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
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