548 ULLOA*S VOYAGE TO SOUTH AMERICA. 



allow room for the chairs in which the monarch was carried on men*s fhoulders into 

 his apartment, the only place in which his feet touched the ground. It is not known 

 whether this or the other palaces of the yncas had any ftories, nor how they were 

 roofed ; for thofe we examined were either open, or had been roofed by the Spaniards : 

 but it is highly probable that they covered them with boards, in the form of a 

 teriace, that is, fupported by beams laid acrofs : for in the walls there is nothing near 

 the ground that affords room for a conjedure, that they ever fupported any roofs : on 

 this horizontal roof they contrived fome flope for carrying off the waters. The reafon 

 of contracting their doors at the top was, that the lintel might be of one ftone ; for 

 they had no idea either of arches or of key-ftones, as may be concluded from no fuch 

 works occurring among all their edifices. 



About fifty toifes north of this palace, fronting its entrance, is a mountain, the more 

 fmgular as being 'in the midfl of a plain : its height is betwixt twenty- five and thirty 

 toifes, and fo exad:ly, on every fide, formed with the conical roundnefs of a fugar- 

 loaf, that it feems to owe its form to induftry ; efpecially as the end of its flope on all 

 fides forms exaftly with the ground the fame angle in every part. And what feems 

 to confirm this opinion is, that guacas, or maufoleums, of prodigious magnitude, were 

 greatly affefted by the Indians in thofe times. Hence the common opinion, that it 

 is artificial, and that the earth was taken out of the breach north of it, where a little 

 river runs, does not feem improbable. But this is no more than conjedure, not being 

 founded on any evident proof. In all appearance this eminence, now called Pane- 

 cillo de Callo, ferved as a watch tower, commanding an uninterrupted view of the 

 country, in order to provide for the fafety of the prince on any fudden alarm of an 

 invafion, of which they were under continual apprehenfions, as will appear from the 

 account of their fortreffes. 



About two leagues north-eaft of the town of Atun-Canar, or great Canar, is a for- 

 trefs or palace of the yncas. It is the moft entire, the largeft, and beft built in all the 

 kingdom. Clofe by its entrance runs a little river, and the back part of it termi- 

 nates in a high and thick wall at the flope of a mountain. In the middle of it is a kind 

 of oval tower, about two toifes high from the ground within the fort, but without it 

 rifes fix or eight above that of the hill. In the middle of the tower is a fquare 

 of four walls ; which, on the fide facing the country, leave no paffage ; and all its 

 angles touch the circumference of the oval. On the oppofite fide only, is a very nar- 

 row pafs, anfwering to the inward part of the tower. In the middle of this fquare is 

 an apartment of two fmall rooms, without any communication, and the doors of them 

 oppofite to the fpace which feparates them. In the fides towards the country are 

 loop-holes ; and in critical times it was made a court of guard. From the outfide of 

 this oval tower, a wall is extended on the left fide about forty toifes, and about 

 twenty-five on the right ; this wall was continued in a great number of irregular angles, 

 and enclofed a large fpot of ground. It had only one entrance, which was in the fide 

 oppofite to the tower, and facing the lafl: angle on the right near the rivulet. From 

 this gate or entrance was a paffage, jufl: broad enough for two perfons to walk abreaft, 

 and at the wall turned fliort off towards the tower, but always of the fame breadth. 

 After this it winded towards the breach, and widened fo as to form a parade before the 

 tower. In thefe paffages, at the diftance of every two or three paces, one fees niches 

 formed within the wall, like fentry-boxes ; and on the other fide two doors, which 

 were entrances to the fame number of foldiers de logis, and feem to have ferved the 

 corps of the garrifon for barracks. In the inner fquare, to the left of the tower, were 

 feveral apartments, of which the height, difpofition, and doors, are a fufficient proof 



that 



