The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-08-07

it would never do, when so near, to miss seeing the real birthplace of the ! most interesting race on the hemis- phere. After all our toll there is little | to be seen when arrived at the rock ex- cept high wall built around a natural ! dome of red sand stone. It was former f ly believed that no bird could aiight upon that holy of holies and live, and that beast, reptile or insect would nev- CT dare to come near it. The presence
 of mortal man was also religiously pro- hiblted; and to this day the motives ap- proach the place with greatest awe and
 reverence. For many years none but the high priests were permitted to come I within sight of the rock, which is said
 to have been plaited with gold and sil- l yer and covered with a veil, the latter being removed only on occasions of the most solemn festivals.
 The sIoping siles of the hill upon which this lump of red sandstone re- poses were terraced from top to bottom and walled off into platforms. These platforms uphold the remains of many iesnaI1 structures which are supposed to, have been the residences of the priests
 and others who attended upon the wor- ship of Manco- Capac. There was for I merly a garden on the terrace where
 much of the sacred corn was grown,
 and all the earth for Its construction is said to have been brought on the backs of men distance of more than four hundred miles! l The works of the Incas were no doubt accomplished under the same system as
 that of the rulers of ancient Egypt, who
 built the pyramids by the unpaid labor
 of the people; but the oppression of
 those days could not have been greater than that which the Spaniards wrecked
 upon the conquered race, and scarcely
 more than these degenerate descend-
 ants of the Incas are compelled to en-
 dure in the full blaze of twentieth cen
 tury civilization. ... >s. As already mentioned, Titicaca Island was expressly consecrated to the sun.
 Only about six miles distance is Cont Island, which was dedicated to the moon and the, worship of Mama Della.
 Between the two Sacred Islands lies a
 smaller one, now known as the Sugar Loaf" A narrow strait, seven hundred yards long separates the Sun Island lfro,n peninsula projecting out from the Peruvian main land: in front of which lies the Sugar Loaf" with Coati to the right of it. The latter is about
 half as large as Titicaca Island, and is
 completely covered with ruins. Besides 1 the great Temple of the Moon" and Palace of the Virgins" are other edi- fees supposed to have been used for
 houses of purification and residences of the priestesses and their attendants 1 The moon temple occupies exactly the center of the island, and most beau l tiful structure it must have been. judg- ing by what remains of it's walls and
 terraces, whose original character and extent can be distinctly traced. The
 lower story is yet standing, and It's spa
 cious inner court yard is utilized by the few Indians who to-day inhabit the is- II land as an enclosure for their f1ocks at night. Though the whole of Coati is
 arabic land, the island is now used
 merely as a sheep fold. %yG x
 According to tradition, this splendid Ipatio was the corral wherein the Incas, in the days of their imperial splendor,
 kept the sacred liamas and vicunas.
 From the wool of those were made the royal farments and the hangings of the
 temples, the work being done by the
 virgins whe were cIoistered in the near
 by palace. .s. -s.st'y. .- t@ x
 The Moon Temple is elevated some
 distance above the lake, and between 1t
 and the waters edge Is 8 succession of terraces. all neatly built of cut stones.
 Each terrace has a wall around it's out Ter edge about four feet high; 80 that if
 any member of the priesthood are of the royal houserold committed the mod- ern indiscretion of iinbibing too much chicha, he was in no danger of tum-
 bling down the declivity. A series of
 stone steps leads from one terrace to
 another so that even now, notwith-
 standing its ruined condition, the as-
 cent is not difficult.
 If you want to know all about the
 Palace of the Virgins" read Professor
 Squiers' "Peru," which describes it far
 better than I can hope to do. The pal-
 ace was built in two parts, around two Ishrines, dedicated respectfully; to the
 sun and the moon. This remarkable
 edifice is still we'll preserved and is one
 of the most beautiful specimens of abo-
 riginal architecture extant s,, | How old these monuments may be
 cannot be accurately determined, as the
 ancient Peruvians had no system of writing, and therefore left no records, as did the ancient Egyptians, by which we may learn the dates of their history. Their antiquity can only be guessed by traditions that have come down to us
 and by the effect af time upon their
 structures. The guesses of those arch- Iaeologists who have given the subject most careful study are very wide apart concerning the date of Capac's appear
 once and the building of these temples. Starting from the Sacred Rock on Titi- caca Island, the Children of the Sun proceeded on their beneficent errand to unite under one government all the T tribes that occupied the country and to 4t 1 instruct them in a new religion. Man. Il -Capac carried golden staff, which
 his father, the Sun, had given to, him Fl with instructions that he was to cons
 tinue his travels until the proper place
 was reached for founding his capital and seat of government, where, as to- ken, the rod would sink into the ground. He obeyed the divine behest, travelling
 night and day along the western hor-
 der of the lake, until he finally reached
 the spot in central Peru where the city