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

ome of them remain unobstl uced, and supply sum
ient water 10 impart great fertility 10 the valley
ere the vine, which IL extensively cultivated o"''
auas in ginh an elm OF ten years grown. ~"
sr underground aqueduc's exiena' OF ~nenoo ~
he head waters, 10 not known but the works oil 'he
peruviaas in this branch OF rurs economy ale wonder
MI Every acquisition TO territory was loli""ed ~
he oonsructoD ofazequiss these channels were CALI
3D. Their importance may bejudged from 'h's isetus'
they have become obst ucted land this hss
occurred in many plnces) there stretches paIehsa
ley al VIII re formerly fertile fields and meadows
la many provinces OF The intericr there arc u,ou"
taius on the sides Of which artificial terraces, isceo
with rough stone were constructed, resembling 'hose
hch ,uny he seen on some parts of the banks ofthe
Rhone These terraces rise one above ano'her 10
great elevation, and once produced subsistence i"i
large popa alton. They are now fol- the mosi par
uncuitvaed, o,erIun with useless heritage ana WIN
out inhabtant. -,
Al Cbilca twelve leagues south of Lima, village |
nhab ed to IA day exclusively by aborigines OF IN
mixed blood, there quadranguiar pats, containing
each an acre or half an acre OF ground. worthy
man no claims to be coateray descended from tue
Incas was the acae in 1912, and presented the a1-
thor of this paper with the edition OF Garcilasos
Concentrate X, aes which has been used ss an au-
,hor,y for good many of the particulars here gwen
bridges, at once the result and auAuia-
RES of civilization, we're not uncommon previous w
the conqu est The materials used were obtained nom
the fibtous leaves of the msguay and the same 10
the case the present day. The man cables are
made fas, either bank Of the river or mountain
torrent to large beam laid on the ground, and KEEP
in its place by couple of strong posts driven INTO Tue
ground nearly to their tops. Sometimes the cross
J beam is secured by being placed behind projecting
rocks through which holes are drilled 10 aunt oil 'e
! main cable being passed. These bridges vary IN
i length and width that across the Apurlmac, the
high-road from Lima to Cul's sy;J %unaIeu ana
forty feet long, and d to rings Of son. au, a ,ss
Tine year 1918, attempted to get one the
| held-p sces ! then commanded over the suspension
bridge of the Mayo in Chile, 300 feet in length the
Gable being made of thongs Of bullock hide The
carriage unlim IeTed and drag-ropes fastened to
the centre Of the bridge which described inverted
arch and to assist in dragging up the opposite half
| 9 slope of the bridge The trail of carriage was
held up by two gur ners, who soon, however, losing
tie'r equilibrium, the gun upset and hung by the
| hong ballusirade. The platform of the bridge
CURED 80 gicat an inclination that it feared for
s.me time that all il would be precipitaed into The
tdreDt which rolled and foaIned 60 feet below. As
smaoce, however was speedily sent to us by the
gneralin-chlef who was spectator of the occur
re,ce, when the gun and carriage was soon dsmount-
| ed and convey ed TO the opposite bank.
q many places thick rope merely, or thong of
buls hide, is thrown across roaring torrent, often
| tims several hundred feet below sling is sus-
penied to the rope which as seat to the ad-
venurous passenger, who with both hands grapplcs
the ope and glides over assisted by some person on
the opposite bank, who haols line previously fas-
tened 10 the sling, or else works himself across.
| h"'SmyoCh uVYucuu1, ny HibHt as we'll as Qay,
passed over mountain torrents in this manner
Anearly result of any conquest performed BY the
lncas, was a census of their newly acquired subjects
Having named Governors and teachers of the wor-
ship OF the Sun, provincial return was made in
qulpposof the quantities of meadow-land upland
lowlaD(, arabic land, inhertances mines salt
ground fountains, lakes, rivers, Indigenous fruit
trees, cattle, &c &c. Another return was ordered
for each district and third return of the property
of each individual. A lust distribution was then
| al rieto tod ia.
ments clothing, food, &c. to make the most of their
| property under the new arrangement At the same
tine they were compelled clearly to understand the
nat're and extent of their public duties. Landmarks
WEIR put, and names given 10 those places rivers
woods, hills, lIama-waks and fountains, which had
Deioe received no names To facilitate intercourse
between the towns, roads were made. OF these the
two most celebrated were the coast road and the
mountain road from Cuzco to Quito each about 500
leagues in length. Early Spanish writers describe
themhs exceeding the seven wonders of the world
On slols commanding extensive views, an area
reached by flights Of steps cut in the rocks, was
cleared as a resting-place for the lncas. Several
causeWays, forming originally part of the mountain
road, stili exist Baron de Humboldt speakiny of
one OF then, compares it to the fine Roman roads of
Italy or Span,
Enough ia. perhaps now been said OF the wosLs
| OF The Perlyians TO demonstrate the opulence and
power Of the Incas. Although of The genuine hiso-
\ ry OF Peru, under the Incarial sceptre much is
wanting; records were Systematically kept by means
OF qupos or punches Of knoted Irvine of divers CO.
LORE, and historical events Systematically taught
TO the higher classes.
| This curious substitute for letters had probably
been brtught to all the perfection of which ii was
susceptible, when il was suddenly lost and the re-
cords OF the nation persisted with the nation ITSELF
on the ,rrival of the Spaniards.
| Iheword quipu quippo, as IT is usually written
signihts TO not, and IN iiguraive sense 10 reckon
for nunbcrs and quantities were thereby summed IN
The quiPpos seemed also to preserve the memory Of
past occurrences and to answer other purposes 10
which letters are applicable. A hank or hunch of
quipp6 was composed Of pendant strings Each
string N9' about twenty -fve inches long made of
three Or bur threads twisted tightly as whip-cord
and resembling IN some respects The grde worn by
FRANCISCAN friars. To the main strings were s,s
pended aorter lengths of supernumerary threads
serving 10 note exceptions to general rules, and 10
make kind OF marginal observations. Different
colors rpresen, thngs-for instance yellow
stood ~ gold, white Tor silver rcd for the soldery
&c Cforiess things were enumerated in a fixed
order, determined by their relative importance as
Indian corn, barley, peas, sc. Among warlike
wespot, the lance claimed precedency after
VIII oh ioilowed the bow and arrow, the club &C.
Accouts oil The revenue receipts and the progress of
popualon also were kept by of quippos and de-
| hVeree ~ every moon. In making out the annual
ceusutirom the monthly ones the knots in one ST ing
gave be number OF males above seventy wears of !
age, sother string those above sixty and So on the
femaA were reckoped distinctly; the numbers ~
widoe and widowers we're shown by knots i, ,he
superumerary threads.
buthe greatest difficulty experienced in rep-
reseuing abstract ideas, which, however was cfec,
ed u ingenious combinations of knots Histories
weH~tten 10 inns manner, coniainng not only de-
taspf facts but reflections also Il is not tb.re,re
bechse annals had not been regularly kept that the
accounts we possess OF ancient Peru are defective
butia'her because the first conquerors and their i'm
mea'e successors were for the most part regardless
| OF every pursuit bet that OF gold and glory
1he inoDnsiderate zeal of the prjests contr;h,,ul
aso to thedestruc,on Of the annals of past events
ard knoaledgc of tho stringed alphabet was con-
seQuen,y S't, ar only imperfcctly retained in The
OF harvesis were too insignificant, To tempt rapa ity
o,wefs hidden amid the mountains rocks, or on Ia
ns-lands, 100 distant difficult of access 10 renav