The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1848-08-04

ROADS OF THE ANCIENT PERUvIANS.--Ine
public works Of the Peruvians are among the
most magnificent and wonderful that have ev-
er existed on the earth. The traveller still finds
the remains of temples, fortresses, t.rraced
mountains, great military roads, aqueducts, and
other public works, which astonish him by
their number, the massive character OF the ma
terials. and the granduer of the designs. Among
these their great roads were probably the most
remarkable. There are many of these roads.
traversing the different parts of the kingdom;
but the most considerable were the two which
extended from Quito to Cuzo, and thence South
towards Chill. One of these roads passed over
the grand plateau, and the other along the low
land on the borders of the ocean. The former
was much the most difficult achievement, and
no doubt work of far greater labor than the
road over The Alps. 1t was carried over path
less wastes, buried in snow; galleries were cut
for leagues through living rocks, rivers and
frightful chasms were passed by means Of
bridges which swung suspended in the air;
precipices were scaled by stairways cut in
the native bed; ravines Of hideous depth were
filled up with solid masonry; in short, all the
difficulties which beset wild and mountain
Gus country, and which might appal the most
courageous engineer of modern times, were en-
countered and successfully overcome. The
leugth of this road is variously estimated from
fifteen hundred to two thousand miles. Ifwa!
built of heavy flags OF freestone, and i'm some
parts at least, covered with bituminous ce
ment, which time made harder than the stone
L itself In some places where the ravines were
filled up with masonry, the mountain torrents
wearing on it for ages, have forced a passage
Through the base, and left the superintendent
mass still spanning the valley like an arch.
Ingenious bridges, made of the tough fibre,
of the magney, were thrown over the boldest
of the streams. These osiers were woven into
cables of the thickness of mans body. These
huge ropes, when stretched across the water
were secured in immense buttresses Of stone
raised on the opposite banks. Several of these
cables, bound together, formed bridge, which
when covered with plank, and defended by /;
railing afforded safe passage for the traveller
The length of THESE aerial bridges. sometime,
exceeding two hundred feet, caused them tC
dip with an alarming inclination towards the
center, while the motion given by the travel
Ter occasioned an oscillation still more fright
full, as his eye wandered over the dark abyss o.
waters, which foamed and tumbled many faith
oms beneath. Yet those light fabrics were
crossed without fear by the Peruvians, and are
still retained by the Spaniards ever those deep
and impetuous streams which are impossible
by other means?
The other great road Of the Incas, lay through
the level country between the Andes and the
ocean. The land was low and sandy, but the
road was over a causeway, raised on high
embankment of earth, defended OH either side
by parapet OF clay, aud trees and ordoriferous
shrubs were planted along the margin, RECALLING
the sense of the traveller with their perfumes
and refreshing him BY their shade.
All along these highways, caravansaries. OF
tambos, as they were called, were erected, al
the distance OF ten or twelve miles from each
other, for the accommodation of travellers
Some Of these buildings were on an extensive
scale, consisting of a fortress, barracks, and
other military works. These were evidently
intended for the accommodation of the impe
rial armies, when on their march through the
country. These costly and admirable works
have been left by the Spaniards to fall into de,
cay, but their broken ruins still bear evidence
of their primitive grandeur.