the centre of the town, and from it led off four | served in the open air. The public baths (armagreat streets in the direction of the cardinal points. nahuasi) attracted attention by their exterior elegance, and rich interior decorations and furniture. The bathing tubs, lined with beautiful cement resembling marble, were supplied with water from figures of marble, basalt, gold, or silver, in the form of wild beasts, birds, and other animals. In each of these baths were many small chambers, probably designed for in stone and metal. But although there are numerous thermal springs in Peru, they do not seem to have been made use of for bathing purposes. Among the ruins of the ancient towns in the departments of Junin and Ayacucho are the remains of dwellings of peculiar construction. Each one is square, sixteen or eighteen feet in height, with an interior diameter of six feet. The walls are a foot and a half thick, and upon the southern or western side pierced by a door-dressing rooms, which were adorned with statues way, or rather opening, a foot and a half high and two feet wide. This leads to the first or lower room, which is five or six feet in height. The walls are naked, but sometimes have little niches, which seem to have been used as shelves, whereon to place articles of food, jars, and other objects of use. The roof of this room is of flat stones, with an aperture in the centre two feet in diameter, leading to a superior room, similar to the first, but lighted with little windows resembling loop-holes. It is roofed like the first, and above it is still a third room or story, covered by a roof of broad flag-stones, but lower than the others, and perhaps designed to receive provisions. It seems probable that the second room was used as a dormitory, the opening in the floor being covered by a large flat stone-one of this kind being invariably found in the apart-ings of Peru had an imposing appearance, like ment. The lower story or room seems to have been used for the purposes of ordinary occupation and a kitchen. The door was closed by a heavy stone in the interior. The floor of one of these structures was excavated by a recent traveler, who found, at a slight depth, various articles of pottery, and some human bones. PUBLIC EDIFICES. The royal palaces were numerous; there were not less than two hundred of them on the road from Cuzco to Quito. They were not confined to the capitals or provinces, but were often built in the smaller towns, and in beautiful situations in the country. Some were very sumptuous: built of marble and other stones, worked in a superior manner: othere were very simple, and in appearance not superior to the tambos. Most of the more magnificent ones were built by the Inca Huaynacapac, who had a predilection for architecture, toward the close of the fifteenth century. Seen from a distance, none of the public build the teocallis of Mexico and Central America, because, although covering a considerable space of ground, they were low, seldom reaching beyond two or two and a half stories in height, and were roofed with thatch. The walls, too, although often admirable for the accurate fitting and high polish of the stones composing them, were too simple for effect, being without columns. cornices, reliefs, or other architectural ornaments. The entrance to these edifices was by a wide opening upon the eastern side, which was never arched, although sometimes approaching the Egyptian style in being narrower at the top than the bottom. Dr. Von Tschudi informs us, that it is a general error among writers, that the Peruvians were unacquainted with arches and vaults, "for in many of the huacas of stone we find vaulting of a superior order. It seems that they had the same method of constructing them which the Indians now make use of in building the vaults of their smelting furnaces: that is to form the arch over an adobe model of the size and shape desired. In some of the larger edifices," this author continues, we find traces of the arch, but its application seems to have been exceedingly limited." The public edifices were of various kinds : the tambos or royal taverns, the store-houses, houses of public amusement, the baths, palaces of the Incas, monasteries, temples, and fortresses. The first of these, the tambos, were buildings destitute of architectural skill, built of rough stones or adobes, and inclosing an inner court of large size. In the midst of this court-yard was a high square structure, which answered the purpose of a watch-tower. These edifices had special apartments for the use of the Incas when traveling, and others for the soldiers of the army. They could accommodate from three to five thousand men, and were placed at easy distances of five or six leagues apart. The number in the empire was not far from four thousand. The royal store-houses were much like the tambos in their construction, excepting that there was a little fortress in the court-yard instead of a tower, in which a small garrison was constantly maintained. Erected in the immediate neighborhood of the principal curacas, they were devoted to receiving the tribute of the provinces, and the arms and supplies collected for the army.swering the purpose of shelves. In the finer The arenas or theatres adjoined the public squares, and were chiefly distinguished for their size. They were buildings of but four walls and a roof; a sort of covered plaza, in which games and the public festivals were celebrated, when the rains prevented them from being ob 66 The interiors of the palaces were more complicated and interesting, and consisted of several large and a multitude of small apartments, the walls of which were often decorated with reliefs, niches filled with statues, and projections an structures the walls were entirely covered with small plates of gold and silver, and the floors of some of the rooms were literally plated with these metals, or elegantly paved, in mosaic, with marble of various colors. "Upon the walls," says Garcilasso, "they imitated all the plants and vines of their country so well that they appeared to grow there; and wrought among them birds, butterflies, and snakes large and small, which appeared to run and twine about them as if suspended in the air." The convents, or mansions of the Virgins of the Sun (Pasna huasi), were very large buildings, similar to the royal hostleries, and surrounded by high walls. The whole number in the empire amounted to twenty or twenty-five, and some of them contained as many as a thousand persons. But the temples presented the best examples of Peruvian architecture, and among these the temples of the Sun were most remarkable. They were of three classes. Those of the first order had seven sections or divisions communicating interiorly. The principal division occupied the centre of the structure, and was dedicated to Inti, or the Sun. It had a broad door-way opening to the east, and was richest of all in its decorations. The second division was sacred to Mama Quilla, the Moon; the third to Coyllur, the Stars; the fourth to Illapa, the Lightning; the fifth to Ckuichi, the Rainbow; the sixth was devoted to the high priest and the assemblages for deliberation of priests of the Inca blood, and the seventh to those attached to the service of the temple. Besides these chapels, there were a number of small rooms for the servants of the temple generally. The temples of the Sun of the second class had only two principal parts, that of the luminary itself, and that of the Moon; while those of the third order had only a single chapel, dedicated to the Sun. Among the temples, that of the Sun at Cuzco was without doubt the most magnificent. It was hardly less celebrated for its architecture than for its riches, and the few remains which have descended to us fully sustain the assertion of the early chroniclers that it was the "most wonderful temple of the New World." The accompanying engraving represents a part of the foundations of the temple, now surmounted by a convent of Dominican friars. In the language of Peru, this temple was called Inti-huasi, or House of the Sun, and the ward of the city in which it was built Coricancha, Place of Gold. It covered a considerable area, of upward of four hundred paces in circuit, and was entirely surrounded by a strong wall, two stages high, composed, as was the whole edifice, of large blocks of stone, accurately joined, and highly polished. This wall was surmounted by a kind of cornice or border of gold, a palm and a half broad, let in the stones. The especial sanctuary of the Sun, as we have already said, had a doorway opening toward the east. It was ceiled with cotton cloth of primrose hue, bordered with various and brilliant colors, which vailed the straw roof. A golden band bordered the walls, inside and out, where they joined the roof; and the inner walls were literally covered with plates of gold. This metal was called "the tears of the Sun," and was especially sacred to that luminary. Upon the western walls of the sanctuary, and facing the entrance, was the image of the Sun, made of a single great plate of gold, and representing a human face, surrounded with rays, heavily crusted with emeralds and other precious stones.* On both sides of the image were placed the embalmed bodies of the Incas, each seated upon a chair of gold. The chapel of the Moon was similar to that of the Sun, except that its ornaments were of silver, and that the image of that luminary on the wall had the face of a woman. Here were placed the embalmed bodies of the wives of the Incas. The chapel dedicated to the Stars resembled that of the Moon: it had a golden door, and was hung with cloth, spangled with stars. The chapel of the Lightning was ornamented with gold, and that of the Rainbow had the arch of promise brilliantly painted on its walls. "All the plate, the ornaments, the utensils of every description appropriated to the uses of religion, were of gold or silver. Twelve immense vases of the latter metal stood on the floor of the great saloon, filled with grain of the Indian corn: the censers for the perfumes, the ewers which held the water for sacrifice, the pipes which conducted it through subterraneous channels into the buildings, the reservoir that received it, even the agricultural implements used in the gardens of the temple, were all of the same rich materials. The gardens, like those described belonging to the royal palaces, sparkled with gold and silver, and various imitations of the vegetable kingdom. Animals also were to be found there among which the llama with its golden fleece was most conspicuous-executed in the same style, and with a degree of skill which in this instance probably did not surpass the excellence of the material." Besides the temples of the Sun, there were others dedicated to different divinities, which were unlike in their construction. Cieza de Leon mentions one in the island of Lampana, dedicated to the terrible Tumpal, God of War, which was made of black stone. Its interior was entirely dark, and the walls covered with horrible paintings. In it was an altar, upon which human sacrifices were made. There were still other temples, at Pachacamac and Tiaguanico, supposed to have been built before the foundation of the Inca dynasty, of which we shall speak when we come to describe the ancient monuments of Peru. FORTIFICATIONS. The system of fortification of the Peruvians, considering the weapons in use among them, displayed much military judgment and skill. The pucaras, or forts, in respect of position, were always well-chosen, and the natural advantages of the place invariably turned to good account. The most remarkable of these works was that of the capital. and it deserves to rank among the most marvelous results of the brute force of man. Tradition refers its commencement to the end of the 14th century, under the reign of the Inca Pachacutec. It was built upon a steep hill, called Sacsahuaman, a little to the north of the city of Cuzco. The declivity of this hill on the side of the town is very abrupt, and was defended by only a single wall, about a thousand feet in length. Upon the north, the slope was gentle, and this side, being most exposed, was defended by three walls, one within another, each enfiladed by bastions projecting thirty yards beyond the line. The remains of these outer walls are shown in the accompanying engraving. (Fig. 4.) FIG. 4.-REMAINS OF OUTER WALLS OF THE FORTRESS OF CUZCO. The walls of this fortress, like those of most twenty-two broad, and six thick, and raised in of the Peruvian edifices were Cyclopean in structure. The stones were rough, and only worked at the points of junction, and for the breadth of the hand on their face, so that the polished lines of the joints presented a pleasing appearance. The size of the stones was astonishing; some were not less than fifty feet long, According to the Padres Acosta and Calancha, this figure of the Sun fell to the lot of Captain Sierra in the distribution of the spoils of the temple, who gambled it away in a single night. Hence in Peru it is common for a gambler, in expressing his determination and perseverance, to say, "I shall play the Sun before I go." VOL. VII.-No. 37.-B the wall midway from its base to its summit. The subjoined engraving (Fig. 5), presenting an end view of the walls, illustrates their construction. In each of the walls was a narrow entrance, which could be closed with a single stone. But these walls did not constitute the entire strength of the fortress. Within them, were four smaller forts or strongholds, two round and two square, and destined to receive the royal family, the priests, and the treasures of the empire, in times of danger. Subterranean passages led from these to the palace of the Inca, and the FIG. 5.-END VIEW OF THE WALLS OF THE FORTRESS OF CUZCO. temple of the Sun, so arranged that they could markable. They are lined with flat stones, from be closed on the inside with vast curtains of stone. The fortresses of the empire were not all of the same character, but varied in form and size according to the circumstances of the case. Some were of large dimensions, and inclosed cultivated grounds, for the support of their garrisons, while others were mere towers. Of the latter character is the tower of Chupan, situated on the banks of the Marañon, upon the edge of a high, abrupt precipice, and entirely commanding the road at its feet. See Fig. 6. FIG. 6.-TOWER OF CHUPAN. AQUEDUCTS. The hydraulic works of the ancient Peruvians merit our attention alike from their admirable construction, their extent, and their usefulness. In all these respects they were unsurpassed by any similar works of ancient or modern times. They were sometimes mere open cuts, but were generally subterranean-and of such solid construction that many of them are still in perfect order. Among them, those in the valley of Nasca, which give it rare fertility, are most re four to six feet long, and three broad, accurately joined the interior height of the passage being from six to eight feet. One built by the Inca Viracocha, led from the high grounds of Parco to Rucanas, a distance of seventy-five miles; and another traversed almost all Contisuya, and extended, from north to south, more than four hundred and fifty miles, running along the summits of the highest hills, and terminating at Quechuas. Old Garcilasso says of these aqueducts, "They may well be compared to the miraculous fabrics which have been the works of mighty princes who have left their prodigious monuments of ostentation to be admired in future ages; for we ought to consider that these waters had their sources in high mountains, and were carried over craggy rocks, and almost inaccessible passages; and to make these ways plane, they had no help of instruments forged of steel or iron, such as pickaxes and sledges, nor were acquainted with the use of arches to convey the water on the level from one precipice to another, but were obliged to trace around the mountains, until they found ways and passages of the same height and level with the springs." BRIDGES. The bridges constructed by the Peruvians were exceedingly simple, but well adapted for passing those rapid streams which rush down from the Andes, and defy the skill of the modern engineer. They consisted of strong cables of the cabuya or of twisted raw hide, stretched from one bank to the other, something after the style of the suspension bridges of our times. Poles were lashed across transversely, covered with branches, and these again covered with earth and stones, so as to form a solid floor. Other cables extended along the sides which were interwoven with limbs of trees, forming a kind of wicker balustrade. In some cases the mode of transit was in a species of basket or car, suspended on a single cable, and drawn from side to side, with ropes. It would appear at first glance that bridges of this description could not be very lasting, yet a few still exist which are said to have been constructed under the Incas, more than three hundred years ago. Be this as it may, the modern inhabitants of some parts of Peru and Chili, still use the same means of passing their torrent rivers. PUBLIC ROADS. Perhaps the most glorious monuments of the civilization of the Peruvians were the public or royal roads, extending from the capital to the remotest parts of the empire. Their remains are still most impressive, both from their extent and the amount of labor necessarily involved in their construction; and in contemplating them we know not which most to admire, the scope of their projectors, the power and constancy of the Incas who carried them to a completion, or the patience of the people who constructed them under all the obstacles resulting from the topography of the country, and from imperfect means of execution. They built these roads in deserts, among moving sands reflecting the fierce rays of a tropical sun; they broke down rocks, graded precipices, leveled hills, and filled up valleys without the assistance of powder or of instruments of iron; they crossed lakes, marshes, and rivers, and, without the aid of the compass, followed direct courses in forests of eternal shade, -they did, in short, what even now, with all of modern knowledge and means of action, would be worthy of the most powerful nations of the globe. One of the principal of these roads extended from Cuzco to the sea, and the other ran along the crest of the Cordilleras from one end of the empire to the other-their lengths, with their branches, being from 2000 to 4000 miles. Modern travelers compare them, in respect of structure, to the best works of the kind in any part of the world. In ascending mountains too steep to admit of grading, broad steps were cut in the solid rocks, while the ravines and hollows were filled with heavy embankments, flanked with parapets, and planted with shade-trees and fragrant shrubs. They were from eighteen to twenty-five Castilian feet broad, and were paved with immense blocks of stone, sometimes covered with a flooring of asphaltum. At regular distances on these roads were erected buildings On vocation, and had each their allotted station, between which and the next it was their duty to speed along at a certain pace with the message, dispatch, or parcel intrusted to their care. drawing near to the station at which they had to transmit the message to the next courier, who was then to carry it further, they were to give a signal of their approach, in order that the other might be in readiness to receive the missive, and no time be lost; and thus it is said that messages were forwarded at the rate of 150 miles a day." INSTRUMENTS OF COPPER. It is somewhat remarkable that, while the Peruvians devised means for working stones and other substances much more obstinate, they failed in discovering tools capable of separating with facility the tenacious fibres of wood. This material was therefore little used by them for common purposes. They had a species of ax made of copper alloyed with tin, and had chisels of the same material, but were unacquainted for the accommodation of travelers, which we with the saw. Two of the knives are reprehave already described under the name of tam-sented in the preceding engraving. The alloy bos. "To these conveniences were added the establishment of a system of posts, by which messages might be transmitted from one extremity of the Inca's dominions to the other in an incredibly short time. The service of the posts was performed by runners-for the Peruvians possessed no domestic animal swifter of foot than man-stationed in small buildings, likewise erected at easy distances from each other, all along the principal roads. These messengers or chasquis, as they were termed, wore a peculiar uniform, were trained to their particular FIG. 8-PERUVIAN TWEEZERS OF COPPER. |