COATI ISLAND AND THE RUINS OF TIAHUANACO.--RETURN TO PUNO.--CUZCO, AND
THE TEMPLES, PALACES, AND FORTRESSES OF THE INCAS.--PLANS FOR DEPARTURE.
[Illustration: BRIDGE AND CUSTOM-HOUSE AT THE FRONTIER.]
The party spent the day on Titicaca Island, examining the ruins which
attested the power of the Incas and their predecessors, and studying the
magnificent views that were presented in almost every direction. In the
east lay the Andes of Bolivia, while to the west was the chain of the
cordillera they had crossed on their way from the coast to Puno. Lake
Titicaca lies between Peru and Bolivia, the western shore belonging to
the former country, and the eastern to the latter. The outlet of the
lake is the dividing-line, and at each end of the bridge which crosses
the river there is a custom-house, where officials of the respective
countries are stationed. The bridge is built on rafts, or balsas, made
of the reeds growing in the lake; the footway is composed of these
reeds, and supported by the balsas beneath it.
They returned to the steamboat at nightfall, and gave orders for the
captain to move to Coati Island, about six miles distant, as soon as
daylight permitted. Weary with their tramp, they slept soundly; when
they waked in the morning the steamer was at anchor at its destination,
and as soon as breakfast was over they went on shore.
Titicaca Island was specially consecrated to the sun, while Coati was
dedicated to the moon. The former is steep and rugged; the latter is
only moderately elevated, and capable of cultivation from one end to the
other. It is about half as large as Titicaca Island, and is occupied by
a few families of Indians, who cultivate potatoes and other things, and
look after a flock of sheep which is pastured there. Judging by the
appearance of the sheep, Frank and Fred were of opinion that the pasture
was a good one.
[Illustration: RUINS ON COATI ISLAND.]
Coati contains a Temple of the Moon and a Palace of the Virgins; both
are greatly ruined, but sufficiently preserved to indicate their
original extent and character. Near the ancient landing-place there are
gates, and temples of purification similar to those on Titicaca Island,
and doubtless used for the same purposes. About midway of the island is
the principal group of ruins, and our friends spent several hours in
examining the walls and terraces, and studying what is left of the
architecture of the buildings. Only the lower story of the edifice
remains; the upper part appears to have been made of wood, and
disappeared long ago.
An inner court of the building is now used by the Indian shepherds as an
enclosure for their sheep at night, and when Frank and Fred entered it
one of the guardians of the flock was driving his charges out to
pasture. According to tradition, this court-yard was the corral where
the sacred llamas and vicunas were kept in the days of the Incas; from
their wool the royal garments and the hangings of the temple were made,
by the women who inhabited the palace near by.
The temple is elevated some distance above the lake; between the temple
and the edge of the water the ground slopes off in a series of terraces
carefully built of stone. Each terrace has a wall about breast-high
around its edge, and a person walking there ran no risk of falling down
the declivity. From one terrace to another there is a series of stone
steps, so that the ascent and descent were easy.
Sitting on the front of the upper terrace the travellers mused upon the
scenes of the past, and endeavored to picture the appearance of the
island in the days when the Incas were in the height of their power, and
the temples were crowded with pilgrims from all parts of the empire.
"These temples and palaces," said the Doctor, "are by no means the
finest monuments of the ancient Peruvians in the Titicaca basin. A
little beyond the southern extremity of the lake is the village of
Tiahuanaco, where the ruins are far more extensive than on either of the
islands."
"Mr. Squier calls Tiahuanaco the Baalbec of America," said Fred. "To
judge by his description of the remains he found there, the name is well
merited."
Frank had not yet read the account which Mr. Squier gives of his visit
to the spot. At his request Fred made a brief synopsis of the story.
"On his arrival," said Fred, "he was impressed with the great number of
finely cut stones that were built into the rudest edifices, or were used
for pavements. The church is mainly constructed of them, and the cross
in front of it stands on an ancient stone pedestal, which far surpasses
it in the excellence of its workmanship. On all sides are the relics of
antiquity adapted to the uses of the present time; Tiahuanaco has been
used as a quarry, from whence have been taken the finely cut and
polished stones for building all the churches and villages of the
valley, and even for the roads and bridges.
[Illustration: INDIANS CELEBRATING THE CHUNO, OR POTATO FESTIVAL.]
"He happened to arrive at the time the Indians were engaged in
celebrating the _chuno_, or potato festival; they were dancing in the
public square, beating on drums or tambourines, and wearing
head-coverings that resembled enormous umbrellas. Each group of men was
accompanied by several female dancers, the latter wearing hats with
broad, stiff brims, and ornamented above the brims with semicircular
representations of the rays of the rising sun, that closely resembled an
open fan. There were three of these semicircular pieces above the brim
of the hat, and each of the dancers wore a scarf over the left shoulder;
the scarf was of variegated colors, but the rest of the costume was
blue.
[Illustration: HEAD-DRESS OF INDIAN FEMALE DANCERS.]
"The dance was kept up all day and all night, and, as the whole
population took part in the festival, it was impossible for Mr. Squier
to hire the laborers he desired to assist in making his explorations.
The festival is a curious mingling of the customs of the ancient
Peruvians and of the modern church; it was under the control of the
priests of Tiahuanaco, and the ceremonials were so closely blended that
it was impossible to draw a dividing-line between them. The chuno dates
far back before the conquest by the Spaniards, and it is probable that
the early settlers found it to their advantage to combine it with some
of their own ceremonials.
"The ruins are about fifteen minutes walk from the village, and cover an
area of two or three miles. They are on a level plain, and consist of
several mounds of earth, one of them larger than any of the others, and
the remains of numerous buildings and enclosures. The most conspicuous
part of the ruins is about a mile square, and includes the large mound
just mentioned.
[Illustration: PLAN OF PART OF RUINS OF TIAHUANACO.]
"This mound is generally called 'The Fortress,' and was originally
terraced, each terrace being supported by a massive wall of cut stones,
and the top of the mound covered with stone structures of which
considerable portions are in their original places. Close by the mound
are the ruins of a building or enclosure known as 'The Temple,' which
was 445 feet long by 388 feet wide. The stones composing it are sunk
into the ground like gate-posts; the part that appears above the earth
varies from nine to fourteen feet in height, and the blocks are about
thirty inches thick. Mr. Squier calls this enclosure 'The American
Stonehenge,' from its resemblance to Stonehenge, one of the famous
monuments of England.
[Illustration: THE AMERICAN STONEHENGE.]
"Scattered in the vicinity are many highly finished stones, which seem
never to have been placed in the walls for which they were intended."
"How much like Baalbec!" exclaimed Frank. "You remember we found the
people using the stone from the temple for constructing their buildings,
and the greatest stone of all was in the quarries, and not quite
detached from the bed where it was hewn."
"Yes," chimed in the Doctor, "and we may compare this Peruvian
Tiahuanaco to the Egyptian Thebes and Karnak. What we find here is very
much like what we found in those old cities of the East."
"But I'm coming to a still closer comparison to Thebes and Baalbec,"
said Fred. "You remember the great stones of Baalbec, and how much we
wondered at them?"
Frank nodded assent.
[Illustration: FRONT VIEW OF MONOLITHIC DOORWAY.]
"Well, here in Peru," was the reply, "we find there was a doorway made
of a single stone, which is still standing, though it has been broken by
an earthquake, or by lightning--the natives say by the latter. Here are
the figures of its measurement, as given by Mr. Squier:
"Thirteen feet five inches long, seven feet two inches high above the
ground, and eighteen inches thick. Through the centre is a doorway,
four feet six inches high, and two feet nine inches wide. The upper
part is carved with figures in low relief, much like the sculpture we
saw in Egypt, and Mr. Squier says he does not believe there is a finer
piece of cutting in the same kind of stone on this or any other
continent.
[Illustration: SYMBOLICAL SLAB.]
"In another enclosure is a horizontal slab of stone about fourteen feet
square, with a deep cutting in the centre, which is supposed to have
something to do with the religious observance of the people who made it.
The building that contained it was constructed of blocks of stone
fourteen feet long, and of corresponding depth and thickness, and all
the work was performed with great care."
Frank asked what the Peruvians used for hewing the stone of which these
buildings were made.
"As far as we can learn," replied the Doctor, "they were unacquainted
with iron or steel; they were familiar with bronze, and some implements
of this metal have been found. They had no knowledge of gunpowder, or
other explosives, and it is not at all probable that they had any other
power than that of men. The blocks found at Tiahuanaco must have been
brought a considerable distance; they are of red sandstone,
slate-colored trachyte, and dark basalt, none of which are found in the
vicinity. There are cliffs of red sandstone about fifteen miles away,
while the other stones are not less than forty miles distant. The
conclusion is inevitable that the huge blocks in the ruins were
transported from the cliffs I have mentioned."
"Egypt again," said Frank. "The stone for the Great Pyramids was carried
across the Nile from the present site of Cairo, and the red granite
blocks at Thebes, Sakhara, and other places were floated down on boats
or rafts from the first cataract of the Nile."
[Illustration: TERRACE WALLS AND SCATTERED BLOCKS OF STONE.]
The conversation was brought to an end by a proposal from the Doctor to
descend the terraces to the shore of the lake, and return to the
steamer. With a few slips and falls they made their way down the broken
stairways, and were soon at the edge of the water. A balsa was obtained
from one of the Indians, and as there was no wind blowing they made the
trip over the water without mishap. Just at sundown they anchored as
near Puno as the steamer could go; the row-boat was waiting for them at
the anchorage, and, after a tortuous passage among the reeds, as before,
they were back again at their starting-point.
The morning after their arrival was naturally devoted to a discussion of
plans for continuing their journey. Frank and Fred wished to visit
Cuzco, the ancient capital of the Incas. Their journey to Titicaca
Island had roused their interest in the antiquities of Peru, and they
wished to learn more about them. Dr. Bronson said it would not be
feasible for them to go to that city in the time they had at their
disposal, as the distance was long and the roads were primitive. "It is
more than two hundred miles," said he, "from Puno to Cuzco; the route is
not practicable for wheeled vehicles, and I think we are hardly
enthusiastic enough to undertake the journey on mules or horses, for the
sake of seeing the remains of the Inca Empire."
The youths agreed with him, but determined to inform themselves
concerning the sights of the ancient capital of Peru. The Doctor went
out to make arrangements for their departure from Puno, and was gone two
or three hours. By reading the descriptions at hand, and from subsequent
conversations with persons who had been at Cuzco, they prepared the
following:
[Illustration: REMAINS OF PALACE AT CUZCO.]
"After Manco Capac founded the temples on Titicaca Island he went north
and founded the city of Cuzco. It is in a beautiful valley, elevated
about eleven thousand feet above the level of the sea, and is said to
have at the present time not far from fifty thousand inhabitants. It has
a large square in the centre, and the streets cross each other at right
angles. There are many fine buildings in Cuzco, but they are mostly of
modern construction; the old dwellings of the people exist no longer,
but some of the temples were converted into churches and convents. A few
of the ancient gateways were kept by the conquerors, and occasionally a
doorway and part of the wall of a house have been reserved for modern
uses.
[Illustration: INCA DOORWAY, CUZCO.]
"The great square of the ancient city was practically the _Plaza Mayor_
of the modern one, though a portion of it has been built upon. Two
small rivers running through ancient Cuzco were enclosed between high
walls and crossed by bridges formed of projecting stones; some of these
bridges are still in use, and the walls have not been displaced. Modern
engineers say the walls could not easily be improved, and the fact that
they have stood unharmed through centuries shows their substantial
character. At intervals there are steps leading down to the water, and
some of them have been deeply worn by the many thousands of feet that
have trodden there.
[Illustration: OLD BRIDGE AT CUZCO.]
"The city was on rough ground, and its builders were obliged to make
many terraces and remove inequalities in order to provide suitable sites
for their structures. In building their terraces they constructed walls
of the kind known as 'cyclopean,' and many of these walls form the lines
of the streets of to-day. We will explain that a 'cyclopean' wall is
made of stones of irregular shape and size, but all carefully fitted
together, like the scraps that form the pattern of a so-called
'crazy-quilt.' The resemblance to the Inca architecture in these walls
and in many other things is very noticeable, but there is no reason to
suppose that the two systems had a common origin.
[Illustration: COURT OF CONVENT, WITH ANCIENT FOUNTAIN.]
"The Convent of Santa Catalina was established on the site of the Palace
of the Virgins of the Sun; the nuns of the modern edifice may be said to
replace the vestals of the old. Part of the walls of the old palace were
retained, and enough remains of the building to indicate its character
very distinctly. The church and convent of Santo Domingo occupy the
Temple of the Sun, but the greater part of the walls have fallen, and
the present structure is without shape or intelligible design. Inside
the court-yard is preserved the fountain of the Incas, which ornamented
the ancient temple, but in these latter times has been consecrated to
baptismal purposes by the church.
[Illustration: CHURCH AND CONVENT OF SANTO DOMINGO, CUZCO.]
"And what do you suppose was once on the site of the great Cathedral of
Cuzco?
"It was here that the eighth Inca of Peru erected a building dedicated
to the festivals of the people; it was so large that the ancient
chronicles say a whole regiment could exercise beneath its roof. In this
building the troops of Gonzalez Pizarro barricaded themselves for a
battle with the Peruvians, which was to decide the fate of their
campaign; it was the last hope of the invaders, who had encountered
unexpected resistance, and defeat was equivalent to death.
"The battle was won by the Spaniards, and the Inca power was broken
forever. According to a legend sculptured over the doorway, St. James
descended from heaven, on a milk-white horse, and took part in the
contest for the overthrow of the heathen dominion and the establishment
of Christianity in South America.
[Illustration: TERRA-COTTA FIGURES, CUZCO.]
"A curious circumstance connected with the antiquities of Peru is the
extreme rarity of statues of stone or other material. Some have been
found, but not many; in Cuzco there are a few figures in terra cotta and
also in stone, but probably not twenty in all. The few that exist are
quite rude in character, and not at all comparable to the admirable
works of art which abounded in ancient Egypt. Two stone figures
representing animals in a sitting posture were taken from the ruins of
the Garden of the Sun; they are each about twenty-four inches high, and
the shape of the pedestals seems to indicate that they were originally
placed on the coping of a wall. If the sculptor made a true
representation of his model, it is easy to believe that the animal could
walk down his own throat without difficulty.
[Illustration: ANCIENT STONE SCULPTURE, CUZCO.]
"Cuzco was defended by a fortress on a high hill just in the rear of the
city. The fortress was a remarkable piece of work, and is said to have
been built in the twelfth century; it held the same relation to Cuzco
that 'The Rock' does to Gibraltar, or the Acropolis did to Athens. It
consists of terraces near the summit of the hill, seven hundred and
sixty-four feet above the grand square of the city, and of zigzag roads
leading from below. All the roads are made so that they can be easily
defended; the terraces are three in number, and have a total height of
sixty feet.
[Illustration: SECTION OF WALLS OF THE FORTRESS.]
"Military men who have examined the fortress say that the walls were
constructed quite in accordance with the best engineering science of
modern times; on its only assailable side the walls are provided with
salients, so that every point could be covered by a parallel fire from
the weapons of the defenders. The walls are composed of immense blocks
of blue limestone, and each salient has one of these at its end. In
some places the great stones are piled one above the other; one stone,
twenty-seven feet high, fourteen broad, and twelve in thickness, lies
upon another of almost the same dimensions. Blocks measuring fifteen
feet in length, twelve in width, and ten in thickness are common in the
outer walls!
"Turn to the description of the Temple of the Sun, at Baalbec, and see
how much the work of the Peruvians resembles that of the people of
ancient Palestine.
"Some of these stones were hewn from the hill not far from where they
are found, while others were brought from the cliffs three fourths of a
mile away. In the quarries at the cliffs there are several stones partly
hewn, and there are two roads still to be traced, along which the
blocks were drawn. The evidences are that the stones were roughly cut
at the quarries, then drawn along the roads, and fitted in their places
on arriving at the fortress.
[Illustration: SALIENT ANGLE OF FORTRESS.]
"To have a realizing sense of the size of the stones used in building
the fortress of Cuzco, look at the picture of one of the salient angles
of the wall, and the figure of the man leaning against it. Consider the
man to be of ordinary stature, and you can readily compute the height of
the stone.
[Illustration: ROAD LEADING TO FORTIFIED HILL.]
"In the neighborhood of Cuzco there are many other remains of palaces,
temples, and fortresses, but we have said enough to give you an idea of
what the ancient Peruvians left behind them. In some of the native
villages the houses are the same that were inhabited four or five
hundred years ago; the roofs have been renewed, but the walls remain
unchanged. In many instances the natives have erected hovels by the side
of the ancient houses, through their unwillingness to take the trouble
to renew the roofs, which had been destroyed by time and the elements.
[Illustration: ANCIENT DWELLING-HOUSE.]
"The roads which the Incas built have been mostly allowed to go to
decay, by their successors, though some parts of them are still in use.
The new ones are far inferior to the old, and nothing better
demonstrates the slovenly character of the invaders than a comparison of
their wretched paths through the mountains with the paved tracks of the
original possessors of the land. The Spaniards came in search of gold,
and did not intend remaining; circumstances kept them here, but they
were always looking for a speedy return to their native land, and made
no effort to improve or even to preserve what they found on their
arrival. Their descendants are still searching for treasures among the
palaces of the Incas, and a visitor to the ruins in and around Cuzco can
see, almost any day, men digging among the rubbish for the gold which is
supposed to be concealed there."
[Illustration: SPECIMEN OF CYCLOPEAN WALL.]
As the youths finished their account of the wonderful city of Cuzco and
its surroundings, the Doctor returned from his walk. They read to him
what they had written; he gave his approval, with an intimation that it
might be dull reading to some of their schoolmates, but was a necessary
part of a narrative of travels in Peru.
Fred suggested that anybody who did not like it was at liberty to skip a
few pages, till he reached something more interesting. Frank was of the
same opinion, and with this the manuscript was folded and laid away.
"I cannot obtain very definite information about the route we are to
travel," said Dr. Bronson, "as I can find nobody who has been over it.
Bolivia is without good roads, and though several plans have been
proposed and undertaken for making them, they have not amounted to much.
We shall have a rough journey, but I think we may get through without
accident or detention.
"We are to cross Lake Titicaca," continued the Doctor, "and enter
Bolivian territory. I have engaged a man to accompany us as far as we
wish him to go; he knows a part of the region we are to traverse, though
not all of it, but thinks he can learn enough as he goes along. Our
route will be through northern Bolivia, past the base of Sorata, the
grand mountain we have admired so much, and then down the eastern slope
of the Andes till we reach the waters of the Beni River.
"The Beni is a tributary of the Madeira, and the Madeira flows into the
Amazon. When we leave Puno to-morrow our watchword will be,
"TO THE AMAZON!"
[Illustration: ANCIENT SUN CIRCLE, SILLUSTANI, PERU.]