PERU. 289 
tance, and just as he reached the raft, a second sea broke over him, 
and he again disappeared, apparently much exhausted. When the 
third roller broke over him he was considered for a few moments as 
lost ; and it was no small relief to see him crawling from the water 
up on the beach a short time afterwards. The raft was now pulled 
back to the tender by the line. In consequence of the ill success of 
this experiment, it was determined to make a trial in the whale-boat, 
which succeeded without accident. Dr. Pickering and Lieutenant 
Underwood now proceeded to the temple. At the base of the hills, 
they found a few cabins of Indians, who stated that they had not 
chosen the proper place for landing. 
The Temple of Pachacamac, or Castle, as it is called by the 
Indians, is on the summit of a hill, with three terraces ; the view of 
it from the north is somewhat like the Pyramid of Cholula, given by 
Humboldt, except that the flanks were perpendicular. 
The whole height of the hill is two hundred and fifty feet, that of 
the mason- work, eighty ; the form is rectangular, the base being five 
hundred by four hundred feet. At the southeastern extremity the 
three distinct terraces are not so perceptible, and the declivity is more 
gentle. The walls, where great strength was required to support the 
earth, were built of unhewn square blocks of rock ; these were cased 
with sun-dried brick (adobes), which were covered with a coating of 
clay or plaster, and stained or painted of a reddish colour. 
TEMPLE AT PACHACAMAC. 
A range of square brick pilasters projected from the uppermost 
wall, facing the sea, evidently belonging originally to the interior of a 
large apartment. These pilasters gave it the aspect of an Egyptian 
structure. In no other Peruvian antiquities have pilasters been seen 
by us. On one of the northern terraces were also remains of apart- 
ments; here the brick appeared more friable, owing to a greater 
proportion of sand ; where they retained their shape, their dimensions 
were nine inches in width by six inches deep, varying in height from 
nine inches to two feet; and they were laid so as to break joint, 
though not always in a workmanlike manner. 
vol. i. 73 
