Ch.XIV. south AMERICA. i6i^ 



As the weflern borders of this lake are called Chu- 

 cuito, fo thofe on the E, fide are diftinguiOied by the 

 name of Omafcuyo. It contains feveral iflands, a- 

 mong which is one very large, and was anciently one 

 mountain, but fince levelled by order of the Yncas ; 

 it, however, gave to the lake its own name of Titi- 

 caca, which, in the Indian language, fignifies a moun- 

 tain of lead. In this ifland the firft Ynca Mancho- 

 Capac, the illulirious founder of the empire of Peru, 

 invented his political fable, that the fun, his father, 

 had placed him, together with his fifter and conforc 

 Mama Oello fluaco, there, enjoining them to draw 

 the neighbouring people from the ignorance, rude- 

 nefs, and barbarity in which they lived, and humanize 

 them by cuftoms, laws, and religious rights di6tated 

 by himlelf ; and in return for the benefits refulting 

 from this artful ftratagem, the iQand has, by all the 

 Indians, been confidered as facred ; and the Yncas 

 determining to erect on it a temple to the fun, caufed 

 it to be levelled, that the fituation might be more de- 

 lightful and commodious. 



This was one of the mod fplendid temples in the 

 whole empire, Befides the plates of gold and fiiver 

 with which its walls was magnificently adorned, it con- 

 tained an immenfe colledion of riches, all the inhabi- 

 tants of provinces which depended on the empire, be- 

 ing under an indifpenfible obligation of vifiting it once 

 a year, and offering fome gift. Accordingly they al- 

 ways brought in proportion to their zeal or ability, 

 gold, filver, or jewels. This immenfe mafs of riches, 

 the Indians, *on feeing the rapacious violence of the 

 Spaniards, are thought to have thrown into the lake ; 

 as it is certainly known, they did with regard to a 

 great part of thofe at Cufco, among which was the 

 famous golden chain made by order of the Ynca Hu- 

 ayna Capac, to celebrate :he feftival of giving name to 

 his eldeft fon. But thefe valuable eifeds were thrown 

 into another lake, fix leagues S. of Cufco, in the val- 



M 2 ley 



