152 LAKES IN THE ANDES. 



healthful^ although it be lesse and fuller of bones ; there are 

 great numbers of wilde duckes and widgeons. Whenas the 

 Indians will feast it, or shew delight to any one that passeth 

 along the two banckes, which they call Chucuyto and 

 Omasuyo, they assemble a great number of canoes, making 

 a circle and invironing the fowle, vntill they take with 

 their hands what they please, and they call this maner of 

 fishing Chacu. On the one and the other bancke of this 

 Lake are the best habitations of Peru. From the issue 

 thereof there growes a lesser Lake, although it be great, 

 which they call Paria, vpon the bankes whereof there are 

 great numbers of cattell, especially swine, which grow ex 

 ceeding fatte with the grasse vpon those banks. There are 

 many other Lakes in the high mountains whence proceede 

 brooks and rivers, which after become great flouds. Ypon 

 the way from Arequipa to Callao there are two Lakes 

 vpon the mountains of the one and other side the way ; 

 from the one flowes a brooke, which growes to a floud, and 

 falles into the South sea; from the other they say the 

 famous river of Apurimac takes her beginning, from the 

 which some hold that the renowned river of Amazones, other 

 wise called Maranon, proceed es, with so great an assembly 

 and aboundance of waters, which ioyne in these mountaines. 

 It is a question which may be often asked, why there are 

 so many Lakes in the toppes of these mountaines, into the 

 which no river enters, but contrariwise many great streames 

 issue forth, and yet do we scarce see these Lakes to diminish 

 anything at any season of the yeere. To imagine that these 

 Lakes grow by the snow that melts or raine from heaven, 

 that doth not wholy satisfie me, for there are many that 

 have not this aboundance of snow nor raine, and yet we 

 see no decrease in them, which makes me to beleeve they 

 are springs which rise there naturally, although it be not 

 against reason to thinke that the snowne and raine helpe 

 somewhat in some seasons. These Lakes are so common 



