INDIAN CORN. 33 



* that I might not incline you to sadness, I abstained 

 1 from venting tears from my eyes, which, notwith- 

 i standing, drop in blood on my heart, caused by that 

 ' inward grief I feel, to see our Incas, and their empire 



* ruined and destroyed." ' 



To this legend, many others of ancient date might 

 be added, one of which, is, that the rays of the sun, 

 after the universal deluge, first fell on the island in 

 Lake Titicaca, before they appeared in any other place, 

 and gave a sign and promise that from that spot the 

 first .doctrines of the light of knowledge should eminate, 

 which promise was afterwards accomplished by those 

 kings, who preceded them, and taught the world to 

 throw off their turpitude, and live according to the dic- 

 tates of nature and of reason. By advantage of these, 

 and other similar inventions, it was not difficult for the 

 Incas to persuade the rest of the Indians, that they 

 actually descended from the sun, and to confirm their 

 belief by the manifold benefits and advantages which 

 their doctrine and religion brought with them. On 

 the assurance of these two fables, it is said, the Incas 

 and all their subjects did really esteem this island to 

 be a sacred and holy piece of ground, upon which, with 

 that opinion, they erected a rich temple, all plated 

 with gold, to be dedicated to their Father, the Sun ; 

 where all the Indians of the provinces, subject to the In- 

 cas, generally assembled once a year to offer gold, silver, 

 and precious, stones, in thankful acknowledgments of 

 the great blessings they had received. And so immense 

 was the quantity of gold and silver, which was amassed 

 in that island, besides what was cast and wrought into 

 utensils, for the service of the temple, that the report 

 of it made by the Incas, is incredible, and is more to be 

 admired than believed. Bias Valera, a Spanish histo- 

 rian, in speaking of the riches of this temple, says, 

 that after all the vessels and ornaments were supplied, 

 he was told by the Indians of Copa-Cabano, that there 

 was such a superfluity of gold and silver, after all was 

 finished, that another such temple might have been 

 erected without the aid of any other materials ! And 



