552 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 102 



llamas ; at present there are also large flocks of Spanish merino sheep 

 with very fine wool ; there are guanacos, vicunas, a few ostriches, 

 and vizcachas, which are like rabbits in form and color, except that 

 they have large tails ; they move about among the rocks with much 

 grace and agility. At the end of the desert, which is where the 

 extensive Province of Los Aymaraes begins, there is a high ridge 

 called Musanca, which at times has served as a fortress for the 

 Indians. 



1486. The large Province of Los Aymaraes, whose capital is the 

 village of Guaquirca, is very broken country with high mountain 

 ranges. Most of the villages are built on the slopes of the sierras, 

 and when it is a day's journey from one to another, just with the 

 descent and the climb, one can nevertheless look and hear from one 

 village to the other. The province is thickly populated and is rich 

 in mines of silver, gold, lead, and other metals ; in the ravines there 

 are large valleys, where they raise much wheat, corn, potatoes, and 

 all the Spanish and native varieties of fruit and cereals ; they have 

 large ranches of all sorts of cattle and livestock. The province is 

 more than 30 leagues long and over 1 5 broad ; it has a Corregidor 

 appointed by the Viceroy for its satisfactory administration and the 

 dispensing of justice. On the W. it is bounded by the Chaparra 

 Valley and the plains of the Diocese of Arequipa ; on the S. by 

 Los Collaguas and Condesuyos of that same Diocese ; on the ESE. 

 by the Province of Omasayos and others ; on the N. by the extensive 

 Province of Los Pariguanacochas, which the Spaniards call Parina- 

 cochas. To the N. of the Province of the Aymaraes, one crosses the 

 Coporuna desert, where there are snow-clad ranges and at their peak 

 a beautiful snow pyramid, whose unique beauty made it an object 

 of worship to the heathen Indians. Then comes the extensive 

 Province of Los Parinacochas, which means province with a lake of 

 flamingos. This is very large, fertile, and prolific ; they raise corn, 

 wheat, potatoes, and all the other native and Spanish cereals and 

 fruit, and have ranches of all kinds of livestock. The country is 

 very irregular, like that of Los Aymaraes, with rich silver and gold 

 ore bodies all over the province. Adjoining it are AUca, Taurisma, 

 Cotahuasi, Pumatambo, and others. The Viceroy appoints a Cor- 

 regidor for its satisfactory administration. On the N. it is bounded 

 by the Provinces of Los Soras and Lucanas of the Diocese of 

 Guamanga ; on the W. by the Chala valleys, the Atiquipa lomas, and 

 other valleys. 



1487. To the ESE. of the Province of Los Aymaraes lies that 

 of Los Omasayos, whose chief village is Chirirqui. This province 



