Ch. XÍV. south AMERICA. 163 



As the western borders of this lake are called Chu- 

 cuito, so those on the E. side are distinguished by the 

 name of Omascuyo. It contains several islands, á- 

 mong which is one verv larg-e, and was ancieiHly one 

 moiintain, but since levelled by order of the Yncas ; 

 it, however, gave to the lake its own name of Titica- 

 ca, which, in the Indian language, signiiies a moun- 

 tain of lead. In this island the first Ynca Mancho- 

 Capac, the illustrious founder of the empire of Peru, 

 invented his political fable, that the sun, his father, 

 had placed him, together with his sister and consorf. 

 Mama Oello liuaco, there, enjoining them to draw 

 the neighbouring people from the ignorance, rude- 

 ness, and barbarity in which they, lived, and huma- 

 nize them by customs, laws and religious rites dic- 

 tated by himself; and in return for the benefits re- 

 sulting from this artful stratagciu, the island, has, by 

 all the Indians, been considered as sacred ; and the 

 Yncas determining to erect on it a temple to the sun, 

 caused it to be levelled, that the situation might be 

 more delightful and commodious. 



This w^is one of the most splendid temples in the 

 whole empire. Besides the plates of gold and silver > 

 with which its walls were magnificently adorned, it 

 contained an immense collection of riches, all the in- 

 habitants of provinces which depended on the empire, 

 being under an indispensable obligation of visiting it 

 once a year, and oii'ering some gift. Accordingly they 

 always brought in proportion to their zeal or ability, 

 gold, fill ver, or jewels. This immense mass of riches, 

 the Indians, on seeing the rapacious violence of the 

 Spaniards, are tliought to have tlu'own into the lake ; 

 as it is certainly known, they did with regard to a 

 great part of those at Cusco, among which was the 

 famous golden chain made by order of the Ynca Hu- ' 

 ayna Capac, to celebrate the festival of giving name \Ó 

 his eldest son. But tUe-se, valuable. effects were throw n 

 into another lake, si.v leagues S. of Cusco, iu the val- 

 M '^ V ley 



