Cuzco: America's Ancient Mecca 



689 



and in their homes. Of course, I am re- 

 ferring to the Indians and Cholos, who 

 form the greater part of the city's popu- 

 lation. There are charming and cultured 

 people in Cuzco, as in all other Latin 

 American cities. 



One day we met an alcalde, who had 

 just arrived in town, having journeyed 

 five days on foot from the Paucartambo 

 Valley. He was sitting by a fountain 

 in one of the plazas, surrounded by a 

 group of admirers. Not he, however, but 

 the huge staff he held, was the object of 

 their interest. An alcalde is a petty offi- 

 cial, and in the remote highland valleys 

 these men are usually full-blooded 

 Oaichuas, the position often descending 

 from father to son. The insigna of 

 office is a staff, taller than the man him- 

 self, usually of wood, banded with silver 

 or copper. This particular alcalde had a 

 staff of solid silver surmounted by a 

 great knob. On this was an engraved in- 

 scription, which, translated from the 

 Spanish, read : "Presented to Sinchi 

 Sarayacu by Sehora Doha Isabella de 

 Gomez, April 1st, 1793." Evidently the 

 unkempt, bare-legged gentleman, busily 

 engaged in chewing coca leaves while de- 

 scribing his journey, came of a distin- 

 guished family in the eyes of his audi- 

 ence. 



All of the highland Indians, men, 

 women, and children, masticate dried 

 coca leaves, which are brought up from 

 the lowlands. They mix the leaves with 

 lime, which extracts the cocaine. Coca 

 is to the Quichua both friend and enemy. 

 It stupefies him, but relieves him from 

 cold, hunger, and fatigue. We traveled 

 for days in the saddle over the dreary 

 highlands with an Indian guide jogging 

 along on foot ahead of us. Save for the 

 bag containing coca and the gourd hold- 

 ing lime, he was unequipped for the 

 journey, yet he never seemed tired or 

 hungry and, although scantily clad at a 

 high elevation, did not mind cold or 

 altitude. 



No savage or semi-civilized Indians in 

 the Americas interest me as do the 



Quichuas. Theirs has been such a heart- 

 rending history. Today they are hope- 

 less after years of oppression, deadened 

 by coca, woefully unclean in person ; but 

 of vicious traits they seem to have none. 

 They are gentle in manner, fond of one 

 another, patient and uncomplaining, 

 speaking a language both beautiful and 

 expressive. In the valleys beyond Cuzco 

 we were alone with them for weeks, far 

 from any Spanish-speaking people, and 

 felt that we were perfectly safe. In the 

 country places they impressed us as very 

 sad. The yaravis, which they sang or 

 played on their reed pipes at evening 

 time, had a tragic note. 



The republic's progress during the past 

 ten years has been remarkable, and there 

 is a great future for a country so splen- 

 didly endowed with agricultural and min- 

 eral wealth. In Cuzco, however, I 

 seemed always to be looking backward. 

 The evening before we left the city I 

 climbed once again to the summit of 

 Sacsahuaman and stood by the cross, 

 looking down on the valley. It was half 

 in shadow, but the city's many towers 

 were ruddy with the glow of the setting 

 sun; yet in the picture of my conjuring 

 the church towers disappeared. 



One temple alone rose in worship of 

 the departing Sun-god. In the great 

 square of Huacapata hundreds of people 

 knelt, as the Mohammedans kneel today, 

 at the evening hour with their faces 

 turned toward Mecca. Here the worship- 

 ers faced the glowing west. The Inca 

 himself, standing in the doorway of the 

 temple, surrounded by his nobles, bowed 

 his llautu crowned head. Ynti, the Sun, 

 was departing, leaving his children in 

 darkness, but Quilla, his spouse — the 

 silvery Moon — would guard them till the 

 morning. Night was falling on a con- 

 tented and a prosperous people. 



What blessing has European civiliza- 

 tion brought to them which they did not 

 already enjoy? What have they not suf- 

 fered in the name of the cross which sur- 

 mounts the hill ? ? 



