the Ancient Roads of the Perwoians. 55 



proceeding in the direction, by compass, of north by west. Un- 

 less where nature has presented almost unsurmountable obstacles 

 to their doing so, they seem, in forming these roads, to have 

 invariably followed the most direct course, disregarding ordi- 

 nary inequalities in the surface, which might have been avoided 

 by an inconsiderable detour. 



In the subsequent conversations which I had with the Peru- 

 vian and other travellers on this subject, I ascertained that very 

 distinct traces of these ancient roads are not only to be seen in 

 many parts of Peru, but are frequently met with along the line 

 of the Cordillera, which proceeds from Uspallata to Potosi in 

 Peru, but only in such places where they have not been effaced 

 by coming in contact with more modern roads. It may be dis- 

 tinctly traced from the place where I first examined it, along 

 the whole extent of the Valley of Uspallata, which is said to 

 terminate at the river of St John's (Rio de San Juan), upwards 

 of 100 miles to the northward. It has also been traced as far to 

 the southward as the Valley of the Tenuyan, about 34 degrees 

 of south latitude, where, on the following year, when passing 

 the Cordillera, by the pass of the Planchon, I made a fruitless 

 attempt to discover it, none of my guides being sufficiently ac- 

 quainted with the localities of the valley, to be able to point 

 it out to me. From this valley, I have not yet been able to 

 trace its course further south, either personally or by the testi- 

 mony of others ; yet I have little doubt, that, by a careful in- 

 vestigation, it might be ascertained to continue much farther to 

 the south. From the Valley of Uspallata it takes rather a cir- 

 cuitous course to reach the Valley of the Tenuyan : on leaving 

 La Punta del Cerro Negro, it runs southward, and soon inclines 

 more to the westward, until, at Los Ranchillos, it leaves the 

 Valley of Uspallata, and joins with the high road to Chile, which 

 skirts the northern side of the Rio de Mendoza, as far as La 

 Punta de las Vacas, passing in this route by Picheuta and Tam- 

 billos, places whose names are of Indian origin. At the latter 

 place are still to be seen the ruins of some habitations, supposed 

 by many to have been used by the Peruvians during their 

 journeys; but, by others, and perhaps with more probability, 

 as having been erected to give temporary shelter to the negro 

 slaves, who were formerly carried from Buenos Ayres across 



