TO SOUTH AMERICA FOR BIRD STUDY 



271 



clown the coast to Callao, remaining, how- 

 ever, only one day, in order to visit Lima. 

 While at Lima, we visited the zoological 

 garden and other points of interest in and 

 about that old city. From Callao we sailed 

 down the coast to Mollendo, which is the 

 port of entry to the high interior of Peru 

 and Bolivia. From Mollendo there is rail- 

 road communication with Arequipa, Lake 

 Titicaca, and Cuzco. Dr. Chapman remained 

 at Arequipa, while I went on to Cuzco in 

 order to arrange for transportation for a 

 contemplated trip doAvn the Urubamba Val- 

 ley. While Avaiting for Dr. Chapman to 

 join me, I spent much time visiting the Inca 

 ruins in and about the city of Cuzco. A few 

 days later Ave started on the expedition 

 through the Urubamba Canon, past OUan- 

 taytambo, and on to Machu Picchu, the old 

 Inca City of Eefuge. 



We made our camp at the foot of the 

 mountain spur on which Machu Picchu is 

 situated, devoting our time for a couple of 

 days to securing a collection of birds typi- 

 cal of that region. Also we spent one day 

 climbing to the top of the mountain spur in 

 order to obtain photographs of the ruins 

 that once again are being buried under 

 tropical foliage. I shall long remember 

 what a tremendous climb it was. Both 

 hands and feet Avere employed as we worked 

 our Avaj' along narrow ledges or scrambled 

 up the nearly A'ertical cliffs, catching here 

 and there on projecting bits of rock, or put- 

 ting our faith in the strength of some aerial 

 root stalk that clung close to the face of 

 the cliff. Up, up, for almost three thousand 

 feet, to the A'ery topmost point of the 

 mountain spur, from where Ave Avere able to 

 look down on the ruins. Here we found 

 that Ave Avere on what had once been a well- 

 paved highway leading directly to the 

 ruins. Sometimes we descended ancient 

 stairAvays cut into the living rock, narrow 

 and tortuous, pierced here and there by nar- 

 roAV channels that undoubtedly had been 

 used for conducting Avater to the city. A 

 day Avas spent among the ruins before Ave 

 made the return journey, Avhich was found 

 to be even more difficult than the climb had 

 been. Going doAvn, it was necessary to hold 

 on with the hands and feel carefully for a 

 solid resting place for the feet, and as AA^e 

 Avere continually bringing into use a set of 

 muscles that are not ordinarily employed in 

 walking, we Avere pretty nearly exhausted 



before Ave reached solid ground. We felt 

 fortunate indeed that all the members of 

 our party escaped Avithout accident. There 

 AA^ere many places in the descent where a 

 misstep AA'ould have meant plunging for 

 hundreds of feet down on the rocks beloAV. 



We then continued through the valley as 

 far as Trinidad, Avliich is located just at 

 the edge of the tropic zone. Here we had 

 opportunity to do some splendid bird col- 

 lecting. The journey doAvn the valley Avas 

 a ride through a Avonderland. On both 

 sides of the Urubamba Canon are continu- 

 ous series of terraces that had made avail- 

 able for cultivation every foot of soil in 

 the valley. The wonderful aqueducts for 

 supplying Avater to these terraces are still 

 intact in places. 



We then packed our outfit and moved 

 back tOAvard the plateau in Avhich rests 

 Lake Titicaca. At Tirapata, near Avhich is 

 a small lake that Dr. Chapman desired to 

 visit, the expedition divided, and I started 

 on my journey across the continent for the 

 interior of Matto Grosso in Brazil, in or- 

 der to complete the observations that Avere 

 begun during the Roosevelt Expedition in 

 1913-14. 



My Avay lay first across Lake Titicaca. 

 On a previous expedition I had crossed this 

 lake at night ; noAv I Avas pleased that I had 

 an opportunity to go around the lake by 

 day and stop at the various small ports and 

 villages, an opportunity of Avhich I availed 

 myself Avith great satisfaction. But I was 

 to be disappointed in the result. The sea- 

 son Avas midwinter, and neither saloons nor 

 state rooms on the little steamers plying on 

 Titicaca Avere heated. Even on deck in the 

 sun it Avas cold, for the Avind that came 

 down from the hills around the lake was 

 icy. The passengers stood about and shiv- 

 ered, although Avearing all the wraps they 

 possessed. Also the hills, instead of being 

 bright green, were dull, gray, and lifeless. 

 The tAvo days' journey was one of great 

 discomfort and the scenery Avas of little in- 

 terest. I then AAent on to La Paz, Bolivia, 

 from AAhich point one can get railroad trans- 

 portation through the Andes as far as 

 Atocha, on the line toAvard the Argentine 

 frontier. This journey also was not one I 

 AA'ould AA'ish to repeat for pleasure. All the 

 passengers suffered greatly from the cold. 

 The cars Avere not heated, although the 

 temperature was ten degrees below zero. At 



