r 



Ch.XI. south AMERICA. 475 



yncas : but thofe of Callo, and the other two fortrefles, 

 by their fuperior fymmetry, (hew that they are of 

 a later date, and built under the dire6i:ion of the 

 yncas, who applied themfelves with exemplary at- 

 tention to promote neceflary arts throughout all 

 their conquefts ; poffibly from this political view, 

 that the people, fenfible of the happy change, might 

 be the better fubjedls. All thefe remains of an- 

 tique edifices the Indians call Inca perca, the Yncas 

 walls. 



Another Indian method of fortification, and of 

 which there are ftill fome remains, was, to dig three 

 or four ranges of moats quite round the tops of 

 fuch mountains, as, though high and fieep, were 

 not fubje6t to frofts : and every one on the infide 

 firengthened by a parapet, whence they could fafely 

 annoy the enemy. Thefe they called Pucuras ; and 

 within the laft range of moats they built barracks 

 for the garrilon. Thefe kinds of forts were fo com- 

 mon, that one fcarce meets with a mountain with- 

 out them. On the peaks of Pambamarca, are three 

 or four ; and one of them on the place where we 

 fixed our fignal for the meridian triangles. In like 

 manner we found them on almoft all the other 

 mountains ; and the outward moat of circumvalla- 

 tion was above a league in extent. The breadth and 

 depth of each was alike but in refped: of one an- 

 other, there was not the fame uniformity, fome of them 

 having a breadth of two toifes and even more, and 

 others not one \ and the like difference is obfervablc 

 in their depth. It was, however, their conftant care 

 to make the inward bank at leaft three or four feet 

 higher than the outward, to have the greater advantage 

 over the aflailants. 



The junction and polifh fo much admired in 

 all , the remaining flone-works of the Indians, 

 plainly Ihew, that they made ufe of fome llones 



to 



