New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-10-20
EXPLORATIONS IN PERU.
LETTER FROM PROF.. ORToN.


rus JOURNEY 10 CUZCo.
-, ~ o.. ,sloN Al CORRESPONDENT OF rnE rRrBUNEI
PAz. Bolivia, March, ls1I-ieru has only
49, centuries Of history. Its annals, PRIOR to the
Cor,nest are no better known than the events Oh
-. - IA, Pharaohs. \ deep mystery hangs
% ,,, whose monuments adOm the Andes,
- a., investication has, rs yet, penetrated. HE
1ond 90 e.sily conquered by Pizuo Is the hardest
eld for the arch@ol0gst. Prescott would nave
.horrened his sketch of the Incas hal he travelled
-, tho country. instead of porlng over Spanish
chronicles
The following observations, mainly Archaeological
v,r. made in a journey just completed, extending
t,n, VITA. ON the northern limits OF Peru, to Puno,
on Lake Titicaca. 1t Is interesting TO compare the
snnouities on the coast with the works of greater
sohd,ty and skill on the highlands. and the COM
or,tiyely modern structures OF the north with the
,,litbic relies at the south. The equatorial part
- the empire overturned by the Spaniards mas
Httle for the antiquarian. Quito, which visited III
1857 has nothing over 800 years old and save the
r.uuds of Cuenca. the fortress of CanaT, ana rem
rsgts Of the royal road near Caiabamba, there are
No antoniles in the whole valley. AT the head OF
the River Chra ncaF Piura lthe first city founded
by Plzarrol are fine remains of the ancient system
ofirrigatiou. The pampas of LambayeQue are luh
ofburial mounds. and, five miles from san jose, Is
and bastions. Here too at Eten (which signifies,
in the idiom Of It's peculiar people the place where
the sun is born 70 IS a small community. of very dis
tinct physique, language and customs and sup
nos If to be of Asiatic origin Farther south is the
Valley Of the Jequetepcque stretching from Facds-
mayo 10 the Coniiicla of Caiamarca. Having ira
yerssd tins whole valley, from Cdamarca 10 the sea
can testify that. at some unknown date, IT has
been the theatre of wonderful activity, and the
dvelling-plice of "a crowded population. 10 Wodld
b. unsafe To pronounce any ruins lncarial' slni-
plv because the natives know nothing of their orr
gin As many Of them cannot remember their own
age. aud many more DO NOT know their own ntherS'
We must Judge by structure. There are numerous
fortified hills notably the Chocotan near san Pedro
which show peculiar method Of foruhcation-eon-
centric walls, or embankments rising one above the
other At the mouth of the Jequetcpequc are extern
siye remains; those on the north bank are evidodv
those of q very strongly fortified town, surrounded
bv adobe walls twenty five feet thick. and as many
high with m0at on the outside There Is cur
rent tradition that IL destroyed IN the time OF
Atshuallpa before the arrival of Pizlrro. On the
south bank are ruins OF another town. said 10 be
pre-Incaral among them are two immense mounds,
or pyramids one tabe-tOpped, and called Mesa,
the other having two SUBMITS and hence named
"Huaca de- dos Cabezas" The latter has yielded
considerable treasure. At -. Clara and louan are
pictured rocks very similar 10 those al erward
found neaa Arequpa, l. e., bOuders and ellis COW
cred with rude drawings of men and animals. They
arc figured by Hutchinson.
The valley is full OF burial mounds in fact, Z is
one long cemetery. Skeletons ana pottery abound;
copper implements are scarce. Il is q remarkable
Tact that the ancient cemeteries and towns were
never located in spots susceptible 81 irrigation ana
cultivation: only in arid places, and hence perhaps,
one reason why mummies and houses are 80 well
preserved. The term, huaca' literally anything
sacrelN, is applied 10 any old ruins, whether OF
buildings, places Of interment; and by " hlac),'
is meaut the pottery, ETC.. found IN them. The bod
IT,. If m, dc;id-always munmied by desccation
in dry paces-are in a drawn-upposjure. wrapped in
CLOTH and surrounded with earthcn pots containing
provisions for THEN ghosty journey-corn, chicken,
coca, bects, etc.. with the implements of the de-
ceased rs nets. work-baskcts. and occasionally
gold or silver image. The knees nearly touch the
chin and the arms are crossed ON the breast. w the
mouth is usually found q copper disk. The hair Is
always well preserved The pottery OF "a black,
red or yellowish color is -un-bakei. and rUdely
represents various animals. Occasionally, double
ones are found called whistling huacos" while i'm
itatc the voice Of the animal represented
Tie Pacavnayo Railroad threads this interesting
valley, winding over arid wastes, thcou-i flourish
ing sugar plantations and among the ruined cities
and ri1ed cemeteries Of an unknown generation.
One branch sweeps around to the Lurico estate and
Gualeoupe; and ano5her to the SILVER mines Of
Chilete. over the latter hand-car asc,nds bv the
aid Of q sail aud dCscends by gravity. The mines
are ON the top Of a hill 1000 feet above the sea.
From La VIVA the terminus Of the railway. 70 Caja
marca is a short days Journey, by beast, the road
rising to ] 900 feet and then descending to $3.50.
Caamarca a. everybody knows, was royal bath
ing station between CuzcO and Quito. 1t the
Saratoga of Atahuallpa, and it is singular that,
while his palace is nearly level with the ground, his
bath is well preserved, and stlu used Between
Caiainalca and Huagayoe, colossal sepuchres,
evidently meant for princes Farther east near
Chachapoyas, the summit of Carlay. are the
ruins OF an eiptica fortress, OF cut stone, whose
shortest diameter is 900 feet, and having ridge
shaped gateways on opposite sides, so narrow that
only one man could enter at a time.
TUE RUINS or GRAN cHnU.
A short distance below Pacasmayo are the very
maraa5e rims of Gran Chimu. The traveller lands
a. the wretched port of Solayerry, where If indeed
he can land az all he is pretty sure Of being hap
tied in the SURF Bnt he can sool dry himself on
the baach-a b.t of sahara without green thing in
all thc lludseape--in this respect worse of than
Payta. which can boast Of some trees painted
building. II should b recorded that the two bust
est ports ou the coast, save Callao, namely, Soda
very and Mocudo were selected for the benefit of
zeal estate OvueTs. not 60 favor commerce or travel
railroad of nine miles. down which goes the sugar
Of the rich Chicama Valley, feads to TuiNo, now
the only walled city in Peru. to citizens-about
SOO0-are proud of lis antiquity, PzaTo having
lai tia fouu .atou before he thought Of Lima, aud
proll of che fact that they the first 70 declare
Ton Independence With few exceptions the houses