New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-02-16
PERUVIAN ARCH ZOOLOGY.

PERU.
There was full attendance of members al
the regular monthly meeting of the American Eeograpn
oal and Statistical Society. held last evening The Pres
ident OF the Society Hon Charles DAILY presented
ON behalf of DR. Curtis several fine photographs
of the recent eclipse Of the sun Judge DAILY requested
members TO present TO the Society such useui DOORS
as they could spare from their libraries remakng lhat
the Society recognized in every country but our OWL
and that more books received from foreign societies
than from American citizens The Hon. T. G.. Squier was
then introduced and after presenting TO the Society
copy of map OF the Isthmuses of Panama and Darlen
made by Gov Lopez IN 1882 read the following paper on
the geography and ancient monuments OF Peru
MT squer opened by indicating the course OF his travels
In Peru running over the greater part Of two years OK
planning that his investigations were mainly directed 10
the ancient monuments and the archaOOgyo the country
and continued Geography secondary Op)ect, ana
did not receive very close attention except wheelt PORE
or was supposed by me to bearon Questions
not very striking in character, may have Importance IN
correcting existing maps ana increasing ho sum l;tfia
geographical Information concerning country niue
known aud very mperectly delineatcd need not say
that no portion OF the globe las holder or more Marked
geographical and typographical features than Peru In
10 part the world does nature assume grander more
imposing varied forms. Along the Pacific coast
belt OF desert utesected here and there by narrow
valleys wonderful fertility or relieved near the noun
tan by not less fertile succeeding this oell I'D
Land declyty Of the COrdlera. notched by goges
through flow Of varying SIZE fed by melt
the rains that fall for part OF the year. III
the interior On the coast, except as remarkable mee
geological phenomenon, ram DcNtl lbls-d ldCt
In marked manner ON the aboriginal archtectuie o'
that region Ascending the escarpment oil mountains
Grlsting with snowy and volcanic peaks. and often
spreading out in broken cold and arid plains on PooS
This broad and frozen belt called Fl Despobado varying
1900 TO 1900 feet In hight IS succeeded IN lio
south Peru and Bolivia by the great terrestrial basin
of Lakes rucaca and Aulagas which Is c0mpieey smut
in by the Andes and the Cordllera Above, or to the
norhward this, the two separate again. FORM
ing the vast Andean Plateau the IhDet OF AhleIloa
deeply grooved by streams which all ma their way east
ward into the Amazon
Lake teaca from It's size altitude and relation to the
extraordinary terrestrial basin TO which IL gives ao
and in which its conspicuous feature perhaps the
remarkable body Of water IN The world II IS long
irregular oval IN shape, with onehh OF It's area bealy
cut on by the opposing pennsnas OF GoPaeSOaa p au
and its greatest width between AZ ana 30 miles US mean
level Y 4 feet above the but varies niue WIN
d me most spicnons points ON its shores we're very
accurately fixed by Mr. j. Il. Pentiand former British
Consul General in BOLIVIA VINO visited II Ill 1879 90 anu
Thc eastern or Bolivian shore Of the lake is abrupt the
The western and southern shores however are relatively
III low and level and the water mere especay III Tue oeas
aud rushes. among which myrlads Of wateriG%ls
low grounds are still marshy and the roads
are carried them on stone causeways OF
origin. fall OF ten feet in the mean ieHeI OF lle
lake would perhaps lessen its by onehh IL would
lay bare most Of the large bay OF Puno ana very large
part of the bays OF Ilqnna ana Guaqn ~ easy 10 sec
That the lake covered much larger area imam IL
now occupies IL not be supposed however, that
the lake is generally shallow on me contrary II Is IN
many places very deep, sOundings being beyond the
a
The prevailing winds the lake are from the north
east. they often blow with great force when the
waves roll in its western and southern shores with
something Of The force and majesty OF those OF the ocean
Severe storms are not unfrequeni rendering navigation
the fr J0saS RATS OF OtOrd reeds always slow
aud preeariOus, exceedingly dangerous Great Dut mis-
directed efforts been made TO place steamers on The
lake. portions small OF iron have been for
years in the town Of Puno A great drawback to
their success Will the Of fuel Of which there is
very little in the shape of stunted qUeHa wild olive
trees growing ON the more sheltered parts of the islands
Was however shown some specimens OI very SOOd Dtu
nOus coal said 10 have been found on the Peninsula OF
COpacabsna but unable visit the alleged deposit.
Lake Tlticaca has several considerable bays, OF which
Hose OF PunO. Huancane ana Acbacache are the pnc
iubitahle inhabited viz: Ainauten6 Taqueii Soto
IIticaca Coat, CampanaTiO. Taquar. aud Aputo. or
these the largest is Tticaca hgh and bare ragged i'm
outline rugged IN surface, six miles long by between
three and four miles III breadth
Thus was the sacred island par etceenes Of Peru To
by their descendants IN profound veHeraton. Accord
Ing to tradition, Nance Capac and Mama Della, his wife
aud sister, children Of the sun aud commissioned by
luminay, started hence their errand Of benecence
reduce under government and instruct in religion and
Nance Capac bore golden wand aud was directed to
travel nOrhward until he should reach the spot where
rod would sink into the ground and there fix the
scat OF ms empire He Travelled slowly along the
shore of the lake, through the broad and bleak
Puma lands up the Valley Of the Rio Pucura to the Lake
o La Raya, where the basin Of Tcaca ends and whence
the waters Of the RIO Ycanota course to
twell the Amazon. He descended the valley OF that
ryer until he reached the spot where Cuzco stands
seat aud here in time rose the City Of the sun the CAPT
I'll Of his empire. the shrine OF religion aud the center of
Upon this island the traditional birthplace Of the
meas. still the remains or temple OF the SUM-
Of priests, royal palace aud other evidences
OF Inca civilization II easy ind the shallow cave
under huge shelf Of sandstone, where Nance Capac
took shelter until he received high commission.
winch was venerated beyond any object In the Inca
Empire. In the ana sheltered nook Of the
island is garden Of the Incas, with its baths and its
fountains sti flowing with svery sheen and murmur
Not far from TticacI the Island Of COatisacred 10
the moon-on which stands the famous Palace OF the
Virgins OF the SUM- built around TWO shrues dedicated
the and the respectively, and which is OF
aboriginal architecture IL America The Island OF Soto
the Isle OF Bcntence 10 when resort had
fasting aud humiliation In common with all the other
While speaking of the source of the Amazon, may
perhaps be INDUCED in observations that
great river, and the plans and attempts that have
been recently made to utilize it by the people dwelling
which Il drains within the circle OF colonization aud
modern development The Amazon. it is called on
the spot, FL AuazOnas, understood 10 be formed by
the union Of the great rivers Marahon and Ucaya near
the Peruvian establishment Oh Naula; II nag oeeh a
question which Of these streams may De considered as
Tie RIO Madre, or main riyer ana whether that name
should be gwen the longest stream, having It's rise
iurthest from the point on Junction, OF 10 lat wnIGn
carries the greatest volume or water. AS regards
MaTanou by several hundreds Of miles whether its
longest branch be the Urubamba or NilcamayO,
rising IN the Lake OF La RaYa, or the Apnrimac,
rising the Province Cayoma, Department OF Arequpa.
As regards volume we can only accept the evidence OF
those who have had opportunities Of making cOmpar
Our latest authority on this, as on some other n-
tcrcstng points Santiago Tayara, member OF Hy
Geographic Commission sent out In 1868 by the Peruvian
Government. After reaching Naud, at the junction OF
the Marathon and the Ucaya, he writes: The Marathon
Is not the stream OF the Amazon. To deserve that
distinction IL should have greater length and greater
volume than the Ucayal has neither and leaves the
latter bear without dispute the title OF Rio Madre del
The Ucayal besides the interest attaching to it the
RIO Madre del ANazOnas has lately been invested with
special Importance through the active eNRiora-
by the Government Of that Republic and by
enterprisiDg and adventurous lhdlVlduals' IL mas
long been the dream Of Peru, but more especially
suce the introduction OF steam, 10 IN some way utlhe
the Aszosn waters 5y esaGsnng iat S9 ie
OF the Peruvian interior and the Atlantic aud Europe