INDIAN ANTIQUITIES. 145 



As the heads of all the male figures are covered, the particular style of hair-cutting, and the 

 disposition of the cue, are not represented ; but the other marks of distinction are fully shown. 

 The operation of boring the ear was performed by women with a sharp thorn, and the opening 

 gradually enlarged, till, in some instances, the hand could be readily passed through it ; for the 

 large auricular ornaments were generally, if not always, embraced by the outstretched lobe — 

 not pendant from it. When the native historian speaks of ear rings, it is difficult to under- 

 stand him : in most places he means round or elliptical discs. He says " the hole (in the lobe) 

 was made so wide that it is wonderful to conceive how it is possible for the velvet of the ear to 

 .be extended so far as to receive an ear-ring as large as the frame (block) of a pulley; for it was 

 made in the form of those with which we draw up pitchers from a well." In figures 3, A, 8, 9, 

 and 14, the outstretched lobes appear. In some, the ornamented discs are in their places. 



In process of time, we are told, the people had permission to bore their ears, though not so 

 wide as those of the Incas, and that their ornaments were varied according to their nations and 

 tribes. To the Mayus and Caucus, Manco Capac assigned rings of plaited straw ; to the Po- 

 gues, a ball of white wool ; to the Munas, Huarucs, and Chiliquis, ornaments of reed ; to the 

 Kimactampas, rings, or rather discs of wood; to the Urcos, Yucays, Tampus, and other tribes 

 on the river Yiicay, ornaments larger th6,n others ; "but limiting them so that it might not 

 equal those of their rulers." To the tribes who had their ears so unnaturally stretched, the 

 Spaniards applied the term oregons or orej'ons — long-eared, or flap-eared.* 



The old Peruvian mode of wearing ear -jewels is still common with many South American 

 tribes. The annexed sketch exhibits a modern Brazilian Indian, with discs of Pito wood, (light 

 as cork) three inches diameter, and one inch thick, in his ears, and a similar one in his 

 under lip. 



The llautu is fully represented in figures 4, 7, 14; audits presence shows that the images 

 were intended to represent Incas. 



The wives of the Incas, and females generally, wore no covering on the head, nor do they 

 appear with any auricular pendants. 



The rude figure 12 illustrates, and is illustrated by, another passage in the Royal Commenta- 

 ries, which informs us that ancient barbarous tribes, subdued by the Incas were in the habit of 

 compressing the heads of their offspring between two boards. 



On looking over the groups on pages 134 and 136, a question naturally arises respecting the im- 

 plements and process of fabrication, in the acknowledged absence of iron. If articles in various 

 metals and hard alloys could be readily manufactured by old artisans, where was the alleged 

 difficulty in their dressing stone? Would not the materials of the tools employed in one case 

 suffice for those of the other? The answer would seem to be in the affirmative, but it would be 



* Has the Territory of Oregon derived its name from the distorted ears of its early inhabitants ? 

 19 * 



