Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-02-28
THE VALLEY OF CUZCO
The Fortress That Defended the An
cient Peruvian Capital.
WONDERFUL ENGINEERING
LIN the Building of the Immense Walls About
the City-The Museum of San Andres-A
Freak of Nature-A Few Facts Concerning .
Wonderful People.
From The Stars Travelling Commissioner

must not fail to visit perhaps the most i'm
portant are those found on a nearby hill
called Sachahaumal. Here not only the
fortress that defended the ancient capital, but
the palace OF Nance Capac. the first Inca. By
the way, tine word capac signifies powerful
in the Peruvian tongue. and applied to
several of Mancos successors--as was Iupan-
qui. meaning rich in all the virtues" Inca
means king or monarch
In the old days Sachahuaman had several
terraces, each four yards high and proportions
ateIy long. reached by a stairway passing
through a sort of tunnel This opening led &c
q vast inclosure surrounded by walls twenty
feet high. which contained numerous narrow
inches. like cupboards. The fortress. said to
have been built about the year 1ll3, is a re-
Variable piece of work. and held the same re-
lation to Cuzco that 1.-The Rock" does to Gil
braltar or the Acropolis did to Athens. II
consists of three terraces. 167 feet higher than
the city. reached by a winding road which was
constructed that il could be easily defended.
Military men say that its walls were built in
accordance with the best engineering science OF
modern times. its only assailsble side being pro-
yided with salicnts, so that its defenders could
cover every point by parallel fire.
WALLS oy IMMENSE LIMESTONE BLOCKS.
The walls were composed of immense blocks
these at its end. Blocks measuring fifteen feet
long. twelve feet wide and ten feet thick are
common in the outer walls. and there is one
great stone twenty-seven feet high fourteen
feet wide and twelve feet thick. piled upon
another of ElI.ost equal dimensions. Remem-
beripg that these enormous masses were hewn
from the hills and fashioned into shape by a
people ignorant of the use of iron: that they
were brought from distant quarries without
the aid of beasts Of burden, raised TO their
elevated position on the sierra and adjusted
with the incest accuracy without machinery, one
Is filed with astonishment. Twenty thousand
men are said TO have been employed for fiftv
years on this great structure. and it was but
part of system of fOrtiiications which the
Incss established throughout their domains.
There were three towers ON Saehahuaman. each
some distance from the others: one most elab-
orately carved. for the Use of the Inca and the
others held by garrison of Peruvian mobiles.
commanded by officers Of royal blood-for the
position was considered of too great importance
to be intrusted to inferior hands. Below the
towers were several subteyranean galleries COM
municating with the city, now mostly obstructed
by fallen debris.
IFS DEFENSE on THE OTHER SIZE.
Cuzco was also defended on the other side BIZ
a single wall of great thickness /. 200 feet long
and in another place by two semi-circular walls
Of the same length. separated a considerable
distance. All were built of heavy blocks of cut
limestone and. though no cement was used the
enormous stones were so carefully adjusted
that to this day a knife blade cannot be
thrust between them.
The best idea of how the old capital must
have looked before the conquest may be gained
in the street now named Triunfo. The re-
mains OF several ancient palaces are incorpor-
ated into Its modern houses. among them the
House Of the Virgins of the sun. There is q
sort of erescent-shaped platform, which is be-
Ieved to have been the principal altar of sacri-
nee in the sun temple. and the famous Piedra
Haroada or ''stone with cuttings" which shows
seats. steps, basins and altar all hewn out of
one immense rock. Near by is the Roadero. or
place where the sun was tied up-a gigantic
stone ring which shows the meridian of Cuzco
The old aqueduct, which brought water to the
city from Lake Chicheros. twelve miles away
was partially destroyed by the SpaniarCis; and
there Is another, even more curious which
leads down from the lofty fortress, mostly by
underground Passages
THE MUSEUM OF SAN ANDRES
Among the sights of modern Cuzco which the
tourist must not neglect are the Museum of
San Andres; a wonderful arch and some spiral
steps in the church of La Com pania: a comical
but much venerated painting. representing
purgatory, in the church of San Francisco:
pit filed with water behind the high altar of
the cathedral. which Is believed to have been
an Inca bathing pool. fed by unknown springs:
the Casa of Senior Don Silvac. wherein the
Spanish soldiers PLAYED with dice for the
golden stolen from the temple: some re-
markable arches in the inner court Of the con-
vent of La MERGED; beautifully carved pulpit
OF jet black wood in the Church of Santa Ana
representing on twelve panels the lives and
acts Of the Apostles; in short. wherever one
turns something strange and interesting evokes
admiration.
Remains of many other temples. fortresses
and palaces may be found in the neighborhood
OF Cuzeo- There are villages whose people
I'VE IN stone casas that were erected FIVE OF six
centuries ago-their walls unchanged. though
the matched roofs have been many times re-
newed- In other places the lazy half-breeds
have built little huts of cane and straw by the
side Of the more substantial dwellings Of their
ancestors rather than to take the trouble of re-
neving the larger roofs
DELIGHTFUL SUBURBAN EXCURSIONS.
Various delightful excursions may be made
from Cuzco without mourning great fatigue 1t
Is pleasant horseback ride of only twenty
four miles 20 Lake Huaipo, on the roa to Uru-
bamba The latter Indian town. as well as
fucay and Hu2yll-ba, Is quaint enough to re-
pay visit They lie in the valley of Ueavali
where both climate and scenery the most
perfect on the face OF the earth. In this Peru
Wan Eden are natural groves of fruit trees
ngs, apricots, mangoes, chirmoyas. &c.-and
immense fields of wild strawberries. Yucay was
the ancient bathing resort OF the Incas and
their courts There are exhaustless springs and
pools and sparkling rivers, fed fl on the eternal
SHOWS OF the mountains, and ma ~ basins OF
hewn stone that probably served for private
reservoirs A good pedestrian NAV walk
through this charming valley and enjoy every
mile OF IT. We rode. carrying no outfit but the
inevitable kodsc. and everywhere met with
most hospitable entertainment from the poor
but kindly people.
CURIOUS FREAK OF NATURE.
From Urubamba to Ollatsy tanibo is twelve
miles, under the shadow Of wide-spreading trees
which during half the year are a mass Of scarle,
blossoms, while n mountain river ripples on
each side OF the way. just beforo entering Oh
htsytambo one sees. high up a wall Of sand
stone, the Colossal figure of a man outlined in
veins OF iron oxide OF course il is a freak OF
nature. but many superstitious stories are told
concerning its origin. and no native will pas.
the place without taking of his hat crossing
himself and repeating Ave Marie Close BY
THIS apparition are three stone houses. now
stained yellow. which appear TO hang like birds
nests ON the very brink Of precipice, high ut
The mountain side, and are said TO have beer
Inca hospitals.
One may spend profitable week il Ollatay
AmDo examining ruins and Notifications and
VIII be sure of a welcome in the house of the
curate The village Is dOubly interesting from
having been the stronghold of OIianto dusk Y
noble who fell IN love with the beautiful daugh-
Ter OF Inca TuPae lupanqui and stole her from
the House Of the Virgins q the sun in Cuzco
ne Kept her, too. In spite of all the hosts of the
empire, for i've long years, until captured nj
Last by strategy by a warrior whose ui,spellable
name means Man with the stone eyes, when
ne and has sweetheart were burned alive in the