The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1904-08-05
TESTS OF THE INCAs.
STRICT MILITARY TRAINING OF THE
ANCIENT PERUvlANs.

Feats' Of Strength nYd Endurance
to Perform During Graduation
Exercises Which Lasted n 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 a certain sort Of civilization
Of their own, trained their children
carefully and made them pass through
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 We're 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 a 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 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 US
a 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 We're 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
grumblen when such abstinence was
necessary.
The cadets were also matched against
each other in mimic battles, in which,
though the weapons were blunted,
many We're wounded and some killed.
When this sort of thing had gone on
for 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 Glass;
The king was always present at these
graduating exercises and delivered an
address to the graduates.
Garcilasso, descendant of the Incas,
has left US an account Of these ad-
dresses from which we know that they
were almost exact counterparts Of the
addresses delivered today by promi-
nent men at high school graduations
and college commandments. Other
things change, but the graduation ad-
dress seems to have been the same
thing in all ages.
| After the address something took
place which does not happen at modern
American graduating exercises. The
king pierced the ears Of each graduate
with a golden bodkin, or large pin,
which was allowed to remain there un-
til the wounds healed, leaving a hole
into which round ornament was in
serted.
| The size Of this ornament was grad
ually increased until in the case Of the
prince it was as large as an orange.
Sandals were now bound on the feet
of the boys, and they went barefoot no
longer; also sash was tied about
their waists and crowns of flowers
placed on their heads.
The prince was now allowed to put
on his. royal robes, and, though only
sixteen, he was usually sent to COM
mand an army corps somewhere on the
border, where the king almost always