46 THE WORLD'S WONDERS. 



the Spaniards under Pizarro, or about 1000, A. D., the period 

 when all Christendom was hurling itself in the crusades upon the 

 Holy Land. 



WONDERS OF AN EXTINCT CIVILIZATION. 



THIS civilization, in some respects one of the most remarkable 

 which the world has ever seen, had its origin in the lofty table- 

 land of the Puna, which we are now considering ; and far and 

 wide as the reign of the Incas subsequently extended, they and 

 their subjects always retained their reverence for the little rocky 

 islet in Lake Titicaca, where it had its origin. At the northern 

 end of the island is a frayed and water-worn mass of red sand- 

 stone, about 225 feet long and twenty-five feet high. This is 

 the sacred rock of Manco Capac, the most holy spot in all Peru. 

 Upon it, as was believed, no bird would alight, no animal venture, 

 and upon which no human being not of royal blood dared set 

 his foot. From this rock the sun first rose to dispel the primal 

 vapors and illuminate the world. It was, so runs the legend, 

 planted all over with gold and silver, and, except upon the most 

 solemn occasions, covered with a veil of cloth of costly material 

 and gorgeous colors. The gold and silver, as well as the 

 gorgeous covering, have long since disappeared, and what is now 

 seen is only a bare rock, on the crest of the island, which rises 

 2,000 feet above the waters of the lake. Yet even now, when 

 the Indian guides come within sight of it they raise their hats, 

 bow reverently, and mutter words of mystic import, which they 

 themselves most likely do not understand. In front of the rock 

 is a level artificial terrace, 372 feet long and 125 feet broad? 

 supported by a low stone wall. According to tradition the soil 

 which once covered this terrace was carried upon the backs of 

 men from the distant valleys of the Amazon, so that it might 

 nourish a vegetation denied by the hard, ungrateful soil of the 

 island. 



Everywhere on the holy island are the ruins of Inea structures, 

 and the sites of the most sacred spots are still shown. Here is 

 the sheltered bay where the Incas landed when they came to visit 

 the spot consecrated to the sun. Halfway up the ascent are the 



