Situation of Cajamarqullla — Conjectures as to its History. 387 



nations of cold, damp, and scorcliing heat, as in other less 

 favoured countries. Even earthquakes are here not so much 

 to be dreaded as where houses are of brick or stone, since the 

 Adoba possesses far more elasticity than intractable building 

 material, and is therefore better able to withstand the re- 

 peated undulations of the earth's surface. 



The site of the town, which lies in a long deep valley sur- 

 rounded on all sides by hills of the most fantastic shaj^e, 

 rising to a height of from 8000 to 10,000 feet, is exceedingly 

 grand. Unfortunately when we visited it, all the peaks and 

 hills of the country around were naked, barren, and bleak- 

 looking. But in winter after the first dews have fallen, those 

 sloj^es and table-lands that now looked so desolate are 

 covered with dense deep-green verdure, when they make a 

 far more agreeable impression on the beholder. 



Of trees I saw only a few kinds of bamboo and acacia, 

 which, more spreading than lofty, were visible in the swampy 

 ground along the edges of the torrents. Some of the hills 

 around seem at first sight like artificial fortifications, but 

 when we approach closer there is not the slightest indication 

 of Cajamarqullla having ever been a fort or place of defence. 

 To all appearance the spot, at the time of the Spaniards first 

 coming to Peru, was inhabited by the Quichua Indians, who 

 afterwards either abandoned voluntarily^ their peaceful abodes 

 through di*ead of their pursuers, or were driven thence by 

 violence. None of the present inhabitants of the vicinity, to 

 whom 1 spoke, could give us any definite information as to 



2 c 2 



