The Republican journal., 1903-08-13
7iticaca's Sacred Islands.
,,,S1T TO THE BIRTHPLACE OF INCA
CIVILIZATION. THE SUN CHILDREN
ND THEIR GOLDEN TEMPLES.

and THEIR GOLDEN TEMPLES.
sn-ral Correspondence of The Journal
r, 80. PERU, July l, 1908. Through
.l.. ,ourtesy of the Titicaca Navigation
,,opanv one OF the small steamers that
-,- III the lake was placed at our dis
.-4 tor three days, that we might visit
sacred Islands and other objects OF
,.r-,t in and around this world-re-
owned body of water.
I.- name of the lake is of Quichua
..gu. riti signifying in that language
tfate of the Mountains and Caca
.-s. Rocks of Lead; so-called, prob
.... uecause of certain place on the
d, I.ca highway where it's dark blue
r.r, may be seen between two enor-
locks. From this point, little
Glow Puno, we set sail one early
my. and after a fewt hours sea-
-m found ourselves anchored in
sheltered bay which indents the
nd rocky shore of Titicaca Island.
,argest and most famous of the
... group the Incas trace their di-
lIgln, and to this day it is held in
udest veneration by their de-
4nts. because tradition claims
Nance Capac and Mama Della
-,~ter, who was also his wife both
'en of the sun and directly COM
ned by that luminary to found a
NASTY op earth, here made their first
ance. BY the way, the word Ca
mites powerful" in the Peru
,ougue, and was applied to several
II nco's successors. Inca means
-u monarch.
ID quaint writer, Pedro de Leon,
n5 of the island, says: ut was
sacred because of ridiculous
.-g hat there was no light in the
tor many days, and suddenly the
rose respondent out of Tlticaca
-.3 and hence they built there a
- to its glory, which was held in
-,.. reverence and had virgins and
.--t7 with mighty treasures belong
..toit."
..ieilasso, the most reliable of all
Id chroniclers. tells us that besides
ing temples on the Sacred Island,
ldians thought to dignity it in
way as being the spot where
tdam and Eve, coming straight
heaven, first planted their feet
us leyeled its asperities as far as
idle. removing rocks and building
tes. The latter they covered with
arth brought from afar, in order
tprn might be cultivated, which
wise could not be grown on ac-
# the cold. The yield was small,
-t ears were regarded as sacred
I'VE distributed among the temples
uvents of the entire kingdom,
ear to one temple OF convent, and
Xt year to another, SO that each
lave the advantage of portion
nam NllICu W DIS DlpuSIL DO II
Ir0m heaven. This was soWn in
gdeus Of the Temple OF the sun
1uvent of the Virgins; and the
MAS 2gaiu distributed among the
-ut tile various provinces. Some
rains were scattered among the
of the public granaries, as holy
which would preserve from cor
.u the food Of the people: and 1t
-.ieved that every indian who had
torehouse SO much as one grain
oil tile Sacred Island could never
,od during his lifetime"
.lca Island is only four miles long
d miles wide 1t is high and rug
outline and deeply indented by
s tiny BAYS. There is a little vii
1T one end, where guides may be
I'd. if needed. to explain the little
known about the various ruins.
u the landing place one scrambles
cry steep ascent to this hamlet,
in itself contains nothing OF III
-- but Just behind it is the first
where, i'll the golden days of the
49,. all visitors to the island were
I'D to tarry awhile to go through
"-U ceremonies of publication be
Icing permitted to enter any of
80" acred editices. The walls of this
leture are .of lime stone, the huge
Ks carefully cut and set in tough
The upper part of it fell away
N ago but the lower portion is still
ably well preserved. The house
formerly divided into two parts,
>uring So feet one way and q the
tar with broad platform in front
t.
imbing with some difficulty half a
le farther up the stony activity, one
les to The Palace of the Inca, .
witch is situated on the brow of a cliff
looking the lake, with terraced
behind it. Its walls are very much
mkpn, but enough remains to show
style of architecture, the forms OF
,ae windows and doorways, and the
general plan of the whole. Close be-
aJ this royal palace lies what is
SHOWN as ''The Bath of the Inca q
a-u of solid stone, measuring on Its