388 Voyage of the Novara. 



the ancient history of the ruins, and one hoary Indian, 

 named Pablo Plata, who lives in the village of Guachipa, and re- 

 members some wild traditions respecting Cajamarquilla, which 

 he received by word of mouth from preceding generations, I 

 unfortunately missed seeing owing to the shortness of my stay. 

 Quite close to the remains of the town, is at present a large 

 Hacienda, with magnificent clover pasturages, fertilized by 

 the river Rimac. It was at one of these green oases that om^ 

 company sat down to a comfortable pic-nic, which spoke 

 volumes for the preparations that had been made for 

 creature comforts. No small portion of what had been 

 brought with us was left on the field, to be gobbled up by 

 the clouds of negroes that crowded round, glad of the oppor- 

 tunity of tasting something cooked in the European fashion, 

 though they do not like them as well as the product of their 

 own wretched native kettles. Thus, for example, our guide, 

 a negro, preferred vegetables and dulce (sweets) to meat, 

 and declared sherry and cognac offered him to be " too 

 strong." 



If not in ease and comfort, at any rate in scientific interest, 

 I found my excursion to Cajamarquilla surpassed by that 

 made to Pachacamac in tlie valley of Lurin, which I made in 

 company with some friend, and in the course of which I 

 stayed behind the rest of my party, in company with the 

 flag-lieutenant of the since world-renowned frigate Merrimac. 

 My visit to Pachacamdc was, however, in so far less interest- 

 ing than that to Cajamarquilla, that the greater part of the 



