Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-03-29

OuSlv COiOTtu alpaCa
and vicuna wool, in perfect preservation.
Between each layer pebbles were deposited
that bore some faint likeness to animals, a
little strengthened by art. There were frag-
ments of crystallized quartz, and a very
good carving of an ear OF corn
Household Deities of the Peruvians.
Father Arriaga, in his rare book on
"Idolatrv in Peru" calls these pebbles,
(canopes) the household deities of the early
Peruvians. He says that beZoar stones and
small quartz crystals were most esteemed;
and that stone, carved in imitation of an
ear of corn, was considered great treasure.
In the cemeteries around Lima the num-
mics are sometimes put in layers of tombs,
one above another, three or four deep. Per-
haps the most interesting one which Mr..
Squier opened-in the second layer down,
and evidently belonging to family in mid
die circumstances-was about four feet
square, three feet deep and walled with
adobes. 1t contained five bodies. a middle
aged man; a fulI-grown woman, girl Of
IA years, boy some years younger and an
infant. The baby was placed between the
father and mother; the boy by the side of
the man, and the girl cuddIed up close to
the woman. Each was enveloped in
braided network of coarse grass, bound
closely around the body by cords of the same
material. Under the mans outer wrapping
was another, of stout, plain cotton cloth,
fastened with variegated cord of llama
wool. Next came an envelope of cotton
cloth of fine texture, which, when removed,
disclosed the mahogany-colored corpse, dried
and shrunken, but well preserved.
Must Have Been Fisherman.
Passing around the neck and carefully
folded over the knees, on which the head
rested was fishing net, made of the twisted
fiber of the agave, the threads fine as the
finest used to-day and nicely knotted
Wrapped in cloth at his feet were some
fishing lines of various sizes, copper hooks,
barbed like ours, and copper snkers. Un-
der each of mis- armpits was a roll of white
alpaca wool, ami behind the calf of each
leg were few thick, short ears Of corn. A
small piece of copper had been placed in
his mouth, corresponding, perhaps, with the
"obolos" which the ancient Greeks put into
the mouths of their dead for fee to Charon.
The wife, beneath the same coarse outer
wrapping of braided reeds, was enveloped
in a blanket Of alpaca wool, finely spun,
woven in the style known as three-ply, in
two colors, brown and white, and an elab-
crate, diamond-shaped pattern, in which
were representations of monkeys climbing
up and down. Beneath this was soft,
closely woven cotton cloth, 20 yards long,
rolled round and round the womaR's body.
In one hand she held a comb, made by set
ting the rays of fishes fins into piece of
dwarf palm trees, and in her other hand
we're the remains of fan with cane handle,
from the upper points of which radiated the
faded feathers of parrots and humming
birds. Round her neck was a triple neck
lace of shells, and between her body and
oent-up knees were several domestic imple-
nents among them some spindles half cov-
cred with spun cotton.
A Wallet of Thick Cotton.
TLo ,,ost ptarnrtinu artio1n q uo11af |