in South America. 245 



tnoJt desperate project ever attempted, for they hoped by 

 these means to form a voJcano which would swallow up the 

 whole province of Alaussy. At the height of the paramo 

 of A.ssuav, an elevation of 2300 toises, arc the magnificent 

 ruins of the Inca's highway. It conducted almost to Cuzco, 

 was entirely construcVed of cut stone, and very straight, and 

 resembled the most beautiful of the Roman roads. In the 

 same neighbourhood are found also the ruins of the palace 

 of the inca Tupavupangi, of which La Condaminc gave a 

 description in the Memoirs of the Academy of Berlin. 

 In the quarry which furnished the stones there are still seen 

 several half cut. I do not know whether Condamine spoke 

 also of the so-called Inca's billiard-table. The Indians 

 name this place in the Ouichua language, Inca-chim-' 

 gnna, the Inca's game. But I much doubt whether it was 

 ever destined for that purpcjse. It is a seat cut out in the 

 rock, with ornaments in the arabesc form, in which it is 

 believed that the ball ran. There is nothing more elegant 

 in our gardens in the English style ; and every thing proves 

 the good taste of the inca, for the seat is so situated as to 

 command a delightful view. In a wood not far from this 

 place is found a round spot of yellow iron in freestone : 

 the Peruvians have ornamented it with figures, supposing 

 it to be the image of the sun. I made a drawing of it. 



We remained only ten days at Cuenca, and proceeded 

 thence to Lima tlirough the province of Jaen, where we 

 spent a month in the neighbourhood of the river of the 

 Amazons. We arrived at Lima on the 23d of October 

 1802. 



In the month of December I purpose proceeding from 

 this place to Acapulco, and thence to Mexico, that in the 

 month of May 1803 I may reach the Havanna, where I 

 shall embark without delay for Spain. I have given up, as 

 you may see, the idea of returning bv the Philippines. I 

 should have crossed an immense tract of the ocean without 

 seeing any thing but Manilla and the Cape ; or, if I had 

 attempted to proceed to the East Indies, I should have 

 wanted the necessaries for that voyage, and which it was 

 impossible for me to procure here. 



\V'e have had forty or fifty young crocodiles, on the re- 

 spiration of which I have made very curious experiments. 

 Other animals diminish the volume of the air in which they 

 live, but the crocodile increases it. A crocodile inmiersed 

 in 1000 parts of atmospheric air, which contain 274 of oxy- 

 jr«ii gas, 1,^ of carbonic acid gas, and 711 of azot, increases 

 lliib mass in owe hour and forty-three niinutes 134 parts ; 

 O 3 ana 



