The Washington times., 1923-03-25
HISTORY
OF A LOST
RACE
In the Land of lnCas One
May Pass From Ferns to
Glaciers in Few Hours
Region of Contrasts.

Bingham mas drawn q Ous
perb picture OF q lost civiliZa-
ton. 1t il an intensely human
document. expressed in clear,
simple terms that will be COM
prehensible alike to the man-in-
the-street or the scientist.
Professor Bingham has added
vast amount. OF valuable in-
formation not only about Peru.
but also from an archaeological
viewpoint, and has exhibited
the greatest magnanimity in &C
cording due credit to tthe hardy
companions that accompanied
him.
Many hardships, even dangers,
were experienced before the ex-
plorers finally reached the site
OF the Inca ruins. Bleak An
dean passes were traversed.
heavy snowfa1ls were encoun-
tered, they passed from tree ferns
to glaciers within few hours,
withstanding the rigors Of the
Arctic and the intense heat of
the tropics; they passed through
gigantic canyons, and marched
on jungle-covered ridges several
thousand feet above roaring
rapids. These incidents are
placed before the reader with
the deftness Of master.
The book contains rarely beau
tiful haIf-tone illustrations re.
produced from original photo
graphs. It is an added chapter
to Spanish stupidity. greed and
oppression. For Pizarro and his
conquistadores destroyed priceless
specimens Of the handiwork OF
this highly developed race that
would have been Of immense value
were they now available for study.
Obviously these morons decided
that such culture was the work
of Satan. Hence, it must be
destroyed.
The Inca Nance. according to
testimony. was fellow Of great
cunning as well as q military
strategist. For, with q handful
OF followers he eluded the ras-
Gals that Pizarro sent to capture
him after he was forced to flee
his capital. Nance led them a
Ia Onaa ~
Cordillera Uilcapampa. The fu-
gleman Of these warriors made
gallant efforts to snare the con-
quistadores into one of these
rocky passes, where, supplied
with huge boulders (which he
could have rolled down the steep
sides). he and his little band
could have annihilated these de-
spoilers. Is it any wonder that
with such security he remained
here?
Even Pizarro, who later led an
expedition to punish Nance failed
to penetrate these passes.
The last Inca capital was Uiti-
cos. The Bingham expedition,
uncertain of the precise location,
met with many obstacles seeking
it. In view Of the fact that
other expeditions failed to find
Machu Picchu,' the party was re-
garded with deep suspicion. Pro-
fessor Bingham relates the ex-
petition was accused OF seeking
to dig buried treasure! Even
the Project of Cuzco, the oldest
city in South America, was un-
able to conceive Of anyone doing
anything for the mere love Of
discovery.
One may visualize the thrill
experienced by these explorers
when they actually viewed the
ruins of Machu Picchu. For,
while a discovery of gold may
benefit an individual, an i'm
portant archaeological discovery is
a treasure that will benefit all
men and all ages to come. These
ruined temples and fortresses re-
veal tales more fascinating than
the fairy stories Of Grim or An
dersen.
The last residents of Machu
Picchu were mostly women. This
is revealed by the large number
of female skeletons found in
burial caves nearby.
''In its last state" observes
Bingham, "it (Machu Picchu) be.
came the home and refuge of
the Virgins of the Sun, priestesses
Of the most humane cult of alb
original America. Here, con-
cealed in a canyon Of remarkable
grandeur. protected by art and
nature, these consecrated women
gradually passed away, leaving
no known descendants nor any
records other than the masonry
and artifacts. Whoever
they were, whatever name be
finally assigned to this site by
future historians. of this 1 feel
sure-that few romances can ever
surpass that of the granite citidel
on top of the beetling precipices
of Machu Picchu, the crown Of
Inca Land"
In view of the present crusade
against "dope," 1t is interestino