CHAP. XIV. 



A SEARCH FOR ANTIQUITIES. 



257 



long time there were no results. If one talked of the Incas the 

 ]iatives enquired with surprise "' Who were they ? ^' and they 

 seemed equally unacquainted with the works of their (probably) 

 much more remote ancestors. So we fell back upon asking for 

 old things, and then came shabby umbrella tops, battered scissors, 

 and broken pottery — objects which were rejected because they 

 were not nearly old enough. At length we seemed to have struck 

 oil. One night, when at supper, the door was stealthily opened ; 

 and a rough head peeped round, peering out of a dilapidated 

 poncho that concealed a bulky object. "You have something to 

 shew ?" " Yes, Senor.'^ '' Is it old ? " '' That it is'' ; and, tossing 

 aside his ragged garment, he displayed his treasure, saying, 

 triumphantly, " this is very old, Sefior ! '' 



At Machachi, by per- 

 sistent enquiries, Perring 

 at last discovered a bat- 

 tered stone axe, and thus 

 getting a start, through 

 having something to shcAv, 

 we picked up others as 

 we progressed northwards ; 

 though south of Quito an- 

 tiquities of any kind were 

 rare, and in the Capital 

 it was scarcely more use 

 to look for them than to 

 search for Chelsea ware 

 in Chelsea, or for Caxtons 



in Westminster. Still a few things were obtained, even there, — 

 amongst others, the lance-point given on the next page,^ which 

 was found in an old wall that was being pulled down. Every one 

 said, " Try Imbabura. Go to Ibarra, and to Carranqui the birth- 

 place of Atahualpa.'' 



1 This was one of the two chipped objects which were obtained. The whole 

 of the rest were polished. 



2L 



'THIS IS VERY OLD, SENOR ! ' 



