were, and settled ourselves down to 
 await the arrival of a message from the Inca, our 
 tents being strictly guarded by a number of war- 
 riors under a chief named Mixtecaltzin. 
 
52 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Departure from Quauhtitlan. Ocopal. Colucatl. The Mexi- 
 can Character of Names. Night View from the Fortress. 
 
 AT four o'clock on Sunday morning, October 
 10th, 1847, we were awakened by the arrival- of 
 the Inca's answer, which was immediately com- 
 municated to us by Mixtecaltzin, and as it may 
 be considered a curiosity, I insert the transla- 
 tion. 
 
 " To the Strangers at Quauhtitlan : 
 
 " The Inca Orteguilla, Child of the Sun and 
 Moon, the Brother of the Stars, orders them to 
 come, on receiving this, to his city. He com- 
 mands their escort to keep them from entering 
 the towns, as the strange creatures they have 
 with them may hurt the townsmen. He has a 
 house for them, meat for them, a stall in the 
 Market Place for their goods, and room for their 
 presents. ,Let them haste. 
 
 " In the name of the Inca, 
 
 "APIXTAMATL HUAXTEUCTLI." 
 
0OPAL. COLUCATL. 53 
 
 This document* is in Amaquis of course, and 
 is inscribed upon paper, made from the inner 
 bark of the cocoa-tree, in coloured hieroglyphics. 
 
 In obedience to the command it contained, we 
 commenced preparing for instant departure from 
 Quauhtitlan, and at five o'clock started, accom- 
 panied by the same escort, who were horridly 
 afraid of our horses and mules. We were, of 
 course, obliged to rein in the former to a walk so 
 that the warriors might keep up with us, and in 
 this manner we poked along until ten o'clock 
 when we got to a town, the name of which I 
 found was Ocopal. Although it was unwalled we 
 were not permitted to enter, but were left, about 
 half a mile from it, to eat and refresh ourselves. 
 
 After eleven we set out again with a new escort 
 but the same chief, and at three halted once more 
 for a change of warriors outside the town of 
 Colucatl, which, being situated upon a rising 
 ground, afforded a very good view of the large 
 walled city, mentioned in the last chapter, as 
 occupying the south-western corner of the valley, 
 and I could see that it partially enclosed a good- 
 sized lake, and that the walls, of great height, 
 
 * As the reader may suppose, it is still in my possession, and 
 is carefully kept. 
 
54 MEXICAN CHARACTER OF NAMES. 
 
 encompassed parts of the plateaus of the surround- 
 ing mountains. 
 
 We had travelled all the way from Quauhtitlan 
 over stone causeways, bordered by rows of trees, 
 and almost lined with houses and gardens, the 
 plantations being almost exclusively confined to 
 the terraces of the mountains. Our warriors were 
 not ready to accompany us until after four o'clock, 
 when we left Colucatl, proceeding in a direction 
 nearly due west, a very little deviating towards 
 the south. 
 
 What had surprised me most during our first day 
 in the valley was the great prevalence of Mexi- 
 can names, for I had heard but three that bore 
 the slightest resemblance to those attributed to 
 the Peruvians, viz., Orteguilla, the name of 
 the Inca ; Cioaco, that of the friendly Curaga ; 
 and Geral, the appellation of the valley. But 
 this last was un-Peruvianized by means of the 
 Astecan addition of 'milco,' meaning valley. 
 The name of the chief of our escort, Mixtecalt- 
 zin, and those of two of the towns through which 
 we had passed, Quauhtitlan and Colucatl, pre- 
 sented the three characteristic, consonantal, ter- 
 minations of the northern language. 
 
 At twenty minutes past six, our party halted 
 at the town of Ameralqua, on the banks of the 
 lake, which I now learnt was called Naloma, 
 
AMERALQUA. 55 
 
 where, Ned, I, and the servants, took our sup- 
 pers. The Lake was not only ornamented with 
 four, real fortified islands, but with innumerable 
 little floating fellows, called by the ancient inhab- 
 itants of Tenochtitlan, Chinampas, so I was not 
 at all astonished to hear them so termed by our es- 
 cort. From the town to the nearest of the island 
 forts, there ran a strong dyke, or more proper- 
 ly bridge, as the water passed through numerous 
 triangular openings, and we saw that the isles 
 themselves were connected with each other in the 
 same manner, and also, that the one nearest the 
 city was joined to it by three remarkably broad 
 ones, two of which appeared to be a continuation 
 of the walls encompassing the capital. 
 
 The town end of the dike of Ameralqua was 
 defended by two fortresses of great height and 
 strength, and the sun had not yet set, although 
 it was nearly half past seven, when we passed 
 between them and got on the dike. 
 
 We had nearly reached the first island when 
 Mixtecaltzin, cried out, " Hasten ! Oh warriors ! 
 Our Master is bidding farewell to the summit of 
 the mountain of Atola ! Hasten, or the gates of 
 the fortress will be closed." The men walked 
 faster, and Ned and I put our horses in a gallop, 
 much to the fear of the escort, who crowded to 
 one side of the dike that we might pass on. 
 
56 NIGHT VIEW 
 
 As the last man entered the fortress, the sun set, 
 and the gates clanged together behind us and be- 
 fore us too, which was more than we bargained 
 for. That we should have to spend the night 
 where we were, was plainly evident, and in con- 
 sequence we selected a camping ground upon the 
 stone court-yard, where the animals were now 
 driven, fastened and unloaded. This done, Ned 
 and I ascended to the top of the walls to see 
 what was to be seen, and there undoubtedly was 
 something very well worth seeing. 
 
 Athough the sun had not been down an hour, 
 it was dark as midnight, there being as yet no 
 moon, and the stars not having so soon attained 
 their greatest brilliancy. The grey unillumina- 
 ted, jagged walls of the three other island for- 
 tresses were immediately before us, accidentally 
 so placed as to form what appeared from our sit- 
 uation to be a barrier across the lake. Beyond 
 these the Sierra Paricis could just be discerned 
 from its greater darkness than the sky, and also 
 by its many summits having already received, on 
 their eastern sides, the first rays of the moon, as 
 yet invisible in the less elevated parts of the val- 
 ley. As we gazed on this singular scene a 
 change suddenly came over it, rendering it even 
 more remarkable. A brilliant, but flickering red 
 light at once illuminated the lower plateaus of 
 
FROM THE FORTRESS. 57 
 
 the Sierra, and this being lost in the foliage of 
 higher terraces had a peculiar and mysterious 
 effect. Nearest to us were the now apparently 
 coal-black walls of the forts, immediately above 
 them glowed the fiery light melting into impen- 
 etrable darkness, over which gleamed the snow- 
 capped moon-lit summits of the mountains. 
 
 After regarding this magnificent coup d'oeil 
 for some time, we inquired the cause of the red 
 flickering light, and learnt that it was produced 
 by fires kindled on the roof of every house in 
 Geral on the rising of the moon whenever that 
 took place. As the heavenly lamp of night rose 
 higher and higher, the fires one by one died out, 
 but the native of whom we inquired, told us that 
 on those nights when the ' Mother of the Inca,' 
 as they call the moon, did not appear, the 
 fires were kept up until daybreak. 
 
 We retired to rest at ten o'clock, having been 
 notified to the effect that we should have to start 
 on the first glimpse of the sun. 
 
58 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 A mistake. First View of the Capital. Reception at the 
 Gates. 
 
 IN pursuance of the orders communicated to 
 us, we were ready to start at dawn, but as the 
 gates of the fortress could not be opened until 
 sunrise, we were obliged to await that event. In 
 the meantime we fished our way, in the darkness, 
 to a gate, leading as we thought to the dike con- 
 necting the island, on which we were, with the 
 next in order towards the city, and here we 
 seated ourselves, wondering why we were not 
 joined by our escort. The sun soon made his 
 appearance over the eastern mountains, and the 
 gates were thrown open by the officials. We 
 were about to pass through at once, alone, and 
 should have done so, had not Grey taken a peep 
 first and found out that we were at the wrong 
 dike, as this one left to the shores of the lake, 
 although it was not that by which we had entered 
 the fortress on the previous night. 
 
 As we stood still, wondering what we should 
 do next, we were relieved by the appearance of 
 
FIRST VIEW OF CAPITAL. 59 
 
 Mixtecaltzin, who had, we found, been searching 
 for us every where. He told us that, this was a 
 dike leading to a little town named Onadella, on 
 the west bank of the lake, and added that the 
 men awaited us at another gate, whither we 
 immediately followed him, the horses and mules 
 being led by the servants. We were soon on the 
 proper dike, and in a short time passed through 
 the three other fortresses, entering, from the last 
 one, on the middle of the three bridges leading to 
 the city, it being the shortest and also the broad- 
 est, as the greater part of the others was occu- 
 pied by the walls of the city which connected the 
 banks of the lake and the island forts by means 
 of the two dikes. 
 
 Crowds of people swarmed on the bridge we 
 crossed, although we obtained an easy passage 
 from their fear of our animals, and the lake was a 
 mass of canoes filled with natives. At the end 
 of the dike frowned a high, stone, fortified build- 
 ing with a wide entrance, evidently one of the 
 city gates. 
 
 I chanced to look towards my left, and I saw 
 the capital. Being built on a gradually rising 
 ground, a plan of it might almost have been 
 drawn from where I was. In some parts, mon- 
 strously broad streets, flanked by large houses of 
 white stone with flat roofs, with gardens around 
 
60 RECEPTION. 
 
 them, ran from the foot of the Sierra Paricis to 
 the very edge of the lake, in perfectly straight 
 lines. Hundreds of elevated buildings, proba- 
 bly temples, towered over the city, which was di- 
 versified with immense parks, or enclosures filled 
 with trees. 
 
 We moved on but slowly through the dense crowd, 
 and passed through the dike gate. As we entered 
 this strong fortress, our ears were shocked by a 
 sudden burst of savage and discordant music, 
 it was the Inca's band, and in a few moments 
 he and his cortege came in sight. A more gor- 
 geous display I never saw. 
 
 The procession was opened by a throng of 
 military officers in their magnificent costumes. 
 On their heads they wore helmets formed like 
 the heads of various wild animals, composed of 
 silver, gold, or bronze, ornamented, rather sin- 
 gularly, and, according to my ideas, very inap- 
 propriately, with crests of feathers and jewels. 
 Cuirasses, made of either of the three above 
 named metals, but invariably wrought like the 
 scales of a fish, were placed over their breasts, 
 with kelts, of different materials, falling from 
 their lower edge, reaching nearly to the knee. 
 On their shoulders, and hanging down their 
 backs, were fastened cloaks either of stained or 
 embroidered cotton cloth, or of feather work. A 
 
RECEPTION. 61 
 
 few of the most renowned warriors, I suppose, 
 wore the skins of wild beasts, the head resting on 
 the helmet, and the fore paws falling over the 
 shoulders. All of these chieftains were armed 
 with different kinds of weapons. 
 
 Next came the band, not par excellence, con- 
 sisting of a great many natives making a most 
 horrific noise upon reed flutes, wooden trumpets, 
 snakeskin drums, conches, and other barbarous 
 inventions intended to discourse most excruciating 
 music. After these came a large number of no- 
 bles, probably those holding high offices of state. 
 They wore dresses like that which Cioaco had on 
 during our interview on the terrace of the little 
 sierra. Carried on the shoulders of sixteen of 
 these magnificently attired gentlemen, was an 
 open litter, composed of gold, superbly wrought, 
 bossed with precious stones and inlaid with mother 
 of pearl, having a canopy of the feathers of the 
 Rhea, dyed in various colours. In this was seated 
 the Inca, Orteguilla, wearing the llautu, the 
 sacred borla, and the military dress of an officer 
 of high rank, it being composed of a golden 
 ciruass bossed with silver, and studded with gems, 
 golden sandals, similarly decorated, the skin of a 
 jaguar served for a cloak, and a kelt of green 
 plumaje. The crimson fringe of the borla fell 
 almost in his eyes, giving a most singular expres- 
 5 
 
62 RECEPTION. 
 
 sion to an otherwise strikingly handsome face, his 
 features being regular and his complexion of a 
 clear, although dark, olive. His eyes were remark- 
 ably fine, and had an exceedingly benevolent and 
 engaging expression. I should not think that he 
 was over forty, if so much. His only disfigure- 
 ment was in his ears, which having been cut, 
 according to 'fashion,' for the insertion of large, 
 jewelled balls of gold, -the insignia of royal 
 birth, had gradually been pulled down by the 
 weight of these cumbrous articles, until they 
 rested on his shoulders ; but they were a good 
 deal hidden by his hair, which was, as indeed 
 was that of every noble present, excessively 
 long and curling in ringlets. 
 
 On seeing us, he motioned the procession to 
 stop, and, descending from his litter, approached 
 us, followed closely by the nobles, while Ned and 
 I advanced to meet him. 
 
 Then commenced an interchange of compli- 
 ments, in the course of which we ascertained, with 
 considerable difficulty, that we were welcome to 
 Geral, that the city was open to us, and that a 
 palace had been prepared for our reception. 
 Having spun this little information out, in the 
 manner of some modern novelists, as the subject 
 of at least ten minutes conversation, the Inca 
 retired to his litter and from the fortress, attended 
 
RECEPTION. 63 
 
 by the same retinue, with the exception of two 
 nobles whom he left behind him to conduct us to 
 our palace ; their names were Conatzin and 
 Oradalda. 
 
 We followed them through several broad streets, 
 filled with people, although it was very early in 
 the morning, and ornamented with many splen- 
 did public buildings and equally handsome private 
 residences, until we got to the Great Market 
 Place, or Tianguez, as the Mexicans called it, 
 and the Geralians call it, which is precisely the 
 same thing. 
 
 Here we dismounted, for on entering the city 
 we had placed ourselves in the saddle, in order to 
 have a better view of it, and led our horses 
 across this vast enclosure, as we were fearful that 
 they might injure some of the many natives, who 
 were already afraid of them, and the place was 
 thronged with the buying and selling part of the 
 population. 
 
 Still under the guidance of the two fine-looking 
 and courteous chiefs, we entered an extravagantly 
 broad thoroughfare, at the end of which, was 
 pointed out to our notice, the immense park, and 
 palace intended for our occupation. 
 
64 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Description of the Park and Palace. 
 
 WE soon entered the gilt-gates of the large park 
 which encircled the building, and rode up a broad 
 avenue leading to the great entrance, where we 
 found a crowd of native servants who had been 
 sent to wait on us by the Inca. Here we alighted 
 and immediately commenced hunting for an out 
 building suitable for a stable, which Ned soon 
 found at a short distance in the rear of the palace, 
 and the animals were taken there as soon as the 
 servants had unloaded the mules and had placed 
 the packs in the large hall. This being done, 
 and a slight breakfast having been despatched, 
 Ned and I, under the guidance of one of the 
 numerous attendants in the palace, took a survey 
 of our new domicile. 
 
 As I have before mentioned, it was surrounded 
 by a large park, which we subsequently found to 
 contain a little over two hundred acres, filled with 
 beds of gorgeous flowers, fountains, pavilions, 
 shrubberies and groves of trees, and^also contain- 
 ing an extensive aviary, which I might almost call 
 
PAKK AND PALACE. 65 
 
 a natural one, as it was formed only by a net, of 
 very fine mesh, thrown over the tops of several 
 trees, and securely fastened;to the ground. Here 
 and there through the luxuriant foliage might be 
 seen the glittering of the sun on the large artificial 
 lakes intended for bathing. 
 
 The palace was of grey stone, one story high, 
 with a flat roof, or azotea, as the Spaniards would 
 call it ; its length was fifteen hundred feet, and 
 the depth nine hundred, the height being thirty 
 two. The roof was .reached by two exterior 
 flights of steps, placed in front of the building, in 
 such a manner as to divide the facade into three 
 equal parts, and they were each eighty feet broad 
 consisting of fifty one steps, each step being eight 
 inches high and fourteen deep ; thus making the 
 distance between the front of the lowest step, and 
 the fagade of the palace, fifty nine feet, six inches. 
 On either side of these flights were two monstrous 
 serpents carved, with a good deal of skill, out of 
 white marble, to serve as banisters. The heads of 
 these four snakes rested on the ground at the foot 
 of the steps, and their widely distended mouths, 
 ferocious looking teeth, and lolling-out tongues, 
 had an exceedingly curious, not to say frightful, 
 effect. The length of their upper jaws, from the 
 corner of the mouth to the tip of the nose, was 
 thirteen feet eight inches, and there was sufficient 
 
66 PALACE. 
 
 space between the two jaws for a seven-footer to 
 stand, with ease. This will give an idea of their 
 appearance. 
 
 Although the palace was, as I mentioned before, 
 but one story in height, from the outside it looked 
 as if it were two ; for at a distance of twelve feet 
 from the ground there projected a cornice, and 
 above this the building ascended eighteen feet, 
 not, however, on the same line as the portion 
 below the cornice, but eight or nine feet further 
 back. Beneath the cornice, the building was 
 composed of oblong blocks of granite, of equal 
 size, and much resembling what is called rustic 
 work in architecture, it being unhewn, and only 
 smooth for about two inches on each side of the 
 seams. But the false story was a mass of magni- 
 ficent decoration, abounding in lattice work, of 
 stone, of the most beautiful description and 
 carving, in which last I noticed, figuring conspic- 
 uously, the ornament so generally known as the 
 * Grecian border.' The corners of this second 
 part were rounded and most grotesquely carved, 
 with large oblongs, in which scrolls were so 
 arranged as to represent the human face, the 
 nose being imaged by a most curious and fanciful 
 projection, about as much like what it was 
 intended for, as a chandelier would be. Those 
 parts of the faQade, where the three entrances 
 
PALACE. 67 
 
 
 
 were placed, were sunk back about twenty feet, 
 and the corners of these recesses were also 
 rounded and adorned as above described. 
 
 The principal entrance was between the two 
 flights of steps, and was an opening, twelve feet 
 high by ten wide, with a gate of gilt bronze, and 
 this admitted you into a very broad hall, paved 
 with marble, leading to a large circular court in 
 the centre of the building. On both sides of this 
 were apertures, having draperies of different 
 colours hanging over them to serve as doors. I 
 will here mention that the court yard received 
 three other halls, like that which I am about to 
 describe, one leading from the back, and the 
 other two from either end of the structure. 
 
 Our guide moved aside the drapery of the first 
 door on the right, as we entered the hall, and we 
 stood in a spacious apartment, about 100 feet 
 square. At a distance of twenty feet from the 
 walls rose a square of porphyry columns, closely 
 resembling in form those of the East Indian tem- 
 ples, being of a vase-like shape, standing on a 
 tall pedestal, with a capital somewhat resembling 
 a compressed cushion, richly carved, and sup- 
 porting a balustrade which surrounded an open- 
 ing in the roof, through which a flood of light 
 poured down on a small fountain which bubbled 
 in the centre of the room. The walls were hung 
 
68 PALACE. 
 
 with a pale sea-green tapestry, embroidered "with 
 gold flowers, and the piles of cushions, of all 
 shapes and sizes, that were thrown over the^ mar- 
 ble floor, were of the same colour and style. 
 
 Another piece of tapestry was raised by our 
 guide, and admitted us into a hall, which we 
 crossed and entered a second room much larger 
 than the first, but of similar construction. The 
 colour which principally attracted the eye, how- 
 ever, was not as agreeable, being a sickly, sul- 
 phureous yellow. Leaving this ghostly room 
 as quickly as possible, we passed through seve- 
 ral small apartments, until we came to a nar- 
 row entry, whicn, we were told, was made in 
 the northern wall of the palace, and along this 
 we walked for some distance, till, at last, we came 
 to a granite wall, forming the termination of the 
 entry : on our left was a hanging. It was 
 raised and we entered an apartment, long and 
 narrow, by comparison. Two sky-lights, if I 
 may so call them, afforded the only illumination 
 of this saloon, which was hung with gray tapestry, 
 looped up so as to display an underhanging of 
 buff embroidered with silver. The floor was of 
 highly polished marble, and the ceiling of carved 
 rose-wood. The cushions in this room were of 
 gray and silver. 
 
 Not to fatigue the reader, I will describe but 
 
PALACE. 69 
 
 one room more, my chamber, which was situated 
 on the southern side of the central hall, and 
 entered by passing through two smaller apart- 
 ments, handsomely furnished, and appropriated 
 to my particular use. On seeing this apartment, 
 both Ned and I decided upon its being the most 
 splendid in the palace. 
 
 It was sixty-five feet long, forty wide, and 
 twenty-five high, with the usual square of por- 
 phyry columns in the centre, here enclosing a 
 space of twenty feet, in the middle [of which 
 was a fountain. The ceiling was of cedar, 
 covered with very delicately carved foliage ; the 
 floor was only visible within the square of the 
 columns, where it was composed of differently 
 coloured woods, so put together as to form a pat- 
 tern ; the other and greater portion was raised 
 three steps higher than that around the fountain, 
 and was covered with a thick, velvety looking, 
 creamish-coloured material, embroidered all over 
 with large bouquets of flowers, so beautifully done, 
 as to seem like real ones. 
 
 The walls were draped with scarlet tapestry 
 embroidered with gold cross-bars, having a circle 
 of silver in the centre of each square, and a very 
 deep, rich border of gold flowers. These hang- 
 ings fell from a gilt cornice, that ran around the 
 top of three of the walls ; but on the left hand side, 
 5* 
 
70 PALACE. 
 
 as you entered, the tapestry only fell fourteen 
 feet, for at that height from the floor, the false 
 second story protruded into the apartment, seem- 
 ing like one of those galleries so often met with 
 in the old manor houses of merry England. 
 Through the lattice work of this intrusion the 
 sun was permitted to pour his rays, it being 
 undraped. 
 
 At the end of the room, opposite the entrance, 
 was what served for a bed ; consisting of a white 
 cushion, or rather, ottoman, starred with gold, 
 seven or eight feet square, two feet high, and 
 plentifully provided with small cushions. It 
 stood under a canopy of feather-work, raised 
 twenty feet from the floor, supported in front by 
 two slender silver columns, and, on the back wall, 
 falling to the floor. Above the back of the can- 
 opy was a huge silver circle surrounded with 
 small silver stars, and in each corner of the room 
 stood an incense table, of gold, magnificently 
 chased, and furnished with vases, and caskets of 
 incense. The rest of the furniture consisted of 
 stools and tables, elaborately carved out of solid 
 blocks of ebony, cedar, rosewood, and other 
 woods, highly polished, and the former having 
 crimson cushions. 
 
 I will end this chapter by describing the cir- 
 cular court in the centre of the palace. This 
 
PALACE. 71 
 
 extensive opening had a diameter of four hun- 
 dred and thirty odd feet, and was surrounded by 
 a portico supported by a double ^ow of the tall, 
 vase-like pillars, before spoken of. In the centre 
 of the enclosed space was a large and fine foun- 
 tain, and four others were at equal distances 
 around it. The whole court was paved with 
 white marble of the purest quality, interrupted, 
 here and there, by large beds of the most fra- 
 grant flowers of the tropics, very carefully tended 
 by the multitude of gardeners who were attached 
 to the large retinue of the Inca. 
 
 This, I hope, will give a slight idea of the 
 magnificence in the midst of which we now, so 
 unexpectedly, found ourselves placed; for we 
 had never even dreamt of falling in with such 
 splendour when we left Charleston. 
 
 It must not be imagined that I ascertained all 
 the measurements given in the course of this 
 chapter in the first day's examination of the pa- 
 lace, as such is not the fact. They were made 
 long afterwards, but I thought best to insert them 
 with the preceding description.- 
 
72 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 Dinner. A Promenade. The Court of Justice. Tiangucz 
 The Close of the first day. 
 
 WE did not complete our explorations of the 
 Palace until nearly twelve o'clock, but having, at 
 last finished, we set to work. That is to say, we 
 removed, by the help of the natives, and our 
 own servants, all our merchandise into one of 
 the numerous unoccupied rooms, and all our pri- 
 vate baggage was placed in our separate apart- 
 ments, which were in a row, side by side, 
 mine being next to the outer wall, Ned's next, 
 then those of our three attendants. This en- 
 gaged us fully until two o'clock, a little after 
 which hour, a native servant entered the saloon 
 where we were, and, understanding his low sa- 
 lute, we followed him through several apartments 
 which we had not before seen. 
 
 He raised a piece of tapestry, and admitted us 
 into a long room, hung with light blue drapery, em- 
 broidered in silver, and lighted by three skylights. 
 Under the middle one of these there was no 
 
DINNER. 73 
 
 fountain, but in its place stood a good sized ta- 
 ble, with five couches around it. The table was 
 covered with a white cotton cloth, having a deep 
 border of silver embroidery, and laid out with a 
 mass of gold plate, while before each guest was 
 placed a tall silver goblet, containing a very sin- 
 gular and questionable looking concoction which 
 neither Ned nor I were, at first, very anxious to 
 taste. At last Grey, invariably the first in eve- 
 ry novel and dangerous adventure, resolutely 
 seized that before him, looked at the contents, 
 made a wry face, but, nevertheless, put it to his 
 lips, cautiously. One gentle sip, a look of sur- 
 prise, and an exclamation, were rapidly followed 
 by a vacuum in the goblet, while I was recom- 
 mended to try it. I did so, and found it good. 
 It was a celebrated beverage of the ancient Peru- 
 vians and Mexicans, and called by the latter 
 4 Chocolatl,' being a preparation of Cocoa, flavour- 
 ed with vanilla, and beaten up to a froth, in 
 which latter state it was cooled and drunk freely 
 of during the day.* 
 
 * It is Bernal Diaz who, in his veritable history of the Con- 
 quest of Mexico, states that Montezuma had a quantity, 
 amounting to nearly four gallons, of this beverage prepared for 
 his own private, daily, consumption ! But as the valiant Con- 
 quistador, above named, is generally believed to have been tal- 
 ented in the art of drawing the long bow, in more senses than 
 one, we will take his moderate estimate at one fourt A, and try 
 
74 DINNER. 
 
 The dishes on the board were mostly vegeta- 
 ble ; and besides these we had parched maize ; a 
 mixture like soup, but strongly flavoured with 
 orange juice ; tortillas, or something very much 
 resembling them ; and boiled fish. The baked 
 flesh of the llama also appeared conspicuously, 
 flanked by birds, likewise baked, such as guans, 
 curassows, the Cancroma Cochlearca, (or boat- 
 bill,) and others, whose names I was not acquaint- 
 ed with. The first two were unexceptionably 
 fine, and were the most delicately flavoured fowls 
 I ever ate, but the third had a slightly fishy taste 
 which was not precisely agreeable. 
 
 We brought our own knives and forks to the 
 table, but the former were already supplied by 
 ones made of itzli, and the latter were supplanted 
 by sharp pointed rods of gold. By each plate was 
 a square piece of stuff, answering as a napkin, 
 righly embroidered with gold and also with stained 
 porcupine quills, which latter mode of ornamen- 
 tation was rather inconvenient, and might have 
 been dispensed with. 
 
 The first course having been demolished, the 
 
 our best to credit that the unfortunate monarch, in question, 
 drank one gallon a day ; and, if true, he must have had wonder- 
 fully great swallowing capacities. The drink, however, is ex- 
 quisite, tasting somewhat like harlequin ice cream in a melted 
 state. 
 
DINNER. 75 
 
 whole table service was cleared away, even to the 
 cloth, nothing being left but the napkins. While 
 a clean cloth was being put on, and silver plates 
 given to each diner, servants came to each of us 
 with silver basins, filled with perfumed water, in 
 which to wash our hands, they being wiped on 
 the napkins, which were now removed, and 
 replaced by others of scarlet and blue cotton, 
 something like our d'Oyleys, but deeply fringed 
 with intermingled threads of gold and silver. 
 
 Fruits were now placed on the table ; bananas, 
 pine apples, lemons, citrons, oranges, &c. ; and 
 here another singular beverage appeared, of a 
 perfectly white colour, being composed of milk 
 from the cow tree, flavoured with pine apple juice, 
 and sweetened by being stirred with fresh sugar 
 cane. Pulque was on the boar^in silver vases of 
 very graceful forms, but I do not think any of 
 us touched it. I know that I would not taste it 
 on any account, having done so, once, in Vera 
 Cruz. The repast ended with a second goblet of 
 chocolatl, which none now hesitated about drain- 
 ing. 
 
 Not long after dinner, we received a visit from 
 an individual, who announced himself as Palayna, 
 an officer of the Inca's household, who had been 
 sent to take us to the Tianguez, that we might 
 select a stall for the sale of our merchandize. 
 
76 A PROMENADE. 
 
 "We acknowledged Orteguilla's kindness, notwith- 
 standing that we thought him to be rather pre- 
 mature, and set out with his messenger, for the 
 market place. 
 
 On the way to it we passed several small, but 
 magnificent palaces, surrounded by large gar- 
 dens, which, Palayna informed us, were the 
 residences of the higher officers of state, and the 
 street was named, that of the Nobles. After a 
 much longer walk than we had bargained for, the 
 street opened into the Tianguez. On our left 
 rose a majestic edifice, composed of three stories, 
 each succeeding one being smaller than the 
 last, so that the flat roof of the lowest formed a 
 terrace around the second, and so on, while the 
 separate stories were reached by an immense 
 flight of steps. Our guide told us that this was the 
 Court of Justice belonging to the Tianguez, and 
 accompanied us into it, where we were received 
 by three natives, dressed in long blue robes, whom 
 we conjectured to be the judges. Nor were we 
 wrong, for we had not been in the building five 
 minutes, when a crowd of natives rushed in, hav- 
 ing in their midst a man, who, from his dress, 
 we knew to be a vendor in the Tianguez. All 
 those who had come in began to accuse him, 
 with amazing volubility, of having sold some 
 bad fruit, which was brought in to prove their 
 
A PROMENADE. 77 
 
 assertion. The judges soon despatched the case 
 by making the prisoner eat the fruit, which he 
 did with much distaste, and then went away, 
 after leaving some money on a table. This money 
 consisted of plates of silver about as thick as 
 a quarter of a dollar, and nearly three quarters 
 of an inch square, perfectly plain and having a 
 small round hole in the centre. I should think 
 that one was worth about thirty two cents. One 
 of the judges told me that it was called an ochol, 
 and that there were others of bronze and gold ; 
 one of the latter he showed me. It was much 
 smaller than the silver one, although of the same 
 shape.* He appeared much surprised at my 
 never having seen one before, and asked what 
 
 * I subsequently found that, by weight, a gold ochol was 
 worth $3 and nearly twenty-five cents ; but there is another way, 
 and, in my opinion, a fairer one, of computing the commercial 
 value of foreign coins; that by comparison through the medi- 
 um of a commodity common to both countries. A gojd ochol 
 will purchase 4 nailles of wheat, one of which is equal to four 
 and a half of our bushels. To-day in Philadelphia (August 
 2nd, 1849) white wheat is selling for $1.12 ; consequently an 
 ochol would be worth $20.25 to-day. 
 
 A silver ochol is, by a similar computation, equal to 
 $3.37 J, as six of them make a gold one ; and one of bronze, ten 
 making a silver ochol, is of value to the amount of thirty-three 
 cents, seven mills and a half, which is near enough to say thirty- 
 four cents. 
 
78 THE TIANGUEZ. 
 
 they used in the north ; so I took out my purse 
 and showed him some of our coins, of each 
 of which I fortunately had a specimen. The 
 three, and Palayna, looked at them with great 
 curiosity, and much admired the eagles on the 
 reverse of the coins. Ned mystified them by dis- 
 playing a gold Brazilian Johannes, which he hap- 
 pened to have with him, and by telling that it 
 was the principal coin of the country in which 
 they lived. Of course they could not understand 
 that, but they examined and highly praised its 
 beauty, which I never could find out, with all my 
 superior civilization. 
 
 We conversed, for some time, about matters 
 and things in our respective nations, and at last 
 took leave, entering the Tianguez.* This im- 
 mense inclosure is entirely surrounded by a 
 very low piazza, forty feet wide and only seven 
 high, supported by four rows of granite piers 
 about .two feet square, dividing it into stalls 
 twelve feet broad. f In these stalls were displayed 
 all the different products and manufactures of 
 the valley, while around the fountains in the 
 
 * By subsequent measurement, I found it to be one mile and 
 nearly a half long by an average width of half a mile. It is 
 exceedingly irregular in its form, although those which I saw 
 in other cities were perfectly square and much smaller. 
 
 t See Appendix Number one. 
 
THE TIANGUEZ. 79 
 
 centre were large droves of llamas, vicunas, &c., 
 secured in their folds and tended by their herds- 
 men. In the southeastern portion of the Tian- 
 guez a great many stalls were occupied as work- 
 shops for the manufacture of chairs, tables, and 
 other wooden articles, and others as stone cut- 
 ting establishments, which operation was most 
 laboriously undertaken with tools of a bronze 
 composed of copper with an alloy of tin. 
 
 After walking all the way round the crowded 
 place, we selected a stall on the northern side, 
 and set out on our return to the palace. Palay- 
 na told us that, notwithstanding the enormous 
 size of the market-place, there were two others 
 within the walls of the city; a large circular one 
 near the banks of the lake of Coxxoc, and the 
 other, much smaller, six miles to the east of the 
 one in which we then were. Besides these, he 
 said there were two streets entirely appropriated 
 to stalls and warehouses, together with factories, 
 one of which was called the ' Street of Facto- 
 ries,' and the other the i Street of the Colucatl- 
 tepec.' 
 
 We soon got home, and Palayna took his leave, 
 not, however, before announcing that the Inca 
 would give us an audience the next morning, and 
 dropping a few hints in regard to the presents 
 which would be expected from us. 
 
80 CLOSE OF FIRST DAY. 
 
 As soon as he was off, we began unpacking 
 our bales to see what we had fit for a present to 
 so ' great and distinguished' a personage as an 
 Inca, and fortunately were able to decide before 
 supper, which was served at eight, and which 
 I have reason to expect, was a meal we introduced 
 for the first time into the valley. As we now knew 
 the way to the dining room, we proceeded there, 
 an,d found it brilliantly illuminated by numerous 
 golden candelabras, supporting large terra-cotta 
 cups filled with some sort of burning fluid highly 
 perfumed with orange. The supper itself was near- 
 ly such as we had eaten every, night during our 
 journey, with the important exception of the 
 gold service, the tortillas, and the Chocolatl, 
 which again made its appearance in the same 
 way as it had at dinner. 
 
 Having partaken of this, we ascended to the 
 flat roof, where we enjoyed a fine panoramic 
 view of the city, first by the singular effect of 
 the fires, and then, by moonlight after which 
 we walked about in the park until after ten, when 
 we went into our chambers. 
 
 I found mine lit up with hanging lamps, one 
 between every column around the fountain. 
 That night I slept soundly, and so closed the 
 first day in the city of Geral, Monday, October 
 llth. 
 
81 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 The Audience. Exchange of presents. An Afternoon's Ram- 
 ble in Search of Sights. The Streets. 
 
 TUESDAY, October 12th. I did not hurry my- 
 self about rising this morning and, although, 
 by the force of habit, I awoke before dawn, I 
 put myself to sleep again by rejoicing that there 
 was nothing to prevent me from so doing. ! 
 it was delightful ! and I positively believe that I 
 was more refreshed by those three hours of extra 
 snoosing, than I had been by all the rest of the 
 night. However, at seven, I roused myself, and 
 after bathing at the cool fountain, dressed and 
 left my chamber, at the entrance of which I met 
 Ned who was coming to see if I was sick, from 
 having slept so much longer than usual. 
 
 After we had breakfasted, he and I put the 
 presents for Orteguilla on a mule, and, saddling 
 our horses, went to make ourselves spruce for 
 the audience. At half past ten or thereabouts, 
 the gates of the park gave admittance to Onalpo, 
 an officer of the house-hold, bearing a long 
 
82 THE AUDIENCE. 
 
 Peruvian word as a*title, the exact interpretation 
 of which is Lord of the Gates, who had been sent 
 with a goodly train of attendants, by the Inca, 
 to conduct us to the royal palace, Orteguilla 
 having sense enough to know that we could not 
 find the way ourselves. Ned and I mounted and 
 started at eleven o'clock, with Peter and the 
 mule behind us, and surrounded by a number of 
 Onalpo's attendants. 
 
 After a ride of over two miles, we entered the 
 gates of a park, and found ourselves before the 
 Inca Palace, which is, at least, sixty feet high, 
 although consisting of but one story, and of 
 monstrous size. But what struck me as singular, 
 directly I approached the building, was that the 
 front only is of stone, the sides and outbuildings 
 being of wood. It has four large staircases in front, 
 which strongly resembles that of the Palace 
 we occupy. I had not much time or opportunity 
 to examine it this morning, as we merely went 
 towards, not along, the side- It is very different 
 from ours in one particular, and that is, that it 
 stands on a terrace, raised four or five feet from 
 the ground, and ascended to, by means of a 
 flight of very steep steps, at the foot of which 
 we were obliged to leave the horses, but brought 
 muley with us. The terrace was covered with 
 natives in their peace costumes, glittering with 
 
THE AUDIENCE. 88 
 
 precious stones and metals, but they moved 
 aside so as to form an alley for us to pass 
 through, actuated I expect, more by a fear of 
 the mule than by a wish to please us. 
 
 We first entered a large hall, were Onalpo 
 slipped off his sandals, covered his handsome 
 dress with a long black robe, and strapping a 
 small bundle on his back, signified his readiness 
 to conduct us to the Inca. Seeing us to be all 
 impatience, he lifted a heavy drapery, and we 
 found ourselves on the threshold of a broad, and 
 exceedingly lengthy saloon, with two rows of gilt 
 columns running the whole length of it, and lit 
 by the immense lattices in each wall, partially 
 shaded by hangings of light blue, sprinkled with 
 small golden suns. The ceiling is of carved rose- 
 wood, and the floor, between the ranges of columns, 
 is covered with a carpet like that in my chamber, 
 while, between the columns and the wall, it is 
 composed of different coloured marbles, as well as 
 I could see, from the immense number of black- 
 robed nobles standing there. At the end of the 
 room, opposite to that at which we entered, is the 
 throne of the Inca, the canopy over which is com- 
 posed of crimson, so richly embroidered with 
 gold and jewels that the ground can scarcely be 
 seen, and it falls, in graceful folds, on either 
 side of the chair of state, from a golden sun, 
 
84 THE AUDIENCE. 
 
 suspended some distance above the throne. The 
 throne, itself, stands on a long dais, covered with 
 white cloth embroidered with silver, and is a 
 gold stool, with a large sun behind it. 
 
 On this sat Orteguilla, with the llautu, borla, 
 and the sacred robe of blue resplendent with 
 jewels of great value. He was surrounded by all 
 the high officers of the realm, in black robes, un- 
 sandled, and bebundled, among whom I easily 
 recognised the Curaga of Ocopaltepec. 
 
 We left the mule at the door under Pete's 
 charge and entered. On seeing us, the Inca de- 
 scended from his throne, and, advancing to meet 
 us, did so about the middle of the room, whence 
 he conducted us to the dais, where seats had been 
 provided for Ned and I. We conversed for more 
 than an hour about different things, but princi- 
 pally upon our respective countries, more particu- 
 larly about the United States ; in regard to such 
 subjects, Ortiguilla appears to be greatly inter- 
 ested. 
 
 I now began to think it time to depart, and con- 
 sequently signalled for Pete to lead the mule in, 
 over the beautiful carpet. But if I had no scruples 
 about having it walked on by her, she had, and 
 would not come in. Pete coaxed, muley was obsti- 
 nate, and though he alternately pulled, pushed, and 
 whipped, not a step would her ladyship take. At 
 
EXCHANGE OF PRESENTS. 85 
 
 last he took my motioned hints, and unloaded her, 
 bringing the articles up himself. These the Inca 
 accepted, and, after examining them attentively, 
 had them removed from the throne room. In a 
 few moments, a train of attendants came in bear- 
 ing a return of presents of the most magnificent 
 description, one of "which I will take space to de- 
 scribe. It is the representation of a bird, the body 
 of which is composed of the most beautiful green 
 feathers, the breast being variegated like that of 
 a humming bird ; the wings are of purplish black, 
 and the long tail, of brilliant scarlet. The beak, 
 legs, and claws, are of gold, partially enamelled, 
 and the eyes, are of two rubies, each set round 
 with small brilliants.* It is about two feet high, 
 including the pedestal on which it stands. 
 
 Having understood from Onalpo, that the re- 
 ception of presents was the signal of departure, 
 we took our leave, and returned home. 
 
 Dinner over, Ned proposed taking "a ramble 
 over the city to see what we could see ; so he and 
 
 * This, and many other valuable presents, received at vari- 
 ous times, is still in my possession, and together with all the 
 others given to Ned and me during our stay in the valley, form a 
 collection, exceedingly rare and curious. If any of my readers 
 should ever pass through Orangeburg Co., S. C., near the town 
 of that name, they will find, easily, my country box, where it 
 will be shown to the visitor with pleasure. 
 6 
 
86 . AFTERNOON'S RAMBLE 
 
 I got our hats and set off, without a guide, first 
 for the Tianguez, that being the only place with 
 whose situation we were familiar. It is almost a 
 mile and a half from the palace, and we got there 
 much sooner than we expected. There were but a 
 few stalls occupied, and fewer people in the mar- 
 ket place. We saw, peeping over the houses at 
 the eastern end, two pyramidal structures, each 
 crowned with a building, and we bent our steps 
 that way to take a closer view. Leaving the 
 Tianguez by a thoroughfare called the Street of 
 the Sun, we passed one block of houses, and, cross- 
 ing a street, were walking on, when we came 
 against a bronze railing and gate, being part of 
 the enclosure of a large park, in which stood the 
 two edifices mentioned above, and also three or 
 four, long, 'low, marble buildings on the ground. 
 
 Finding we could not obtain an entrance, we 
 turned to our left, in the street we had just crossed, 
 and proceeded along it for several blocks, the 
 park still continuing on our right hand. After 
 passing three streets we came to the north west 
 corner of the enclosure, and turning toward the 
 east we walked one block, when we saw, a short 
 distance before us, that the street was obstructed 
 by a continuation of the park, so we went into 
 the next one on our left, which was narrow and 
 nearly destitute of people, 
 
IN SEARCH OF SIGHTS. 87 
 
 We loitered along this for five or six blocks, 
 when we became aware of a hum, as of many 
 voices. Hurrying on, a turn in the very crooked 
 street, displayed to our view, a wide thoroughfare 
 crossing that in which we were, jammed with 
 men popping in and out of the lower stories of 
 the tall buildings which were erected close 
 together all along both sides of the way. We 
 forced ourselves through the throng to one side, 
 and saw that these lower stories were nothing 
 more nor less than stores, filled with all sorts of 
 beautiful things ; armour, gold and silver servi- 
 ces, vases, tripods, articles of clothing, jew- 
 elry, furniture, &c. &c. &c. Carried irresistibly, 
 towards the east, we tried, ineffectually, to force 
 ourselves into one of the cross streets. We then 
 inquired of one of the surrounding crowd, what 
 was the name, of the thoroughfare in which we 
 were, and were told that it was the Street of the 
 Factories. 
 
 Not long after, we crossed a broad way, also 
 crammed with people, and this current overpower- 
 ing the other, swallowed us up, and we were 
 carried toward the north. We soon learnt that 
 this was the other great commercial street, that 
 of the Colucatltepec. In a few moments I saw, 
 not far before us, a cubical monument, about six- 
 teen feet high, seven feet square at the base, and 
 
88 THE STREETS. 
 
 four at the top, of white marble, surmounted by 
 a large silver urn, and, as we approached, the 
 crowd divided on each side of it, so as to pass 
 on. 
 
 We, however, stopped and perceived that the 
 marble was covered with a hieroglyphical inscrip- 
 tion. Happening to glance toward my left, I saw 
 a wide street, meeting that in which we were, at 
 an acute angle, and pointing it out to Ned, for 
 the noise was so great that it was useless to speak, 
 we darted through the crowd. We walked on 
 pretty fast for three blocks, and again came in 
 contact with the Street of the Factories, through 
 the moving multitude in which, we penetrated 
 with a great deal of difficulty, and in course 
 of time reached the Tianguez, by the broad 
 streets around which we escaped from the pal- 
 ace. 
 
 In the Market Place we were informed that to- 
 morrow will be a market day, and we consequently 
 came home as fast as we could, to commence get- 
 ting ready to move our merchandize to our stall, 
 which I do not think that I shall like at all. I 
 have a good mind to apply to the Inca for one of 
 the Shops in the Street of the Factories, and if I 
 were to do so, I am pretty sure of being success- 
 ful. 
 
 Is it not singular that since I have crossed the 
 
STAY AT HOME FEMALES. 89 
 
 Sierra, I have not laid my eyes upon one of the 
 gentler sex, who do not appear to stir out of 
 their houses. Small children, also, are absolute 
 curiosities. What a comfort! 
 
90 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 The Tianguez. Visit from the. Inca. A proposed Change of 
 Quarters. A Walk to see the Premises. A Remove. 
 
 WEDNESDAY, October 13th. With the rise of 
 this morning's sun we left the palace for the Tian- 
 guez with fifteen laden mules, and our stall was 
 soon open. Our stock in trade to-day consisted 
 of agricultural implements, spades, rakes, hoes, 
 shovels, &c., not omitting our two small portable 
 ploughs, harrows and cultivators. These last six 
 articles were conspicuously displayed, and attract- 
 ed a good deal of attention. 
 
 Three hours had passed, and we had had no 
 business, when the Inca suddenly popped in from 
 the back part of the stall and joined us. He 
 examined every thing and appeared much inter- 
 ested in my explanations of the use of the arti- 
 cles. When I had finished my account of the 
 utility of the plough, he said, "I must see this 
 done, xitulo, (stranger). I will come to you 
 before our Master (the sun) goes to rest the sec- 
 ond time, and we will go out of the walls and see 
 what this thing does." 
 
VISIT FKOM THE INCA. 91 
 
 Soon after he asked if we had seen much of 
 the city as yet, so I told him of our yesterday 
 afternoon's walk, at the same time, hinting that 
 I should prefer a stall in one of the commercial 
 streets, to that which we had in the Tianguez. 
 Orteguilla took the hint readily, and promised to 
 let us have one, but not in either of the streets 
 which we had visited, as they were never hon- 
 oured with the presence of the lords or ladies of 
 Geral. That which he is going to appropriate to 
 us, is in a third street, which he called "my 
 street of stores, the Street of the Ocelot." We 
 have to leave the palace while we have a shop, as 
 it is necessary to have a guard over the goods ; 
 to this we do not object, and told him that we 
 would visit the street first, and then inform him 
 how we liked it. He remained with us for some 
 time, and then took his leave, but we stayed at 
 our post until half-past two, when we packed up 
 and departed, just as rich in merchandize and 
 poor in pocket as we came, not having sold a sin- 
 gle article. 
 
 At four Ned and I set out to look for the 
 i fashionable shopping street of Geral,' under the 
 guidance of a native servant attached to the pal- 
 ace. We left the park by the southern entrance, 
 and walked along the walls as far as the south- 
 eastern corner of the enclosure, when we turned 
 
92 SHOPPING STREET. 
 
 to the right into the thoroughfare which passes 
 in front of the palace, and which is called the 
 Street of the Huaxtepec. Along this we walked, 
 passing two streets ; the third was that of the 
 Ocelot. 
 
 This had a row of trees on each side, and the 
 buildings were of all shapes and sizes, standing 
 in large gardens and overshadowed by palm and 
 other trees. There was not a foot passenger to 
 be seen, beside ourselves, in the whole street, if 
 we except the carriers of the numerous splendid 
 litters, some of which were open, but the greater 
 part closed with gilt lattice work. The for- 
 mer were occupied by the curac,as and nobles of 
 the Incalate in full feather, while our guide told 
 us that the others were those of the feminine part 
 of the upper classes, but we could not see the 
 occupants, as they did not alight to visit the 
 shops, but were carried, litters and all, into a hall 
 before each establishment. 
 
 We went down this street, in admiration of the 
 beautiful shops, and, at length, entered the park 
 surrounding the Inca's palace. We were imme- 
 diately conducted to him, and he appears to be 
 pleased at our liking f his Street of Stores,' as he 
 invariably calls it, and promises to have a shop 
 ready for us by the day after to-morrow. We 
 remained some time, and as we left he begged us 
 
PLOUGHING. 93 
 
 to visit him frequently in this off-hand manner. 
 The more I see of him, the better I like him, as 
 he appears to be a very sensible, indeed, an intel- 
 lectual man, and to have a very sound judgment. 
 I do not doubt but that he is one of the best 
 scholars in his little empire. 
 
 On arriving at the palace we found a present 
 from Conatzin, one of the chiefs who conducted 
 us on our arrival in the city, in the shape of a 
 double palanquin, made of rosewood, lined with 
 scarlet, and having two long handles at each 
 extremity. 
 
 Thursday evening, October 14th. We spent a 
 good deal of the morning in practising two of 
 the horses in a plough, and after some trouble 
 got them in presentably decent kelter. About 
 three o'clock a train of litters made its appear- 
 ance before the principal entrance, containing 
 the Inca, Cioaco, Movoga* Curaga of Poanago, 
 Opanilla, the Lord of the plains, and many dig- 
 nitaries, with fine faces and long names. 
 
 A litter had been provided for Ned and another 
 for me, so that we had not an oportunity of using 
 Conatzin's gift. We got in, the servants mount- 
 ed their horses, leading two mules loaded with 
 the implements to be tried, and the two horses 
 who were to pull these, followed Peter and John, 
 because they had to, being fastened by ropes to 
 6* 
 
94 AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENTS. 
 
 the tails of the animals ridden by those two 
 men. The cortege started. Ascending the ter- 
 races of the Huaxtepec, and leaving the city by 
 a small gate, it issued forth upon the great pla- 
 teau, before the walls, which was to be the scene 
 of our operations. 
 
 The parts of the implements were taken off 
 the mules, put together, horses attached, and 
 several furrows made with the plough, much to 
 the satisfaction, of the Inca and his suite, who 
 had descended from their litters, in order to 
 watch the proceedings more narrowly. With 
 equal success but not with equal advantages, the 
 other machines were tried, and the result of the 
 expedition, exhibition, and experiments, was 
 that Orteguilla determined to introduce all of 
 them, on his own lands, to be drawn by llamas ; 
 and, what was of much more consequence to 
 us, he purchased the six on the spot. Having 
 packed up, we returned to the city, so tired that 
 I can scarcely write, and will say no more, save 
 that of all uncomfortable conveniences for trans- 
 portation, give me an old stage on a rutty road, 
 rather than a litter. 
 
 The day subsequent to our agricultural trip, 
 we received word from Apixtamatl, the Lord of 
 Huax, and also the Inca's secretary, if I may 
 
PROPOSED REMOVAL. 95 
 
 use that word, that ' the stall of eight sides,' in 
 the Street of the Ocelot, was ready for our re- 
 ception. So we instantly prepared for a remove 
 to the establishment indicated. The merchandize 
 was put on the mules, the horses were saddled, 
 and away we went guided by the attendant who 
 brought the message. 
 
 In twenty minutes we entered a large garden, 
 ornamented with several small fountains, beds of 
 flowers, and groups of trees. In the middle of 
 the front of this garden was a good-sized, octa- 
 gon-shaped, building of white marble, open 
 in front, the roof being supported by six orien- 
 tal-like columns. Passing between these we en- 
 tered a hall, in the shape of a trapeaoid, paved 
 with marble. Opposite to the entrance were 
 four moro pillars, like the others, permitting a 
 view of the room in the heart of the erection. 
 On either side of the hall was an aperture fitted 
 with a strong bronze gate, partially concealed, 
 as were the whole of the walls, by hangings of 
 pale pink embroidered in silver. The ceiling 
 was of polished rosewood, and though there was 
 no skylight there was a fountain. Leaving this 
 hall we entered the central apartment which was 
 octagon in form, having a diameter of over forty 
 feet. The roof, which was much more elevated 
 than that of the hall, was composed of cedar, 
 
96 NEW QUARTERS. 
 
 richly carved, and ascended on a slight angle to 
 meet the skylight, by which the room was lit, 
 under which sparkled a fountain in a porphy- 
 ry basin. There were no columns except the four 
 leading into the hall, and the floor was composed of 
 different coloured marbles. The tapestry on the 
 walls was of a bright mazarine blue, embroidered 
 with silver, and curtains of the same, concealed 
 the entrances to the room, which were three in 
 number, without counting that of the hall. 
 About the room were scattered a great many 
 large tables, and seats of all kinds, it was the 
 < stall !' 
 
 Reentering the hall, and passing through the 
 opening on the right, we found ourselves on the 
 threshold of a saloon, of precisely the same size 
 and shape as the hall ; and a second succeeded, 
 similar to the first, save that it communicated 
 with the shop. After this second saloon came 
 my chamber. The aperture on the left hand 
 side of the hall, led first into Ned's room, 
 and then into two more, appropriated to the 
 three servants. These six rooms were all lit by 
 small skylights and had fountains. The eighth 
 room corresponded to the hall and was used as a 
 dining room, and a door, or opening in it, oppo- 
 site the entrance from the shop, communicated 
 with the culinary department, and lodgings of 
 
NEW QUARTERS. 97 
 
 the native servants, who were as numerous here, 
 in proportion as in the palace. 
 
 I hope that this will give a distinct idea of our 
 temporary habitation, in which, immediately upon 
 our arrival, we began to arrange our goods for the 
 next day's business. 
 
98 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 The ' Stall.' Inca's Visit. The Incaress.* Moderate Prices. 
 Business. Sunday. 
 
 ON Saturday morning, at nine o'clock, we open- 
 ed our front gates, and those leading into the 
 shop, seating ourselves, in the latter, to wait 
 patiently for customers, surrounded by velvets, 
 silks, brocades, laces, muslins, shawls, and some 
 rather-out-of-place rugs. Beside these, on a very 
 large table, were displayed two magnificient 
 Persian carpets, which I mentioned in chapter 
 third, while four more were spread on the floor. 
 It will be remembered that all these articles had 
 been confided to our care for a trade with Lima 
 or Quito, in which cities foreign goods sell like 
 lightning from their superiority over the native 
 manufactures, and also from their scarcity. 
 
 We had not been open five minutes when a litter 
 was carried into the hall and Orteguilla descended 
 from it. I went forward to meet him, but he 
 
 This most untranslatable word I have 
 rendered above in the best way I could, 
 although in the text I shall use Empress, 
 as more pronounceable. 
 
INCA'S VISIT. 99 
 
 hardly said a word as he gazed fixedly upon the 
 articles displayed in the shop. "How is this ?" 
 he asked; "two Suns ago I saw your goods. 
 They were all sharp and turned up the ground. 
 I see them now. They are fit for clothes. How 
 is this ?" We explained to him that we had 
 brought many different kinds of things, and that 
 those he now saw were intended, in most cases, 
 for the use of the other sex. He examined every- 
 thing, and purchased a Persian carpet with which 
 he was in ecstacies, going away soon in order to 
 bring his wife to us. 
 
 He had not been gone three-quarters of an 
 hour, when seven or eight closed litters were 
 brought into the hall, guarded by a file of chief- 
 tains in full costume. The palanquins were 
 opened, and each permitted the egress of two 
 ladies, who ranged themselves against the walls 
 of the hall, as a golden litter, also guarded, made 
 its appearance on the threshold. This was un- 
 closed and the Inca first came out, followed by a 
 tall and elegant looking female, magnificently 
 attired, who came into the store with him, attended 
 by all the ladies, the chieftains letting fall the 
 curtains between the hall and shop, and guarding 
 all the doors. 
 
 " Ahtelaqua, my wife," introduced Orteguilla, 
 addressing Ned and I, who had advanced to meet 
 
100 THE INCA'S WIFE. 
 
 them, "I have come to show her your stall." 
 We saluted, and conducted madame to a seat, 
 and, while she gazed around at the new goods 
 presented for her inspection, I took a good look 
 at her and her dress. Her long brown hair curled 
 in heavy ringlets over her back and shoulders, 
 being confined around her brow by a golden cir- 
 clet set with precious stones, having in front, an 
 upright ornament of serpents twisted around a 
 ruby of immense size, from the back of which 
 rose a plume of white feathers. Her complexion 
 was a rich olive, her teeth like pearls, her eyes 
 large and expressive, her nose slightly aquiline, 
 and her forehead, high and intellectual looking. 
 Close around her throat was a gorget of blue 
 cotton cloth, richly embroidered with jewels and 
 silver, and from this depended a long robe of 
 white, also embroidered, confined above her 
 waist by a low cut bodice of blue and silver. 
 The skirt was very full, and of sufficient length 
 to form a train, which made her look taller than 
 she really was. Her arms were exposed from the 
 shoulder, where were fastened long, open sleeves 
 of blue, stiff with gems and embroidery. Her 
 small' hands and wrists were a mass of the most 
 valuable jewels. Such was Ahtelaqua, and her 
 admiration of our stock was unbounded, which 
 undoubtedly showed her superior judgment. The 
 
MODERATE PilICE4 
 
 other ladies, who were scattered over the room, 
 in groups of two or three, sitting and standing 
 without much regard to etiquette, were habited 
 in a similar manner but with less magnificence, 
 none of them, however, had the right, as I after- 
 wards found, to wear more than two feathers in 
 their circlet, while their mistress could carry as 
 many as she liked, though not less than four. 
 
 The empress nearly made our fortunes by the 
 multiplicity of her purchases, although she took 
 but one of the Persian carpets, being evidently 
 frightened at the tremendous price Grey set upon 
 them, two thousand gold ochols, very near 
 $7,500!) which when Ned mentioned, I turned 
 completely round to see how he had the face to 
 ask so much ; but he understood the business, and 
 afterwards told me, that he charged so highly, 
 to afford others a chance of getting one, as he 
 saw glances of admiration pass between the atten- 
 dant ladies. He was right, as before one o'clock 
 that day, the other four had been sold to the ladies 
 of the suite at a still more extravagant price ; and 
 in this manner Ned managed with everything 
 that Ahtelaqua procured. It was a true Yankee 
 trick, but all is fair in trade as well as in war. 
 
 As the royal party was beginning to show signs 
 of an intention to leave, Grey ordered Harry 
 Boyd to bring in some prepared tea, that Orte- 
 
102 L j'.BtrsjNESS. 
 
 guilla might pronounce his opinion upon that 
 popular beverage. It soon came in two goblets, 
 one of which I gave to the Inca, while Ned pre- 
 sented the other to his Empress. They approved 
 highly of it, so much so indeed that I thought it 
 advisable to give Orteguilla several pounds with 
 full directions how to make use of it, while Grey 
 propitiated the future good will of the Imperial 
 Spouse by the presentation of one of our six 
 beautiful lace veils, and soon after, the whole 
 party departed. 
 
 The rest of the morning we were run down 
 with customers, for the Inca had been seen enter- 
 ing, and in the afternoon our stock was nearly 
 cleared out. It was very evident to us that our 
 visit to the valley would turn out a profitable 
 affair not only to ourselves, but to our consignors 
 also. 
 
 At seven o'clock we illuminated the shop with 
 hanging lamps and groups of sterine candles, and 
 again it was crowded to suffocation. Our three ser- 
 vants were called in, and all were actively em- 
 ployed until midnight, when we cleared the shop, 
 closed the gates, and retired to rest, a good deal 
 fatigued. 
 
 The next day being Sunday, we kept our store 
 closed, much to the astonishment of our heathen 
 visitors, who were rather provoked, that we 
 
SUNDAY. 103 
 
 would not sell anything. We spent all the day 
 in the house, reading and receiving visits in the 
 morning, while the afternoon, and part of the 
 evening were employed by us in arranging our 
 stock for the approaching business of Monday. 
 The remainder of the evening was occupied in 
 walking in our large garden, where I, at last 
 thought of the north and my fireside, for we had 
 no need of a fire or anything like one, the heat 
 being very great without. 
 
104 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 Selling Out. The Chronology of Geral. Another Remove. 
 
 ON Monday the 18th of October, our establish- 
 ment contained a rather singular collection of 
 goods to be seen together. On one side were the 
 remnants of Saturday's dealings; on another, 
 cutlery of all kinds; on a third were tea and 
 sugar boxes ; on a fourth, cooking utensils ; on a 
 fifth, agricultural hardware, and so on around the 
 room. 
 
 Nevertheless, we were as busy as before, be- 
 cause we happened to be, for the time, 'the 
 fashion.' Orteguilla came early and cleared out 
 all our hardware at an immense expense; the 
 ladies of the city entirely swept off Saturday's 
 leavings, the tea, sugar and cooking utensils, of 
 which last I was certain, at the time, that they 
 did not know the use, and I was not astonished 
 in the least degree, when some weeks after, 
 while visiting a palace on the Manitepec, I saw a 
 brightly polished, copper tea kettle, standing on 
 a table in a splendid salon, filled with flowers ! 
 
 It was very evident that another day would 
 
CHRONOLOGY OF GERAL. 105 
 
 close us, and such was the case, as on Tuesday, 
 we were obliged to shut up before noon. 
 
 Tuesday evening, October 19th. * * * * *. So 
 after dinner Ned and I sauntered down to the 
 Royal Palace, and, on being announced, were in- 
 stantly admitted to the Inca, whom we told that 
 we were sold out, merely awaiting his pleasure, 
 to go back to the old palace, as we were residing 
 in a situation which, if immediately taken posses- 
 sion of by another merchant, would prove profita- 
 ble. Orteguilla then said that our old quarters 
 were at our service for any length of time, upon 
 which I informed him that we intended to leave 
 in the beginning of next January saying the 
 word, without thinking, in English. 
 
 "Jan'ry!" exclaimed the Inca; "what is 
 that?" 
 
 " It is the first month of the year," I answer- 
 ed, and here ensued a chronological conversation, 
 which, if I wished, I could not give word for 
 word, and shall therefore take the liberty of put- 
 ting down what I learnt by it. 
 
 The year of these people is divided into fifteen 
 months of twenty -four days each, and these 
 months are subdivided into four weeks of equal 
 length ; on every sixth day a market is held. The 
 names of the months are as follows ; Olab, com- 
 mencing on the tenth of June, Canno, Malan, 
 
106 CHRONOLOGY OF GERAL. 
 
 Cop, Koo, Zina, Naon, Pavan, Queloo, Zapx, 
 Kamem, Geb, Allac, Memib, Caxc, the days 
 composing the first week of every month are 
 called En, Chi-en, Mal-en, Hun-en, Oil-en, Kab- 
 en ; those of the second week, Ac, Chi-ac, Mal- 
 ac, Hun-ac, 011-ac, Kab-ac ; those of the third 
 week, Cum, Chi-cum, Mal-cum, Hun-cum, 011- 
 cum, Kab-cum ; and those of the fourth week, 
 Ila, Chi-ila, Mal-ila, Hun-ila, 011-ila, and Kab-ila. 
 In speaking of a day, its name is placed after that 
 of the month, as Caxc-Kab-ila, which is the last 
 day of the year. 
 
 As the number of days, given by the above 
 arrangement, was found to fall five short of the 
 usual and proper number of three hundred and 
 sixty-five, these five are added, regularly, between 
 the end of the month Caxc and the beginning of 
 Olab, consisting of the fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, 
 and ninth of June. They do not belong to any 
 month, and are named Odar, Nordo, Caman, 
 Sonn, and Tuled. 
 
 Not understanding the theory of the Bissextile 
 intercalation of a day, they use a much more 
 exact, but less convenient method, in the end, 
 which, singularly enough, is precisely like that 
 made use of by the inhabitants of Yucatan on the 
 discovery of that peninsula by the Spaniards. 
 How this happened I will not attempt to explain, 
 
CHRONOLOGY OF GERAL. 107 
 
 for the best reason in the world, I do not know 
 myself, and am, therefore, unable to do as I would 
 be done by. They divide time into periods of fifty- 
 two of their years, at the end of each of which they 
 intercalate twelve and a half days, in my opinion, 
 a very inconvenient piece of business. These 
 cycles are called by them, < sheaves of years,' and 
 are represented by four bundles of thirteen rods 
 each, which are placed in the Council house, and 
 from which the reigning Inca takes one every 
 Caxc-Kafi-ila. 
 
 In order to designate every year of the cycle 
 with exactness, they divide the latter into four 
 equal parts, representing each fourth by an 
 arrow-head, which is placed in four different posi- 
 tions to denote the separate periods of thirteen 
 years. Dots, from one to thirteen, inclusive, were 
 placed in regular succession before the years of 
 each part, and the four arrow-heads were also 
 repeated with them in order.* 
 
 * I feel convinced, on copying the above from my journal, 
 that I have not described this clearly, and therefore give the fol- 
 lowing table of one cycle, to explain my meaning. It will be 
 seen that by the adjoining simple and ingenious arrangement, 
 the same hieroglyphic never appears twice with the same num- 
 ber of dots, so that any year in the cycle may, at once, be recog- 
 nized. 
 
First Part. 
 
 Second Part. 
 
 Years 
 of 
 Cycle. 
 
 Dots. 
 
 Hiero- 
 glyphic. 
 
 r ears 
 of 
 Cycle. 
 
 Dots. 
 
 Hiero- 
 crlyphic. 
 
 1 
 
 
 A 
 
 1 
 
 
 O 
 
 2 
 
 
 <3> 
 
 2 
 
 
 4 
 
 3 
 
 
 & 
 
 3 
 
 
 o 
 
 4 
 
 . . . . 
 
 4> 
 
 4 
 
 . . . . 
 
 ? 
 
 5 
 
 
 t) 
 
 5 
 
 
 
 ,_,, 
 
 6 
 
 
 
 
 6 
 
 
 
 4 
 
 
 
 7 
 
 
 
 A 
 
 7 
 
 
 
 ^0 
 
 8 
 
 ... 
 
 t> 
 
 8 
 
 . . 
 
 ? 
 
 9 
 
 ... 
 
 ^ 
 
 9 
 
 
 ^ 
 
 10 
 
 
 
 
 10 
 
 . .. 
 
 4 
 
 11 
 
 
 
 A 
 
 11 
 
 
 o 
 
 12 
 
 
 
 
 
 12 
 
 . .. 
 
 f 
 
 13 
 
 
 
 9 
 
 13 
 
 
 
 
Third Part. 
 
 Fourth Part. 
 
 Years 
 of 
 Cycle. 
 
 Dots. 
 
 Hiero- 
 glyphic. 
 
 Years 
 of 
 Cycle. 
 
 Dots. 
 
 Hiero- 
 glyphic. 
 
 1 
 
 . 
 
 A 
 
 1 
 
 . 
 
 o. 
 
 2 
 
 
 ci> 
 
 2 
 
 
 9 
 
 3 
 
 
 ^ 
 
 3 
 
 
 ^ 
 
 4 
 
 .... 
 
 <^ 
 
 4 
 
 . . . . 
 
 fa 
 
 5 
 
 
 4 
 
 5 
 
 
 
 ^ 
 
 
 6 
 
 
 
 
 
 6 
 
 .... 
 
 ^ 
 
 7 
 
 
 ? 
 
 7 
 
 .... 
 
 o 
 
 
 
 8 
 
 i 
 
 
 <^ 
 
 8 
 
 
 4 
 
 ... 
 
 9 
 
 
 
 4 
 
 9 
 
 .. . 
 
 cc> 
 
 10 
 11 
 
 
 
 ^ 
 
 10 
 11 
 
 
 
 ^ 
 
 12 
 
 .... 
 
 -? 
 
 12 
 
 
 
 I 
 
 13 
 
 .." 
 
 i 
 
 13 
 
 .... 
 
 ^ 
 
 ... 
 
110 
 
 CHRONOLOGY OF GERAL. 
 
 They count their first sheaf from June 10th 
 1535, when they first settled in the valley: 
 the years, according to the civilized reckoning, 
 in which their cycles have commenced since that 
 period, are shown in the following table. 
 
 Cycles. 
 
 Number of Years. 
 
 Date. 
 
 1 
 
 2 
 3 
 4 
 
 5 
 6 
 
 ' 7 
 
 52 
 104 
 156 
 208 
 260 
 312 
 
 1535 
 
 1587 
 1639 
 1691 
 1743 
 1795 
 1847 
 
 The present year (1847), is the first of the 
 eighth cycle and is thus hieroglyphically ex- 
 pressed. 
 
 /wvwvv* 
 
 The points indicate the Cycle. It will be no- 
 ticed that seven of them are perfect, while the 
 eighth has but just commenced. 
 
CHRONOLOGY OP GERAL. Ill 
 
 The people believe that in the twelve and a 
 half intercalated days of some cycle, the world 
 will be destroyed, and are prone to break every- 
 thing they can lay their hands on, thinking it 
 useless to keep anything whole, as it can be of no 
 further use to them, if the sun burns them up 
 with the earth.* 
 
 The i Days of Misery,' as these nearly-baker's- 
 dozen of calamitous supplementaries are called, 
 having occurred this June, the calendar of Geral 
 is even with ours, for the time, and there will be 
 no more breakage for fifty-two years, but the 
 scenes then enacted have so distressed Orteguilla, 
 that he is determined to avoid them in future, by 
 a new arrangement of the almanac, if he can 
 find one, and asked us if we knew of any method 
 by which they could be eluded. We, of course, 
 mentioned our own, and he has requested us to 
 arrange it with names from those of the months 
 and days, used by the Geralians, for the purpose 
 of proposing its trial to the Council of Nobles.f 
 
 * I have since found that the manufacturers, stall-keepers, and 
 labourers, merely shut up their places of business without break- 
 ing anything, leaving that to be done by the rest of the populace, 
 who would be obliged to replace their domestic articles. It is 
 a singular fact. 
 
 t This institution is the only one I met with in the valley, 
 where the Lords and Curac.as have the right of debating the sub- 
 
112 CHRONOLOGY OF GERAL. 
 
 He has ordered Apixtamatl, his secretary, to 
 attend on us, so as to be able to inscribe our 
 almanac in hieroglyphics from our dictation, as 
 Ned and I are sadly deficient in that sort of 
 writing. 
 
 We took our leave at six o'clock, and returned 
 to the shop, where we packed up our baggage as 
 quickly as we could, and came back to our old 
 quarters in the palace which actually feels like 
 home. 
 
 jects brought under their notice, the Inca being absolute in 
 every other matter. The cases which are permitted to be carried 
 before them are limited to a very few. 
 
113 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 The New Calendar. A visit loan Useful Institution. 
 A Present. 
 
 FRIDAY, October 22nd, I have not had time 
 to spare to journalise since Tuesday, on account 
 of our task of arranging the months, weeks, and 
 days, which has occupied every moment. On 
 Wednesday we made out an ephemeris precisely 
 like ours, thirty one days in some months, and 
 thirty in others. This we dictated to Apixtamatl, 
 who appeared to meditate upon every one of the 
 words, so slowly did he make his hieroglyphics. 
 However he finished, at last, about half past four 
 in the afternoon, and immediately carried his 
 laborious production to Orteguilla while we went 
 to our apartment for the purpose of dressing 
 ourselves, in order to take a walk. 
 
 Just as we were putting on our hats in the hall, 
 the Inca and his secretary made their appearance, 
 the former bearing in his hand the abominable 
 almanac. Ned dashed his palm-leaf on the table 
 with an audible wish that Orteguilla, Apixtamatl 
 and the calendar, were in a considerably warmer 
 place than a heated Dutch oven, but, notwithstand- 
 
114 THE NEW CALENDAR. 
 
 ing, he followed all three into a saloon. Here the 
 Inca made his objections to our method : there 
 much was too great a difference in regard to the 
 length of the twelve months. We explained the 
 reasons of it, but that would not do ; he wanted 
 some arrangement by which the duration of all 
 should be the same. We told him that what he 
 had in his hand was precisely similar to the length 
 of all the months in every civilized country. 
 Nothing would do, and so, after supping with us, 
 staying until after ten, and begging us to try 
 some other way, he took his departure. 
 
 We went to work again, and all day yesterday 
 were employed in ineffectual attempts to find a 
 suitable plan. It was not until late in the even- 
 ing that we fixed upon one, which was, this morn- 
 ing, dictated to our poking amanuensis, who con- 
 veyed it to the Royal Palace at noon. Orteguilla 
 has expressed his satisfaction with it, notwith- 
 standing the unavoidable extra length of one 
 month, and has announced his intention of placing 
 it before the Council as soon as possible, which he 
 has since told us, will be on Trina-Cum, next 
 Tuesday. 
 
 An hour since we again essayed a sally, but 
 were once more frustrated in our attempt by 
 another visit from the Inca, who came to invite 
 us to accompany him, to-morrow morning, to his 
 
THE MINT. 115 
 
 rnint,*there to have the pleasure of seeing him 
 receive his income, or a portion of it. We accep- 
 ted, of course, as we have a natural desire to see 
 all that is to be seen. It is now half past six, 
 and not twenty minutes since the Inca left. Here 
 comes Ned to take a /walk with me. 
 
 Saturday, October 23d. At ten o'clock this 
 morning, Ned and I mounted our horses and 
 galloped to the Royal Palace, where we found 
 Orteguilla waiting for us, seated in his litter and 
 surrounded by all the high officers of the house- 
 hold and the city. 
 
 After a slow progress of two miles in an hour, 
 we stopped before a large building on a low ter- 
 race. Dismounting, we accompanied the Inca 
 and his suite into a good-sized hall, from which 
 we entered a room, on the left hand side, about 
 thirty feet by twenty, the floor of which was 
 covered to the depth of nearly a foot and a half 
 with silver ochols. In the next room, bronze ones 
 were to be seen in even greater profusion, and in 
 the third apartment, the gold was thrown upon 
 the floor in immense piles, as if from bushel 
 
 * In this, as well as in many other cases of the same sort, I 
 have given, instead of the literal translation of the Geralian word, 
 that which we make use of to designate the same kind of insti- 
 tution, or custom, or whatever it may chance to be, that I wish 
 to mention. 
 
116 THE MINT. 
 
 baskets. Passing through a large opening we 
 entered a long hall, communicating with the ter- 
 race on one side, and on the other, with a vast 
 interior courtyard, filled with natives busily en- 
 gaged in stamping out the coins. There must 
 have been over eight hundred of these workmen, 
 and the Inca told me that in some buildings, 
 close to the mint, there were twice as many more, 
 all unceasingly employed for twelve hours every 
 
 The method of forming the coins is easy enough, 
 the only implements required, being a square cut- 
 ting stamp of copper, and a heavy mallet. The 
 first is placed upon the sheet of metal, in a proper 
 position, and one stroke of the latter suffices to 
 make an ochol. 
 
 Orteguilla took his seat upon a dais, and two 
 stools were provided for Grey and me. Here we 
 sat for five- hours, ' like Patience on a monu- 
 ment, smiling in grief,' and hunger, watching 
 the money being counted into scarlet sacks, by 
 the many officers attached to the institution, and 
 hearing the report of the latter, read by our ex- 
 cellent Apixtamatl, who drawled it over, as he 
 had poked over our calendar, totally unconscious 
 that the two strangers were wishing him at the 
 bottom of the Lake of Naloma, or of the report. 
 At last he did come to an end, and then the 
 
THE MINT. 117 
 
 scarlet bags were brought in, and placed on the 
 backs of the Indian carriers, who started off on 
 a kind of trot to deposit the' money in the maga- 
 zines, which are in the different island fortresses 
 and fortified palaces. Each sack contains 
 eighteen thousand ochols, and every one of the 
 workmen carried two sacks. 
 
 This immense sum is received by the Inca, once 
 in twenty-four days, one-third of it is, however, 
 appropriated to the Sun,* and another third for 
 the payment of salaries, the remainder being 
 solely his, to do with as he pleases. At four 
 o'clock a splendid collation was served, and after 
 we had partaken of it, we returned to the Palace 
 heartily tired. On our arrival at this last place, 
 we found, in each of our chambers, a sack of gold 
 ochols as a present from Orteguilla, which we 
 accepted in the light of a remuneration for hav- 
 ing suffered by the tiresomeness of the ceremony. 
 If he sent it with this intention, there is no doubt 
 about his being a sensible man. 
 
 While at the mint, Orteguilla conversed with 
 
 * This money is expended for the sustenance of the Priests 
 and Vestals of the Sun, and for the support of the poorer Tern- 
 pics. In the same way, as mentioned in the text, the valley, 
 and the conquered territories, when they have any, is divided 
 into three parts, and the Sun lands are cultivated for the benefit 
 of the officiators in the Temples. 
 
 7* 
 
118 THE MINT. 
 
 us for some time, and, among other things, men- 
 tioned a singular institution, having branches in 
 every city of the valley, called the Tribunal of 
 Music. He has explained to us that it is a com- 
 mittee, having the censorship of all the hierogly- 
 phical literature, the manufactures, &c., and which 
 has a building, where are placed all the articles 
 intended for their inspection. He has promised 
 to take us there as soon as possible, and I do not 
 doubt but that it is well worth seeing. 
 
119 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 The Council House. Tribunal of Music. 
 
 EARLY on Tuesday morning (October 26th) we 
 Wre ready and waiting for the Inca's arrival, and 
 at about half past seven we heard an unmistak- 
 able evidence of his approach his band of 
 music (?) We hurried to the gate and joined the 
 long procession as it swept past the Palace. It 
 went up the street of the Huaxtepec, and in a 
 short time stopped before a square park, almost 
 entirely occupied by an immense circular struc- 
 ture of white marble and porphyry, the de- 
 scription of which I will extract from my journal. 
 
 1 The shape of the building is defined by a 
 double row of vase-like, porphyry columns, sup- 
 porting a stone roof, entirely detached from the 
 main building, being at a distance of twenty feet 
 from it. The edifice itself is likewise circular, and 
 is surrounded by two piazzas, one above the other, 
 the uppermost being accessible by four broad 
 flights of steps. The lower story is entered by 
 four large openings. The interior of the erection 
 
120 THE COUNCIL. 
 
 is one vast circular room, open to the sky, and 
 has, at a distance of fifteen feet from the floor, 
 a gallery projecting more than twice that distance, 
 and supported by a row of columns similar to 
 those on the exterior of the structure, except that 
 the inner ones are overlaid with silver. Towards 
 the east, the gallery is reached by a wide flight of 
 marble steps, at the top of which is placed the 
 Inca's throne, while the council of Nobles is seated 
 at the foot of the stairs, and facing them. The 
 gallery was filled with ladies in their magnificent 
 dresses, and that part of the floor, which was un- 
 occupied by the numerous Lords and Curagas, 
 was thronged with military officers in their gor- 
 geous costumes.' 
 
 Seats were provided for us two by the side of 
 the Inca, and the first subject discussed by the 
 council was our calendar. Many were against 
 change for very excellent reasons, but more were 
 for a better arrangement of the almanac, and the 
 latter carried the day, after a conversation, for 
 they separately said so little at a time, that it 
 could hardly be called a debate. This was grati- 
 fying after all our trouble, and it was with real 
 pleasure that we heard the Inca declare that the 
 change should take place on Naon-Ollac, (Novem- 
 ber 5th,) when the calendar should be placed in 
 the great Temple of the Sun. Seeing that the 
 
TRIBUNAL OF MUSIC. 121 
 
 council was about to take up another subject, in 
 which we could have no interest, Ned and I made 
 our escape, and returned to the Palace. 
 
 Several days now passed without anything par- 
 ticular occurring, as we did nothing but go shop- 
 ping in the three business streets and pay visits to 
 our numerous acquaintances, sometimes to Orte- 
 guilla, who occasionally returned them, or, at 
 least, came to do so, for we were generally out. 
 
 Monday, November 1st. At six o'clock this 
 morning, just as we rose from our breakfast 
 table, Orteguilla arrived with a few attendants, 
 to escort us to the Tribunal of Music. We in- 
 stantly put on our hats, ordered Conatzin's pre- 
 sent to be brought to the gate of the Park, got 
 into it, and set out. Our beautiful palanquin is 
 very comfortable, the double weight preventing 
 the uneasy motion of the single litter. In about 
 half an hour we got to our destination, which is 
 a square building, one story high, and surrounded 
 by an immense flower garden, beautifully laid out, 
 and containing a few fountains. The edifice is 
 constructed of a buffish coloured stone, richly 
 carved, with a false second story, pierced with 
 lattice work of the most elaborate description. 
 
 We entered by a handsome portal, decorated 
 %ith the most delicate carving, and found our- 
 selves in a large room, serving as a vestibule, 
 
122 TRIBUNAL OF MUSIC. 
 
 where the Inca was received by the officers of 
 the institution, who are appointed by him, and 
 who receive large salaries by law. We left 
 this vestibule by a door on the right, entering 
 the business apartment of the Tribunal, where 
 we saw about fifteen natives, squatted on the 
 floor, busily engaged in recording the transactions 
 of the officers, in hieroglyphics, which are formed 
 with four colours, red, blue, yellow and green 
 placed, in a liquid state,- in porcupine quills, 
 used something in the same way as we use 
 pens. 
 
 Leaving this office, which forms the south- 
 western corner of the building, we entered a 
 very long room lit by large skylights and lattice 
 work, and having a continued, broad shelf run- 
 ning round the walls, at a height of four feet 
 from the floor. On this were placed hundreds 
 and hundreds of manuscript hieroglyphical books, 
 in various forms, some being rolled up like the 
 ancient papyri, while the greater portion were 
 folded up in the manner of the Chinese and Jap- 
 anese books, with a board at each end. At 
 equal distances around the apartment were the 
 readers of the Tribunal, seated on comfortably 
 cushioned stools. All these works have to be 
 read, their worth reported to the principal offi* 
 cers, and a stamp affixed to them, previous to 
 
TRIBUNAL OF MUSIC. 123 
 
 their being permitted to be multiplied and dis- 
 tributed for sale.* The whole of this is done 
 without expense to the author, who has only to 
 send a copy of his work to the library of the In- 
 ca, which must in consequence, be of great size, 
 and which we have been invited to visit when- 
 ever we wish. 
 
 Besides all this trouble taken by the tribunal, 
 prizes ara given to the writers of the best, and 
 by these means, Orteguilla tells me, the num- 
 ber of useful works is greatly augmented. Hav- 
 ing traversed the Literary department, we went 
 into the room in the northern end of the build- 
 ing, which is by far the largest, and is devoted to 
 manufactures. 
 
 This contains six broad tables, running the en- 
 tire length, beside a very wide shelf around the 
 walls, which last are covered with specimens of 
 different kinds of tapestry, carpets, variously 
 colored cotton cloths, feather-work, furs, striped 
 stuffs, figured materials, and prepared buff 
 coloured skins embroidered with thin pipes of 
 gold and silver, or with stained quills of the 
 Brazilian Porcupine. Other parts of the walls 
 
 * I was informed, a few days after this visit, that in the 
 City of Geral alone, over 37,000 persons found employment in 
 copying works for the authors, at a very small remuneration, 
 and of these, nearly 32,000 were females ! 
 
124 TRIBUNAL OF MUSIC. 
 
 sustained dresses, armour, and warlike, domestic 
 and agricultural implements, arranged in the 
 manner of trophies. On the shelf were placed 
 tables, stools, ottomans, and other large domestic 
 articles, litters, palanquins, and military as well 
 as civil contrivances, for transportation; also, 
 the larger manufactures of a demi-civilized na- 
 tion. 
 
 On the tables stood gorgeous services of gold 
 and silver splendidly wrought, immense vases of 
 the same metals ; tripods, standing censors, in- 
 cense tables, candelabras, of bronze, or the two 
 above named precious metals, inlaid with mother- 
 of pearl, or jewels ; glittering ornaments of dif- 
 ferent gems, beautifully cut and set ; glass mir- 
 rors, vases, goblets, pitchers, dishes and an un- 
 countable number of other magnificent luxuries. 
 All these articles, are merely sent to the Tribu- 
 nal for competition, the most splendid of each 
 sort receiving a prize. 
 
 On one of the tables I noticed some most ex- 
 quisitely formed china* services, vases, &c., 
 
 * The reader is doubtless surprised at finding glass and china 
 among these people, but I solemnly assure him that such is the 
 fact. Pottery was practised by the ancient Peruvians, but 
 whether the art of making glass was used, or even known I am 
 not able to say. There was sufficient time for the Spaniards 
 to have taught them both before Toparca's death. 
 
TKIBUNAL OF MUSIC. 125 
 
 painted with flowers, birds and figures, in vivid 
 colours, without the slightest resemblance to na- 
 ture, and drawn in bold defiance of all the rules 
 of perspective. I should have mentioned before, 
 that the mirrors were not silvered, but were 
 backed with black cloth. 
 
 We left this room, and passed into the central 
 court, as the remainder of the edifice consists of 
 the private apartments of the officers. In this 
 there were several fountains of different forms, 
 carved out of marble ; none of them very hand- 
 some. As we re-entered the vestibule, in order 
 to return home, the Inca raised a hanging, on the 
 right-hand side of it, and we saw a small room, 
 lit by a skylight, in which stood a group of 
 figures, as large as life, cut out of a softish kind 
 of stone ! We were much surprised at seeing 
 such a large attempt at sculpture in this part of 
 the world, although it was horribly bad, distress- 
 ingly so, if it had happened to appear in one of our 
 modern galleries. It is intended to represent 
 Orteguilla, Ahtelaqua, their son Onameva, and 
 their daughters, Ineralla and Garoda ; the faces 
 of the first two were certainly like, but not by 
 any means flattered; the originals of the last 
 three we had never seen. 
 
 The Inca thinks it perfection, but I have seen 
 many, in the different palace parks, and streets 
 
126 TRIBUNAL OF MUSIC. 
 
 of Geral, intended for fountains, infinitely bet- 
 ter ; there were two small figures, about forty 
 inches high, meant for a fountain, standing near 
 the large group, and which, in my opinion, ought to 
 have put the latter to the blush, so many times bet- 
 ter is the lesser group.* We got to the palace at 
 half-past eleven, having been four hours and more 
 at the institution, and, although I am completely 
 tired out, I would not have missed the visit on 
 any account, as I have not spent a more agreea- 
 ble morning, to the best of my recollection, 
 since we took our departure from the United 
 States. 
 
 * These two figures I purchased, not long afterwards, for one 
 hundred and fifty gold ochols, (490 dollars, about), and they now 
 form part of my collection. The name of the sculptor is, or 
 was, Coan^otzin. 
 
127 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 An excursion. The Upper Lake. Patapalanamit. Iztina- 
 pan. Pocotatl. Return to Geral. Temple of the Sun. 
 
 NOT having anything to detain us in town, and 
 the weather being extremely warm, we accepted 
 an invitation from Cioaco, the Curaga of Ocopal- 
 tepec, our oldest acquaintance in the valley, to 
 make a short trip with him through the environs 
 of the Capital, and started, on Tuesday, Novem- 
 ber 2nd, at dawn. 
 
 The Curaga travelled in a litter, but we pre- 
 ferred our horses, and consequently made use of 
 them, instead of the splendid, uncomfortable, jolt- 
 ing palanquins, which our travelling companion 
 had brought for our use. We were accompanied 
 by our three servants, the poor mules being left 
 to take care of themselves in the park and Cio- 
 aco had a tribe of his household attendants in 
 his train. 
 
 We crossed the city to the foot of the terraces 
 of the Geral-tepec, and ascending them, were, by 
 ten o'clock, on the lowest of the northern pla- 
 teaus of the Sierra Paricis. Continuing on this, 
 
128 AN EXCURSION. 
 
 we directed our course towards the south for two 
 hours, until we came to a stream, which we fol- 
 lowed for about twenty minutes, when we arrived 
 at the ' Upper Lake' by which the city is supplied 
 with water. At the outlet of this lake into the 
 stream, along which we had been proceeding, 
 there is a waterfall of about eighteen feet, at the 
 foot of which are situated the water-works, exten- 
 sive stone buildings with water wheels. 
 
 We were admitted, and examined them, while 
 a meal was in course of preparation. The 
 machinery is very simple, being composed of 
 several large wheels with buckets attached to 
 their broad edges. The lowest of these throws 
 the water from its buckets, which are filled by 
 passing through the stream, into a tank, eleva- 
 ted some distance above the level of the stream. 
 From this tank the element is removed by a sec- 
 ond wheel to another tank higher up, and so on 
 until the water reaches the top of the building, 
 where there is a capacious reservoir, from which 
 it is distributed through the city by means of 
 bronze pipes.* 
 
 At a little before three we started again, in a 
 
 * The learned, or travelled reader will perhaps recognize, 
 as I did, in the above described machinery, a by no means 
 slight resemblance to the * Persian Wheel? so much used in 
 Egypt and Nubia, 
 
AN EXCURSION. 129 
 
 westerly direction, and soon came to the walls of 
 the City of Geral, which are over eighty miles 
 around, enclosing an area of more than three 
 hundred square miles, of which three-fourths are 
 occupied by a dense 1 population, and the remain- 
 der by scattered blocks of habitations. We got 
 outside of the walls by means of a pass from the 
 Inca, a string from the borla, which carried 
 us through a finely defended gate, and at sun- 
 set we reached the little, unwalled town of Pata- 
 palanamit, situated on the second plateau of the 
 Sierra. Here we spent the night, and started 
 the next morning for the village of Iztinapan, 
 where we breakfasted at the house of Mixtecalt- 
 zin, who, it will be remembered, was the chief 
 that conducted us from Quauhtitlan to Geral, on 
 our arrival in the valley. 
 
 From this village we had a commanding view 
 of the capital. About ten we took leave of our 
 kind host and set out for Pocotatl, descending 
 the two plateaus, in just as many hours, on a fine 
 causeway. 
 
 There was no beautiful scenery, and it was 
 excessively hot, so we wished ourselves in the pal- 
 ace, and that the Curacy had not thought of asking 
 us to accompany him. After a scorching ride, 
 we arrived in the above named town at dusk, 
 retiring to rest immediately, in order to be pre- 
 
130 AN EXCURSION. 
 
 pared for the return to the capital on the mor- 
 row. 
 
 Thursday was even hotter than the day before, 
 and several of the CuracVs followers gave out, 
 being obliged to seek shelter in the numerous 
 houses that lined the way. At six in the evening 
 we reached Onadella, and pushed forward over 
 the dikes as fast as possible, in order to get into 
 Geral before the gates were shut, we were just 
 in time. We were glad enough, that night, to 
 put ourselves in our large, cool chambers, and I, 
 for one, slept very well, notwithstanding the 
 fatigue consequent upon such a long ride, and 
 my anxiety to see the ceremony at the Temple of 
 the Sun, which was to take place at five in the 
 morning. 
 
 Friday, November 5th. Ned and I arose at 
 fipur, and after partaking of a light breakfast, 
 proceeded to the Inca's palace as fast as our 
 horses could go, arriving there at dawn, (25 min- 
 utes of 5.) The terrace, ante-chambers, audience 
 room, and saloons, were all illuminated, and filled 
 with nobles in their magnificent peace costumes, 
 glittering with gems, for this was an occasion 
 when they were permitted to appear before the 
 Inca without their black robes, and they did 
 ample justice to the permission by dressing as 
 gorgeously as possible. 
 
TEMPLE OF THE SUN. 131 
 
 Orteguilla entered the throne room almost at 
 the same time that we did, and all repaired, at 
 once, to the street. Litters were not allowed, 
 except one for the Inca, and he, seating himself 
 in it gave the signal for departure. Ned and I 
 also walked, leaving our horses on the terrace. 
 After passing a few blocks, we came to the 
 railings and gate, which had prevented our pro- 
 gress on the twelfth of October. The latter 
 was now wide open, and, on passing through 
 it, we saw that we were in an immense park, 
 while not far before us, were two tall, semi- 
 pyramidal structures, each supporting a large 
 terrace, on which was built a temple. 
 
 We ascended t^the terrace of the most eastern 
 one, by means of a broad flight of steps, the foot 
 of which was guarded by two serpent's heads, 
 longer than those in front of the Old Palace,-^ 
 their bodies forming a barricade on each side of 
 the flight. All around the edge of the terrace 
 was a stone wall about twelve feet high, covered 
 with basso relievos, and in the centre of the plat- 
 form was a second flight of steps leading to a 
 higher terrace, on which was a long building of 
 the purest white marble, with an artificial second 
 story, and a tall tower at each end. In front of 
 this structure the platform was covered with the 
 Priests of the Sun, dressed in trailing draperies 
 
132 TEMPLE OF THE SUN. 
 
 of white embroidered with gold suns. Orteguilla 
 was received at the top of the second flight by 
 the High Priest, a fine looking man of about 
 thirty-five or forty years of age, wearing a sky 
 blue robe, without sleeves, richly embroidered 
 around the throat and arm holes with gold points, 
 and on the remaining portion with gold suns. 
 Around his neck hung a large, golden-rayed disc, 
 representing the orb of day. 
 
 The procession now entered the Temple by a 
 long hall, filled with priests, which led us into a 
 monstrous apartment, the walls and ceiling being 
 hung with skyblue. A broad cornice of gold en- 
 circled the room, and opposite the entrance, hung 
 an enormous convex, circular* plate of gold, at 
 least five feet in diameter, having innumerable 
 rays. In front of this, on a long dais covered 
 with white cloth richly embroidered with gold 
 scroll work, stood a large white marble altar, with 
 gold ornaments. On the top of this, and on the 
 front edge, was an oval vase of the same precious 
 metal, of exceedingly graceful form, with' two 
 handles of twisted serpents, altogether about 
 eighteen inches in height, and thirty long in the 
 oval. Behind this was placed a cabinet, of gold, 
 three feet high, magnificently chased, with a gate 
 of silver studded with sapphires and topazes, as 
 were the brim and stand of the vase. 
 
TEMPLE OF THE SUN. 133 
 
 Around the altar were fifteen more vases, of 
 large size, representing the months of the year, 
 the name of one month being inscribed upon each 
 vase, all of which are arranged in the order of the 
 months. In these immensely valuable vases, 
 they are of solid gold, incense was burnt during 
 the whole ceremony,* and they were surrounded by 
 crowds of vestal virgins clad in robes of blue 
 embroidered with gold suns. The temple was 
 illuminated by perfumed lamps that hung around 
 the altar and cornice, and by many candelabras 
 that were scattered about the floor. 
 
 A moment after we entered, the drapery at the 
 eastern end of the sanctuary was drawn up, and 
 the first rays of the rising sun, entering the 
 apartment, paled the before brilliant lamps. The 
 High Priest advanced to the altar, and lit a fire 
 in the vase of sacrifice upon it, taking the flame 
 from the seventh of the surrounding vases.f He 
 then approached Orteguilla, who, after receiving 
 from Apixtamatl the scroll inscribed with the 
 new, calendar,:]: presented it to the High Priest. 
 
 * The incense consisted of Tonquin and Vanilla beans, and 
 the fumes of these, when burnt, are yery unacceptable ; enough 
 so to make the Sun turn up his nose, or smell some Cologne. 
 
 t That of the month in which we were according to the old 
 style ; Naon. 
 
 t This calendar I have placed in Appendix Number Two, 
 
 8 
 
134 TEMPLE OP THE SUN. 
 
 This personage held it over the flame he had lit 
 in the altar vase, and after reading it aloud, with 
 his face toward the rising sun, placed it in the 
 cabinet, with many genuflexions, while the priests 
 and vestals sang away for dear life, each appear- 
 ing to sing entirely upon his, or her, own hook. 
 The effect may be imagined, but not described. 
 This was the whole of the simple ceremony, so 
 we immediately retreated to the terrace, and com- 
 menced picking our way down the steep steps*. of 
 the pyramid, at an imminent danger of descend- 
 ing faster than we wished, and of alighting upon 
 our precious nose. 
 
 together with the old one, for the edification of those of my 
 readers who wish to know how time was reckoned in Geral, 
 for that year, at least. 
 
 * Excepting this flight of steps, the sides of the whole sup- 
 porting structure were even, slippery, steep, and of highly 
 polished granite, being totally inaccessible. 
 
135 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 A Visit to the Royal Library. An Invitation. The Palace of 
 the Manitepec. An Incident. 
 
 MONDAY, November 15th. Ten days have been 
 passed by us in wandering over the city without 
 any particular object, and it was not until this 
 morning that Ned bethought him of the invitation 
 we had received from the Inca to visit his library 
 whenever it so pleased us, and we consequently 
 determined to go at once. So at nine o'clock we 
 set out on foot for the Royal Palace, and after 
 walking through the Tianguez to see what was to 
 be seen there, we crossed to the Park and ob- 
 tained entrance to Orteguilla. 
 
 We sat talking with him for some time, and casu- 
 ally mentioned the library, which we were again 
 asked to examine. On acquiescing to his pro- 
 posal, we followed the Inca out of the palace, to 
 the southwesthern corner of the Park, which we 
 left by a handsome bronze gate, and were con- 
 ducted across the street, that of the Terraces, 
 to a large garden in the centre of which stands a 
 building of white marble, richly carved, the 
 
136 THE LIBRARY/ 
 
 library. Entering the structure by a fine, wide 
 portal, we found ourselves in a hall, hung with 
 mazarine blue tapestry; passing through this 
 vestibule, we stood in a large apartment nearly 
 filled with tables which were piled up with manu- 
 scripts of all shapes and sizes. 
 
 Orteguilla tells us that there are eighteen sacks 
 of books,* but I think that hardly possible. We 
 poked about among the tables for at least two 
 hours, exercising ourselves in the art of hierogly- 
 phics, and then, taking leave of the Inca, went 
 to the street of the Ocelot, where we hunted up 
 a book stall, entering and depriving the same, 
 at an unwarrantable expense, of divers curious 
 and, no doubt, interesting manuscripts, of which 
 we could scarcely make out the titles. Having 
 commenced, we continued shopping until nearly 
 one o'clock, when we returned to our Palace. 
 
 I neglected to mention that, while we were in 
 the library, we received an invitation from Orte- 
 guilla to spend some days with him at his country 
 Palace on the Manitepec, where he intends to go 
 on Thursday, the eighteenth inst., and the 
 
 * A sack holds, or is supposed to hold, eight thousand, it 
 being a hieroglyphic expressing that number. This would 
 make the library count one hundred and forty-four thousand 
 volumes, which is, in my opinion, about twice too much. I 
 doubt if it counts the forty-four thousand, letting alone the hun- 
 dred thousand. 
 
VISIT TO THE COUNTRY. 137 
 
 weather being so very oppressive,* that in spite of 
 the uninterestingness of our late excursion with 
 the Curacy of Ocopaltepec, we accepted without 
 the slightest hesitation. 
 
 The next two days were spent in preparing for 
 our visit to the country, and we found that we 
 should be obliged to leave two of our servants in 
 the city to take care of the mules, as the natives 
 were too much afraid of them to attend to them 
 well. We left all our superfluous baggage in the 
 Palace, and were accompanied by Harry Boyd, 
 who was to take charge of the two baggage mules 
 that formed our train, or rather to cook our 
 meals, as we had not lived long enough in Geral 
 to be accustomed to do without tea or coffee, 
 which last, although it grows wild on the north- 
 ern side of the hills, they do not cultivate or 
 make use of, we did, often, and found it of 
 superior quality. 
 
 Thus divided, we started, on Thursday morning 
 at daybreak, for the Inca's city Palace, where we 
 joined his cortege, which was not very large, as 
 his family had preceded him by three or four 
 days, carrying the greater part of the court in 
 their train. 
 
 * I have placed, in Appendix Number Three, the state of 
 the thermometer, as I noticed it during my stay in the valley. 
 
138 THE PALACE 
 
 The procession of palanquins, we used Co- 
 natzin's present, to which we had contrived to 
 fasten two riding horses, one before and the 
 other behind, harnessed between the poles, left 
 the terrace at six o'clock, and traversed the city 
 in an easterly direction, passing by the numerous 
 public parks that ornament that quarter of the 
 capital. We got to the walls at ten, after hav- 
 ing gone about nine miles, and here the litter 
 carriers were changed for the third time, since 
 the cortege had started. We now proceeded on 
 slowly, skirting the bases of the mountains. 
 
 It was not until four in the afternoon that we 
 came in sight of our destination, and I never 
 saw a more beautiful view. In the triangle 
 formed by the bases of three mountains, terraced 
 nearly to their snow-capped summits, stood a 
 very extensive park, having a high railing of 
 gilt bronze, overshadowed with luxuriant trees, 
 between the bolls of which could be seen the glis- 
 tening of white marble buildings and silvery 
 fountains. The gates were thrown wide open, 
 and the broad avenue of trees, along which we 
 passed to reach the palace, was lined, on each 
 side, with nobles and their retainers, all in gala 
 costume. 
 
 The avenue, I should think, was nearly ^two 
 miles in length, winding all through the park, 
 
OF THE MANITEPEC. 139 
 
 varied by beautiful pavilions, and the largest 
 kind of fountains, perfect cataracts of water. 
 
 At last, a sudden turn in the wide road dis- 
 played to our view the vast edifice to which we 
 were hastening, a mass of richly carved, and 
 highly polished white marble. Ascending to a 
 semi-circular platform by four shallow steps, 
 they might almost have been called terraces, as 
 each was sufficiently broad to admit of a double 
 row of columns, of the usual Geralian form, 
 which supported the projecting roof, we found 
 ourselves in front of a long and wide hall, sup- 
 ported by eight rows of gold, or gilt, pillars, 
 each row containing, as we subsequently found, 
 fifty-two. The beams, that divided the ceil- 
 ing into squares, were carved and gilt, while the 
 squares themselves, as well as the four walls of 
 the hall, were mirrors. The floor was of white 
 marble, and the immense vestibule was lit by 
 long rows of skylights between every other range 
 of columns. 
 
 This hall opened into an enormous circular 
 room, with four concentric rows of porphyry 
 columns to support the mirrored ceiling, in the 
 centre of which was a large, round, skylight. 
 Underneath this last was a grand fountain, 
 which, I suppose, had figures in the centre of it, 
 
140 THE PALACE 
 
 but they were entirely concealed by the descend- 
 ing torrent of water. 
 
 Beyond this splendid rotunda were the suites 
 of rooms intended for our occupation. Tall 
 golden vases ornamented the corners of my 
 chamber ; the stools and tables were carved and 
 gilt ; so were the pillars supporting the skylight ; 
 the tapestry on the walls was so thickly embroi- 
 dered in gold, with curiously formed animals and 
 scrolls, that the crimson groundwork could only 
 be seen, here and there, in little patches ; and 
 my bed and cushions were wrought in an equally 
 lavish style. 
 
 All around me was magnificence, but I was 
 satiated with it, and even the positive grandeur 
 of this palace failed to give rise to those feelings, 
 with which I first entered the Old Palace in Geral. 
 Then, everything that I saw was entirely differ- 
 ent from, and superior to what I had expected 
 to find, but a month's residence had deprived 
 Splendour of her greatest charm, Novelty. In 
 the Palace of the Manitepec, however, there did 
 happen to be something that was new to us, a 
 residence in the midst of all the pomp and gor- 
 geousness of the Inca's Court, and this made two 
 weeks pass away too rapidly, causing us to be 
 quite surprised, on the second of December, at 
 Orteguilla's informing us that he should return to 
 
OF THE MANITEPEC. 141 
 
 the capital the next day, in order to prepare for 
 his annual tour through the principal cities of 
 the valley, during which journey he wished for 
 our company. Consequently we got ready to de- 
 part, and on the third of December left for Ge- 
 ral. 
 
 On reviewing the journal of our residence on 
 the Manitepec, I find but one incident worthy of 
 insertion here. The young lady mentioned was 
 about fourteen years of age. 
 
 ' Tuesday, November 23d. About eight o'clock 
 last evening, I was sitting in one of my four rooms, 
 writing in this journal by the light of a standing 
 lamp, the oil of which, by the way, was perfumed 
 most delightfully with vanilla, when Ned, who 
 had been walking in the Park with Orteguilla and 
 his family, rushed in, wringing wet, and told 
 me to follow him, as Ineralla, the Inca's eldest 
 daughter, had fallen into an artificial lake and 
 been nearly drowned, before he (Ned) could 
 rescue her. 
 
 * Of course, I went with him immediately, with 
 my medicine chest in my hands, and, after pass- 
 ing through many dark rooms, a tapestry was 
 raised, and we found ourselves on the threshold 
 of the Empress' private saloon, a large, square 
 apartment, with splendid furniture, and draped 
 walls, brilliantly illuminated by pendent lamps, 
 
142 AN INCIDENT. 
 
 of which, two or three hung between each of the 
 porphyry columns that supported the skylight. 
 By the side of a beautiful fountain that bubbled 
 in the centre of the room, was placed a large 
 ottoman of crimson starred with gold, and on this 
 lay the insensible and dripping form of Ineralla, 
 her wet, white drapery forming a good contrast 
 with the magnificence of the dresses of her family 
 who surrounded her, together with the numerous 
 attendants, who chafed her hands and un sandalled 
 feet, fanned her, and did all they could to restore 
 consciousness. 
 
 ' Her head rested on her mother's lap, and her 
 dark hair, curled by the water, fell in heavy 
 volumes on the marble floor. I instantly saw that 
 she was in no imminent peril from her unsolicited 
 bath, but had fainted from fright, and I, con- 
 sequently exerted all my powers to render her, 
 once more, sensible. My efforts were crowned 
 with success, and by nine o'clock that evening 
 she was in a deep sleep.' 
 
 The young princess awoke the next morning 
 with a slight fever, but in two or three days 
 was perfectly restored to health, much to our 
 credit, and we were overwhelmed with thanks and 
 gifts from all her now happy family. 
 
143 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 Tezcutlipotenango. Otompan. -Mixocolo. The Covered 
 Market Place. Poanango. 
 
 ON Wednesday morning, December 8th, Ned 
 and I, together with Harry Boyd, we two in 
 our ' horse litter,' our cook mounted, and followed 
 hy four mules, two of which were loaded, joined 
 the Inca's magnificent escort as it left the city 
 by the Great Dyke. This was an occasion of 
 state, and all the highest officers of the Incalate, 
 the nobles, curac,as, and principal chieftains, were 
 obliged to attend in Orteguilla's train, which 
 formed an interminable procession of gorgeous 
 litters and palanquins. The Inca's palanquin 
 was carried by sixteen nobles, and surrounded by 
 a guard of warriors, of which a perfect army, 
 marched before and behind the showy array of 
 nobility. 
 
 Passing through the four island fortresses, 
 which were decorated with flaunting banners, and 
 garlands of flowers, we regained the shores of 
 the Lake at Onadella, by nine o'clock. At this 
 town Orteguilla visited the bronze foundries, and 
 
144 TEZCUTLIPOTENANGO. 
 
 show rooms, in the last of which, he showed me 
 several ploughshares, excellent imitations of our 
 iron ones, but I doubted whether the material of 
 which they were composed was stout enough, it 
 being copper with an alloy of tin. 
 
 At eleven we set out again, after having par- 
 taken of a collation prepared for the Inca and his 
 suite, and about four in the afternoon arrived before 
 the walls of Tezcutlipotenango, (a short name, 
 by the way !) where we were received by dense 
 crowds of the populace, and by the Curaga of the 
 4 Circular City,' as it is likewise called from its 
 peculiar form, who had preceded us from Ona- 
 della, he having, started with the Inca. 
 
 The procession entered the walls and was con- 
 ducted to the palace, which was situated in the 
 very centre of the city, and was of great size, 
 although without the slightest pretensions to 
 beauty. Leaving Boyd to look out for lodgings 
 in some house or other, Ned and I started, on a 
 tour of the city, from the Palace Park, immedi- 
 ately opposite the entrance of which was the com- 
 mencement of a wide street leading to one of the 
 many city gates. Down this we bent our steps, 
 but we had not got to the first cross street, when 
 we saw that our progress was impeded by a strong 
 bronze chain, drawn across the thoroughfare in 
 which we were, and guarded by a good many 
 
TEZCUTLIPOTENANGO. 145 
 
 warriors, fully armed, who would not permit us 
 to pass. 
 
 Being, openly, unarmed, though we perpetu- 
 ally carried each a ' Colt's revolver,' -and, taking 
 this into our thoughts, not considering twelve 
 shots sufficient to drive away at least a hundred 
 men, we retreated, on deciding that ' Discretion 
 is the better part of Valour,' forgetting that, as 
 the guards were nothing but 'barbarians, they 
 would be alarmed at the sound of a single dis- 
 charge, letting alone the execution that would not 
 fail to be attendant upon such a noise, when 
 either Ned or I fired in anger.* We tried two 
 or three other streets with no better success, and 
 so 'gave it up as a bad job,' returning to the 
 Palace, where we found that apartments kad been 
 prepared for us by order of the Inca. The even- 
 ing was passed by this last named personage, in 
 receiving the officers of the city, and the reports 
 of the different manufactories, which were put 
 away by Apixtamatl, in order that they might be 
 read before the Council of Nobles in the capital, 
 on the return of the Inca. 
 
 Thursday, December 9th. Two months since 
 
 * It may not be out of place to remark here, that during our 
 residence in the valley, only one shot was fired, and that will be 
 mentioned in its proper place. (Chapter XX.) 
 
146 OTOMPAN. 
 
 we entered the Valley, and nearly four since we 
 left Charleston ! As Orteguilla intends to go 
 through his principal cities as quickly as possible, 
 he left Tezcutlipotenango this morning, early, for 
 Otompan, where we arrived in an hour and a 
 half. This city is much smaller than the other, 
 although the walls enclose a much greater space. 
 The stream of Naloma, which passes through it 
 as well as through Geral and Tezcutlipotenan- 
 go, is crossed by many bridges, of rather 
 stronger construction than the flimsy article over 
 the Arinos at Povoacao, as they well may be. 
 
 The Naloma, at this city, is not quite half a 
 mile broad,* and besides a stone pier on each 
 bank, a great many more, twelve, and even 
 twenty, in some cases, are built in the water, the 
 tops of all being connected by strong beams of 
 wood, on which are laid thick slabs of granite, 
 strongly cemented. A solid stone parapet is 
 erected on each side of these bridges, which are 
 quite low. Both sides of the stream, in all the 
 cities through which it winds its course, are 
 built up with polished stone, and are much used 
 as a promenade by the inhabitants. 
 
 t By the map of the valley, it is over a mile wide, as I could 
 not make it as small as it really should be, without running the 
 risk of confounding it with the causeways. 
 
MIXOCOLO. 147 
 
 Orteguilla took up his station in the palace, and 
 gave an audience to the officers of the city, as he 
 did last night in Tezcutlipotenango. We dined 
 about one o'clock, and set out, immediately after 
 having done so, for the third curagial city that 
 of Mixocolo, where we arrived at half past 
 three. This is larger than either of the two cities 
 through which we have passed, and contains many 
 splendid public buildings, which, however, we 
 could only see from the Park of the Palace, as 
 the Inca is carefully guarded by large bodies of 
 warriors, no one being allowed to enter the Park 
 but the municipal authorities, and no one to 
 leave without a pass from Orteguilla, who, after 
 he had received and dismissed his visitors, came 
 and told us to follow him, as he wanted to show 
 us the principal curiosity of the city. 
 
 Issuing from the guarded gates without the 
 slightest difficulty, our conductor being recog- 
 nized, we were led "down one street and up 
 another," until, after threading a perfect laby- 
 rinth, we passed before a building, about thirty 
 feet high and a hundred wide, the front being 
 very richly carved out in granite, but without any 
 opening, save a large gateway in the centre. The 
 sides were not visible, being blocked up with houses. 
 Through the gate, crowds of people came out, and 
 
148 COVERED MARKET. 
 
 as many went in, while Ned and I wondered what 
 the attraction was in the curious looking structure. 
 
 The Inca pushed himself into the entering 
 throng, closely followed by us, and the resistless 
 human current carried us in. Before us was 
 spread an apparently interminable vista of vase- 
 like, white marble columns, supporting seven rows 
 of large skylights. Beneath the centre row of 
 these last was the broad passage for the purchas- 
 ers, for on either side were stalls or shops, divided 
 by low partitions, so that an uninterrupted view 
 could be had from any part of the queer looking ed- 
 ifice. The purchasers' passage was crammed, and 
 presented a gay appearance from the differently 
 coloured dresses of the buyers. We were in the 
 covered market place, and it is over a mile long, 
 entirely constructed of granite and marble. We 
 walked the whole length and returned, purchasing 
 a great many articles. We did not get back to 
 the palace until long after eight, and I have just 
 come to my room, after having partaken of a 
 supper prepared by Harry Boyd, for Ned, me, and 
 himself. 
 
 Friday, December 10th. It sprinkled this 
 morning as we started from Mixocolo, being the 
 first specimen of rain that we have experienced 
 since we landed at Para, the dry season having 
 
POANANGO. 149 
 
 been in full force ever since, and it ought to last 
 from September to February in this elevated 
 region. I hope we shall have no more of it, as 
 I neither fancy remaining in the valley for the 
 six wet months, nor going back to the Atlantic 
 coast in the mud. We left the stream tnis morn- 
 ing, and have been proceeding in a westerly 
 direction all day, over stone causeways, along 
 which I have noticed large, fortified stone build- 
 ings which I found, on inquiry, to be magazines 
 of military stores, built so that whenever the 
 army is obliged to cross through the country, it 
 can do so without injury to the crops of any of 
 the inhabitants, thus avoiding all the desolation, 
 that, unfortunately, so often marks the route 
 of even friendly troops in time of war. The 
 army of Geral is very large, I find, in order to 
 repel the constant aggressions of the savage tribes 
 without the valley, who too frequently cross the 
 Sierra, enter the Inca's territory, and often do 
 much mischief. 
 
 We dined to-day, at a village, whose name I 
 could not learn, in a large tent, there being no 
 edifice of sufficient size to accommodate the whole 
 of Orteguilla's rather numerous retinue, and, at 
 dusk, we arrived at this town, Poanango. It is 
 quite small, and the governor's residence is too 
 
150 POANANGO. 
 
 circumscribed to include accommodations for us. 
 who are, in consequence, quartered on a private 
 house. However, it is only for to night, as the 
 Inca leaves at daybreak for the city of Xaromba. 
 
151 
 
 CHAPTER XX. * 
 
 Atalall. Xaromba. A Visit to the Salt Mines. A Dangerous 
 Piece of Fun. 
 
 SATURDAY, December llth. We set out at the 
 appointed time, and advanced for six hours, 
 merely stopping about every mile and a quarter, 
 at the Chasquis stations to change the carriers of 
 the litters, which we personally had not to do, on 
 account of our horse palanquin which has proved an 
 exceedingly comfortable sort of conveyance, and 
 attracts much admiration from the nobles. The 
 splendidly carved and polished rosewood body is 
 close to the ground, and the horse in front, is har- 
 nessed at a sufficient distance from the palanquin to 
 prevent his kicking the front of it in, as he could 
 easily do, if he were near enough. Fortunately 
 the handles are very long, as the intention was to 
 have it carried by sixteen men, four on each 
 handle. / 
 
 At a little before noon we arrived in Atalatl, a 
 good-sized town, where we remained during the 
 heat of the day, leaving at four in the afternoon 
 for Xaromba. We were then rapidly approaching 
 the northern boundary of the valley, and the tow- 
 
] 52 XAROMBA. 
 
 ering, hoary-headed, needle-like, Atolatepec, with 
 all its terraces of many shaded green, is in full 
 view from the window, if I may so call an open- 
 ing into whicU fits a thin slab of white jasper, now 
 turned on one side,* at which I am sitting, in 
 the Palace of Xaromha. I have written that this 
 immense peak rose directly before me, and I will 
 add that to the north of it, is the Xaromba- 
 tepec; I should call it a hill by the side of its 
 gigantic neighbour, on whose right, the Valley 
 of Geral stretches its rolling plains toward the 
 south, a mass of habitations, almost a single 
 city. 
 
 We arrived in this walled town at seven o'clock, 
 and the sun has now been down some time, the 
 scene spread before me, being bathed in the light 
 of the moon, which has been shining so long that 
 the welcoming fires have nearly died out. Here is 
 Grey after me, to go up with him to the roof of 
 the Palace, so good night. 
 
 Sunday, December 12th. You have, of course, 
 heard the proverb which runs something like 
 
 * This was the first time I had seen anything in the Valley 
 of Geral, at all resembling our casement windows. The open- 
 ing in the wall was square, and the air could be excluded, 
 while the light was still admitted, by an exceedingly thin slab of 
 the mineral, above mentioned, which is more than sewii-trans- 
 parent. 
 
XAROMBA. 153 
 
 this, Do at Rome as Romans do,' and will, 
 in consequence, pardon me for having gone to 
 the salt mines here with the Inca and his suite, 
 this morning, for as the Geralians have no par- 
 ticular day set aside for religious observances, 
 they did not think it wrong to go. 
 
 Starting on foot from the palace at eight o'clock 
 in the morning, we crossed through the beautiful 
 6 City of Fountains,' as I believe its name im- 
 plies, and ascending the Xarombatepec to the 
 second plateau, we stopped to rest ourselves, after 
 a toilsome ascent, in a large tent broadly striped 
 with dark blue. About ten o'clock, the superin- 
 tendant of the salt mines came and announced 
 that the Inca, who had been accommodated 
 with a separate tent, was on his way to the en- 
 trance of the works. 
 
 We sprang off our couches and hurried to the 
 place indicated, a large doorway composed of 
 huge blocks of the clearest rock salt. Passing 
 through this we entered a gallery, cut out of the 
 earth, but ceiled, walled, and floored, with square 
 blocks of salt. It was illuminated by candela- 
 bras, placed between the graceful, vase-like, col- 
 umns of salt, that appeared to support the roof. 
 This gallery is very long, and on turning a sud- 
 den corner we found that it was continued in the 
 form of an inclined plane, gradually descending 
 
1 54 A VISIT TO 
 
 towards the eastern, or the same side on which 
 we entered the moruntain. 
 
 The first gallery, which, as well as all the 
 others, I measured by paces to the best of my 
 ability, is about six hundred feet long, and the 
 first inclined plane nearly fifty feet less, at the end 
 of which is a second gallery, seven hundred feet in 
 length, succeeded by a flight of four hundred and 
 twenty-seven steps. All these lead in the same 
 direction as the plane, but a third gallery was 
 excavated towards the centre of the mountain 
 for a distance of eight hundred feet, ending in a 
 vast circular saloon, at least twelve hundred feet in 
 diameter, with a ceiling that I am sure is partly a 
 natural formation, it being very highly vaulted, for 
 to cove a ceiling would be far above the ingenuity 
 of any workmen I have yet met with in the valley. 
 This immense apartment was brilliantly illumin- 
 ated by hanging lamps, candelabras, and torches, 
 and in the centre of it was a large oblong table 
 of salt, on which was laid a collation that was 
 soon demolished by the Inca and his suite. I 
 was much disappointed with the effect of the 
 lights in this salt apartment, there being a glar- 
 ing reflection, but none of those exquisite crystals 
 that I noticed in the celebrated mines of Wiel- 
 icska, near Cracow. 
 
 The repast being finished, the hall was emptied 
 
THE SALT MINES. 155 
 
 by an egress on the opposite side to that on which 
 we entered. A short entry led us to the top of 
 a winding staircase, which consists of six hundred 
 and nineteen steps, where there is a landing place 
 and two openings admitting the visitor into several 
 ranges of apartments, all illuminated, supported 
 by columns, and nearly un-look-atable, from the 
 horrible yellow reflections of the flickering lamps. 
 
 Returning to the staircase we descended thirty- 
 two steps, when a second platform and opening 
 permitted us to enter a second series of apart- 
 ments, larger than those we had just visited and 
 equally disagreeable. Here the superintendent 
 told us that we were on a level with the valley, 
 which was as much as saying that we had de- 
 scended over two thousand five hundred feet. 
 
 We now went down a series of eight inclined 
 planes, constructed so as to form a zigzag through 
 the mountain, and similar to the galleries, &c., 
 above, that is to say, formed of salt blocks, sup- 
 ported by columns, and illuminated, and con- 
 ducting us above five hundred feet downwards in 
 a direct line. Turning into a short entry leading 
 towards the east, we soon entered an excavated 
 room, seventy feet square, with a ceiling ascend- 
 ing to a sharp point. 
 
 I now heard a sound like the rushing of a cat- 
 aract, and Ned also observed it, but we thought 
 
156 SALT MINES. 
 
 nothing of it. We left the saloon by a second 
 entry leading towards the south, one hundred and 
 seventy feet long, and rather darker than the 
 others, or appeared to &e so, after the brightness 
 of the room. As we proceeded along it, the 
 noise, which we had observed in the chamber, 
 grew louder and louder, and the cause of it was 
 revealed, when, at the end of the entry, the 
 superintendent raised a very thick piece of tapes- 
 try. 
 
 Immediately opposite the opening thus revealed, 
 from a semi-circular cavity, dark as Erebus, and 
 elevated, at least, two hundred feet above the 
 level on which we were standing, fell a torrent 
 of water, with a roar like thunder, losing itself in 
 an immense ravine, the edges of which were 
 defended by a parapet of large salt blocks ! We 
 rushed from the entry, and stood on the polished 
 floor of a vast, natural, salt cavern, of the size 
 and appearance of which nothing from my pen 
 can convey an adequate idea. Illuminated as it 
 was by candelabras on the floor, by torches in 
 profusion as high up as the opening from which 
 the water fell, and by hanging lamps from every 
 projecting crystal within the reach of the climb- 
 ers, the enormous hall could not be totally seen, 
 and as for the high vault over our heads, we could 
 only know it to be there by the brilliant reflection 
 
SALT MINES. 157 
 
 of a more elevated light than common, upon a pend- 
 ent crystallization, which shone like stars far, far 
 up. The natural columns, and the arches which 
 they appeared to support, the vaults and niches to 
 be seen here and there, the stalactites and stalag- 
 mites, were all illuminated, and glittered in unri- 
 valled brilliancy, in every colour of the rainbow. 
 
 Close to the cataract, Grey pointed out to me 
 an opening leading to a smaller cave, and in 
 which he had discovered an exact representation 
 of a gothic door; the pointed arch was sur- 
 rounded by a projecting stratum of a purplish 
 coloured salt, forming the ornaments above the 
 portal, and on each side was a buttress, surmount- 
 ed by a pinnacle. Of course all was uneven in 
 height and dimensions; and, perhaps, I should 
 never have recognized the exact resemblance, had 
 not Grey pointed out all the details separately. 
 He commenced making a hasty sketch of it, includ- 
 ing the cataract, while I passed through the gothic 
 doorway to explore the interior of that cavern. 
 It is of irregular skape, much smaller than the 
 other, but was of more real beauty. 
 
 The ceiling was not more than sixty feet high, 
 and was completely visible from the brilliancy of 
 the illumination, supported by natural columns, 
 irregularly placed but all connected by exquisitely 
 fretted arches. These supports were of all colours, 
 9 
 
158 SALT MINES- 
 
 red, blue, green, yellow, and purple, nearly trans- 
 parent. I remained some time in admiration of 
 this magnificent formation, and when I issued from 
 it, Ned had just finished his rude outline. I showed 
 him the ' church' as I called the little cave, and 
 again entered the grand cavern, as the Inca and 
 his escort were ascending a broad flight of steps, 
 having their backs turned toward us. The temp- 
 tation was too great for Ned to withstand, and, 
 before I could prevent him, or indeed before I 
 knew what he was about, he had taken out his 
 6 Revolver' and fired a barrel. The report was 
 instantly followed by a whirring sound in the air, 
 and an immense crystallization, crashed in shivers 
 on the smooth floor right at our feet. 
 
 The confusion on the stairs was excessive, for 
 the dignified nobles were alarmed at the tremen- 
 dous echoes. Helter-skelter they rushed up into 
 a saloon, to which the flight of stairs led, Orte- 
 guilla alone remaining upon the steps, and we 
 soon joined him, affecting wonder at the extraor- 
 dinary report that preceded the fall of the stal- 
 actite. We now entered the saloon, and the 
 Inca's escort, finding that no one was hurt, was 
 soon restored to order. The excavated apart- 
 ment, in which we now were, was furnished with 
 tables, stools, &c., of salt. How tame it looked 
 after the great hall, formed by the hand of 
 
SALT MINES. 159 
 
 nature. Passing through two or more saloons, 
 we entered an entry, and went to the foot of a 
 long staircase which was ascended with much 
 fatigue. A series of three inclined planes, and 
 a long gallery which I thought to be without 
 end, conducted us, at last, to the light of day. 
 In the tent on the plateau, a collation was spread, 
 which was soon demolished, and we returned to 
 the palace, reaching it at half past four in the 
 afternoon, having been eight hours and a half 
 away from it, five of which were spent in the 
 mines. We leave the city at sunrise to-morrow ; 
 I, at least, pleased with this visit to the salt- 
 mines, which I would not have missed under any 
 consideration, and which I am afraid, I have oc- 
 cupied too much space in endeavouring to de- 
 scribe. 
 
160 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 Teman. The Temple of the Sun at Panonco. Gopal. The 
 Temple on the Atolatepec. Tontarn. Edarallaqua. 
 
 MONDAY, December, 13th. The Inca departed 
 from Xaromba at twenty minutes of six, and 
 dined, at twelve, in the town of Teman, having 
 arrived there on a fine causeway that skirts the 
 base of the Atolatepec. At three we bent our 
 course towards the south, and in two hours halted 
 in front of the fortified city of Panonco, into 
 which we were instantly admitted. 
 
 No sooner had Orteguilla partaken of his af- 
 ternoon meal, than he came to Ned and me, who 
 were standing, talking, by the fountain in the 
 centre of the apartment, and asked if we would 
 like to visit the Temple of the Sun. We ex- 
 pressed our willingness to do so, and set off im- 
 mediately. In a few minutes we got to a large 
 square portion of land, railed in with bronze, 
 having two circular stone lodges, and a gold- 
 en gate between them, which was closed, 
 but, on the appearance of the Inca, it was in- 
 
PANONCO. 161 
 
 stantly thrown wide open to admit him and us 
 two, who were his only companions. 
 
 At the termination of a long avenue we saw 
 an immense structure in the form of an eight 
 pointed star, all of white marble, and entirely 
 surrounded with a colonnade of the usual shaped 
 pillars. The large octagon, from which the points 
 issue, is twice as high as the rest of the edifice, 
 and its upper part is also surrounded by a row 
 of columns. In the centre of the slightly 
 ascending roof of the octagonal structure is a 
 third range of vase-like pillars, supporting a 
 narrow concave entablature, which is surmounted 
 by a row of marble vases, eighty in number, 
 placed at equal distances. 
 
 On approaching this singular erection, I noticed 
 that the points towards the due east and west, 
 were merely porticos, there being no building on 
 them, as upon the six others. We entered 
 by the northern point, and were received 
 by a band of priests, hastily assembled to do 
 honour to the Inca, who is not only the supreme 
 ruler of temporal afiairs, but of spiritual ones 
 also. They conducted us through the triangular 
 hall, which is only hung in part with tapestry, 
 the men having been at work putting it up 
 during our visit, about an hour since. 
 
 Dragging some of the workmen's tables out 
 
162 TEMPLE OP THE SUN 
 
 of the way, the priests gave us admission into 
 the sanctuary, which is a vast eight-sided apart- 
 ment, with a large skylight of the same shape, 
 in the centre, supported by forty golden columns. 
 From the entablature which these columns sup- 
 port, spring as many more of white marble, 
 which I mentioned in the description of the ex- 
 terior of the temple. Within the bases of the 
 interior columns, is a gold da'is of three steps, in 
 the middle of which is an octagonal altar of por- 
 phyry and gold. In the centre of this is the 
 place where the cabinet is to stand, but that arti- 
 cle is, as yet, unfinished, and consequently not 
 in the sanctuary. The proper vases of the 
 months have not yet made their appearance, and 
 for the time, bronze ones are substituted ; the 
 game may be remarked of the vase of Sacrifice 
 on the altar. 
 
 In all the other temples I have visited in this 
 valley, the Sun has been represented, invariably, 
 by a disc with rays, placed on the wall behind, 
 and above the altar, but here the peculiar form 
 of the sanctuary has precluded the usual method, 
 and the orb is, consequently, portrayed by an 
 immense gold ball, whether solid or not, I am 
 unable to state, though I expect that it is merely 
 a shell studded with jewels, and depended over 
 the altar by gold chains which are fastened to 
 
AT PANONCO. 163 
 
 the outer edge of the skylight. The eastern and 
 western sides of the sanctuary are open to the 
 the light of day, being all in one with the previous- 
 ly mentioned porticos, separated at night, however, 
 by gilt gates and tapestry. As may be inferred 
 from this description, the temple is not yet com- 
 pleted, but, as it is the richest in the valley, 
 there is no doubt but that it will be finished soon. 
 Even in its present state it is the most splendid edi- 
 fice I have seen since I left the capital city, as I 
 cannot place it before the Council House there. 
 We returned to the palace by seven. 
 
 Tuesday, December 14th. To-day our course 
 was again toward the north, as we left Panonco 
 for Atola at an early hour, dining at noon in the 
 city of Gopul, which we did not leave until four, 
 the Inca being obliged to receive the reports of 
 the institutions and the visits of the city authori- 
 ties. We reached Atola, however, before six, 
 and I have just despatched my portion of supper. 
 
 I have not much time to write now, as at nine 
 o'clock, Orteguilla and his escort are going to 
 ascend the Atolatepec, in order to visit a temple, 
 dedicated to the Sun, which has just been finished, 
 and which is already considered the holiest place 
 under Orteguilla's sway, it being the most ele- 
 vated, and consequently receiving the first rays of 
 the sun every morning. I believe that the Temple 
 
164 NEW TEMPLE OF THE SUN. 
 
 is on the uppermost terrace, not on the top of 
 the mountain, which last is perpetually covered 
 with snow, and would not form a very agreeable 
 residence. 
 
 We leave Harry Boyd here with the animals 
 and the horse palanquin, as we are to return from 
 the mountain as early to-morrow morning as 
 possible. 
 
 Wednesday evening, December 15th. I had 
 scarcely done writing last evening when Grey 
 came in to tell me that the Inca was ready to 
 start, so I put away my journal, came out in front 
 of the palace, got into the litter which had been 
 prepared for me, and started in company with 
 the royal escort. We soon arrived at the foot of 
 the mountain, where every one abandoned their 
 conveyances, and commenced the ascent on foot. 
 This way was easy enough as there was no climb- 
 ing to be done, merely a succession of terraces, 
 connected by short flights of stone steps. The 
 night was magnificently clear, and it appeared to 
 me that I had never before seen the constella- 
 tions so distinctly, although the moon was at the 
 full. 
 
 As well as I could see in the moonlight, it was 
 twenty minutes past eleven, c by my repeater,' 
 when we reached the park surrounding the New 
 Temple, which being built of the purest white 
 
NEW TEMPLE OF THE SUN. 165 
 
 marble, glistened beautifully between the dark 
 green, almost black, trees which overshadowed it. 
 Entering the enclosure we were conducted to the 
 dwelling of the priests, which they had given up 
 for the use of their distinguished visitors, and 
 not being able to accommodate all in this exten- 
 sive erection, they had pitched tents for the over- 
 plus, they themselves spending the night in the 
 Temple. 
 
 Ned and I were soon fast asleep, and it appear- 
 ed to me that five minutes had scarcely passed 
 when we were awakened by a servant, who. told 
 us that the ' sun would soon be up.' We arose 
 and dressed ourselves as quickly as we could, and 
 hurried to the Temple. It faces the east, and is 
 oblong in form, the longer sides being the front 
 and back. The facade consists of a deep portico 
 supported by three rows of white marble columns ; 
 the entablature over the front range of pillars is 
 concave and narrow, surmounted by twenty-eight 
 good sized vases. The portico is four or five feet 
 lower than the principal building, and this space 
 is occupied by a lattice of the most elaborate 
 richness, that goes around the whole edifice, 
 which, by the way, is crowned by a projecting 
 cornice, of very singular workmanship, orna- 
 mented in front, with thirteen marble vases. 
 
 There are two entrances under the portico, 
 9* 
 
166 NEW TEMPLE OF THE SUN. 
 
 placed at each end of the facade, and the north- 
 ern one admitted us into a large hall, having a 
 broad cornice of gold, from which hangs skjblue 
 tapestry, looped up in thirteen places to display so 
 many oblong niches, in each of which stands a 
 golden vase inscribed with the name of a month. 
 The ceiling is also blue, having a gilt sun in the 
 centre of it. The hall was brilliantly illuminated 
 and filled with priests. 
 
 We now entered the sanctuary by a door, or 
 opening, on the left-hand side of the hall. It is a 
 square room draped with blue tapestry, looped 
 up all along the eastern side so as to show the 
 semi-transparent wall of white jaspar, through 
 which the now rising sun began to pour his beams. 
 On the western side are the columns, dais, altar, 
 vases, &c. as in the Temple of the Sun at Geral, 
 and which it is useless to redescribe. Orteguilla 
 officiated as High Priest, and the ceremony over, 
 a splendid breakfast was partaken of in the dwell- 
 ing of the priests, and the party descended to the 
 city, where it arrived at nine o'clock. 
 
 The Inca gave his usual audience for two hours 
 and then departed from Atola in an easterly direc- 
 tion. At four we dined in Tontam, a small town 
 on the west bank of the stream of Naloma, and 
 are now in the city of Edarallaqua, at the foot of 
 the mountain of the same name, in which the gold 
 
NEW TEMPLE OF THE SUN. 167 
 
 mines are situated. We shall probably visit them 
 to-morrow, and then proceed to the Fortress of 
 Jacoqulatl, whence we intend to go to Acaposinga 
 from which city we shall return direct to Geral. 
 
168 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 The Magazine! of the Edarallaquatepec. The Fortrew of 
 Jaco^ulatl. Acaposinga. 
 
 THURSDAY December 16th. Such a day as 
 this has been ! Hot as any respectable furnace. 
 But, nevertheless we set off at half past ten this 
 morning, for the mines, which are at least six 
 miles from the palace. It being entirely too warm 
 to be cooped up in our palanquin, Ned and I took 
 up our positions on the backs of our horses, which 
 carried us to our destination in less than two 
 hours and a half, as we had to moderate our speed 
 in order to keep pace with the litters that convey- 
 ed the rest of our party. 
 
 By the time we reached our destination, Ned 
 and I were nearly smothered by the excessive 
 heat, and could not prevail upon ourselves to 
 enter the mines, well knowing that it must be 
 hotter in there, than where we were. Orteguilla 
 and his escort looked upon us with perfect surprise 
 when we gave our reason for declining to go in ; 
 but they went down the shaft without us, allowing 
 
EDARALLAQUATEPEC. 169 
 
 us to visit the Magazines during their absence. 
 These are large stone edifices, solidly constructed, 
 fortified, enclosed within a range of high -walls 
 and towers, and, being always lavishly provi- 
 sioned, are quite capable of sustaining a siege, 
 which, indeed, I believe they once did from an in- 
 cursion of the Lambys, or some other wild tribe 
 of Brazil, all the neighbouring ones, in fact, being 
 the inveterate enemies of the valley, which they 
 themselves occupied, previous to the coming of 
 the ancestors of the present inhabitants. This 
 extensive fortress is now garrisoned by only four 
 hundred warriors, who, during our visit, were 
 loitering about the court yards, or basking in the 
 sun, like so many dogs. The Magazines are full 
 of gold ingots, which are now sent every seven 
 days, to the different cities, in certain quantities, 
 where they are coined for a similar division of 
 thirds to that which 1 described as taking place 
 at the mint in Geral, except that the Cura9as and 
 Nobles get the Inca's share. 
 
 Orteguilla did not remain long in the mines, 
 returning perhaps, out of compliment to us, and 
 having partaken of a collation we set out for the 
 city. At four in the afternoon we started for the 
 Fortress of Jacoqulatl, which is eight miles north 
 of Edarallaqua, on the second plateau of the 
 sierra. 
 
170 THE FORTRESS 
 
 It was nearly pitch dark when we arrived there, 
 and the fort could not be made out by the light 
 of the flaring torches carried by the attendants of 
 the escort. There seemed to be a great deal of 
 trouble in getting into it, as we first crossed a 
 bridge, over a moat, I suspect, for I could not see, 
 the moon being obscured by heavy clouds, and 
 then we entered a gate, passing out of another 
 almost at the same moment, issuing once more 
 into the open air. In about three quarters of an 
 hour, after this, we got on another bridge a great 
 deal longer than the first, and passed through a 
 second pair of gates. It was not the fortress 
 yet, as we went again into the darkness of the 
 night. Five minutes more and we entered a large 
 portal, finding ourselves in a proportionably large 
 hall, filled with military officers, and brilliantly 
 illuminated. 
 
 I have just demolished my portion of a supper 
 which was prepared for the Inca and his suite, 
 and I am now going to take a good long sleep. 
 I hope to be able to give a description of this for- 
 tress to-morrow. 
 
 Friday, December 17th. I awoke at seven, 
 quite frightened at the lateness of the hour. The 
 sun was shining brightly through a window of the 
 clearest jaspar, half shrouded with buff dra- 
 pery, and played upon a small fountain that 
 
OF JACOQULATL. 171 
 
 bubbled in the centre of the room. I dressed, 
 and while doing so, went to the window, opened 
 it, and looked out. 
 
 My chamber being on the third floor of a tow- 
 er, I had an extensive view. Close by me were 
 the strong towers and walls composing a portion 
 of the building in which I was; beyond was a 
 wide stone court with a broad causeway leading 
 to a gate in the surrounding walls, which being 
 open, I could see that there was a bridge over a 
 wide moat. On the other side of this, the cause- 
 way was continued over a grassy plain, scat- 
 tered, here and there, with buildings, perhaps the 
 quarters of some of the garrison, for about a 
 mile, at which distance there was a second range 
 of walls, and I knew that they were surrounded 
 by water. These outer walls were nearly a mile 
 and a half from my window. 
 
 Grey and Harry Boyd now came in, the latter 
 bringing my breakfast, which I made away with in 
 no time, and then went with Ned to pay our morn- 
 ing respects to the Inca, whom we found walking on 
 the walls, attended by several of his suite. We 
 joined him and accompanied the party around the 
 fort, which is of a singular shape. 
 
 From a large circular tower, of a greater 
 height, by the way, than any structure I have 
 seen in the valley, it being, I should suppose, 
 
172 THE FORTRESS 
 
 a hundred and fifty feet high, if not more, 
 diverge four oblong wings, two stories high, and 
 all of the same length, flanked by small square 
 towers. Each of these four buildings terminate 
 in an immense square tower, four stories high, 
 each succeeding story becoming smaller as it 
 ascends. These terminal towers are connected 
 by strong concave walls, interrupted by very 
 small structures, looking like battlements and 
 buttresses. 
 
 The view from the top of the central tower, 
 where our walk ended, is, of course, very extend- 
 ed, it being of great height, and also situated on 
 the lower plateau of the northern mountain fron- 
 tier. Over our heads flaunted the three stand- 
 ards of the Inca, the principal one is composed 
 of feathers, arranged in stripes of all colours, 
 placed horizontally ; the next in point of consi- 
 deration, is of sky blue cloth with a golden sun, 
 rayed ; and the third is black with a full moon 
 embroidered upon it in silver, and surrounded 
 with stars. The two last indicate that in the 
 place over which they float, there is a royal gar- 
 rison, and the first proclaims the actual pre- 
 sence of the Inca, and is always carried behind 
 him in his progresses. 
 
 The two moats surrounding this fortress are 
 supplied by a mountain stream that, after leaping 
 
OF JACOQULATL. 173 
 
 from the plateaus, empties into the Naloma, just 
 before the latter precipitates itself, by a succes- 
 sion of cataracts, into the plain beyond the 
 Sierra. 
 
 Orteguilla having made a satisfactory tour of 
 the walls, descended to the magazines, which are 
 full of military stores and provisions. The gar- 
 rison of this most important fortress numbers 
 over three thousand five hundred men ; it has 
 been besieged seven times, taken four, and 
 destroyed once, by the invading tribes, and more- 
 over is constantly in danger of an attack from 
 the same implacable enemies, who never give 
 warning of their intention, but announce them- 
 selves before the walls of some town. 
 
 We dined at half past eleven, and at noon set 
 out for Acaposinga, where we arrived at seven 
 o'clock this evening, and are quartered in the 
 Palace of the Governor, who is a noble of the 
 Inca race, named Norenoulla. 
 
174 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 The Audience Chamber. Temple of the Moon. Departure 
 from Acaposinga. The Canoa. Gymnasium. 
 
 SATURDAY, December 18th. Acaposinga may 
 be the second city in the valley in point of size, 
 but, if I may be permitted to judge, it, un- 
 doubtedly, would carry off the palm for the 
 greatest dearth of handsome edifices, were it not 
 for the Governor's palace. This redeeming point 
 is most beautiful, and its principal feature is the 
 Audience Chamber, which I will attempt to 
 describe. 
 
 It is, at least, four hundred feet long, one hun- 
 dred and fifty wide, and, at the walls, thirty feet 
 high. I say at the walls because at a distance 
 of twenty-five feet from them there are two rows 
 of porphyry columns. Instead of the skylight 
 being directly on the capitals of these, a wall 
 rises on an inwardly inclined angle of about sixty- 
 five degrees, and at a height of sixty feet from 
 the floor is the opening to admit the light, and 
 this is forty feet wide, while the space between 
 the two ranges of pillars is, at the smallest com- 
 
TEMPLE OF THE MOON. 175 
 
 putation, ninety. The skylight is surmounted by 
 a convex entablature, ornamented with a long 
 row of marble vases, and the walls supporting it 
 are draped with white cloth embroidered with 
 gold flowers, while those of the room itself are 
 hung with crimson and gold tapestry. The floor 
 is of polished porphyry, and a double row of large 
 fountains runs the whole length of the apartment 
 between the ranges of columns. The Throne is 
 at the eastern end, under a splendid canopy. ' 
 
 This afternoon Orteguilla took Grey and me to 
 the Temple of the Moon, which is a clumsy 
 looking edifice not far from the governor's palace. 
 It is built of granite; about twenty-four feet 
 high, and sixty square. In the centre of the 
 front is a portico supported by four vase-shaped 
 columns, and ascended to by means of a flight 
 of eleven steps, exceeding the height of the re- 
 mainder of the building by two or three feet, and 
 occupying more than a third of the fagade. 
 Twelve feet from the ground is a narrow cornice, 
 beneath which the erection is composed of plain 
 blocks of stone, but above, it projects about three 
 feet, a mass of carving and lattice work to the 
 entablature. 
 
 The only entrance is beneath the portico, and 
 the interior of the structure is in not much better 
 taste than the outside. We first entered the hall, 
 
176 TEMPLE OF THE MOON. 
 
 which is the width of the portico and thirty feet 
 deep, draped with white cloth, looped up at regu- 
 lar distances to display an underhanging of black. 
 Passing through a wide opening we entered the 
 sanctuary, which occupies the northern half of 
 the building, it is sixty feet long and thirty wide, 
 and entirely hung with black, covered with silver 
 stars. Both ends are open, being merely covered 
 in daytime, by falls of tapestry similar to that on 
 the walls. Opposite to the entrance was a dais, 
 on which stood four altars of basalt sprinkled 
 with silver stars, and over them was a skylight 
 supported by black columns. What struck me 
 most, however, were the representations of the 
 moon, of which there were four, one over each 
 altar, the two crescents, the half and'full moons. 
 They were portrayed by black balls, on which the 
 different stages of the orb were done in silver. 
 On each of the altars stood a square cabinet of 
 silver and a golden vase of sacrifice. There were 
 no vases of the months, and the priests were few 
 in number, while their singing was horrific. We 
 made our escape as soon as possible, fully satis- 
 fied that we should not have lost much by remain- 
 ing in the Palace. 
 
 It may be remembered that in the journal of 
 October 12th, I mentioned my having seen ' a 
 cubical monument, about sixteen feet high, seven 
 
EETURN TO GERAL. 177 
 
 feet square at the base, and four at the top, of 
 white marble, surmounted by a large silver 
 urn.'* I asked Orteguilla what was the use of 
 this, as we returned from the Temple, and 
 learnt that blocks of stone similar to the above 
 described were always erected in commemoration 
 of some great event, such as a birth or death 
 in the royal family, &c., &c. He tells me that 
 there are over seven hundred in the city of Geral 
 alone. 
 
 We leave here to-morrow morning for the capi- 
 tal by water, and we therefore sent Boyd by 
 land this afternoon, with the horses, mules, pal- 
 anquin, and all our quantities of baggage and 
 purchases, the last far out-numbering the for- 
 mer. 
 
 Sunday, December, 19th. Safe at home in the 
 palace at Geral after an absence of only ten 
 days ! I declare it seems like a month, we have 
 seen so much. We departed from Acaposinga at 
 six o'clock, this morning, in a suite of most superb 
 canoas. The one in which I was, was that appro- 
 priated to the Inca, and was about fifty feet long, 
 having at least that number of oarsmen. It was 
 carved out of cedar, with a high prow, richly gilt, 
 and wreathed with beautiful flowers, and over all 
 
 *See Chapter XI. 
 
178 THE ARSENAL. 
 
 floated the royal banner. At the stern was a pa- 
 vilion of stained Rhea feathers supported by 
 slight gold columns, with a beautiful carpet on 
 the deck. The cushions and couches were cover- 
 ed with crimson cloth, and thin curtains of some 
 gold woofed material, shaded this eastern look- 
 ing cabin. 
 
 Such was the canoa in which we came up the 
 stream, a distance of thirty odd miles, in less 
 than six hours ! Thanks to the huge, clumsy 
 looking, triangular sails, that took the place of 
 the rowers as the wind sprung up from the right 
 quarter to waft us on. 
 
 On the banks of the Naloma there are many 
 splendid buildings, especially between Acaposin- 
 ga and Mixocolo, one of which is the Arsenal, as 
 we would call it. The singular disposition of 
 the immense flight of steps, over three hundred 
 feet long, the tall flag-stafls around it, and the 
 seven storied tower, looking like a pile of cubical 
 blocks decreasing in size as they rose, struck 
 Ned so forcibly that he obtained permission from 
 Orteguilla to stop the canoa that he might sketch 
 it. 
 
 The stream passes through the city of Geral 
 in the form of a canal, both sides of which are 
 ornamented with parks and beautiful residences. 
 At every street the canal is crossed by a bridge, 
 
PROPOSED DEPARTURE. 179 
 
 and the only part which is tunnelled is not more 
 than a thousand feet, it being under the prome- 
 nade on the banks of the lake. We were land- 
 ed in the park of Orteguilla's palace, and walked 
 from there, having partaken of a collation on 
 board the canoa. 
 
 After a long conversation which I held with 
 Grey, this afternoon, we have come to the deter- 
 mination of taking our leave of the valley on 
 Monday the third of January, that is to say, 
 two weeks from to-morrow, all of which time 
 will probably be occupied in preparing. We 
 have not as yet decided which route we shall pur- 
 sue in order to gain the Atlantic coast, but I 
 think that it is very likely we shall return the 
 same way that we came. We start at the above 
 named period, although it is rather an early one, 
 in order to have plenty of time to get on board 
 a vessel for the United States before the rainy 
 season sets in. 
 
 Thursday, December 23rd. This morning 
 Orteguilla came to the palace, and asked us if we 
 would like to see the Gymnasium ;* and on re- 
 ceiving an answer in the affirmative, he conduct- 
 ed us up the street of the Huaxtepec for six or 
 
 * See note on the word " Mint," Chapter XV. 
 
180 THE GYMNASIUM. 
 
 seven blocks, passing the Council House and 
 two of the many public parks in which this city 
 abounds. At length we entered an oblong enclo- 
 sure, through a magnificent gate. At the east- 
 ern and western ends of this park were two long, 
 low edifices of white marble, with large porticos 
 supported by three rows of the vase-shaped 
 columns. These buildings were about seven hun- 
 dred feet apart, facing each other, (all the inter- 
 vening space being a level stone pavement,) and 
 having almost the whole of the fa9ades open, on- 
 ly covered, the western by a blue, and the other 
 by a black hanging. Between these erections 
 were two parallel walls, about a hundred feet 
 apart, with the open ends toward the Temples, 
 for such we found the structures to be. 
 
 These walls were certainly thirty feet high, 
 exceedingly thick, and over five hundred feet 
 long. At the west end of the northern one, was 
 a small but handsome edifice, of white marble, 
 on a terrace the same height as the wall, 
 ascended to by a flight of stone steps with the 
 usual snaky banisters. On each of the parallel 
 walls, on their inner faces, at a height of not less 
 than twenty feet, projected two stone rings, 
 some distance apart, five feet in diameter, and 
 eighteen inches thick, the hole having a diameter 
 of one foot. 
 
A GAME. 181 
 
 Unfortunately for my curiosity, there was no 
 one in the enclosure besides Orteguilla, Ned and 
 myself, so that we could not learn what was the 
 use of these rings, by sight ; but the Inca told us 
 that they were used to play a game with balls, 
 the object of which was to throw the ball through 
 the hole, which, he added, was so rarely done, 
 that the fortunate performer was entitled to 
 receive a gold ochol from each person present. 
 Orteguilla told us, also, that the space between 
 the walls was used for athletic exercises by the 
 young commoners of Geral.* 
 
 * See Appendix Number One. 
 
 10 
 
182 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 New Year's Day. The Empress's Throne Room. Her Cos- 
 tume. Farewell Audience. Presents. Departure from the 
 Valley. 
 
 SATURDAY, January the first, 1848. Forty- 
 eight ! The eight sounds very wrong, and looks 
 so too, for after I had written the date I was 
 called away for an instant, and when I came 
 back, the first thing I saw was the figure 8 
 staring me in the face. I thought I had made a 
 mistake, and was going to alter it, when I recol- 
 lected that it was New Year's Day. And a most 
 exquisite day it is ; a cool air has been driving 
 some light white clouds from the west, now and 
 then causing them to obscure the sun ; and at 
 other times their shadows come flying quickly up 
 the broad streets, in beautiful contrast with the 
 brilliancy of the sunlight. I have heard some 
 superstitious people say that this moving of the 
 clouds was a prognostic of an eventful and sor- 
 rowful year, may He avert it from my country ! 
 
 The birds are singing in the aviary, and the 
 flowers are tossing their perfumed blossoms about 
 
EMPRESS'S THRONE ROOM. 183 
 
 in the pleasant breeze. I am not able to write 
 any more to-day, as here comes Ned ready for 
 another extravagant expedition and invasion of 
 shops, which is the way in which we have spent, 
 not only this morning, but the last nine days. 
 
 Sunday, 2nd. This morning we took our sol- 
 emn farewell of Orteguilla, in the presence of his 
 court, at eleven o'clock ; and, by the way, it was 
 a true Irish good-bye, as in the same breath that 
 we bade each other adieu, we mutually promised 
 to meet in the evening, in the Empress's saloons, 
 and as this last mentioned will be the real one, I 
 consider it of more importance than that from 
 which we have just returned. 
 
 At eleven o'clock in the evening. I must 
 describe the Reception Room, and dress of Ahte- 
 laqua, while they are still fresh in my memory. 
 
 The former is reached by passing through a 
 suite of twenty splendid apartments, opening 
 into one another, and terminating in that I am 
 going to describe, which is an immense circular 
 saloon, hung with scarlet and gold tapestry, hav- 
 ing two rows of columns, alternately of white jas- 
 par and porphyry. Between each of these pil- 
 lars depended three magnificent golden lamps, 
 and the fountain in the centre of the room was 
 also brilliantly illuminated. The skylight was 
 covered, for the time, with dark blue cloth orna- 
 
184 AHTELAQUA'S COSTUME. 
 
 merited with gold stars, and the floor with a crim- 
 son carpet, embroidered with bouquets of flowers 
 in their natural colours, on squares of white intro- 
 duced into the ground work. Large vases of gold, 
 filled with real flowers, tastefully arranged, stood 
 about the floor of this rather too gorgeous apart- 
 ment, and gold coloured cushions, embroidered 
 with the same precious metal, were piled about 
 the floor. 
 
 The throne was placed opposite to the entrance 
 on a dais of seven steps covered with very pale 
 blue, nearly imperceptible from the richness of 
 the silver embroidery. The chair of state is of 
 massive silver, ornamented with precious stones, 
 with splendidly embroidered cushions of lilac and 
 silver, and stands under a canopy of mazarine 
 blue starred with diamonds. 
 
 Reposing, rather than sitting, on a couch of 
 blue and silver was Ahtelaqua, for the throne 
 was occupied by Orteguilla. Her white under- 
 dress of the finest mull muslin, Ned and I knew 
 very well where it had come from, was covered 
 with an embroidery of diamonds and silver ; her 
 white bodice was similarly ornamented, as were 
 the hanging sleeves. Her long, ivory-like arms 
 were nearly concealed by the most valuable brace- 
 lets, and necklaces of priceless gems were fastened 
 
AHTELAQUA'S COSTUME. 185 
 
 round her throat. Her ear-rings* were massive 
 gold balls encrusted with all sorts of jewels, and 
 and the ruby pendants rested on her rounded 
 shoulders. 
 
 But the diamond that adorned the front of her 
 head dress was worthy of her high station. I 
 am convinced that it must weigh over a thousand 
 carats ; it is of the first water, and beautifully 
 cut and polished. The plume of white feathers 
 that rose from behind the frame of this gem, had 
 each of the stems set with graduated rubies. At 
 her feet were seated Ineralla and Garoda, while 
 her son Onameva stood behind her. On the*steps 
 of the dais were the young ladies-in-waiting on 
 the Empress and the two princesses, while the re- 
 mainder of the apartment was filled with nobles 
 and ladies in full dress, positively glowing with 
 jewels. 
 
 As we entered, the Royal Family descended 
 from the dais to meet us, and conducted us to the 
 seats which had been prepared for us, on the top 
 of the seventh step, where we held a short con- 
 versation, and then took our last, a very affec- 
 tionate, farewell of them. Loaded with costly 
 presents we retreated from the presence, and in 
 
 * The ears of both sexes, of royal rank, are cut above the 
 lobe when quite young, and are sometimes distended to dis- 
 gusting length by the heavy ornaments inserted, for beauty ! 
 
186 DEPARTURE. 
 
 the saloons had to bid adieu to our many friends, 
 of both sexes, all of whom pressed upon us some 
 little remembrance of them. We were escorted 
 from one palace to the other by scores of nobles 
 who wished to see all they could of us. 
 
 I neglected to mention that this afternoon Ned 
 and I paid a last visit to the Tribunal of Music, 
 the Council House, and several other public build- 
 ings which I have before described. And now, 
 although it is nearly midnight, I must go and 
 pack up, as we leave at seven to-morrow. 
 
 Monday, January 3d. We took our last, long 
 look ft the Palace, at the time above mentioned. 
 The city never appeared more beautiful than when 
 our train of mules wound along the dike amidst 
 the crowd of people who were assembled on it to 
 witness our departure, and as we entered the For- 
 tress of Naloma, I felt quite a choking sensation 
 in my throat, which had an entirely independent 
 cause from an emerald necklace that was fastened 
 there, and which had been thrown to me, by the 
 way, from the top of a house, as I passed from 
 the Street of the Nobles. 
 
 Cioaco, Conatzin, Palayn, Onalpo, Mavoga, 
 and a good many other of our friends, accompa- 
 nied us as far as Ameralqua, where they bade us 
 their final adieu. 
 
QUAUHTILAN. 187 
 
 It is needless to dwell on our rapid progress to 
 Quauhtilan, where we arrived at five in the after- 
 noon, entering the walls, which, though they en- 
 closed a great quantity of land, had but a small 
 population within them. One temple in the centre 
 of the city was the only place we thought worth 
 visiting, and on doing so decided that it did not 
 repay the trouble. 
 
 We tethered our animals in the market-place, 
 and easily found accommodations for ourselves in 
 a private house, as we bore a thread from Orte- 
 guilla's borla, which he 'had given ue so that we 
 might obtain anything we were in want of. It 
 proved in this case as powerful as the signet of a 
 despot, which the kind Inca certainly was not. 
 
 We spent the night in Quauhtilan and at dawn 
 commenced ascending the terraced sides of the 
 mountain, by which we had first entered the val- 
 ley; at noon we reached the summit. Look- 
 ing back, the populous territory of Geral Milco 
 was visible in all its beauty, for a second time, 
 but under different circumstances from those 
 which depended on the former occasion, nearly 
 three months before. Then we were entering, 
 uncertain how we should be received, and at this 
 time we were leaving in full confidence of meet- 
 ing a cordial welcome should we ever return. 
 
 At one we commenced descending the eastern 
 
188 DESCENT OF THE SIEKRA. 
 
 declivity of the Sierra, and gained the plain, 
 without accident, by sunset. Here we encamped ; 
 and after supper decided upon returning by the 
 way of Povoacao and Para, if we could procure a 
 boat at the former place to convey us to the 
 latter. 
 
189 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 What occurred on the Rout from the Sierra to Povoacao. A 
 Little too Late. Povoacao to Angejo.-^Conclusion. 
 
 EARLY on Wednesday morning we started from 
 the Sierra, and in two hours entered the forest, 
 directing our course towards the east. At night 
 we encamped at the source of the Rio Oteicorolla, 
 after a rather long, and decidedly fatiguing ride, 
 and having supped we made up our fire and re- 
 tired to rest. 
 
 We had not slept long when we were awaken- 
 ed by a wild yell, and found that we were sur- 
 rounded by savages ! Starting to my feet, I seized 
 my ' Revolver,' and fired the six barrels, as quick- 
 ly as I could ; and they were followed by another 
 half dozen from that of Grey, who now brought 
 forward our rifles, while I commenced reloading 
 the pistols. The Indians, for so I suppose I 
 may call them, now discharged a flight of arrows 
 and retreated a few steps, evidently alarmed, and 
 leaving several of^eir comrades on the ground, 
 severely hurt. They would have been killed if 
 we could have seen our enemies distinctly, which 
 10* 
 
190 ATTACK. 
 
 we were not able to do, although they stood in 
 the clear moonlight, for our fire was very bright, 
 and they, consequently, could take better aim at 
 us. But their fright from the discharge of the 
 pistols was so great as to prevent them from direct- 
 ing their arrows truly ; we could not, otherwise, 
 have escaped unwounded, as we happily did. 
 
 Ned extinguished the fire, while I continued to 
 load the fire-arms, and the Boyds to keep up a 
 galling discharge of rifles, which soon dispersed 
 our foes, who fled with horrible yells. We did 
 not pursue them, as we did not wish to leave our 
 baggage and mules at the mercy of any other 
 band that might chance to follow in the track of 
 our late assailants ; nor did we feel any particular 
 desire to walk into an ambuscade for the purpose of 
 obliging the savages. We, consequently, kept a 
 watch during the night, but remained undisturbed 
 save by the ravenous musquitoes, who appeared 
 to have a violent wish to rival the Indians in annoy- 
 ing us. They succeeded better, and between the 
 two, none of us were troubled with a superabund- 
 ant portion of somnolence. 
 
 As we were watering our horses, the next morn- 
 ing, preparatory to starting on the day's journey, 
 we were interrupted by a trwnendous flight of 
 arrows, none of which, providentially, struck us. 
 Looking in the direction from which we had been 
 
TOO LATE. 191 
 
 thus rudely saluted, we saw a number of savage 
 warriors, scattered through the forest and along 
 the banks of the stream. Mounting our horses, 
 we galloped towards the largest body assembled 
 on the latter, and discharged our pistols. For a 
 moment they were paralysed with fear, caused 
 most probably by our animals, and then, with 
 terrific cries of horror, they took to their heels, 
 disappearing in the dense forest, with the rapidity 
 of thought. We were not troubled by the savages 
 again, but arrived at Povoacao, safe and sound, 
 and without further hindrance of any sort, on the 
 evening of the ensuing Wednesday January the 
 12th. 
 
 Here we found that there was not a single boat 
 of any sort, the last having sailed two days before, 
 and that there was not the slightest probability 
 of any one coming until after the close of the 
 rainy season. This was provoking, but there was 
 no help for it, and we did not know what to do. 
 It did not suit us exactly to go to the Atlantic 
 coast, by land, nor did we relish any better, 
 crossing the Andes, and proceeding to Lima. 
 Ned and I took a map in order to find some way 
 of getting home, and, after a long consultation, 
 decided upon penetrating eastwardly to the town 
 of Angeja, on the Araquay, opposite the island 
 of Bannanal, where we were assured that boats 
 
192 BEAUTIFUL VIEW. 
 
 could always be procured. There was no time 
 for hesitation, so we packed up again immediately 
 and started at three o'clock on Thursday after- 
 noon, having been only seventeen hours in 
 Povoacao. 
 
 Monday, January 17th. We had not gone 
 more than four miles from our last night's camp- 
 ing ground, when the trees suddenly ceased, and 
 a magnificent view presented itself. A plain, 
 about thirteen miles in length, and three in width, 
 thinly scattered with groups of the gigantic, but 
 graceful, palm, was spread before us, sweeping 
 up, on the northern and southern sides, into moun- 
 tains, whose summits were enveloped in clouds. 
 From an elevated plateau of the former range, 
 a mountain torrent sprang down from rock 
 to rock, looking like a silver thread, bridged 
 with rainbows, or rather spray-bows, and having 
 reached its bed, wound its tortuous way through 
 the plain, a mass of mimic but tumultuous whirl- 
 pools. The mountains were piles of immense 
 blocks of stone, whose dull grey colour was, 
 here and there, relieved by a cluster of sturdy 
 pines on the higher regions, and of jacaranthas 
 on the lower. 
 
 A large number of wild horses were drinking 
 at one part of the stream, while a magnificent jet 
 black animal appeared to be acting as sentinel, 
 
ARRIVAL AT PARA. 193 
 
 for as we issued from the woods, he neighed 
 shrilly, and the rest, throwing up their beautifully 
 shaped heads, joined in chorus with him and 
 bounded off into the forest, which formed the 
 eastern boundary of the valley, with their long 
 manes and tails blowing about in the pleasant 
 breeze. 
 
 We got to Angeja on Tuesday morning, Janu- 
 ary 25th, at half past eleven o'clock, without 
 having met with anything calculated to excite us, 
 save the exquisite scenery through which our long 
 path constantly led us. At this settlement we 
 found quite a presentable sloop which we char- 
 tered forthwith, to take us to Para, where we 
 landed, safely in six days that is to say on the 
 first of February. 
 
 I have hurried through the last part of my 
 journey, as nothing occurred that is worthy of 
 mention, I being, unfortunately, perhaps, for 
 my readers, and quite the contrary for myself, 
 one of those travellers to whom adventures are, 
 4 like angels' visits, few and far between.' 
 
 And what is the use of dragging the reader 
 through the dull, monotonous detail of a sea 
 voyage from Para to New Orleans, and thence to 
 Charleston ? I answer for myself, none at all. 
 So I bid, to all who have tried their powers of 
 
194 CONCLUSION. 
 
 patience in order to get through this dry produc- 
 tion, what I sincerely hope, if they do not, - 
 will be but "au revoir," not "adieu." 
 
 A. R. MlDDLETOUN PAYNE. 
 
 Wednesday, August 29th, 1849. 
 
APPENDIX. 
 No. I. 
 
 The Tianguez, (Chap. X.) ; and Gymnasium, 
 (Chap. XXIII.) 
 
 AT the ruins of Chichen Itza in Yucatan, 
 there are the remains of two structures, the uses 
 of which have puzzled many a wiser head than 
 mine. One of these is supposed by many anti- 
 quarians, to have been a gymnasium, or tennis 
 court, and it is my pleasant duty to confirm this 
 opinion. The second building, and that of 
 which I shall first write, has hitherto been an 
 inexplicable mystery, no one having an idea of 
 what it was originally intended for. 
 
 The remains of it are but ill calculated to form 
 a foundation for even antiquarians to build upon, 
 and they are, frequently, clever people, particu- 
 larly expert in erecting * Chateaux en EspagneJ 
 which they do without the slightest provocation 
 or compunction. Palenque, or more properly, 
 Otolum, was elevated in the atmosphere for some 
 time by an ingenious person, but all his brother 
 
196 APPENDIX, NO. I. 
 
 searchers after queer things, piled so much on top 
 of this aerial city, that the whole of it came 
 down, one day, to its proper level, with a grand 
 crash. 
 
 But the ruin in question has been found to be 
 in so many little pieces that it has not had the 
 honour of being RESTORED, as they call it, 
 although many schemes have been proposed for 
 that purpose. It is an enclosure four hundred 
 feet square, surrounded by four rows of granite 
 piers, which are of all sorts of heights, from seven 
 feet two inches, the highest I measured in 
 1888, down to the slight indentation in the 
 ground where one 7ias stood. 
 
 Now it is not for a young man like me to 
 assert such an important thing, while so very 
 many of the above mentioned old aerial archi- 
 tects have cogitated upon it for such a length of 
 time without coming to any conclusion, and, 
 therefore, I must content myself by inquiring, 
 Is not this incomprehensible, unelevatable, unre- 
 storable ruin, the remains of a market place ? The 
 absence of any slabs of granite that might have 
 served as part of a roof, may be easily accounted 
 for, as although the Tianguez in Greral had a 
 stone ceiling, that at Acaposinga was roofed with 
 cedar beams and palm leaves. 
 
 To turn to the Gymnasium. In this case there 
 
APPENDIX, NO. I. 197 
 
 is nothing to prove, the dispositions of the details 
 of both being precisely the same at Geral and at 
 Chichen Itza. The Temple at each end, the 
 raised edifice for the judge of the games, and the 
 thick' parallel walls are the same in both, only 
 varying in size, and in the dedication of the Tem- 
 ples, at Geral to the Sun and Moon, and at the 
 other to some of their outlandish gods. 
 
198 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 No. 2. 
 The New Calendar. (Chapter XVII.) 
 
 THE names of the days of the month are : 
 Ac, Chi-ac, Mal-ac, Hun-ac, 
 
 011-ac, Kab-ac, Zter-ac, comprising 1st week. 
 En, Chi-en, Mal-en, Hun-en, 
 
 Oil-en, Kab-en, 7>er-en, " 2d " 
 
 Ila, Chi-ila, Mal-ila, Hun- 
 
 ila, 011-ila, Kab-ila, Der- 
 
 ila, . . ," 3d " . 
 
 Cum, Chi-cum, Mal-cum, 
 
 Hun-cum, 011-cum, Kab- 
 
 cum, Zter-cum, . . " 4th " 
 
 TThe thirteen months have each twenty-eight 
 days with the exception of Memib, which is now 
 the last month of the year. It has always 
 twenty-nine days, the 29th being called Ene- 
 da, and on leap-year it has a thirtieth known as 
 Bajeca. 
 
199 
 
 The days of our months, upon which the Ge- 
 ralian months commence, are as follows : 
 
 1. 
 
 2. 
 3. 
 4. 
 5. 
 6. 
 
 Olab 
 
 Canno 
 
 Malan 
 
 Cop 
 
 Xoo 
 
 Zina 
 
 7. Naon 
 
 8. Pavan 
 
 9. Quiloo 
 10. Kaniem 
 
 Geb 
 Alac 
 
 11. 
 12. 
 
 on 
 
 13. Memib " 
 
 June 9th. 
 July 7th. 
 August 4th. 
 September 1st. 
 September 29th. 
 October 27th. 
 November 24th. 
 December 22d. 
 January 19th. 
 February 16th. 
 March 16th. 
 April 13th. 
 May llth. 
 
 The above list is not made for a leap year, as 
 then, Geb would begin on March 15th, Alac on 
 April 12th, and Memib on May 10th. 
 
200 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 No. 3. 
 
 The following is the list of the state of the 
 thermometer as I noticed it from October llth 
 to the 1st of January. 
 
 Day of the 
 
 Week. 
 
 Month. 
 
 Day of the 
 Month. 
 
 Tii 
 
 H. 
 
 ne. 
 
 M. 
 
 Thermo- 
 meter. 
 
 Monday, 
 
 October 
 
 11 
 
 3 
 
 6 
 
 88 
 
 Tuesday, 
 
 
 12 
 
 1 
 
 40 
 
 87 
 
 Wednesday, 
 
 
 13* 
 
 12 
 
 
 90 
 
 Thursday, 
 
 
 14 
 
 1 
 
 10 
 
 88 
 
 Friday, 
 
 
 15 
 
 1 
 
 7 
 
 94 
 
 Saturday, 
 
 
 16 
 
 1 
 
 38 
 
 78 
 
 Sunday, 
 
 
 17 
 
 1 
 
 50 
 
 75 
 
 Monday, 
 
 
 18 
 
 3 
 
 9 
 
 98 
 
 Tuesday, 
 
 
 19 
 
 2 
 
 30 
 
 96 
 
 Wednesday, 
 
 
 20 
 
 12 
 
 25 
 
 87 
 
 Thursday, 
 
 
 21 
 
 3 
 
 18 
 
 94 
 
 Friday, 
 
 
 22 
 
 1 
 
 6 
 
 91 
 
 Saturday, 
 
 
 23 
 
 12 
 
 43 
 
 83o 
 
 Sunday, 
 
 
 24 
 
 2 
 
 12 
 
 88 
 
 Monday, 
 
 
 25 
 
 4 
 
 27 
 
 84 
 
 Tuesday, 
 
 
 26 
 
 1 
 
 12 
 
 76 
 
 Wednesday, 
 
 
 27 
 
 3 
 
 42 
 
 87 
 
 Thursday, 
 
 " 
 
 28 
 
 2 
 
 9 
 
 80 
 
 Friday, 
 
 M 
 
 25) 
 
 12 
 
 13 
 
 81 
 
 Saturday, 
 
 " 
 
 30 
 
 1 
 
 
 89 
 
 Sunday, 
 
 it 
 
 31 
 
 3 
 
 50 
 
 94 
 
 Monday, 
 
 November, 
 
 1 
 
 2 
 
 20 
 
 90 
 
 Tuesday, 
 
 it 
 
 2 
 
 1 
 
 39 
 
 83 
 
APPENDIX, NO. III. 
 
 201 
 
 Day of the 
 Week. 
 
 Month. 
 
 Day of the 
 Month. 
 
 T 
 
 H. 
 
 me. 
 
 M. 
 
 Thermo- 
 meter. 
 
 Wednesday, | November, 
 
 3 
 
 12 
 
 25 
 
 97 
 
 Thursday, 
 
 u 
 
 4 
 
 3 
 
 46 
 
 99 
 
 Friday, 
 
 i 
 
 5 
 
 12 
 
 
 78^ 
 
 Saturday, 
 
 u 
 
 6 
 
 12 
 
 
 83 
 
 Sunday, 
 
 (t 
 
 7 
 
 3 
 
 16 
 
 95 
 
 Monday, 
 
 II 
 
 8 
 
 1 
 
 25 
 
 88 
 
 Tuesday, 
 
 u 
 
 9 
 
 2 
 
 48 
 
 92 
 
 Wednesday, 
 
 li 
 
 10 
 
 12 
 
 30 
 
 76 
 
 Thursday, 
 
 tl 
 
 11 
 
 1 
 
 6 
 
 85 
 
 Friday, 
 
 (1 
 
 12 
 
 1 
 
 18 
 
 84 
 
 Saturday, 
 
 (I 
 
 13 
 
 3 
 
 15 
 
 97 
 
 Sunday, 
 
 (I 
 
 14 
 
 2 
 
 30 
 
 89 
 
 Monday, 
 
 II 
 
 15 
 
 1 
 
 12 
 
 770 
 
 Tuesday, 
 
 H 
 
 16 
 
 12 
 
 40 
 
 90 
 
 Wednesday, 
 
 11 
 
 17 
 
 12 
 
 15 
 
 99o 
 
 Thursday, 
 
 H 
 
 18 
 
 3 
 
 10 
 
 99o 
 
 Friday, * 
 
 II 
 
 19 
 
 3 
 
 25 
 
 106o 
 
 Saturday, 
 
 It 
 
 20 
 
 3 
 
 40 
 
 98 
 
 Sunday, 
 
 tt 
 
 21 
 
 2 
 
 16 
 
 93 
 
 Monday, 
 
 
 
 22 
 
 12 
 
 50 
 
 79 
 
 Tuesday, 
 
 (t 
 
 23' 
 
 3 
 
 13 
 
 104 
 
 Wednesday, 
 
 II 
 
 24 
 
 1 
 
 9 
 
 91 
 
 Thursday, 
 
 (1 
 
 25 
 
 12 
 
 40 
 
 84o 
 
 Friday, 
 
 U 
 
 26 
 
 2 
 
 8 
 
 78o 
 
 Saturday, 
 
 " 
 
 27 
 
 2 
 
 14 
 
 85o 
 
 Sunday, 
 
 U 
 
 28 
 
 3 
 
 12 
 
 99o 
 
 Monday, 
 
 (t 
 
 29 
 
 12 
 
 30 
 
 76o 
 
 Tuesday, 
 
 It 
 
 30 
 
 1 
 
 45 
 
 89o 
 
 Wednesday, 
 
 December, 
 
 1 
 
 3 
 
 6 
 
 108o 
 
 Thursday, 
 
 ti 
 
 2 
 
 1 
 
 30 
 
 94o 
 
 Friday, 
 
 it 
 
 3 
 
 12 
 
 25 
 
 80o 
 
 Saturday, 
 
 u 
 
 4 
 
 2 
 
 40 
 
 95o 
 
 Sunday, 
 
 
 
 5 
 
 1 
 
 54 
 
 72o 
 
 Monday, 
 
 it 
 
 6 
 
 12 
 
 10 
 
 87o 
 
 Tuesday, 
 
 it 
 
 7 
 
 3 
 
 15 
 
 93o 
 
 Wednesday, 
 
 ii 
 
 8 
 
 3 
 
 50 
 
 105o 
 
 Thursday, 
 
 it 
 
 9 
 
 1 
 
 28 
 
 99 
 
 Friday, 
 Saturday, 
 
 tt 
 it 
 
 10 
 11 
 
 3 
 
 12 
 
 45 
 6 
 
 89 
 71 
 
 Sunday, 
 
 ti 
 
 12 1 
 
 25 
 
 88 
 
202 
 
 APPENDIX, NO. III. 
 
 Day of the 
 
 Week. 
 
 Month. 
 
 Day of the 
 
 Month. 
 
 Ti 
 
 H. 
 
 me. 
 
 M. 
 
 Thermo, 
 meter. 
 
 Monday, 
 
 December, 
 
 13 
 
 2 
 
 30 
 
 76 
 
 Tuesday, 
 
 (t 
 
 14 
 
 1 
 
 12 
 
 94 
 
 Wednesday 
 
 it 
 
 15 
 
 3 
 
 45 
 
 101 
 
 Thursday,, 
 
 " 
 
 16 
 
 3 
 
 27 
 
 114 
 
 Friday, 
 
 it 
 
 17 
 
 3 
 
 9 
 
 100 
 
 Saturday, 
 
 t. 
 
 18 
 
 12 
 
 15 
 
 85 
 
 Sunday, 
 
 u 
 
 19 
 
 2 
 
 8 
 
 94 
 
 Monday, 
 
 tt 
 
 20 
 
 1 
 
 35 
 
 89 
 
 Tuesday, 
 
 tt 
 
 21 
 
 12 
 
 45 
 
 770 
 
 Wednesday, 
 
 tt 
 
 22 
 
 3 
 
 
 97 
 
 Thursday, 
 
 
 
 23 
 
 3 
 
 16 
 
 106 
 
 Friday, 
 
 it 
 
 24 
 
 1 
 
 
 92 
 
 Saturday, 
 
 it 
 
 25 
 
 2 
 
 30 
 
 96 
 
 Sunday, 
 
 tt 
 
 26 
 
 2 
 
 45 
 
 98 
 
 Monday, 
 
 it 
 
 27 
 
 2 
 
 
 94 
 
 Tuesday, 
 
 11 
 
 28 
 
 3 
 
 18 
 
 110 
 
 Wednesday, 
 
 it 
 
 29 
 
 3 
 
 15 
 
 1050 
 
 Thursday, 
 
 ti 
 
 30 
 
 12 
 
 30 
 
 86 
 
 Friday, 
 
 tt 
 
 31 
 
 3 
 
 43 
 
 97 
 
SUPPLEMENT 
 
 G E R A L-M I L C 0, 
 
 BY 
 
 A. R. MIDDLETOUN PAYNE. 
 
INTKODUCTION 
 
 SUPPLEMENT. 
 
 IT is now full two years since I completed the 
 foregoing portion of this volume ; but all those 
 kind friends who have done me the honour to 
 read it, in its manuscript form, protest against its 
 shortness, and have thus persuaded me to com- 
 mence a few supplementary chapters on the man- 
 ners and customs of the Valley of the Incas, in 
 order to increase its length. 
 
 I cannot even expect them to prove other 
 than dry and tedious to many readers, for as 
 this appendix is to be written far from the Val- 
 ley, and chiefly from recollection and a few hier- 
 oglyphical works, the labour of translating these 
 has deprived me of all that enthusiastic excite- 
 ment under the influence of which the first part 
 of the work was written. 
 
 A. R. MlDDLETOUN PAYNE. 
 
 September 19th, 1851. 
 11 
 
PART SECOND. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Government, Revenue, Military and Civil Institutions, etc. 
 
 IN treating upon such important subjects, it is 
 perhaps scarcely proper for me to judge merely 
 by the personal experience of an eighty days' resi- 
 dence, but some excuse may exist in the *act of 
 my being the first traveller to penetrate into the 
 Valley of Geral, and make any stay -within it. 
 Notwithstanding the short space of time which 
 Grey and myself remained the guest of the hospi- 
 table descendants of the ancient Peruvians, it 
 must be acknowledged that we had remarkable 
 facilities afforded us to notice the working of the 
 machinery of state, by our daily intercourse with 
 its sole director, the Inca Orteguilla: travelling 
 with him, residing in his palaces, the private 
 audience chambers always open to us, even when 
 
208 GOVERNMENT. 
 
 closed against tlie High Priest of the Sun himself; 
 entertained by him in private and in public ; 
 and visited by him, without ceremony, at all hours. 
 But of course even this unrestrained communion 
 could not place in our possession all the 
 knowledge necessary for a correct delineation of 
 the minute ramifications of the government 
 throughout the Incalate, to obtain which we have 
 been obliged to resort to the hieroglyphical manu- 
 scripts of the country, which were easily procured 
 though not so easily read. 
 
 We beg, th orefore, that it may be understood our 
 principal authorities for this first chapter, and 
 indeed the greater part of the volume, are the 
 three following, " The True History of the In- 
 calate, by Loverca of Acaposinga," " The Govern- 
 ment of Geral, by Caonaga of Nalava," and " The 
 Institutions of Geral by Valai'on of Nalava." 
 These writers are all amataus in the great college 
 of the Capital, and are probably the best authori- 
 ties to be found, certainly the most modern that 
 we could obtain, as they were all issued during 
 our stay in Geral. The work of Valaion is the 
 most extensive of the three as regards the subjects 
 treated of, and its size ; it covers in its hierogly- 
 phic form, two hundred and thirty seven folds, or 
 pages, each seven inches long by twelve in width; 
 the character in which it is written is small and 
 
GOVERNMENT. 209 
 
 extremely legible, and the composition very flu- 
 ently worded, being by far the best specimen 
 of Geralian literature that I have as yet met with 
 amongst my very large collection. The other 
 two works are much smaller, scarcely numbering 
 seventy five folds between them ; the l History of 
 the Incalate' having but twenty-two, and the 
 ' Government of Geral' forty nine. This last is 
 more like a code by which to guide the state, 
 than a book for the information of the public, and 
 as such is extremely minute in all its details in 
 regard to the legislation of both civil and military 
 and religious affairs, being precisely the thing for 
 my purpose, and I render thanks to the Amatau 
 Caonaga for having written it. 
 
 To begin then. The Government of Geral is 
 an hereditary absolute monarchy, the Inca being 
 the State, the head of all military, civil and reli- 
 gious institutions ; from him emanate all laws, 
 they being ratified by the Council of Nobles, the 
 power of which assembly is altogether nominal, 
 not only from reverence to the Inca, who is look- 
 ed upon as the Son of the Sun, but also from a 
 total incapacity to act, being unorganized and not 
 permitted to think for itself. The Inca is a des- 
 pot, whether tyrannical or not depends consider- 
 ably upon his natural character, whose edicts 
 are uncontrovertible, save by himself. Next to 
 
210 GOVERNMENT. 
 
 him are three dignitaries, the High Priest of the 
 Sun, the Commandant of Acaposinga, (the head 
 of the military forces,) and the President of the 
 Valley, who is the grand master of police and 
 also the supreme judge in matters of legislative 
 power. Under the High Priest of the Sun are 
 the High Priests of the various cities of the Inca- 
 late, who rule over all the temples in their 
 respective diocesi ; each temple has its Vicar Gen- 
 eral, who, in his turn, oversees the conduct of the 
 priests and neophytes, and is responsible to the 
 High Priest of his diocess for all the misdemean- 
 ors of his underlings. Then there are the con- 
 vents of the priestesses and novices, under the 
 superintendence of the High Priest of the Sun 
 himself, without any intermediate power, save 
 that of the individual Vicaress Generals. He 
 holds his court at Geral, and makes an annual 
 tour through the Incalate to inquire into griev- 
 ances, in company with the Inca, or Supreme 
 Head of the Church, who consecrates all the tem- 
 ples finished since the previous year's visit. One 
 of the principal officers under the High Priest of 
 the Sun is the Overseer of the Temples, whose 
 duty it is to see that all the religious edifices in 
 the valley are built in accordance with the laws 
 laid down by the founder of the dynasty. 
 
 I now turn to the military department, whose 
 
MILITARY DEPARTMENT. 211 
 
 head under the Inca is the Commandant of 
 Acaposinga, holding his court in that city, which 
 is the great arsenal of the Incalate. Under him 
 are the military governors of the different cities 
 and fortresses, and the Master of the Arsenals, 
 an important personage who has the inspection 
 of all the storehouses in the valley, each of which 
 has a resident inspector to keep it in order. All 
 the military governors taken together form a 
 Court Martial, before which are tried all offences 
 against the discipline of the army, which is, as a 
 whole, divided in bodies or squares as they are 
 called of fifty men, the fiftieth being its com- 
 mander, and preserver of its conduct. A divi- 
 sion commanded by a captain, consists of eight 
 of these squares, two captains and their troops 
 being quartered in every city and fortress, under 
 the control of its governor. A square of soldiers 
 is stationed at every arsenal, under the command 
 of the Resident Inspector, and these various 
 bodies are moved about at the order of the Com- 
 mandant of Acaposinga, under the Inca's sign 
 .manual. 
 
 The third department of the government is the 
 civil, beneath the direction of the President of 
 the Valley, who, in his capacity of Judge, has 
 two associate Judges, one for the northern and 
 one for the central district of the Valley, who 
 
212 GOVERNMENT. 
 
 have under them a Judge for every city in their 
 portion of the Incalate ; these again have numer- 
 ous subordinate magistrates in every village, town 
 and community, dispensing justice to a certain 
 number of people. The population of the Valley, 
 in the aggregate, is divided into parties of ten 
 families, the head of the tenth being the overseer 
 of the duties of all the others ; every five of these 
 .parties are supervised by one of the above men- 
 tioned magistrates, who keeps a register contain- 
 ing the names, age, sex, occupation and wealth 
 of every individual in the fifty families beneath 
 his care. Of this register three duplicates are 
 made, one to be forwarded to the judge of the 
 city, another to the district judge, and the third 
 to the President of the Valley, which last is 
 placed in the care of the Officer of the Bolls, who 
 can at any moment give the precise population of 
 the Valley, the average age and wealth ; the 
 distribution of labour is apportioned by these 
 rolls. 
 
 The President of the Valley has also under his 
 orders the civil governors of the cities, who have 
 all power concerning matters of police, establish- 
 ing officers similar to our sheriffs, who rule over the 
 subordinate officials who preserve the public tran- 
 quillity, by arresting all the disturbers of it : these 
 are arraigned before the sheriffs, and on condem- 
 
CIVIL DEPARTMENT. 213 
 
 nation are sentenced, for a time proportioned to 
 their offence, either to serve in the army or labour 
 .n the state works. Incendiarism, robbery, brawl- 
 ing on the highway, and assault and battery, are 
 punishable in this way ; but if this last offence, 
 or that of incendiarism, prove the cause of the 
 death of any one, the criminal is sentenced to 
 solitary confinement in one of the state prisons. 
 Murder and homicide, with crimes of that class, 
 are expiated by strangulation ; but such cases are 
 extremely rare, and are tried by the district 
 judges in person, "aided by the civil governor of 
 the place in which the deed was committed. 
 
 The Councils on War, on Domestic Affairs, and 
 on the State of the Temples, are composed of the 
 Inca, the High Priest of the Sun, the Command- 
 ant of Acaposinga, and the President of the Val- 
 ley. 
 
 This is all that I deem necessary to state on 
 the subject of government, turning next to the 
 sources of revenue, and its distribution. 
 
 There are no taxes, no foreign commerce, and 
 consequently no tariff; the revenue therefore con- 
 sists of the products of the mines, quarries, plan- 
 tations, manufactories, and principally, in the 
 ownership of the immense droves of llamas that 
 roam the upper plateaus of the mountains, tended 
 by numerous shepherds in the payment of the gov- 
 
214 KEVENUE. 
 
 ernment. No person is permitted to own a sin- 
 gle one of these invaluable animals save the 
 State, unless by special edict of the Inca, who 
 frequently grants the right of possessing them to 
 some of the private manufactories of woollen 
 cloths. 
 
 The mines are the greatest source of revenue, 
 and are of gold, silver and copper ; the first of 
 these are situated in the Edarallaquatepec, the 
 whole of which is deeply impregnated with the 
 precious ore. It is also taken in enormous quan- 
 tities from the bed of a small stream issuing from 
 the mountains of Pocotatl, the western boundary 
 of the Valley, which are also mined to a great 
 extent. The course of the stream is semi-annu- 
 ally altered, being six months in its natural 
 channel, and the remainder of the year in an 
 artificial one, constructed parallel to the former ; 
 when the water is turned from one of these, the 
 ensuing half year is employed by the workmen in 
 removing the lumps of gold from the clefts in the 
 rocks, where it has been deposited by the water 
 since the last operation, and thus a continual 
 harvest is gathered, which is refined in the large 
 workshops, close at hand, melted, cast into ingots, 
 and despatched every twenty days to the capital, 
 where it is coined as I have previously detailed. 
 
 The silver mines must be, according Valaion, 
 
KEVENUE. 215 
 
 very remarkable, and had we known of their sin- 
 gularity we most assuredly would have visited 
 them. The ore is so pure that it is chiseled out, 
 as in the mine of Huantajaya, in lumps of vari- 
 ous sizes, and it is unnecessary to refine it, the 
 act of melting it being sufficient to drive off all 
 its impurities. These profitable " diggins," exist 
 within the walls of the capital, in the Huaxtepec, 
 upon whose terraces Grey and I have often pro- 
 menaded, unknowing what we could have seen 
 within the hill. 
 
 The copper can scarcely be said to be mined but 
 rather quarried, as the excavation has been com- 
 menced at the surface and carried down to a 
 depth of two hundred feet and more, at the base 
 of the mountain of Imamba, named after a small 
 town situated in the extreme north-western cor- 
 ner of the Valley, not more than ten miles 
 from the city of Xaromba. Valaion writes that 
 this portion of the Incalate has been rendered 
 unhealthy, and unfruitful by the opening of this 
 mine, which can be accounted for probably by 
 the presence of a "great quantity of yellowish 
 dust," which he subsequently mentions as being 
 precipitated by the action of the fire in the kilns 
 where a portion pf the copper ore is melted and 
 cast into ingots. This dust is, of course, sul- 
 
216 REVENUE. 
 
 phur. Another part of metal is pressed and rol- 
 led into plates for manufacturers. 
 
 All these mines are worked to the utmost ex- 
 tent by the government and their products come 
 direct to the capital, where they are divided in 
 certain proportions between the mint and the 
 Tianguez, in the first of which places the metal 
 is coined, and in the second sold to the highest 
 bidder. The money thus produced is deposited 
 in the mint and distributed in a manner to be de- 
 scribed further on. 
 
 The great salt mines of the Atolatepec form 
 another item to swell the revenue; their pro- 
 ducts are immense, and are disposed of at the 
 mountain itself, carried away by the wholesale 
 purchasers to retail in their respective cities. 
 
 All the stone quarries in the Valley are the 
 property of the government, which sells the 
 marble, jasper, etc., to the diiferent customers, 
 realizing considerable profit as may be imagined, 
 most of the men employed being offenders against 
 the law. 
 
 The manufactories of cotton and woollen cloths, 
 of bronze articles, furniture, &c., are also pro- 
 ductive, but not so much so as the items we have 
 previously mentioned, there being no .monopoly 
 in these wares ; but their inferiority is balanced 
 by the plantations of cotton, sugar, rice, maize, 
 
REVENUE. 217 
 
 barley, wheat, beans and yams. These are in 
 the possession of the government only, and are 
 of immense extent, spread over the terraces 
 oT the mountains and on the plains of the valley 
 affording an unfailing source of revenue. The 
 products of these plantations are stored in huge 
 magazines, scattered over the country, and sold 
 to the people by the resident inspectors, who 
 transmit their receipts semi-annually to the 
 capital to unite with the rest of the revenue, 
 which is divided as a whole into three per- 
 fectly equal portions, one which is devoted to the 
 Inca, as his private purse, another to the Sun, 
 and the third to the payment of salaries. 
 
 The Inca disburses his third in the erection of 
 palaces, public buildings, manufactories, &c., and 
 in the support of his harem and very large fam- 
 ily, each individual having a certain annuity. 
 The nobles of the valley are included in this, as 
 they are all blood relations of the reigning sove- 
 raign, and are consequently interested in main- 
 taining his rights against any aggressor. 
 
 The third of the revenue appropriated to the 
 Sun, is devoted to the sustenance of the priests, 
 convents, temples and consistories, and to the 
 erection of new temples; while the salaries of 
 the innumerable officers and employees of the 
 government nearly swallow up the remain- 
 
218 POPULATION. 
 
 ing portion, the surplus being placed away for 
 future wants. 
 
 The population of the valley in 1847, was 
 2,815,070, of which, 1,664,000 resided in flfe 
 capital city, Acaposinga having 231,564 inhabit- 
 ants; Tezcatl 142,362; Xaromba 75,623; and 
 the remaining 701,491 being,, scattered through 
 the towns and villages of the country. This 
 number of persons residing in a space of 3600 
 > square miles, rather less than more, gives an 
 average of 781{J- to a square mile, more than 
 double in density the population of Belgium, 
 which is the thickest inhabited extent of country 
 in Europe. The average length of life is a few 
 weeks over 53 ; diseases are rare, and are prin- 
 cipally fevers of not very malignant character. 
 
 Over 200,000 persons are employed in the 
 mines and quarries, and nearly as many more in 
 the construction of the public works, while the 
 army enrolls 47,600 men, 2000 of whom form a 
 part of the population of Geral, and 4000 more 
 reside in Acaposinga. Some 20 or 30,000 per- 
 sons are engaged in tending the vast droves of 
 Llamas and Vicunas. The rest of the popula- 
 tion consists of artizans, farmers, weavers, and 
 merchants or shopkeepers. 
 
 The actual revenue of the valley is almost 
 fabulous in its enormous amount, bordering very 
 
REVENUE. 219 
 
 close upon six hundred millions of our dollars, 
 to follow Vala'ion's estimate, and eight hundred 
 millions according to Caonaga's, which is rather 
 too vast for belief even when we remember, that 
 it comprises nearly all the specie in the Incalate. 
 Having finished this portion of my projected 
 task, I proceed to speak of the accommodations 
 for travelling and transportation throughout the 
 country, a subject of sufficient importance to 
 have a short chapter to itself. 
 
220 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 Modes of Communication. 
 
 NOTHING can be better than the splendid roads, 
 or rather causeways, that traverse the Geral- 
 Milco in every direction, connecting every city, 
 town and village with the great capital from which 
 it derives its support, and rendering every facil- 
 ity for travel. These vast causeways are com- 
 posed entirely of rough hewn stone, cut only at 
 the edges, where they are bevelled and connected 
 so beautifully with the surrounding, blocks that 
 the juncture is scarcely perceptible : they are at 
 least twenty feet wide, the surface being of a sort 
 of gravel, rolled smooth and kept in the most 
 perfect order. A parapet about eighteen inches 
 high extends along each side of the road, which 
 is carried on a railroad-like level over and through 
 every apparent obstacle, without any deviation 
 from a straight line, which, although undeniably 
 the very reverse of romantic, is at the same time 
 very agreeable to the traveller and his animals, 
 shaded as he is by a double row of thick foliaged 
 trees, planted on each side of the highway, inter- 
 
MODES OF COMMUNICATION. 221 
 
 sperscd with jets of water and fruit-trees, whose 
 offerings are at the service of every passer by. 
 Every two or three miles along these routes, is a 
 small stone dwelling, with an enclosed space of 
 ground, tenanted by several men holding the of- 
 fice of chasquis, or postmen, and at less intervals, 
 small clusters of houses form the homes of the 
 numerous palanquin bearers, earning their liveli- 
 hood by carrying travellers from one station to 
 the next : eight of these consider themselves well 
 rewarded in receiving a single silver ochol, (62J- 
 cents.) 
 
 Almost all the travelling is performed in lit- 
 ters, the richer nobles being carried by their own 
 servants, and the less affluent of the class by the 
 palanquin bearers above mentioned. The wealthy 
 citizens do the same, but the poorer orders make 
 use of the lines established by the government, 
 which are wheeled conveyances holding four per- 
 sons, sometimes six, drawn by a train of ten or 
 twelve llamas harnessed three abreast, with a dri- 
 ver who walks at the head of the line. Several 
 of these maraconas leave every town of any size 
 early in the morning, and are very well patronized, 
 the fare being quite reasonable, and the rate of 
 progression but little slower than that of the pal- 
 anquins. Multitudes of people throng the capi- 
 tal city on the annual festival of the sun, to 
 
222 MODES OF COMMUNICATION. 
 
 behold the magnificent ceremonies of the great 
 temple, which take place in the middle of sum- 
 mer, and which I did not, in consequence, have 
 an opportunity of witnessing. At that period of 
 the year, writes Departesa of Xaromba, (another 
 of my authorities,) in his " Geralian Manners," 
 the causeways are crowded with palanquins and 
 maraconas, hundreds of which daily enter the 
 capital, discharging their freights, and returning 
 immediately for more passengers. During the 
 three days which the festival lasts, the popula- 
 tion of the city is nearly doubled, for every fami- 
 ly in the valley sends one or more representa- 
 tives to participate in the annual celebration. 
 These new comers are lodged either with their 
 relations, or in the immense coralans that 
 abound throughout the capital. A coralan is 
 somewhat like an eastern khan, as every guest 
 provides his own meals, nothing being furnished 
 by the proprietors but the sleeping places, which 
 have mattresses composed of a peculiar kind of 
 moss, similar to that known to us by the name of 
 South Carolina moss, admirably suited for such a 
 purpose. 
 
 The transportation of the products of the mines 
 and quarries, is effected by the means of a square 
 cart, having four very large wheels, composed of 
 the wood of the cecropia peltata, or trumpet tree, 
 
MODES OF COMMUNICATION. 223 
 
 tired with bronze. These conveyances, called 
 lalamaSj are of great capacity and strength, and 
 are drawn by a long train of llamas, who per- 
 form the journey from the mines of the Edar- 
 allaquatepec to Geral, a distance of fifty-one 
 miles, in thirteen hours, which is quite quick for 
 such seemingly weak animals, the loads frequent- 
 ly weighing two or three hundred weight. Lala- 
 mas are used also to convey the baggage of 
 weathy travellers, but principally for the pur- 
 poses above mentioned, though for the transpor- 
 tation of large bronze manufactures, and other 
 bulky commodities, they are much employed. 
 
 Cotton, woollen and similar merchandise, the 
 products of the woods and fields, is generally 
 carried across the country packed carefully on 
 the backs of llamas, who can bear a burden of 
 from 200 to 250 pounds, without inconvenience. 
 Long trains of these animals, heavily laden, are 
 constantly to be met on the highways, attended 
 by their numerous drivers, and followed, in most 
 cases, by a superintendent in his litter. 
 
 There are numerous descriptions of palan- 
 quins; loca-dals, used for travelling; ena-dals, 
 employed in passing through the streets ; fomer- 
 dals, in shopping or visiting ; and the posei-dals, 
 which are devoted to the occupations of the 
 ladies. These four kinds are double or single, 
 
224 MODES OF COMMUNICATION. 
 
 and a very few of the first mentioned are made 
 to accommodate four persons, in which case, how- 
 ever, they cannot be said to come under the head 
 of litters, as they are suspended between eight 
 wheels, and drawn by llamas. 
 
 The single loca-dal is about eight feet long, 
 four wide, and four high, lined with thick 
 cushions, and having a mattress on the floor, upon 
 which the traveller reclines at his ease, and reads, 
 or enjoys the prospect from the latticed openings 
 which are placed all along the upper half of the 
 sides. These windows are provided with curtains, 
 to regulate the light at the option of the occu- 
 pant. A little table can be formed by raising a 
 flap pendant against one of the sides, and a set 
 of small drawers are placed at the foot of the pal- 
 anquin, with a closet over them, in which edibles 
 are placed. The double loca-dal is similar to the 
 single, save that it is nearly six Teet wide ; and 
 is borne by eight men instead of four. 
 
 The ena-dal is only four feet long, three wide, 
 and five high, in short, an oblong box placed on 
 its smaller end, and furnished with a comfortable 
 seat ; the sides are usually solid only to the height 
 of two feet, the rest being open to the air, with a 
 roof supported by four slender columns placed at 
 the corners. Sometimes it is latticed and cur- 
 tained, but not often. It is carried by four ser- 
 
MODES OF COMMUNICATION. 225 
 
 x 
 
 vants, when double by eight, and admittance 
 is afforded by a door on each side. 
 
 The fomer-dal strongly resembles the last, dif- 
 fering only in the method of bearing : the first 
 has the handles placed underneath, and is conse- 
 quently mounted high in air, on the shoulders of 
 its bearers, while the fomer-dal, like the loca-dal, 
 has its handles placed near the top, and is there- 
 fore elevated but a few inches above the ground. 
 It has the back and front solid to the roof, with the 
 exception of two small circular openings, through 
 which the occupant sees where he wishes to go, 
 and transmits his orders to the carriers. The 
 sides are open, but it is considered very inele- 
 gant to pass your head out of these, and, in fact, 
 I never saw any one commit such an infraction 
 of decorum. 
 
 These three descriptions of palanquin are 
 confined solely to the use of males, if we 
 except the double locadal, in which ladies 
 also travel when they venture to leave the city 
 of their residence, which is a rare occurrence : 
 but they have a peculiar kind of litter de- 
 voted to their especial use, called the Poseidal, 
 which closes the list. It is six feet in length, four 
 wide and high, closed at both ends to the roof, 
 the sides being composed of delicate lattice work 
 lined with gauze, and impenetrable to the view 
 
226 MODES OF COMMUNICATION. 
 
 from the outside, while from the interior every 
 thing can be seen with perfect distinctness. 
 Within, these conveyances are padded and pro- 
 vided with numerous soft square cushions upon 
 which recline the fair occupants, fo** these litters 
 always carry two, while on the exterior they are 
 gilded and painted according to the taste of the 
 owner. They are borne on the shoulders of four 
 attendants, by as many long handles, extending 
 from the upper corners of the palanquin, which 
 are very often carved like snakes, and richly 
 ornamented. 
 
 The Inca always uses (except on his annual 
 tours through the Valley) a litter of peculiar form 
 being a richly gilt frame something resembling a 
 chair, cushioned and shaded by a magnificent 
 canopy of variously coloured feathers, inter- 
 mingled with long jewelled pendants, supported 
 by four long poles, so crossed as to form a square 
 with eight projecting handles. On the square is 
 placed the chair and canopy, and each of the 
 handles is held by two nobles of the highest rank. 
 An ornamented piece of wood, something like a 
 dash board on a small scale, is placed before the 
 chair, for the Inca to rest his feet against, and 
 when moving along the streets, the uppermost 
 peak of the canopy is, at least, fifteen feet from 
 the ground. 
 
MODES OP COMMUNICATION. 227 
 
 So much for land travelling and means of com- 
 munication, and there is but little to be said of 
 river craft, as the streams are mostly too small 
 for navigation, the Naloma, and one of its tribu- 
 taries, before mentioned as flowing from the 
 mines of Pocotatl, being the only water courses 
 on which boats are to be found. The products of 
 these mines are brought to Geral in large canoas, 
 with from twenty to thirty oars, and military 
 stores are also transported to and from Acaposinga 
 by water, and some merchandize is occasionally 
 to be met ascending and descending the stream, 
 between that city and the capital, but not fur- 
 ther east, as the rapids commence a few miles 
 below. 
 
 The nobles and rich inhabitants of Geral pos- 
 sess pleasure canoas in which they take a view or 
 sail on the canal that passes through part of the 
 capital. This canal connects the lake of Naloma 
 with the lakes on the upper plateaus of the Sierra 
 Paricis, and is a natural formation, artificialized 
 by the natives having lined its banks with polished 
 stone from the former body of water to the point 
 where the stream enters the Inca's park, through 
 which it flows in its untortured way. In its pas- 
 sage through the city it is crossed by innumerable 
 draw bridges of simple, though strong construc- 
 tion, which I have described in the first part of 
 
228 MODES OF COMMUNICATION. 
 
 this book, while at its junction with the Lake of 
 Naloma there is a splendid triumphal arch I not, 
 however, a perfect curve, but consisting of two 
 arcs united by a flat slab, while the outer coating 
 is in steps.* It was built two hundred years ago, 
 in commemoration of the completion of the 
 canal by the Inca, Huayna Evora, and is in ex- 
 cellent preservation, being composed of huge 
 blocks of stone. It is about three hundred and 
 fifty feet from the lake, the canal being entirely 
 covered over, for this distance, by the continuous 
 bridge that unites the western and eastern por- 
 tions of the wide quay which extends all around 
 the lake. 
 
 The state barges of the Inca and his suite, I 
 have also previously attempted to portray, and 
 need, therefore, speak only of the small canoas 
 in which a party of two or three, takes an even- 
 ing's amusement on the bosom of the grand canal. 
 They are narrow boats, some twenty feet in length, 
 guided by a single boatman, and having a little 
 cabin, tastefully ornamented, placed amidships, 
 much resembling in their general form, the Vene- 
 tian Gondola, excepting in the brilliantly coloured 
 
 * An arch of this description still exists nearly perfect at 
 Labrk, in Yucatan. The one above mentioned is similar in 
 every respect, except being much more lofty. 
 
WATER CRAFT. 229 
 
 curtains that fall into the water from the latticed 
 openings that serve to light the interior of a cabin, 
 fitted up with barbaric magnificence. Many a 
 time, and oft, have Grey and I, with one of our 
 princely friends, glided over the calm surface of 
 the lake in one of these charming skiffs, to some of 
 the many floating islands (Chinampas,) thence to 
 take a moonlight view of the gorgeous City of the 
 Inca ; or darted through the tunnel to the canal, 
 emerging from the silence of the former into the 
 deafening laughter and chatter of the crowds that 
 filled the canoas, and thronged the stone banks of 
 the latter. 
 
 12 
 
230 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 Buildings: Materials, Style, Solidity, &c. 
 
 No sensible person can possibly suppose, even 
 for an instant, that, in the revolution of three 
 centuries and more, no improvement was made by 
 the Geralians upon the modes of constructing edi- 
 fices, employed by their ancestors, the Peruvians 
 and Mexicans, for in the history of all nations, 
 we find the founders residing in huts of branches 
 plucked from" the surrounding trees, and rudely 
 piled together to form a shelter from the changes 
 of the weather. Look to the early traditions of 
 the most refined of ancient nations: while its 
 true origin is undiscernible through the misty 
 darkness of long passed years, we find its inhabit- 
 ants, on the arrival of Inachus, from Egypt, 
 living in caves, in the lowest depths of barbarism. 
 To what eminence they attained in architectural 
 science is well known to every one. The Peru- 
 vians and Mexicans, in all probability likewise 
 commenced by living in artificial caves, thence to 
 improve in skill, until they erected the immense 
 palaces and temples, whose remains are strewn 
 
BUILDINGS. 231 
 
 over modern Peru and Central America, rivalling 
 in their dimensions and grandness of conception, 
 the proudest monuments of modern art. To what 
 greater dexterity they would have arrived in their 
 native land is unknown, for the successful inva- 
 sions of the Spanish pirates, effectually checked 
 all further advancement on the part of the sub- 
 dued natives, reducing them to a state of absolute 
 servility. 
 
 The Geralians had, therefore, every advantage 
 for rapid improvement, starting into a distinct 
 existence from a chance union of two nations, 
 renowned for their advanced civilization, at 
 the turning point of their greatness ; carrying 
 with them all the arts and sciences, which were 
 the offspring of centuries of previous experience, 
 and an enterprising spirit of their own, that 
 prompted them to make a last stand for freedom 
 in the wilderness of Brazil. 
 
 Instead, therefore, of the new nation's first 
 house being a rude construction of leaves, we 
 find the founders building a magnificent palace 
 of wrought stone, (in the intermingled taste 
 of Mexico and Peru,) for the residence of their 
 Inca, with huge exterior flights of steps guarded 
 by the symbolic serpents of the northern coun- 
 try, and decorated with the golden disks that 
 manifested the religion of the warmer clime ; in 
 
232 BUILDINGS. 
 
 short the very edifice of which a description has 
 already been given, in which I, the reader's 
 humble servant, was lodged by order of the 
 Inca. 
 
 The duty which devolves upon me, is to show 
 the present state of the architecture of the val- 
 ley, and to do so I will commence by treating of 
 the materials principally employed, which are 
 five in number, white and black marble, brown 
 stone, granite, and a stone of a pale buff colour, 
 much used and capable of receiving a high pol- 
 ish, while it is susceptible of the finest carving. 
 In interior finishing, jasper, agate, pictorial mar- 
 ble, which is scarce and very highly prized, 
 a species of verde antico, and a light red 
 coloured marble with which walls are sometimes 
 faced. 
 
 Entire rooms are sometimes lined with sheets 
 of amber, or lapis lazuli, the former being occa- 
 sionally made into hollow columns, the plates 
 being joined by rings of silver, and in these are 
 placed lights, producing a very singular appear- 
 ance. I remember a store in the street of the 
 Ocelot that had a portico supported by four pil- 
 lars of this description, which I used frequently 
 to admire during my short residence in that tho- 
 roughfare. 
 In both public and private buildings of any 
 
BUILDINGS. 233 
 
 pretension, a great quantity of carving is to be 
 found, very beautifully executed, of scrolls, 
 birds, and men in high relief. The columns are 
 of a vase-like form, as I have many times men- 
 tioned in the foregoing journal, with capitals 
 much resembling those found in the old temples 
 of Hindoostan, being in the form of circular 
 cushions, apparently crushed nearly flat by the 
 weight of the superincumbent mass of transverse 
 beams. The contour of the shaft, if I may so 
 term it, is more elegant, slight and graceful 
 than those of the East Indies, but a very great 
 similarity can be traced between them. 
 
 What we designate as the Gothic arch is 
 known, and employed much more extensively 
 than the Norman or semi-circular, which I saw 
 used merely on the banks of the canal in Geral, 
 where a few houses, abutting upon the water, have 
 them in their lower stories over the foot of a 
 flight of steps, leading to the first floor, 
 used by the occupants in descending to their ca- 
 noas: even in such cases, a semi-oval arch is 
 more common. 
 
 This is a manifest improvement upon the an- 
 cient architecture of America, as the only ap- 
 proach to an arch to be found among the numerous 
 remains as yet explored, is at Labna mentioned 
 by Stephens in his * Yucatan,' where there is a 
 
234 BUILDINGS. 
 
 gateway formed of two slight arcs whose point 
 of intersection is cut off by a horizontal slab, 
 a description tallying exactly with that given in 
 the last chapter of the Triumphal Arch of the 
 Inca Huayna Evora at Geral. In one of the 
 corridors in the palace Palenque (Central Ameri- 
 .ca) there are small openings to admit light, in the 
 form of a semicircular cusped arch, but these 
 are hewn out of a single block, not formed of 
 numerous stones : windows similar to this I have 
 met with often in different parts of the valley. 
 
 In the erection of all buildings the first thing 
 done is to dig to the depth of two or three feet, 
 the level surface thus produced being pounded 
 and rolled as firmly as possible, after which the 
 space is refilled with solidly cemented masonry. 
 On this terrace, which in some cases is carried 
 as much as four or five feet above the street, the 
 structure is gradually raised to the desired eleva- 
 tion, seldom more than two stories unless it be 
 a storehouse or large mercantile wareroom. 
 The walls are by law prohibited from being thin- 
 ner than fifteen inches for private houses of one 
 story, than twenty-one if more, and those of the 
 magazines are never less than thirty. 
 
 The residences of the wealthy citizens of 
 Geral, for the nobles live in perfect palaces, so 
 nearly 'resembling the previously given descrip- 
 
BUILDINGS. 235 
 
 tion, that I omit mentioning them in this place, 
 are generally surrounded by a garden, front- 
 ing some principal street, from which a wide and 
 smoothly rolled gravel path leads to the Z'ilat- 
 hal, or portico of the house, which is generally 
 supported by columns, and which, in two story 
 buildings, does not protrude from the fagade, 
 but is enclosed by the surrounding apartments, 
 and is very much like a room with one side re- 
 moved, as it is furnished with ottomans and 
 tables, while from the centre of the ceiling hangs 
 the great Uthirb-ilathal, or Lamp of Welcome, 
 a large and not inelegant article composed of del- 
 icate lattice work in gold, or some less valuable 
 metal, surrounded with long tassels pendent from 
 a projecting frame that forms as it were the cor- 
 nice of the chandelier. A door in the centre of 
 the Z'ilathal admits the visitor into a long hall on 
 one side of which is the Egarathon, or parlour, 
 where the host receives, and on the other is the 
 Ovvaidon or eating room. The first is generally 
 square, and has at one end a raised dais of two 
 steps called the Tarim-ilatJial (Place of Welcome,) 
 on which the master of the house sits, and whence 
 he converses with his visitor, to receive whom, he 
 rises. It is a great favour if he descend the tW3 
 steps, and still higher honoured is the guest who is 
 met half way, for a seat on the Tarim-ilathal is sure 
 
236 BUILDINGS. 
 
 to be offered for his acceptance. The whole 
 room is often greatly decorated ; either the walls 
 are richly carved, covered with valuable marble, 
 or else hung with tapestry of the utmost magnif- 
 icence. Communicating with the Ega^ati on is 
 the private room of the owner, where he in- 
 structs his younger children, makes up his ac- 
 counts, has interviews with his master of ceremo- 
 nies, and receives his most intimate friends. 
 Opening into this is his Uvoridua or sleeping 
 apartment, and a passage that leads to the 
 second floor, if there is one, otherwise the rooms 
 about to be mentioned extend further back on the 
 same level with those already described. The 
 Avvaroga or apartments of the women, consist 
 of chambers, a nursery for the children, and a 
 sitting room where the ladies either spin, embroi- 
 der, read, or in other ways employ themselves. 
 Here also are found large presses where are kept 
 the dresses of the family, and chests in which 
 are secured the table linen and plate, which after 
 every meal are brought to the mistress of 
 the house. No male may enter the Avvaroga 
 save the master of the house, such of his friends 
 as he wishes to present to his family, and the head 
 
 servant. 
 
 While all strangers are thus excluded from the 
 private parts of the mansion, they are freely ad- 
 
BUILDINGS. 237 
 
 mitted into the rooms on the other sitfe of the 
 entrance hall, -which are first the Uvvithon, or 
 pantry ; next to which, and on a line with it, is 
 the Ovvaidon, or eating-room, behind which is 
 the Itanalpa, or kitchen. The Ovvaidon is a 
 large saloon, corresponding in size and position 
 to the Egarathon, and fitted up with equal splen- 
 dor. The Uvvithon is also a large room in which 
 the viands, intended for the table, are placed pre- 
 vious to being served. The sleeping apartments 
 of the servants are either above or behind these 
 two rooms, for the kitchen is separated from the 
 house by an opening of four or five feet, though 
 under the same roof. 
 
 The apartments on the first floor of a two story 
 house are lit by openings in the side walls, near 
 the ceiling, composed of elaborate carving in 
 open work ; or else, as in the northern part of the 
 Valley, light is afforded by oblong or oval win- 
 dows, which are formed of very thin slabs of white 
 jasper, which material varies much from the 
 species of mineral to which it properly appertains, 
 in being transparent, almost as much so as mica. 
 On the second floor, all the rooms are^ lit by sky- 
 lights, over which, at noon and at night, awnings 
 are drawn, while in winter, or more properly 
 speaking, during the rainy season, roofs are built, 
 12* 
 
238 BUILDINGS. 
 
 raised about two feet above the opening, so as to 
 admit a little daylight under the eaves, while 
 more finds its way though plates of white jasper 
 set into the temporary roof. 
 
 The floors are usually composed either of 
 tesselated marbles, or of marqueterie, composed of 
 woods stained in various colours and arranged in 
 some fanciful or intricate pattern. 
 
 The roofs of all buildings are perfectly flat, 
 with parapets of solid masonry, so that were it 
 not for sundry large bronze pipes, in the form of 
 serpents, that ornament the corners of all houses, 
 these roofs would, during the rainy season, be 
 converted into perfect lakes. 
 
 The monstrous stone snakes that formed the 
 balusters of the flights of steps in front of ' our 
 palace, were hollow, and nothing more nor less 
 than rain pipes on a large scale. How queer 
 they must look with the cascades of water gush- 
 ing from their capacious mouths* 
 
 Gutters are not used, but subterranean pipes 
 are laid from each house to the nearest street, 
 emptying into an enormous stone culvert, extend- 
 ing down Uie centre of it to the lake of Naloma. 
 The top of this culvert is below the level of the 
 thoroughfare, and I should never have discovered 
 how the system of drainage was carried on, had 
 
BUILDINGS. 239 
 
 I not one day, in my rambles with Grey, stumbled 
 upon a party of workmen repairing a breach, 
 caused by the fall of a large warehouse in the 
 Street of the Factories. 
 
240 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 D mestic Manners and Customs. 
 
 IN this chapter I shall once more enter the pene- 
 tralia the Avvaroga, of Geralian life, and strive 
 to place before the reader an accurate picture of the 
 way in which the natives employ themselves i en 
 famille/ and their household arrangements in 
 general. 
 
 In the families of the wealthy classes and the 
 nobility, the dignity of the house cannot be prop- 
 erly maintained with less than fifty domestic ser- 
 vants, exclusive of the palanquin bearers, who 
 never number less than sixteen, and the body ser- 
 vants who form the escort of the master of the 
 house when travelling about the Valley in state. 
 Of these fifty, thirty are usually females, and the 
 remainder men and boys, all of whom are under 
 the supervision of the Milla-il-atJilj or Master of 
 Welcome, a head servant corresponding to the 
 butler of large English establishments. He en- 
 gages the servants, orders all entertainments, 
 punishes ^ misconduct, and is a medium between 
 
DOMESTIC MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 241 
 
 his master and his inferiors in everything except 
 the actual payment of wages. 
 
 The female servants are the Avvar-il-Avvaroga, 
 similar to ladies' maids and semstresses, who are 
 always in the apartments of their mistresses, either 
 working with them or attending their toilette. 
 Second, the Avvar-il-Itanalpa, who are under- 
 cooks and scullions beneath the control of the 
 Malla-il-Itanalpa, or chief cook, who also holds 
 her reign over the Avvar-il-Uvvithon (pantry girls) 
 and even over the Ivvar-il-Ovvaidon (male waiters) 
 who form one class of the men servants ; a second 
 class is called Ivvar-il-Egarathon (parlour servants) 
 who introduce visitors. A third is termed the 
 Ivvar-il-Evoridua, valets of their master. Then 
 there is the Milla-il-Zilathal, or master of th e por- 
 tico, a sort of porter ; and these are found, except 
 the Ivvar-il-milla (body servants) and Ivvar-il-dalr 
 (palanquin bearers), in the houses of the rich, 
 their number varying according to the degrees of 
 state affected by their masters. Some are extra- 
 vagant enough to retain a band of dancing 
 women, a number of musicians, and even have 
 Avvar-il-Ovvaidon, or girls to wait on table as 
 well as men, the former being much more expen- 
 sive and scarce. 
 
 The day of the nobles not attending Inca's court 
 for then they live in the royal palace, apart 
 
242 DOMESTIC MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 
 
 from their families, commences about six o'clock 
 in the morning, when they are awakened by their 
 principal body servant. A bath is then taken at 
 the fountain, after which a slight breakfast is 
 generally partaken of, in private. The nobleman 
 if he has a family, then visits the Avvaroga, and 
 stays there a short time, after which he perhaps 
 goes to his study, if I may so call it, and instructs 
 his sons in such things as it is necessary for them 
 to learn previous to entering the academy of Incas. 
 A visitor may come, or he himself may now order 
 his fomer-dal and proceed to see his friends, re- 
 turning to dine with his family near dark. It 
 must not be supposed that he fasts eleven hours, 
 for such is not the case, as a lunch is always served 
 at noon, consisting of sweetmeats and pleasant 
 drinks, of which, if he is at home, he partakes 
 with his family and such visitors as may chance 
 to be in the house at the time. 
 
 The dinner is the leading affair of the day, and 
 consumes over an hour, to do justice to its de- 
 mands ; but as 1 have previously given a descrip- 
 tion of a private dinner, sufficiently explicit in its 
 details, this interesting subject can be passed over 
 here. After it is despatched, the evening is 
 passed either at home, at a friend's house, or per- 
 haps at some book store, which are then always 
 thronged with readers. All shopping by gentle- 
 
DOMESTIC MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 243 
 
 men is done in this portion of the twenty-four 
 hours, by which, of course, we do not mean such 
 buying and selling, as occupies the morning in 
 the Tianguez, and great business streets. 
 
 In the dry season, the numerous open squares 
 of the Cities, planted with stately trees, and 
 watered by huge fountains, are illuminated during 
 the evening, and are crowded by the lower classes, 
 who have very good refreshments served at a low 
 cost. During the rains, most of these persons 
 remain at home at night ; but the rich and the 
 nobility, unite in parties of ten or twelve, meet- 
 ing at each other's houses on certain evenings/ 
 when they discourse upon literary and various 
 matters, read, or in some other simple way amuse 
 themselves. 
 
 We now turn to the duties and employments 
 of the female portion of a wealthy Geralian 
 family. 
 
 Besides the actual wife of a man, married by 
 ceremony in the Temple of the Sun, or by a 
 magistrate, there are several Odalisques (Ulva- 
 mathalr) in every family of wealth, numbering 
 according to the wish and ability of the master 
 from two to a hundred, a limit being there placed 
 by the Inca, who alone is permitted to have more. 
 There are laws which forbid the Ulvamathalr 
 living with their master, unless they receive from 
 
244 DOMESTIC MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 
 
 him a yearly allowance of a hundred gold ochols, 
 in failure of receiving which, they can summon a 
 magistrate and compel him to pay the money. 
 They live in the same apartments as the mistress 
 of the house, in friendship, work with her, visit, 
 shop or travel in her litters, and in fact, seem 
 like sisters. 
 
 The Ulvamathalr are not slaves, as they can 
 leave their master's house, by giving him sufficient 
 notice; but if they attempt to quit it without 
 warning, they are arrested and bound to remain 
 with him until his death, a second effort at eva- 
 sion being punishable at the master's will. These 
 bond women are called Inlathalr, and might 
 almost be considered slaves, as the power of life 
 and death is vested in their master's hands. 
 
 The children of the Ulvamathalr and Inlathalr 
 - are educated with those of the mistress of the 
 house, and treated similarly in every way ; the 
 same dower is given on their marriage, the same 
 honours at their death. The Inlathalr are not 
 admitted to the society of the Ulvamathalr, ex- 
 cept by the express permission of their master, 
 which is frequently given, so that no distinction 
 between the two is recognized, saving in the 
 matter of salary, the former receiving but half as 
 much (fifty gold ochols) as their more honoured 
 companions. 
 
DOMESTIC MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 245 
 
 The Geralian race is remarkably noble look- 
 ing, majestic in deportment, of delicate features 
 and fine form; the complexion is generally a 
 clear and not very dark olive, sometimes so close- 
 ly approaching what we would call merely a dark 
 skin, that one would almost suppose there was 
 white blood coursing beneath it. The colour is 
 generally rich, if not high; the eyes and hair are 
 black, or very dark brown, the former being 
 large, lustrous, and very expressive; the teeth 
 are invariably like pearls, and the chin and mouth 
 somewhat on the Greek order of beauty. The 
 male portion are seldom under five feet eight 
 inches, and admirably proportioned, while the 
 females are of good height. 
 
 We will now speak of the occupations of the 
 mistress of a wealthy citizen's household during 
 the day. 
 
 The first rays of the rising sun pierce through 
 the elaborate open tracery of stone which forms 
 the cornice of her chamber, revelling among the 
 deep carvings of the coved ceiling, and playing 
 over the gold embroidered folds of the voluminous 
 hangings, a part of which being swept aside, the 
 malla-il-avaroga enters alone, and approaching 
 the canopied couch of her mistress, awakens 
 her and receives her orders. The Ulvamathalr 
 then enter to pay their morning respects, they 
 
246 DOMESTIC MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 
 
 having just arisen in the adjoining rooms. The 
 mistress of the house then rises, and attended by 
 the Ulvamathalr and the Avvar-il-Avvaroga, pro- 
 ceeds to bathe at the fountain in the centre of her 
 apartment; or if the morning is oppressively 
 warm, they all go into the surrounding gardens, 
 and make use of one of the numerous artificial 
 lakes that are always constructed in them, en- 
 closed by impervious shrubbery and foliage. 
 After revelling in the cool water for some time, 
 they return to their respective apartments to -have 
 their toilettes completed, and about six o'clock 
 reunite in the Ovvaidon-Avvaroga, or women's 
 eating room, where they partake of the first meal 
 of the day. The utensils of gold and silver then 
 used are cleansed and restored to the vast plate 
 chests under the superintendence of the mistress 
 of the house and the Malla-il-Avvaroga. 
 
 This done the Ulvamathalr accompany their 
 mistress to the sewing room, if I may so term 
 it, where the children of the family join them. 
 The females resume their various occupations of 
 spinning, embroidering, making their dresses, 
 painting, in which art some are extremely cle- 
 ver, and writing. While thus engaged they 
 receive the visit of the master of the house, and 
 on his departure with his sons, some of the ladies 
 give instructions on various subjects to the girls 
 
DOMESTIC MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 247 
 
 of the family, which engrosses the entire morn- 
 ing, until lunch is served at noon. During this 
 time many of the Ulvamathalr have doubtless 
 been out in their palanquins, shopping or visiting, 
 but they are usually home at lunch, subsequent 
 to which they take a siesta, followed by a resump- 
 tion of their previous employments. About four 
 o'clock, succeeds a bath, followed by a palanquin 
 ride in the surrounding country, or on the moun- 
 tain terraces, where they sometimes walk, a 
 visit to the Inca's wife, a saunter in the Street of 
 the Ocelot, or a lounge about the garden until 
 dusk, when the entire family dine together in the 
 great Ovvaidon. In the dry season the evening 
 is frequently spent by the side of the numerous 
 baths in the gardens, or in hamacas swung 
 between the boughs of illuminated trees. Some- 
 times the ladies accompany the master of the 
 house in his visits to his friends, or perhaps the 
 whole household of a neighbour will come to pass 
 the evening, frolicking in the open moonlit air. 
 D' ring the wet season, large companies of ladies 
 only, are held in the Avvaroga, when they laugh, 
 talk, play with the children, eat, drink, and are 
 perhaps entertained with music, singing, dancing, 
 or some other amusement, the most esteemed 
 being the recitation of poems commemorative of 
 the exploits of former heroic Incas, their bravery 
 
248 DOMESTIC MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 
 
 in battle, or the romantic history of their 
 amours. 
 
 It now remains to note the ceremonies observed 
 in the cases of marriage, birth and death, with 
 which this chapter will close. 
 
 Love has but little to do with Geralian mar- 
 riage : the father of the youth casts his looks 
 abroad among his friends' daughters, and having 
 found one whose alliance seems advantageous, 
 contrives, with the lady's father, some means by 
 which the future bridegroom shall be introduced 
 to her. After this one interview with the lady, 
 who is probably fourteen, while he is perhaps a 
 year or two older, his father asks him to marry 
 her, which is mere form, for if he refused he 
 would be obliged. Having consented, his father 
 prepares a splendid present for the bride elect, 
 which is sent in the son's name, and a return 
 made in the form of a bouquet of white flowers. 
 All now is arranged, and the two fathers having 
 fixed a day, invite all their friends to meet them 
 at the principal temple of the town in which the 
 parties reside, and preparations are instantly com- 
 menced for the ceremonies attendant upon the 
 occasion. On the morning of the eventful day, 
 the bridegroom, attired with great splendour, is 
 conveyed in an open palanquin to the bride's 
 house, attended by his father, mother, and all his 
 relatives and friends. Arrived there, the house 
 
DOMESTIC MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 249 
 
 is found covered with blue hangings, the doors 
 being concealed by a heavy drapery. The youth 
 alights, and accompanied by two friends, ap- 
 proaches the hidden door : the first friend ad- 
 dresses the unseen inmates of the building, but 
 receives no answer. The second friend does the 
 same with a like result, and the bridegroom 
 advances to the door, which he commands them 
 to open. No attention is paid, and so, drawing 
 a sharp weapon, the youth cuts down the drapery. 
 As it falls numberless servants rushjout at a trot, 
 escorting a closed palanquin, in which is the bride 
 and her mother. This draws up at the side of 
 the youth's conveyance, which he has already re- 
 entered. The door of the posei-dal is slid back, 
 and the bride's mother comes forth and stands by 
 it, where she is joined by the father and nearest 
 relations, and by the parents of the bridegroom. 
 The lady is now handed forth to the sound of 
 trumpets, and is placed by the side of her future 
 husband, her features and person completely con- 
 cealed by an impenetrable veil. 
 
 The whole party now proceeds to the great 
 Temple of the Sun, where they are received by 
 the priests and choristers, who escort them to the 
 high altar. The bride and bridegroom are seated 
 before the dais, while a chaunt is sung, and an 
 address made to the Sun by the principal officia- 
 
250 DOMESTIC MANNERS AND CUSTOMS 
 
 tor. Offerings are then made to the temple by 
 the parents, and the bridegroom presents a scroll, 
 and a duplicate of it, by which the nearest 
 magistrate permits the marriage. Both of these 
 certificates are sanctified by the priest's signature 
 or mark ; one is returned to the presenter, and the 
 other is placed in the cabinet, behind the Vase of 
 Sacrifice, after having been fumigated and read 
 aloud. The bride is then borne off to her parent's 
 house, where she remains for three days. 
 
 After dark, on the evening of the third day, 
 she is conveyed, veiled as before, to the bride- 
 groom's residence, attended by numerous servants 
 of both sexes, carrying her wardrobe, and lighted 
 torches. Arrived at her destination, she finds 
 the Uthirb-il-athl lit up, and the whole portico 
 thronged with domestics N bearing lights. She 
 descends from her palanquin, and is received by 
 the bridegroom's mother. Followed by all the 
 females of the household, she moves toward the 
 Evoridua, where she finds her husband seated 
 alone on the Tarim-ilathl, while soft music is heard 
 proceeding from an unseen band of musicians. 
 She advances to the dais, and pauses at its foot, 
 the females form a semicircle round her, the 
 mother comes up behind the bride and unfasten- 
 ing the veil at the crown of her head, it falls to 
 the floor, displaying the lady clad in a splendid 
 
DOMESTIC MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 251 
 
 pavisa of white, richly embroidered in gold. Re- 
 newed bursts of music fill the air, and the females 
 all retire to partake of a collation, leaving the 
 young couple together. 
 
 Such are the simple ceremonies of marriage ; 
 those attending the birth of an infant come next 
 on the list/ 
 
 These do not commence until the day after the 
 birth. Before sunrise, the Egarathon of the man- 
 sion is filled with guests of both sexes. As the 
 very first beams of the sun light the room, the 
 father of the child enters, and the mother is 
 brought in upon a couch. A heavy curtain which 
 has concealed the entrance to the Evoridua, is 
 now swept aside, and all the servants of the 
 family come in, bearing different comestibles, and 
 followed by the Ulvamathalr, the eldest of whom 
 carries a large golden dish on which lies the child 
 covered with a white cloth. All these are clad 
 with the greatest splendor, and move to the sound 
 of music. The father advances, removes the 
 cloth, and taking the child in his hands, carries 
 it round to each of the company, followed by the 
 principal Ulvamathal bearing the golden dish, on 
 which the visitors place all sorts of little trinkets 
 and toys, for the child's use when it shall grow 
 older. The baby is then carried off, and the 
 
252 DOMESTIC MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 
 
 whole party removes to the Ovvaidon to break- 
 fast. 
 
 Three days after this < Parade of the Child,' it 
 is taken to a temple and named, with comparative 
 privacy, no one being present save the parents 
 and closest connections. In case of the ill health 
 of the infant, the priest comes to the father's house 
 and there performs the ceremony, which consists 
 merely in fumigating the baby over a Vase of 
 Sacrifice, and pronouncing the name, which the 
 parents wish to bestow upon it, four times, once 
 to the north, the south, the east, and the west. 
 
 There is but little ceremony attending the 
 burial of the dead. As soon as a person dies, the 
 body is surrendered to the embalmists, who, in 
 thirty days, return it to the family. It is then 
 placed upon a high couch or table, and for seventy- 
 two hours is surrounded by the women of the 
 house, who, in the eastern manner, beat their 
 breasts, tear their hair, rend their garments and 
 utter horrific yells. This having been performed 
 to the satisfaction of all parties concerned, the 
 embalmed body, which bears the exact appear- 
 ance of life, is placed in an open palanquin, and 
 conveyed by night through the streets, attendee 
 by a large torchlight procession, to the walls, 
 without which are the subterranean excavations, 
 appropriated to the reception of the dead. The 
 
DOMESTIC MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 253 
 
 body is placed in its upright niche, and the escort 
 scampers off as quick as it is able, being afraid 
 to remain anytime in the catacombs. 
 
 Ned and I visited one of these excavations 
 tpward the end of October, and had much diffi- 
 culty in obtaining a guide. The entrance was 
 about a hundred yards east of the Coluca Gate, 
 and consisted of a flight of shallow steps leading 
 down some thirty feet below the level of the Lake 
 of Naloma. A turn at the foot of the stairs 
 caused us to face the west, and we saw the im- 
 mense subterranean halls and corridors excavated 
 from the solid rock, and reaching a full half mile 
 in a straight line. Taking the central hall, we 
 walked the entire distance ; throughout it was of 
 equal height and breadth, the former I should say 
 twenty feet, the latter fifty. The walls are filled 
 with niches, six feet high, and two deep, each of 
 which contained an embalmed body, whose name 
 was inscribed on a tablet over the niche, as well 
 as the period of his decease. There must have 
 been ten or fifteen thousand mummies in that 
 hall alone, which was the principal, as on each 
 side of, and running parallel with it, were seven- 
 teen other corridors, of slightly smaller dimen- 
 sions, and the same length, connected by numer- 
 ous passages, so irregular in form that a person, 
 without a guide, would infallibly be lost. Having 
 13 
 
254 DOMESTIC MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. 
 
 reached the end of the great hall, we descended 
 by a staircase, thirty feet lower, where a similar 
 arrangement presented itself; satisfying ourselves 
 with a glance, we ascended to the upper halls and 
 thence to the open air, when we learnt that we 
 had visited one of the smallest excavations about 
 Geral, and yet this hall of the dead must have 
 contained at least 500,000 bodies. 
 
 From Valaion's work, I glean that the immense 
 number of bodies embalmed and placed in these 
 6 rock halls' was caused by the fact of the early 
 high priests of the Sun, having commanded all 
 the dead to be interred in close proximity to the 
 capital city. In order to do this, those who resided 
 at a distance were obliged to embalm their dead 
 to convey them to the designated spot, where 
 they of course were seen by the Geralians. 
 These, struck with the strong resemblance existing 
 between the mummy and the former appearance 
 of the man, gradually adopted embalming, until 
 it has become general. For one hundred and 
 twenty-four years, every one who died in the 
 valley was mummified and en-niched in these ex- 
 cavations around the capital ; but it, at length, 
 became inconvenient from the great number of 
 cities, and the vastness of population, so that the 
 Inca Huayna Evora, before mentioned in this 
 book, decreed an excavation to every city in its 
 
DOMESTIC MANNERS AND CUSTOMS- 255 
 
 own environs, in consequence of which, there is 
 absolutely no necessity now for embalmists, but 
 the practice is nevertheless continued. The edict 
 was promulgated in 1655, according to our chro- 
 nology. Huayna Evora died in 1661. 
 
256 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Pastoral Life. 
 
 AFTER so long a chapter on perhaps but an unin- 
 teresting subject to most of my readers, they 
 will doubtless be glad to leave the crowded 
 thoroughfares and formal usages of the city, and 
 turn to the ways of life high on the overlooking 
 hills and mountains, or far away on the plains of 
 the valley. 
 
 It must be evident to any one who has read 
 the first part of this work, that I personally can 
 know but little of Pastoral Life, as when I passed 
 through the country it was in the escort of the 
 Inca, or in the company of some nobleman of 
 high rank, and I must therefore confess that most 
 of the matter in this chapter is drawn from 
 Valaion, and, principally, from Dapartesa. I 
 also gathered some information from our good 
 friend Cioaco, the Curaga of Ocopaltepec, who, 
 perhaps is as worthy an authority as either of the 
 above named, from his having spent a great part 
 of his life on his estates, some miles from the 
 
PASTORAL LIFE. 257 
 
 capital, mixing with the country people, and 
 knowing much in regard to them. 
 
 The rural population of the Valley is estimated 
 to be somewhere in the neighbourhood of 300,000, 
 residing principally in the villages and small ham- 
 lets that hang on the terraces of the mountains, 
 or are scattered near the large cities, while but 
 few, comparatively speaking, reside in single 
 houses, for fear of the Lambys and other wild 
 tribes. 
 
 The country people are divided into two gene- 
 ral classes, farmers, and tenders of llamas. The 
 former cultivate the immense plantations that 
 belong to the state, and transfer the produce to 
 the magazines of the department in which they 
 live. The second class is also divided in two 
 parts, the true llamaherds, who take care of the 
 precious animals, and those who drive them to 
 market, or lead them over the causeways when 
 loaded with merchandise; while both of these 
 classes are subdivided into those employed by the 
 government, and those paid by the manufacturers 
 of woollen cloth. 
 
 The females of the families over twelve years 
 of age have a certain portion of spinning to do 
 for the woollen and cotton factories belonging to 
 the government, for which they are paid by the 
 head of the tenth family, (see Chap. I.), who is 
 13* 
 
258 PASTORAL LIFE. 
 
 re-emburscd by the state. Under the above age, 
 the children are sent to the district schools, one 
 of which is appropriated to the use of fifty fami- 
 lies; and out of each of these institutions five 
 male scholars are annually sent to the capital to 
 enter the College of Amataus, where their educa- 
 tion is carried on at the expense of the Inca, 
 while an equal number of girls are also sent to be 
 educated in Geral. When the boys of the rural pop- 
 ulation attain the age of twelve, aSioice of occupa- 
 tion is offered them by the resident inspector ; ex- 
 cept to the eldest son of every family, who by law 
 follows his father's employment. The younger 
 sons may become as their fathers, may enter the 
 army as private soldiers, learn a trade in the near- 
 csttown, work in the mines or public works, or 
 seek employment as servants in the cities of the 
 Valley: in every case being assisted by the gov- 
 ernment. 
 
 The eldest son, for three years is employed by 
 the various manufactories in snaring birds for the 
 making of the beautiful plumage tapestry, and in 
 other ways rendering himself useful, until his 
 fifteenth birthday, when he is considered by the 
 government in the same light as his father. 
 
 The occupation of a farmer on the level of the 
 valley is severe work, from the great heat, but on 
 
PASTORAL LIFE. 259 
 
 the terraces it is much cooler, and, in conse- 
 quence, those who work half the year on the val- 
 ley, for the other half cultivate the mountain 
 side, and vice versa. This arrangement is condu- 
 cive to health from the change of air, and to good 
 labour from the effect of this change. 
 
 The llamaherds never visit the terraces profes- 
 sionally, except when driving the animals with 
 merchandise, or to market, their dwellings being 
 on the top plateau, and their range between that 
 and the perpetual snow line of the Sierra Paricis. 
 The wages of these people are very good, and 
 added to those which their families receive for 
 spinning, are sufficient to support them very com- 
 fortably. An occasional employment, which I 
 am about to describe, is very profitable, from the 
 receipts being entirely their own, and always 
 attainable by manual labour. 
 
 To every herd of a thousand llamas seven men 
 are attached, and each thousand has a peculiar 
 mark by which their drivers can recognize their 
 charges in any part of the Valley, and they are 
 so marked in order to render possible the separa- 
 tion of two or more flocks that may have become 
 intermingled. When they feel industrious, or 
 when their finances are at a low ebb, the tenders 
 of a dozen herds meet together, and dividing into 
 two equal portions, one part is left to take care 
 
260 PASTORAL LIFE. 
 
 of the united flocks, while each of the remaining 
 half procures a Lalama, (see Chap. II.), with ten 
 or twelve Jlamas harnessed to it. The whole 
 party, numbering perhaps thirty or forty, then 
 starts, armed with large cutting instruments, for 
 one of the frozen lakes or rain pools high up in 
 the glaciers of the mountains. Having selected 
 a suitable one, they clear it of all new fallen snow, 
 rapidly cut out large blocks, and pack them in 
 the lalamas. As soon as the party lias procured 
 all that it can, the llamas are reharnessed to the 
 well loaded vehicles, and the cold regions of the 
 * hard water,' (the translation of the name they 
 give ice,) are deserted for the nearest city, where 
 the contents of the lalamas are sold at a high 
 price to the nobles, who are glad enough to get 
 it to cool their chocolatl and other drinks. Snow 
 is regularly brought to Geral for the same pur- 
 pose, as it is easy of access, being almost within 
 the city ; but it is not of much use, as it melts too 
 quickly. The principal consumption of it in the 
 Capital, is in packing the ice, it being supposed 
 to prevent the latter from turning into 'soft 
 water,' an effect much to be desired, but not 
 attained in that way. 
 
 I cannot remember whether or no, I mentioned 
 in the first part of this work, the fact of wine, 
 or a description of it, being manufactured in 
 
PASTORAL LIFE. 261 
 
 small quantities for the use of the wealthy. For 
 fear I did not, I will run the risk of repeating 
 the account. There are but two factories in the 
 valley, one in the Atolatepec, the largest and 
 most prolific, the other on the southern slope of 
 the Huaxtepec within the walls of Geral. The 
 annual product of both these vineyards does not 
 exceed two hundred gallons, which is divided into 
 three equal portions, one for the Inca, another for 
 such nobles as he may designate, and the third 
 for the High Priest of the Sun, whose agents sell 
 it at immense prices to any one who can afford to 
 buy it. Orteguilla named Ned and I among the 
 recipients of the second third in the distribution, 
 each of us being presented with four bottles, if I 
 may so term earthen jars with narrow necks, hold- 
 ing about three pints. Cioaco sent us two others 
 from his share, thinking we had not received any ; 
 we wished to return it, but he obliged us to keep 
 it, and I brought mine home with me, besides 
 three that I had not opened out of the Inca's pre- 
 sents. 
 
 It is made of a black grape, and is exceedingly 
 sweet and luscious, so much so that it is absolutely 
 necessary to dilute it with water, in order to render 
 it palatable. When first poured out, it is of a dark 
 red colour, but if allowed to stand, becomes pale 
 pink, while a jar that I opened in July, 1849, was 
 
262 PASTORAL LIFE. 
 
 quite yellow, something like sherry, so that I almost 
 thought I had a different sort ; the taste, however, 
 was nearly the same, though unquestionably im- 
 proved by keeping. The vineyards are kept beauti- 
 fully, on a plan similar to the Italian, growing on 
 horizontal lattice work, and very cool and shady. 
 That on the Huaxtepec was used as a promenade 
 by the Inca and nobles of the highest rank ; both 
 are under the direction of an officer, and such 
 care is taken of them, that there is a man for 
 every thirty plants, paid from the Inca's private 
 purse. 
 
263 
 
 Reader : 
 
 I plead guilty to the charge of an unallowably 
 abrupt conclusion, and feel bound to account for 
 this dereliction of duty as well as I may. 
 
 While writing these few supplementary chap- 
 ters, I have become more and more aware of my 
 incapacity to continue, with any accuracy, my 
 accounts of private life, or to make any investi- 
 gations regarding the working of numerous insti- 
 tutions, whose very titles are unmentioned in the 
 foregoing pa^es, being known to me scarcely but 
 by name. In my Supplement, I have given as 
 clear an insight, as I am now able, into domestic 
 manners, and am sure, that in carrying out my 
 original plan for this volume, I should fail to do 
 justice either to my subject or to myself. 
 
 It is my present intention to revisit, at some 
 close period, the Valley of the Incas, and make 
 a longer stay than I was able to do in 184T, the 
 only drawback being my want of companionship, 
 my good friend Grey being unwilling to leave 
 home for another long absence in a foreign land. 
 
264 CONCLUSION. 
 
 But rather than abandon my project, I would 
 journey alone, in which manner it is more than 
 probable that I shall be obliged to travel. 
 
 A. R. MIDDLETOUN PAYNE. 
 
Rambles in Brazil 
 
 IW246013 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY