ILLUSTRATIONS (14). CAPTIVITY OP ATAHTJALLPA. 429 



fossil shells of the Silurian formation in Bolivia, and on the 

 Nevado of Antakana at the elevation of 17,480 feet. (See 

 Mary Somerville's Physical Geography, 1849, vol. i. p. 185.) 



(12) p. 407 " The point at ivhich the Andes- chain is intersected 

 by the magnetic equator." 



See my Relation Hist, du Voyage aux Regions Equmoxiales r 

 t. iii. p. 622; and Cosmos, vol. i. pp. 191, 432 ; where, through 

 errors of the press, the longitude is in one place marked 

 48 40', and in another 80 40', whereas it ought to be 

 80 54'. 



(13) p. 409 " Tedious court ceremonies." 



Conformably with an ancient ceremonial, Atahuallpa spat, 

 not on the ground, but into the hand of a distinguished lady 

 of the Court circle. "This was done," observes Garcilaso, 

 " by reason of his majesty." " El Inca nunca escupia en el 

 suelo, sino en la mano de una Senora mui principal, por 

 Magestad." (Garcilaso, Comment. Reales, p. ii. p. 46.) 



(14) p. 410" Captivity of Atahuallpa." 



The captive Inca was, at his own desire, a short time before 

 he was put to death, conducted into the open air, for the 

 purpose of seeing a large comet, described to have been of a 

 greenish black hue, and nearly as thick as a man's body; 

 (" una cometa verdinegra, poco menos gruesa que el cuerpo 

 de un hombre" Garcilaso, p. ii. p. 44). This comet, which 

 Atahuallpa saw shortly before his death, (therefore, in July 

 or August, 1533), he supposed to be the same comet of evil 

 omen, which had appeared at the death of his father Huayna 

 Capac, and was certainly identical with that observed by 

 Appian/* The comet was seen by Appian, on the 21st of 

 July, standing high in the north, near the constellation of 

 Perseus ; and it appeared like a sword held by Perseus, in his 

 right hand.f The year in which the Inca Huayna Capac 



* Pingrg, Cometographie, t. i. p. 496; and Galle's Verzeichniss oiler 

 berechneten Cometenbahnen, in Gibers' Easiest method of calcu- 



lating the course of a Comet, 1847, p. 206. 



f Midler's A stronomie, 1846, p. 307; also Schnurrer's Chronik der 

 Seuchen in Verbindung mit gleichzeitigen Ersclieinungen" 1825, 

 part ii. p. 82. 



