496 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 102 



down into the earth's center, avoiding the intensity of the sun, which 

 is very great in those parts. 



1383. From these valleys it is 14 leagues along the seacoast south- 

 ward to the valley and village of Atico. On the way there are a few 

 fishermen for this coast is rich in fish, which they catch for the 

 sierra provinces. Along this coast there are also many sea lions, 

 which come out of the water onto the rocks, and make loud noises 

 at night [which would scare one not in the secret ; one would think 

 they were calves or some other animal]. In the Atico Valley there 

 is a small Indian village one-eighth of a league from the sea ; they 

 are fishermen and catch large amounts of fish which they salt and 

 carry up into the sierras. There are a few vineyards and fig groves 

 in this valley ; when I went through there, at Christmas time, they 

 had excellent early figs. E., on this same parallel, is the city of Cuzco, 

 capital of these kingdoms and court city of the Inca kings. 



1384. From the Atico Valley it is 15 leagues to the Camana Valley ; 

 at 5 leagues there are some lomas called Sina, with a little Indian 

 village on them. In this district one travels right by the seashore ; 

 a short distance out there are islets or rocks covered with seals. When 

 they have had their fill of fish they come out of the water and climb 

 up on the rocks or islets and stretch out in the sun like herds of pigs 

 and bellow like calves. They are remarkable creatures, for though 

 they are shaped like fish, in their movements, muzzle, teeth, and 

 skin they resemble wolves, and are even more savage ; what would 

 naturally be hands, feet, and tail, is fins, as with fish. They climb 

 up on the rocks hoisting themselves with their fins in great peace and 

 tranquillity, never quarreling or biting each other, whether large or 

 small, and in great numbers. At night they come out on land, bellow- 

 ing loudly ; and as people usually travel at night in that country on 

 account of the sun, anyone who heard such loud cries without knowing 

 what it was, would be greatly scared and alarmed. In fact, when 

 I passed through that stretch and heard such loud roaring, I asked 

 the guide who was conducting me, what it was ; without that, I 

 should have been disquieted. From this village it is 4 leagues farther 

 to the Rio de Ocona, which is rather large ; there is a small Indian 

 village on it, cut in two by the river, which is a convenience for 

 travelers. This valley contains some vineyards and fig groves, and 

 many buildings erected by the ancients. At its inception it [this 

 valley] was thickly settled, but was decimated by war and pestilence. 

 [In this valley] they plant their farms to corn, peppers, sapallos or 

 pumpkins, and other crops, for there is abundance of water. When 

 the river comes down in flood, they have rafts to ferry travelers across. 



