

PLATEAU OF CAXAMARCA. 293 



Dona Angelina, by whom Francisco Pizarro (with whom 

 she led a wild and warlike life), had a son whom he loved 

 fondly, grandchild of the slaughtered monarch. Besides 

 the family of the Cacique Astorpilco, with whom I was 

 acquainted at Caxamarca, the Carguraieos and Titu Busca- 

 mayta were pointed out at the period of my visit as 

 belonging to the Inca dynasty ; but the Buscamayta family 

 has since become extinct. 



The son of the Cacique Astorpilco, a pleasing and friendly 

 youth of seventeen, who accompanied me over the ruins of 

 the palace of his ancestor, while living in extreme poverty, 

 had filled his imagination with images of buried splendour 

 and golden treasures hidden beneath the masses of rubbish 

 upon which we trod. He related to me that one of his 

 more immediate forefathers had bound his wife's eyes, and 

 then conducted her through man) labyrinths cut in the rock 

 into the subterranean garden of the Incas. There she saw, 

 skilfully and elaborately imitated, and formed of the purest 

 gold, artificial trees, with leaves and fruit, and birds sitting 

 on the branches ; and there too was the much sought for 

 golden travelling chair (una de las andas) of Atahuallpa. 

 The man commanded his wife not to touch any of these 

 enchanted riches, because the long foretold period of the 

 restoration of the empire had not yet arrived, and that 

 whoever should attempt before that time to appropriate 

 aught of them would die that very night. These golden 

 dreams and fancies of the youth were founded on recol- 

 lections and traditions of former days. These artificial 

 " golden gardens" ( Jardines o Huertas de oro) were often 



