i64 AVOYAGETO Book VII; 



ley of Orcos : and though numbers of Spaniards ani- 

 mated v/ith the flattering hopes of fuch imrnenfe trea- 

 fures made frequent attempts to recover them, the 

 great depth of the water, and the bottom being co- 

 vered v/ith flime and mud, rendered all their endea- 

 vours abortive. For notwithftanding the circuit is 

 not above half a league, yet the depth of water is in 

 moft places not lefs than twenty-three or twenty-four 

 fathoms. 



Towards the S. part of the lake Titi-caca, the 

 banks approach each other, fo as to form a kind of 

 biy, which terminates in a river called el Defaguade- 

 ro, or the drain, and afterwards forms the lake of Pa- 

 ria, which has no vifible oudet j but the many whirl- 

 pools furEciently indicate that the water ifTues by a 

 iubterraneous paflage. Over the river Defaguadero is 

 Hill remaining the bridge of rufhes, invented by Ca- 

 pac Yupanqui, the fifth Ynca, for tranfporting his 

 army to the other fide, in order to conquer the pro- 

 vinces of Collafuyo. The Defaguadero is here be- 

 tween eighty and a hundred yards in breadth, flowing 

 with a very impetuous current under a fmooth, and, 

 as it were, a fleeping furface. The Ynca to overcome 

 this difficulty, ordered four very large cables to be 

 made of a kind of grafs which covers the lofty heaths 

 and mountains of that country, and called by the In- 

 dians Ichu ; and thefe cables were the foundation of 

 the whole ftrudlure. Two of thefe being laid acrofs 

 the water, fafcines of dry juncia and totora, fpecies of 

 rufhes, were faftened together, and laid a-crofs them. 

 On thefe the two other cables were laid, and again 

 covered with other fafcines fecurely faftened, but 

 fmaller than the firfl, and arranged in fuch a manner 

 as to form a level furface ; and by this means he pro- 

 cured a fafe paflage to his army. This bridge, which 

 is about five yards in breadth, and one and a half a- 

 bove the iurface of the water, is carefully repaired, or 

 rebuilt every fix months, by the neighbouring pro- 

 I vinces. 



