110 



RUINS AT TIAHUANACO. 



Chap. VII. 



part, which is said to contain coal ; ^ and Esteves, in the 

 bay of Puno, where the patriot prisoners were conlined by 

 the Spaniards during the war of independence ; besides a 

 small archipelago in the lake of Huaqui. 



A very ancient civilization existed on the shores of lake 

 Titicaca long before the appearance of the first Inca of Peru ; 

 the principal remains of which are to be found at Tiahuanaco/ 

 near the southern shore of the lake of Huaqui. An extensive 

 tract is here covered by huge blocks of carved stone. It was 

 with much regret that I was obliged, by my duty, to give up 

 my intention of visiting these interesting remains. M. de 

 Castelnau mentions two colossal statues of a man and a 

 woman, crowned with a kind of turban ; a colossal head and 

 a lizard carved on blocks of stone ; a great conical artificial 

 hill ; and a monolithic doorway, the upper part of which is 

 covered with very curious sculpture. In the centre there is 

 a figure, probably representing the Sun, and on each side 

 a number of figures all turned towards it, with wings, and 

 sceptres in their hands : those on one side with their heads 

 crowned, and those on the other with heads of griffins, and 

 the bodies adorned with garlands of human heads.* All who 

 have visited these ruins consider them to be of a distinct 

 character from those of Cuzco, and otlier works of the Incas. 

 The stones are more richly carved, and many of them have 

 been united by means of a metal poured into transverse 

 grooves. M. de Castelnau considers that the chief charac- 

 teristic of Aymara ruins is the minute detail in the carving 

 on the stones, while that of the Incas consists in the grand 

 simplicity of the masonry.^ 



2 So say the people of Puuo, but 

 the island is all limestone. 



3 The name is more modem ; given, 

 as tradition relates, by one of the Incas, 

 who happened to be encamped here 

 when a chasqui or messenger arrived 

 with extraordinary rapidity from Cuzco. 

 The Inca exclaimed, " Tia-huanaco ! " 



" Be seated, O Huanaco ! " — the huan- 

 aco being the swiftest animal in Peru. 



■* The Hindoo god Siva is also re- 

 presented with a necklace of human 

 heads. 



* For descriptions of the ruins at 

 Cuzco, see my former work, Cuzco and 

 Lima, chap. iv. and v. 



