470 A V O Y A G E TO Book ¥I: 



being in the midft of a plain : its height is betwixt 

 twenty-five and thirty toifes, and fo exactly, on 

 every fide, formed with the conical roundnefs of a 

 fugar-loaf, that 'it feems to owe its form to induftryr;. 

 efpeciaily as the end of its flope on ail fides forms 

 exactly with the ground the fame angle in every part- 

 And what feems to confirm this opinion is, that gu- 

 acas, or maufoleums, of prodigious magnitude, were^ 

 greatly affeded by the Indians in thofe times. Hence 

 the common opinion, that it is artificial, and that 

 the earth was taken out of the breach north of it,, 

 where a little river runs, does not feem impro- 

 bable. But this is no miore than conjedlure, not 

 being founded on any evident proof. In all ap- 

 pearance this eminence, now called Panpcillo de 

 Callo, ferved as a watch tower, commanding an un- 

 interrupted view of the country, in order to provide* 

 for the fafety of the prince on any fudden alarm of an- 

 invafion^ of which they were under continual ap- 

 preheniionsj as will appear from the account of theic 

 ibrtreiTes. \ 



About two leagues north-eaft af the town of 

 Atun-Canar, or great Canar, is a fortrefs or palace 

 of the yncas. It is the moft entire, the largefl, 

 and beft built in all the kingdom. Clofe by its 

 entrance runs a little river, and the back part of it 

 terminates in a high and thick wail at the flope oF 

 a mountain. In the middle of it is a kind of oval' 

 tower •, about two toifes high from the ground with- 

 in the fort, but without it rifes fix or eight ^bove 

 that of the hill. In the middle of the tower is 

 fquare of four wails ; which, on the fide facing 

 the« country, leave no paiTage; and all its angles: 

 touch the circumference of the oval. Gn the op- 

 pofite fide only, is a very narrow pafs, anfwering to- 

 the inward part of the tower. In the middle of this 

 fquare is an apartment of two fmall rooms^ withoui:^ 



