Evening star., 1930-11-30
Filing Into the Andes.

Those who think that because avia-
ton has become one of the regular
transport mediums, it has lost the ele-
ment OF romance which marked its
early development. may have their faith
renewed by the efforts OF an expedi-
ton scheduled for this Winter into the
remote fastnesses of the Peruvian Andes
to find and study lost cities of the an
clent Incas and the yet more ancient
Yuncas.
Members of the party range in age
from 20 to 80 years and constitute what
Is said TO be the youngest group ever
assembled for a major scientific expe-
dition. They visited the National Capt.
tai during the past week for the
christening of the two Bellanca cabin
monoplanes to be used for the work of
exploration.
The expedition will wed aviation to
archaeology and the roar of their air
plane motors will be neard in places
white men have seldom or never seen.
where centuries ago flourished the
mountain cities of the ancient ciriliza-
tions and CONGRATULATIONS cf the South
American Indians.
There is some uncertainty as to the
precise degree Of civilization of the old
tribes. which built roads and cities in
the Peruvian Andes and the expedition
Is expected to shed considerable light in
some OF the darker corners. The area
the youthful explorers will study is that
which was in forgotten centuries the
homes OF tribes of the Yunca Indian
stock near what now IS Truxilla, Peru
They also will cover some Of the larger
territory which was the stamping
ground OF the success ors - the Yuncas,
the 1ncaS. who were of or gina' Kecllua
Indian stock and who settled in tie
Apurimac River county.
The Incas became the most progres-
sive tribe OF South American Indians
occupying the Andean Sierras and ex-
ercising control CT tribes in the areas
now composing Peru, Ecuador and
Northwestern Bolivia. Their power ex-
tended into the highlands and the low
lands and they held sway until the
Spanish conquest, which broke their
rule.
To Seek Massive Cities.
The architecture of the lost cities fo1
which the party will search probably
will be of massive hewn stone type de-
veloped by the Incas to stand for GEN.
turtes in a land frequently visited by
earthquakes. The walls of Inca tenn
piles, palaces and other principal struc-
lures are built Of enormous stones, oi
irregular shapes, so skillfully fitted to-
gether that no mortar is required tc
bind them into permanent union
The Yuncas were conquered by tht
Incas and the Incas in turn BY
Pizzaro's SpaniardS. The ancient cite
long have '-9en abandoned and therr
Is no accurate scientific knowledge re
garding some of them. especially thos.
far on the beaten trails.
Members Of the expedition expect u
return not only with real scientific
data. but also with complete photo
graphic records of every phase of IN
trip. One of the planes has beer
equipped with engine supercharger 70
high altitude work and will be used 20
Photographic mapping Of the area
studied. Aerial stills" and motion pic
lures of the spots Of interest will b
made.
IJespite their youth, the members o
the expedition have had careers whicl
at them well for the undertaking. Tier
are five Of them and each Of the five
an airplane pilot, though only two Q