The record-union., 1891-02-15

the journey, where winds are strongest
and storms are ilacessant. This first day
is by far the hardest of the entire trip, as
much because one is not used to it, as be-
cause the road is incomparably worse: and
at all hazards one must reach Aguas CAL
1entes before nightfall. To the right of a
lofty, snow-clad mountain named Villa
canota one follows for some miles, and
finally fords a small water-course, which
seems to rise in one of the hot springs so
numerous in the locality, and which
Peruvians regard as the mother spring
of the great Amazonas River sys-
tenn. The little stream which here
takes the name of the nearby noun
tain, is known as the Chalca farther
on, and afterwards as the Urubamba.
Many. miles further northward, having
gained much strength and volume, it
joins the Rio Tambo, and their united
waters form the famous Ucageli. the
largest of Peru's tributaries to the ANA
IONS.
The second night out one is booked to
sleep at the village of Licuain, ride of
only eighteen miles, through charming
scenery. There is a possible drawback,
however. in the Licuain River, which must
be forded several times and is likely to be
rather high. There is a road on the left
OF 1t, but travellers are warned to take to the
water instead, for there are vast swaInps
ON that side, with quicksands treacher-
Gus enough to ingulf an army; and be-
sides one must pass through the un-
fenced hacienda of Antacucca. which
is celebrated far and wide for
its wild cattle. Nobody goes over
that dangerous road if he can avoid it.
there being no place of refuge should he
be attacked by the torros. Fancy party
of United States tourists, including two
women, riding peaceably along on mule
back, when herd of wild bulls come
charging full tilt upon them, and not
wall, or tree or bush to hide behind. In
the vicinity of the hot springs "A Aquas
Cdtientes), there are acres of plump
mushrooms, and no passer-by whose pal
ate has been properly educated, will fail
to secure supply for his evening meal,
whether he takes it at the tambo, or. as
we did, in the hospitable home of Don
Pablo PAUL Mejias.
The third night one sleeps at ''Tinta,"
"a hacienda owned by an educated Ital-
ian, Senor Don Francisco Masciotta. who
is sure to give the pilgrim hearty well
come. The road thereto lies through an
ancient Indian village called Raccha.
built within the crater of an extinct vol
cano. Among other curiosities. il con-
tains a remarkable wall, which is said TO
be the remains OF the palace built by an
Indian prince, eldest son of Tupac Yupan-
gui, who revolted against paternal rule
Il.
\ ear 1t is one of the many small round
towers, so frequently found in this part
of Peru, which are believed to have been
astronomical observatories wherein the
lncas determined the meridian passage of
the sun.
On the fourth day one may take leis-
urely jaunt of only fifteen miles to Checa-
cupe, where he will be made to feel quite
at home by Colonel Martin Alvarez. who
is regular king in his little world-a
large landed proprietor, a member
OF Congress and wealthy wool
merchant. There are yet forty miles
to Cuzco, and a rapid rider could
accomplish that distance in one day;
but what is the use of firing ones self
when it is so much more comfortable to
to taske things easy? One better go only
half the way, say to Quiguijana, though it
is miserable little hamlet with but one
redeemlng feature-a remarkable old
bridge. Unless one has letter to the
cure, and that itinerant individual hap
pens, by rare good fortune, to be at home,
the night must be passed among the
bugs and other pests of q wretched post
house.
Next morning one is glad to take an
early start for Huaroe, twelve miles awav
and even to foregol breakfast until he
reaches the casa of the local magnate.
who reioices UNDER the high-sounding
tIsiiiiO VI boClci lIoIl fIucbuCSO ERu1leI.S.
We went out of the way few miles to
visit the little lake called Urcos, famous
in Peruvian tradition for being the burial
place of that great gold chain of the Inca
fIuaScar. We read that the cele-
brated chain was long enough to en-
circle the grand Plaza Mayor of Cuzco,
and that every link of it was as heavy as
n strong man could carry-all of pure
gold. OF course the story is nonsense;
nevertheless we spurred our beasts to the
perilous brink and faithfully tried to be-
1leve that we saw gold shining through
the dark waters. No securer hiding place
for heavy treasure could be found be-
cause the lake has a bottom of unfathom-
able ooze, which speedily swallows any
thing thrown into it, and affords no foot
ing for divers.
Twelve miles beyond is Zucre hacienda,
where the traveller is advised to stop over
night. This very fine estate, mile or
two from the village of. Oropesa, belongs
to the Garmendia family and includes; a
clsth mandatory. Only twelve miles
beyond Oropesa is Cuzco, in the midst of
a tropical valley. After leaving the high
lands the weather grows warm and
warmer; paroquets and monkeys, palms
and fg-trees are seen; and one sultry
afternoon (mid-winter at home), we came
into the stony streets of the old,
old city that had seen several centuries
before the United States was born.
FANNIE B. WARD.