The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1895-04-18
INcA.s NORTHERN CAPITAL
Peru's Old City in Which the Modern and
Ancient Are Mingled.

which shelter it on the north. 1t has
an elevation of some twelve thousand
feet and population of about fiftv
Thousand, mostly Indians Under tue
sway of the Incas there are said to
have been three hundred thousand in
habitantS We are so accustomed to
associate the place with prescott's eor-
geous pictures and travellers descrip-
tions of the ancient ruins, that we are
apt to forget the modern city, but it
soon makes its presence felt by the Wis
itor There can be no dirtier city on
earth. So-called azequias run through
the steep, narrow streets. They might
suggest cleanliness, but they are in
reality only open sewers. The side al
| leys are impossible. The famous
stenches of Cologne would be far out
of the running in CuzcC and the city
is only saved from disastrous epidemic
by its high altitude and by the con-
slant fumigation of the chimneyleSs
houses from their kitchen fires of llama
dung.
| An enormous plaza, faced by the
great cathedral and the Church of the
Jesnits, occupies the center of the town.
| ltsserYes as a market-place, and in the
a4sy fhSurs of a bright morning il pre-
sents gay and busy picture as the
Indians gather from near and far to
purchase from the marllet-women,w who
spread their wares upon the pavement
under huge umbrellas that make the
square look like "A mushroom bed.
IL. l. l -
recalls the ancient capital. All of the
principal churches are erected upon
the walls and foundations of former
temples and palaces, and most of the
private buildings are largely con-
structed of stones dragged from old
ruins The best preserved relic of the
mean period is the fortress of Sacsahua-
man, which offered so stubborn d re-
sistance to Pizarro and his men. 1t is
of great extent, and embraces the
whole of high hill which dominates
Cuzco on the north. Three sides of
this elevation, which are SO PERCEPTIONS
rs to be almost insurmountable, are
defended by successive lines of stone
walls. one above the other, four hum
dred yards in length, of perfect work
manship and great strength. After
the capture of the stronghold, the
Spaniards reduced the height of these
walls, but the plan of the works is
still easy to follow On the northeast
side of the hill the approach is more
gradual, and here three parallel lines
of wall were constructed of such stu
pendous proportions and of such mas
sive detail that it is hard to believe
that they were of human. to say moth
ing of barbaric origin Enormous
rocks. hundreds of tons in weight. and
of the hardest grain. have been cut
and polished and built together in a
manner never elsewhere equaled by
the art of man. The most curious
feature is that no two of these gigantic
blocks (some of them are nearly twenty
feet in height are of the same shape;
they vary from triangles to pentagons.
y&s they are fitted to one another with
such nicely and exactness that it is inn
possible to pass knife blade anywhere
between the joints. 1t seems incred-
ible that Notifications of such strength
more than sufficient to resist modern
artillery, could have been designed by
n people whose only weapons were
spears and clubs and arrows.
In front of this part of the fortress
spreads wide plain, covered with inn
mense outcroppings of native rock,
which have been fashioned into ranges
of seats and into pulpit-lille platforms
reached by narrow Stairways The
place was probably the scene of ma
tional gatherings. All the epithets of
vastness in the language would fail TO
convey an approximate idea of all these
marvellous works
Within the city itself the most i'm
portant remains are those of the
famous Temple of the sun, part of
which now form the church and mon
astery of the Dominican friars. But
the splendor of the past is gone for
ever. The Spariards never improve
anything. Mt1ln If the perfect old
masonry is still to be seen, however,
and what is now the eloister was once
a sacred Enclosure of the temple. The
chapels formerly dedicated to the
worship of the moon, the stars, the
rainbow and the thunder are to-day
used as slumber rooms or priests quar-
tiers, and a neighboring nunnery once
sheltered the virgins of the sun god.
Some of the churches erected by the
Spaniards on the foundations of an
eient structures are not without merit,
land most of them contain many things
worth seeing There are about thirty
in all, besides numerous converts and
other religious institutions. 1t is
worth while to study closely even the
most uninviting house in Cuzco. For
all their present dilapidation, many of
them were formerly the palaces of the
Spanish admirals. generals and hidal-
Cos Dingy portals are often we'll
preserved Incan gateways, and lead
to eourtyards where fine stone stair
ways mount to latticed balconies which
are full of suggestions of romance
| Every Saturday afternoon in the
plaza of San Francisco the country
people hold baratillo-a word which
might be translated bargain sale
Here in addition to native products Of
all kinds. are often to be seen paintings
of all kinds, erueiixes, ivory carvings
and ofhar .NbtNatx Stotan from, ehurrhaS