568 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 102 



Sacsahuaman was now entirely encircled with walls and became an 

 extremely strong castle or impregnable fortress, which could not 

 be entered at any point, although in itself the position was not so 

 very strong. 



The three walls were all of huge rough stone blocks, separated 

 by intervals of some 25 or 30 feet from each other, running up the 

 ridge and with level stretches, some artificially made and some taking 

 advantage of the hillside, and with trenches, so that those inside could 

 fight without being hit. The first surpassed the others in workman- 

 ship and strength, for it appears that the Inca wanted to exceed the 

 limit and manifest his power in this, by constructing it of the largest 

 and hugest boulders ; in strength and size it far surpassed the others. 

 They left the stones rough, just as they had been brought, and so 

 placed and joined them one with another that it seemed as if Nature 

 had created them for that purpose ; their rough projections combined 

 with each other to form an excellent decorative pattern. In fine, 

 I would say of this construction that all exaggeration falls short of 

 its true praise, for when one reflects upon the size and strength of 

 the wall, and the formidable boulders of which it was built, even 

 when gazing upon it, it seems impossible that human labor could 

 have fashioned and formed it. 



1531. Each circuit or wall contained a central gateway with a 

 huge rock of proper size and shape on it to serve as a portcullis, 

 opening and closing the entrance with admirable ingenuity. They 

 called the first Tiupuncu, which means the sand-bank door, for there 

 was a sand flat there and sand in that language is called tin. They 

 called the gateway in the second wall AcaHuanapuncu, for the master 

 architect who built it was named Acaguana (sic). The third they 

 called Viracochapuncu, for they had consecrated it to the god Vira- 

 cocha, for him to protect the fortress and look after it, just as Inca 

 Viracocha had freed the city from the furious attack of the Chancas. 



1532. On the crest of the ridge, beyond the three walls, there was 

 a long emplacement on which stood three forts or castles arranged 

 in a triangle. They called the most important one Mollomarca, which 

 means the round fortress, because that was its form and shape. In it 

 there was a fountain admirably sculptured, with excellent water 

 brought underground from afar. This was the fortress in which the 

 kings lodged when they came up to visit it and rest there. This was 

 all decorated with sheets of gold and silver, and on them, great 

 variety of animals, birds, and plants very naturally fashioned out 

 of gold and of inestimable value ; this served as tapestry. There 

 were likewise many gold and silver table services for the kings, and 



