6oo 



The National Geographic Magazine 



ruins of the; temple, tiahuanaco 



church towers to remind one of the years 

 that have passed since Pizarro sailed 

 south from Panama. The mountaineers 

 of Peru are still, in greater part, full- 

 blooded Quichuas, descendants of the 

 Inca tribes. After crossing Lake Titi- 

 caca, we found the Aymards, descendants 

 of a people conquered by the Incas 

 shortly before the coming of the Span- 

 iards. 



In the Andean country the head-dress 

 changes with the locality. In Tiahuan- 

 aco the belles exhibit a remarkable head- 

 gear, reminding me of that worn by pic- 

 tured, top-heavy, ill-fated British queens. 

 The hat consists of a stiff, coffin-shaped 

 piece of pasteboard covered with red or 

 blue cloth and tinsel ; hung around this 

 is a deep valance as a protection from 

 sun and wind. 



The men here are not to be outdone, 

 and on feast davs come forth in head 



covering that would put even this sea- 

 son's "Merry Widows" to shame. Multi- 

 colored macaw feathers, colored cloth, 

 and tinsel combine to dazzle the be- 

 holder, and as the revelers march down 

 the village street, blowing on reed pipes 

 and beating drums, they are accompanied 

 by a score of half-naked children and a 

 few dozen barking dogs. The children 

 are always dirt-covered, the dogs always 

 lean and savage, and the players always 

 imbibe too freely of cliicha, ending the 

 day in a drunken carouse. I always wor- 

 ried about the hats, fearing they wouldn't 

 be in good condition for the next feast 

 day. 



It is bitterly cold in Tiahuanaco, but 

 the natives, both men and women, are 

 scantily clad, and so bare-legged. They 

 believe in keeping the head warm, how- 

 ever, and tie bands of cloth, woven from 

 llama wool, over their hair underneath 



