The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-04-13

more for art to do, and here we find
fortress walls on a scale of incom-
parable grandeur.
They are built in three parallel
lines, one behind the other, ana botn
their length, nearly one-third OF a
mile and the massiveness of their
construction. and the enormous size
of many Of the individual stones make
this fortress one of the most impress
sive monuments OF prehistoric times
that the world contains 1t shows
that those who raised it had bold
ness Of conception and persistent
energy in carrying out that conception
amazing in primitive people, for
the work seems TO belong to very
early time, long anterior to those MS
toric Incas whom the Spaniards over
threw.
Hardly less wonderful than the gil
gantic proportions of these fortifica-
tions is the military skill shown in
their construction. Their line is not
straight, as in most of the walls OF
ancient Greek and italian and early
mediaeval cities, but consists of a
series of salient and re-entering an
giles, so that from each salient space
outside and below the wall as far as
the next projecting angle could be
commanded by the garrison.
This arrangement, which, while It
increased the length of the work and
required more labor to complete II, in
creased immensely in its defensive
efficiency. indicates a skill hardly to
be expected in a race comparatively
pacific, and more eminent in the arts
of government than in those Of war.
A Riddle Whose Key Is Lost.
Opposite the great walls and about
a third of mile away is a rocky
eminence called, from a curious con-
vex mass of extremely hard igneous
rock upon 1t, the Rodadero. The
rock is polished smooth and has two
projecting ridges on it's surface. How
much of this peculiar slope down
which many generations of Peruvian
boys have rejoiced to slide-they were
doing so soon after the ConQuest--is
due to nature. how much TO art i'm
proving nature. has been matter for
controversy. But far more curious are
the seats carved in the hard rock all
over the top and slopes of the hill,
he cutting done with exquisite care
and finish, the angles perfectly sharp,
the fiat parts perfectly smooth The
most remarkable Is a set or thirteen
seats, one in the center and highest
nine others declining from II on the
left and three on the right. This is
called the Seat Of the Inca but there
is no record, nor any authentic 4radt-
ton. of the purpose for which .Ffr the
persons by whom II was constrsAt q,
nor of the purpose Of the many Mher
seats, and small staircases and nihAes.
and basins similarly chiseled out eff
the rock which are scattered Mere
and there all around.
In one place two great and finely
cut blocks look like fragments Of a
doorway shattered by an earthquake.
and not far off there are singular
passages hewn through the rock, and
now in parts closed, which have the
appearance Of n sort of labyrinth.
Looking at the Inca's Seat. one 3
first conjecture would be that II was
a bench for Judges to sit upon. other
seats look more like shrines meant
for images, but no fragments OF
images are found All these strange
cuttings and polshings seem so In
explicable that one would conjecture
the mere caprice Of whimsical ruler,
but for the immense pains that must
have been taken in doing such perfect
work in such hard material.
No Spanish writer Of Conquest days
gives US any light. It is a riddle, the
/ key to which is lost, and lost ire
Coverably, because there are no In
scriptions and no traditions.
4 Strong and Gifted Race.
The Cuzco ruins leave upon the be-
holder a strong impression, the Inn
preston Of immense energy and will
in those who planned these works, Of
patient and highly trained labor IN
those who executed them. Only des-
/ potic rulers commanding like the
Egyptian kings host OF obedient sub
+ jects, could have reared such struc-
/ ture as the fortress Of Sacsa huaman.
/ If all the buildings erected since