Ca. XL SOUTH AMERICA. A63 



The manner of opening the guacas is, fo cut the 

 lower part at right angles, the vertical and horizontal 

 line meeting in the centre, where the corpse and its 

 furniture are found. 



The stone mirrors taken out of the guacas are 

 of two sorts ; one of the ynca-stone, and the other 

 of the gallinazo-stone : the former is not transparent, 

 of a lead colour, but soft ; they are generally of a 

 circular form, and one of the surfaces flat, with all 

 the^smoothness of a crystal looking-glass ; the other 

 oval and something spherical, and the polish not so 

 fine. They are of various sizes, but generally of 

 three or four inches diameter, though I saw one of a 

 foot and a half ; its principal surface was concave, 

 and greatly enlarged objects ; nor could its polish be 

 exceeded by the best M'orkmen among us. The 

 great fault of this stone is, its having several veins 

 and flaws, which; besides the disadvantage to the 

 surface of the mirror, render it liable to be broken 

 by any little accident. Many are inclined to think 

 that it is not natural, but artificial. There are, it 

 must indeed be owned, some appearances of this, but 

 not sufficient for conviction. Among the breaches 

 in this country, some quarries of them are found ; and 

 quantities continue to be taken out, though no longer 

 worked for the use the Indians made of them. This 

 does not however, absolutely contradict the fusion of 

 them, in order to heighten their quality, or cast them 

 into a regular form. 



The gallinazo-stone is extremely hard, but as 

 brittle as flint : it is so called from its black colour, 

 in allusion to the colour of the bird of that name ; 

 and is in some measure diaphanous. This the In- 

 dians worked equally on both sides ; and reduced it 

 into a circular figure. On the upper part they drill- 

 ed a hole for a string to hang it by ; the surfaces 

 were as smooth as those of the former, and very ex- 



3 actly 



