Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1883-02-03
ANCIENT ROADS IN SOUTH AMERICA.

A friend asks us, "Are you not mis-
taken in speaking OF ancient roads III
South America being made by the
Aztecs ?" Yes. The Aztecs " ere the
dominant tribe OF Mexico at the time
of its conquest, aud their high degree
of civilization caused their name to
be applied by historians to all Next
cans of that time. Our error was
caused In the hAsty writing insep-
arabic from newspaper work, prob
ably, by having recently read very
able article on Amsrica, in which it
is stated that Humboldt: held that the
dominant Mexican rxee had at All
early stage of its existence penetrated
to Central America, and even furtaer
south. Prescott, however. does not
believe that the two peoples had
aofhmingled. We should have spoken
of the makers Of tho roads Is the
lucas, the rulers Of tho Psruvians.
The familiarity OF tho history probably
caused the careIessness. One cannot
be too careful In statements Of tho
kind, but our mind at the time was
running more Oh the road question
than on Ethuology. As tho historical
passage we were thinking of at the
time is of interest we print it:
"Those whs may distrust the 40
counts of Peruvian industry will find
their deubts removed OH visit to the
country. Tho traveller still meets,
especially Ia the central regions of the
table LAND, Hith memorials OF the
past, rtmaias Of temples, palaces.
fortressss, terraced mountains. great
military roads, a4uoducts, aud other
public work1. which, whatever degree
Of science they may display iu their
execution, astonish him by their
number, the massive character OF the
materials, aud the grandeur of the
design. Among them, perhaps the
the brokon remains Of which are still
in sufficient preservation to attest
their former magniticsnce. There
| were many of these roads, traversinG
different parts Of the Kingdom; bul
the most considerable were the two
which extended from Quito to Cuzco
and, again diverging from the capital
continued i'll = southern direction
toward Chill.
Zone OF these roads passed over the
grand plateau, and the other along the
lowlands on the borders of the ocean
The former was much the more dlficult
achievement, from the character Ol
the country. 1t WAS conducted over
painless sierras buried In snow; gal
lsries were cut for Leagues through lh.
living rock rivsrs were crossed BY
means OF bridges that swung suspend
Ell In the air prrcipices were scaled
by Stalrways hewn out OF the native
bed raviues of hideous depth were
filled up with solid masonry; iu short
all the difficulties that besst a wilt
and mouutainOus region, and which
might appall the most courageou
engineer of modern times, were gu
countsred aud successfully overcome
The length Of the road. of which scat
tered fragments only remain, is vari
ously estimated, from fifteen hundre,
TO two thousand miles; and ston
pillars, fn the manner Of Europea,
milestones, were erected at stated in
tervals OF somewhat more than
league, al along tbs route. Its breadtI
scarcely exceeded twenty feet.
was built of heavy flags OF freest tone
aud III some parts, at least, covers.
with bitumiuous cement, whicl
time has made harder than the ston
itaelf. In some places, where the rs
) vines had been filled up with masonry
, the mountain torrents, wearing on
for ages, have gradually eaten a wa
through the base, and lett the super
incumbent mass-such 10 the cnhesio
of the matsrials-still spanning tn
valley like All arc.
1.-The other great road of the Inca
4 Law through the level country bel W ct
= the Andes aud the OCEAN. IL was Col