The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1844-08-06

the Pacific
A system Of civilization wholly uoinnue"eed .,
,n, with that Of Europe born on the soil, where
hourished, fashioned by the same circums' ancss
,hicb gave ii birth, adapted 10 peculiar race Of
len, and having an active tendency TO difference,
hat race, still more from other men, must always
orm an interesting object OF study. When that CIV
zalion has vanished from the face OF the earth, and
10 can become acquainted with II only by tradition
md The monuments II has left on the theatre oil It's
ormer greatness, our curiosity excited by tne dh-
;uty OF satisfying II, grows eager and Keen "eafe
,onscio us, also, that the time must come when our
,wn &c S, and manners, and laws, and institutions,
wall be things OF yesterdays and our sympathy iof
fallen greatness is intimately connected with sorio"
for our distant but unavoidable rum We derive
therefore, melancholy pleasure from the coniem-
platoon OF heiormer splendor and the present aDase
ment Of any powerful people
Peru was once the seat OF very extraordinary
civilization. il can ow scarcely be SAID TO have
ANY civilization al all. The contrast oil ITS Old WIN
its actual state striking and description oil the
former, based partly documents little IL al al
known, partly on a personal examination oil the
country as 1t stands is what VIC intend to pre-
sent to our readers.
Nance Capac, whose pride would acknowledge no
less ustrous ancestor than the sun, tounded the
empire OF Peru A. ID. 1925 Whence he ana ms
followers came is not known but the probability is
that Japan their original country. AT any rate,
certain it is, that, after high gales OF WIND, Juuks
have frequently been driven ashore on the western
coast OF America, which may indicate by whal
means that continent became originally inhabited
BE his derivation, however, what II may, Nance oa-
pac and his linesi established regulations
80 judicious and laws wise, governed win such
abiliy and reclaimed SO many Wild tribes from Say
rs their empire ex,epasd ndm sAf a thirty seven
e-~oor latitude, about four thousand miles in
straight line Its breadth varied from three hun
dred to one thousand miles, and its population was
estimated by Garcilaso de Vega at above ten mil
lions. According to statement made by Senior
Morales Duares, reported in Ell Dario de las Cor
ties OF the llth of January, l6l the taken
1913 by LoyaJsa, assisted by The Oidor Don Andres
Ziancas, and the Dominican friar Domingo Santo
Ihombs, gave for The total !. 225 900 souls so that
the population had already decreased nearly 2,0O0,-
OOO. he Guchua was the national lan2aag
throughout the empire of the Incas, and is to this
day spoken by majority of the Inhabitants of the
republic Of the Excuador Formerly the captain gem
erashp OF Quito aud in Peru as we'll by the in
ha6itans OF Santiago del Estero, midland province
of the Argentine pampas This last circumstance
proves that the domln of the incas extended very
lar TO the east, well as to the west of the Andes
These monarchs were hereditary, and their rule
partook something OF the patrlarchal character Un-
der the sway OF Twelve successive lncas Peru advanc
ed rapidly In the ars of peace and war; and prosI
ed Tor upwards OF five hundred years until the death
OF Huayna CoPac at Quito, in 1925, few months
after the Spaniards had made their first appearance
the coast Of Choco.
The Peruvian religi was an idolatry consisting
chiefly In its external observance Of the worship Of
the sun, as the visible agent of Pachacamac, the
soul or upholder OF the universe No sacrifice was
ever offered no worship raid, to this unknown First
Cause but he was, nevertheless, the object of in
ternai alteration, and the name of Pachacamac was
never pronounced without being accompanied by
signs OF profound veneraton. i he sun engrossed
the alteration OF the Peravans, though the moon was
revered as his wife and the Peiad.s with the other
Al n of ativah NV k.,a
considered as her handmaidens and servants. The
planet Venus was regarded as the page in waiting on
the sun thunder and lightning were his ministers.
i he rainbow, believed 10 be emanation from the
SUM- was adopted as the armorial bearing by the In
cas- and, as well as each of the heavenly bodies we
have mentioned, had temples respectively allotted
TO them IN the chambers OF the sun.
On the landing of Pizarro, the Peruyans were
found TO be far advanced IN arts, and in regulated
habns OF industry though ignorant of the use Of let
crs. mat they were an enterprsing is evinced
by the remains of their great public works which
IN point OF usefulness and durability, might have
competed With those of Greece and Rome.
The most remarkable OF these remains, which tho
author oil the present paper has himself seen, have
suffered more from the ropacty of the Spaniards in
their search Tor the precious metal than from the eff
fects OF time. Amongst the walls which have in
part escaped are those Of the Temple of the Sun at
Cuzco, upon which the convent Of Santo Domingo
a magnificent structure, is raised. The ROYAL Gar
dens, once adorned with animals birds insects trees
shrubs, flowers cvrn, &c, 10 massive gold and silver
al grouped IN natural order at present cultivated
with wheat and lucerne. Five noble fountains
within the precincts Of the temple were DESTROYED
by the Spanards for the sake of the golden pipes
through which II is said the water flowed from deep
underground channels.
The runs OF the vast fortress of Zazahuman
stand upon lofty hill on the north side of the CITY
which they overlook The walls are very thick
and IN many places in good pr, servation. They are
n nj lFtnt rxS,x
extraordinary magnitude, placed one upon another
without cement but fitted with such nicely as not to
admit OF The Insertion Of knife between them.
Entire streets formed out Of the walls of the old
houses oil Cuzco remain nearly they were prev Gus
to the conquest, and in one Of them is shown the
dwelling Of adivis, the companion of Pz,,ro =
The magnitude Of the stone blocks the variety of
their shapes and sizes, and the curious workmanship
they display, give to the city an Interesting aspect OF
antiquity which fills the mind Of the spectator with
surprise and yeneration.
The ruins Of the ancient fortress Of Oll,ntaitam
DO, nine leagues northeast from Cuzco are amongst
the most astonishing relics Of the art and grandeur
OF the ancient Peruvans. Walls of great height
ana oil curious masonry, rising, they recede one
above another, with their respective terre-pleins
clotbe the side of steep and rugged mountain the
top OF which is crowned by tower that nnst ba We
been ImPregnable. IL seems to have contained spa-
cous apartments, from which suberrancan pa ssagesl
now choked up with earth or rubbish led to several
outwofks erected at considerable distance on the
sides and almost inaccessible summis of neghborne
mountains or precipces. Other subterranesn work ks
conducted TO extensive plains nersectcd by the river
Tamoo, near the confluence of which with the Aqua
Ca'ente are situated the principal buildings and for
t'hcauons. he enormous, irrcgulsrIy shaped, yet
highly polished, masses Of rock Of which these struc-
lures are composed have evidently been conveyed
from quarry league stant on the opposite side of
the Aqua Caiiente. Two Of these stones, which |
ordered TO be measured In 1895. Of the follow
ing dimensions, namely, the thirteen feet eight
nve 'eet eight inches IN thickness and the other nine
ad s e' ~ ,ens-p Tour feet four inches j, width,
ana four feet in thickness. Ii should be addsd 49,
.ne ,auer lies midway between the quarry and Tam.
DO, having, perhaps been found too difficult of ,rons
port Wills, the other forms part of the tower.
almost surpasses belief that weights SO enormous
.ooIo nave pee" conveyed ACROSS The deep and rapd