CEMETERIES AND TOMBS. 9 



sections were respectively five and seven acres, and were located on slightly 

 elevated eminences, about four hundred yards from a small river, the course of 

 which is northeast by east at this point. The rise from the river banks to the 

 Huacal is very gradual, except at the northern boundary, which is somewhat 

 abrupt, and around which the river turns toward the east. The general direction 

 of the Huacal is north and south; and the greater portion of the graves were 

 found on the western and southern slopes. There did not appear a general reg- 

 ularity in the position of the Huacas, or graves, but frequently there would occur 

 several side by side. The distance between the grave-pits varied from nine to 

 fifteen inches at the more crowded portions of the Huacal. The universal direction 

 of the quadrangular Huacas is north and south by the polar star. 



" There are two forms of Huacas or graves - - the oval and quadrangular ; and 

 their mode of construction is an interesting matter for consideration. I, with a 

 small party of peons, examined carefully and systematically one of the former and 

 several of the latter description; and besides, saw a large number of both varieties 

 opened by parties in the vicinity. The material uniformly employed in the con- 

 struction of the sepulcher proper was flat and rounded river stone. The oval 

 grave-pits were from four and a half to six feet deep, and from three to four feet 

 in their largest diameters. A wall of the rounded river stone, two and a half to 

 three feet high, lined the grave-pit at the bottom, after the manner of a modern 

 well. From the top of this wall to the surface the entire area of the grave-pit 

 was closely packed with rounded river stone. Within the limits of the wall, which 

 seemed to be the tomb proper, were found principally the golden figures, and the 

 vessels of pottery, etc. The greater portion of the oval or circular Huacas were 

 located in the northern and western sections of the burial-ground ; and, as a 

 general rule, yielded the most figures of gold and the finest specimens of pottery. ' 

 The relics in these were found usually at the eastern and northern sides ; and the 

 gold figures sometimes were located, it is said, in the crevices of the wall but 

 in no instance in the earthen jars associated with them. The circular graves, 

 being confined to the slopes of the Huacal, were more or less covered by the 

 wash from the elevated sections of the Huacal, so that the top stones of the 

 package were in many cases nearly a foot beneath the surface. No vestige of 

 the human body was discovered in the oval Huacas ; but a black loam occupied 

 the spaces between the relics and the stone package. Occasionally earthen vessels 

 were found in the stone package near the surface. The quadrangular Huacas 

 were constructed in two modes. In one case the grave-pit was lined by walls 

 of rounded river stone about one third the distance to the surface ; and from the 

 top of these walls the entire area of the grave-pit was closely packed with river 

 stone, as in the oval grave. Within the limits of these walls, and in close proxim- 

 ity to the bottom of the grave-pit, were found most of the relics contained in 

 them. These Huacas were larger and yielded more gold images and finer pottery 

 than the other variety of the quadrangular grave, and were in juxtaposition with 

 the oval graves, occurring interspersed with them in the northern and western 

 sections of the Huacal, but abounding principally in the southern portion of 

 the ground. Some of these Huacas were nearly six feet deep, especially those 

 situated in the depressed sections of the Huacal, and the area of the grave-pit 

 MEMOIRS CONN. ACAD., Vol. III. 2 



