Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1860-07-28
The meas Daushter--A Peruvian Legend.


From Hills Travels in Peru and Mexico
Huasca, the Inca of Peru, who reigned
at the beginning of the sixteenth century
and who was remarkable for his love of the
arts, especially those connected with the
improvement of bis capital, proclaimed that
whOsoever would find means of conveying
water with facility to his palace and to Cuz-
co, shonld receive 10 marriage his youngest
daughter, then beautiful girl in the first
bloom of wcmanhood This offer was no
sooner made, than young man appeared,
named HasSan, who declared himself capa.
BILE of performing the great work. He
was Immediately furnished with as many
men and all the materials which he thought
proper TO demand, and the work was com
menced.
While the work, however, was in pro.
gress, an incident occurred which damped
the ardor of the youth for tie accomplish.
ment of what he had undertaken, and seem
ed to overthrow all expectations of its ever
being completed Among the numerous
attendants upon the workmen for the pre-
paration of their food, and the care of the
camp in which they dwelt. there appeared
a girl of great beauty. who, while attend
ing upon her father, was observed by the
youthful engineer, who became so violently
enamored that his attention was distracted
and turned from the object upon which his
mind had hitherto been bent. He saw that
the accomplishment of the work be had un-
dertaken would result in his marriage with
the daughter of the Inca, and this though
accompanied by all the honors the Sover-
eign could beStow, would deprive him of
that which he valued more than life and
tie him to bride whom he had never seen
and had now ceased to desire to know.
Owing to this state of Hassan's mind,
neglect, languor and disorder reigned in the
encampment of tue workmen; which at first
seemed to every one to arise from con
viction on the part of the engineer. that
the accomplishment of the work was be
yond his power Sometime passed without
any change, during which Hsssan had ire
queht opportunities of meeting the young
attendant to whom he had become attach
ed This, however, was bye and bye re-
marked by the people in such manner al
to induce the young girl to retire and re
turn no more TO the camp-distracting still
more the mind o! the engineer, who was
unable to obtain any further information
concerning her, .,..............-......-
The confusion into which everything was
now thrown became known 10 the Inca who
soon learned, also, the real cause OF the
engineers default, and determined to take
his revenge by putting to death the subject
who had so grossly aud openly insulted his
Sovereign. The character however Of the
offence was such that Hassan was sent fol
before his execution, and appeared, guard
ed, in the presence Of Iuca, who sat upor
his throne, surrounded by bis mobiles Hu
asca happening to be a man of moderate
passions, asked the culprit, in the preseuc,
of his mobiles, whether he had anything {,
say before his execution in extenuatiOn G
the crime he had committed by treating hi
Sovereign With contempt. .s.,... ss il
To,this the young man replied, that h
had only to thank bis Sovereign for all the Fl
vors he had received, aud more especial
that he was about TO receive, which woul
place him beyond reach Of such sufferin
be had endured siuce he had become a.
quainted with the innocent cause of b
fortune. s-a 10 ss s1.1. .fa4 ea s.l Hs
AT the moment that the Inca was abOr
to commit him TO the tender mercies of tn
sxecutioners the girl we have mentiooe
suddenly appeared among the crowd OF NJ
bles, dressed as she had been in the cam
of the workmen, and rushing into the cen
ter exclaimed
Stay, Iuca Arrest the hand OF jus
tce for moment, while | put one qnesno
to the unfortunate cOlprit. ltshail oe sue
, as the Inca willnot disapproVe.' EaI'ap
I From the moment of this strange appar
fl tion until the demand Of the girl, there va
! not sound heard The whole OF the N
. bles present remained motionless and silen
4 Bot. had no embarrassment oveTwhelme