34 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 6l 



V. EXPLORATIONS IX THE MOUNTAINS TO THE 

 NORTHEAST OF THE ACARI RIVER 



Santa Lucia. — After a day's stop at Huarato, the writer set out 

 once more for the sierra, which holds a key to many of the anthropo- 

 logical problems of Peru. The parts of the district of Lucanas 

 now entered have never before been visited by a scientific explorer. 

 They were reported to contain numerous ruins as well as burial 

 caves, and as a further inducement the writer was informed that 

 a three days journey from Hnarato, in the old town of Anda- 

 marca, 1 there could be found many full-blooded Indians, speaking 

 scarcely anything except Ouechua and preserving their ancient dress 

 as well as many old customs. 



The writer, unfortunately, was to be guided and assisted by a 

 merchant from Puquio. For the convenience of this merchant, the 

 start from Huarato, on the 17 leagues (over 40 miles) journey to 

 Sta. Lucia, was not made until five o'clock one afternoon. The main 

 ascent of the mountain occupied over four hours. Long before 

 that the sky became overcast, the darkness was almost impenetrable, 

 and our animals stumbled on the perilous path. After we reached the 

 top we were in addition overtaken by the usual cold drizzle of the 

 rainy season in the hills, and this accompanied us the remainder of the 

 journey. After midnight, the hitherto sandy upper country became 

 more rocky and the darkness quite black. The animals could no more 

 be guided, and we labored down and up, slipping and climbing, not 

 knowing where we were or where the next step might land us. until 

 three o'clock in the morning. That we this time escaped serious 

 injury was a marvel and wholly due to the sagacity of the animals. 

 When we emerged we were on the freer ground near Sta. Lucia. 

 The miserable village itself was reached about three quarters of an 

 hour later. Approaching, still in the rain, the hut where there were 

 to be accommodations for us. we found first that it was very inade- 

 quate in size : second, that the yard was a pool of ill-smelling mud and 

 water; and third, that the roof of the addition, more a shed than a 

 part of a dwelling, which was to be our quarters, leaked so badly that 

 there was no place inside where one could lie down or even crouch 

 to sleep and escape the dropping water. It was raw and chilly. Two 

 of the burros with loads had been lost in the darkness. But we were 

 weary, and so the merchant took a corner of the floor, while the 



1 This is not to be confounded with the Andamarca farther north reported 

 upon by Raimondi and Barrailler. Bol. Soc. Geog. Lima, Vol. 2. 1892. p. 121. 



