The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1904-08-12
TESTS OF THE INCAS
STRICT MILITARY TRAINING or THE
ANCIENT PERuvIANs.

i
Feats of Strength and Endurance
! That the Cadets Were Called Upon
| to- Perform During Graduation
| Exercises Which Lasted a Month.
| Long before Columbus discovered the
western continent many interesting
peoples lived here, having their pecul-
lar customs and training their children
| carefully in the way they considered
best calculated to make them brave
| and wise men.
| Not only the red Indians Of the north.
but the. people of Mexico and Peru.
who had certain sort Of civilization
| of their own, trained their children
carefully and made them pass through
a series of trials which the American
boy of today may be thankful he does
| not have to undergo.
Men Of today in digging in the ruins
| Of the splendid cities Of the Peruvians
have found almost a complete record of
some of their educational systems.
In Peru the king Of the country was
called the inca, and his eldest son, who
was always brought up to succeed him,
received training especially elaborate
| and trying. The prince was sent to
one Of the big boarding schools, where
young noblemen were educated almost
as soon as he could talk. There he
was treated in all respects as If he
| were not the heir to the throne, but
| just common, ordinary boy, who
would some day have to work for a
| living.
The school at which the prince was
educated was military school, which,
according to records, was the Peru
Wan West Point. There, although
| many other things were taught, the
chief stress was laid upon the art Of
| war.
All the princes relatives, boys of
| about his own age and called the Inca
mobiles, were at the school with him
and had their final examinations at
the same time.
The literary part of their education
was inquired, into. in private by the
wise men," which corresponded to
the academic board" of West Point,
but these examinations were followed
by public exercises.
The public exercises were conducted
by board consisting of the most
prominent of the old Inca mobiles, and
it correspondent to the board of WIS.,
itors appointed by the president each
year to preside over the graduations
at West Point. The graduating exer-
cises at the royal Peruvian military
academy lasted for a month.
The graduates were required to H.
lustrate by drills what they knew of
military tactics. Then they had to
give exhibitions of boxing and wres-
Ting. Running was also regarded as
necessary accomplishment, for the
Peruvians had no horses, and the men
who were destined to lead their armies
had to prove that they could move
swiftly on foot over long distances and
not tire. Therefore long courses were
laid out for the boys to run over, which
taxed their endurance and strength to
the utmost
Then for several days together the
boys were compelled to fast, being
carefully examined during the time to
see how they bore going without food,
for the Inca said that soldier and a
gentleman should always be willing
and able to go without food and not
grumble when such abstinence was
necessary.
The cadets were also matched against
each other in mimic battles, in which,
though the weapons were blunted,
many were wounded and some killed.
When this sort Of thing had gone on
for q month those boys who had won
the best marks in their examinations
and had best stood the test of the pub
lie exercises were selected for gradua-
ton, while the others were dropped or
turned back into the next class.
The king was always present at these
graduating exercises and delivered an
address to the graduates.
Garcilasso, q descendant of the Incas,
has left us an account Of these ad-