PLATEAU OF CAXAMARCA. 



described by actual eye-witnesses, Cieza de Leon Sarmiento, 

 Garcilaso, and other early historians of the Conquest. They 

 were found beneath the temple of the sun at Cuzco, in Caxa- 

 marca, and in the pleasant valley of Yucay, a favourite resi- 

 dence of the monarch's family. Where the golden Huertas 

 were not below ground, living plants grew by the side of the 

 artificial ones : among the latter, tall plants and ears of maize 

 (mazorcas) are mentioned as particularly well executed. 



The morbid confidence with which the young Astor- 

 pilco assured me that below our feet, a little to the right 

 of the spot on which I stood at the moment, there was 

 an artificial large-flowered Datura tree (Guanto), formed 

 of gold wire and gold plates, which spread its branches 

 over the Inca's chair, impressed me deeply but painfully, 

 for it seemed as if these illusive and baseless visions were 

 cherished as consolations in present sufferings. I asked the 

 lad " Since you and your parents believe so firmly in the 

 existence of this garden, are not you sometimes tempted in 

 your necessities to dig in search of treasures so close at 

 hand ?" The boy's answer was so simple, and expressed so 

 fully the quiet resignation characteristic of the aboriginal 

 inhabitants of the country, that I noted it in Spanish in 

 my journal. " Such a desire (tal antojo) does not come to 

 us ; father says it would be sinful (que fuese pecado) . If 

 we had the golden branches with all their golden fruits our 

 white neighbours would hate and injure us. We have a 

 small field and good wheat (buen trigo)." Tew of my 

 readers, I think, will blame me for recalling here the words 

 of the young Astorpilco and his golden visions. 



