1797+} 
» roads. 
The ruins of Pachacanac, the edifices 
of Cuzco and Quito; the fortreffes of 
Herbay and Caxahuana ; and the roads 
cut through the middle of the Cordillera 
mountains, the one more efpecially, in 
the formation of which the moft elevated 
hills were to be made level with the val- 
lies *, atteft the fkill of the ancient In- 
dians in civil and military architecture. 
The large apertures in the mountains 
of Efcamora, Chilleo, and Abitanis, 
abounding in gold ;. thofe of Chochipina 
and Pofco, in filver; thofe of Cura- 
huara, in copper: and of Corabuco, in 
lead ; together with many other ftupend- 
ous and magnificent labours of a fimilar 
nature, all undertaken in the time of the 
gavernment of the yncas, give an idea of . 
their fubterraneous and metallurgic archi 
tecture. ; poe 
The fragments of the great aqueducts 
of Lucanas, Conde-fuyos, and an infinity 
of others, which, in the midft of preci- 
pices, conduéted the water from the 
deepeft vallies to the fummit of the high- 
eft hills, and to the diftant plains; the 
clefts of hills filled up with earth, to 
augment the proportion of the cultivated 
lands —an enterprife which the obferver 
cannot fail to contemplate with admirae 
tion and furprife ; and the very ufeful 
cuftom (ftill obferved by the Indians of 
the prefentday) of uniting together like 
brethren, in the rural labours of the 
feed-time and the harveft, are fo many 
inconteftible proofs of the fkill of this 
nation in hydraulics and agriculture. Itis 
evident that in this defcription of know- 
ledge,the Spaniards have not only made 
no advances, but have alfo loft many of 
the guides with which the example of 
the Indians might have furnifhed them. 
It was the cuftom of the native Pern- 
vians to be interred’ with their apparel, 
and other perfonal effects. Their fe- 
pulchres are rich depofits of their paint- 
ings; manufactures, mechanical inftru- 
ments of war, fifhing, &c. ‘The modern 
Indians ftill preferve the induftry of their 
forefathers, in the weaving of J/Kellas, 
anacos, and chuces,.and in the manufac- 
ture of sopos, huaqueros, &c. + 

* The authors of the Encyclopedia, under the 
head of America, deny the exiftence of thefe 
To convince themielves, they have only 
to fend fome one to view the fplendid veftiges 
of them which ftill remain. 
+ The lliella was a very fine fquare covering, 
adorned with much labour, which ferved the 
Indians as a mantle. The avaco alfo formed a 
pait of their drefs, but was much larger, The 
Peruvian Cuftoms and Sciences. 
or one of the flock ftolen. 
‘the deprecations with which they invoked 
437 
Of their ancient writing, fome traces 
are to be found among the fhepherds, 
who make ufe of quipos *, to reckon the 
number, increafe, or diminution of their 
flocks, not forgetting the day or hour on 
which a fheep died, a lamb was ewed, 
Hither of 
the protection of the deity, may ferve to 
give an idea of their oratorys Of their 
poetry and mufic many records frill exit. 
This nation, fond of dancing to excels, 
has not forgotten the wind inftruments, 
and the immenfe variety of quick and 
lively airs, which were the delight of 
their. anceftors. Their tradition has 
handed down a few idyls and odes, and 
many elegies, which are continually aug- 
mented and renewed, as well by the 
Arabicus +,as by the Spaniards, by whom 
they are recited with the fweetnefs, ten- 
dernefs, and foft melancholy, which are 
the foul of thefe compofitions. * 
The fciences which were cultivated 
by ‘the yncas*with the grearéft induftry, 
wete ditronomy and medicine. * ease 
pillars éteéted to’ point out the-eqitindc-* 
tials and folftices; the names given to 
the planets; the celeftial obfervations’” 
relative to eclipfes ; and thofe by which 
they kept their time, are fo many data 
by which their progrefs in the former of 
thefe fciences may be calculated. ‘Their 
acquirements in the latter may be efti- 
mated by the medical practice of the In- 

chuce was a kind of carpet. The t7#0 was a pin of 
gold, filver, or other metal, with a large {olid 
head, either circular or fquare, on which various 
figures were {culptured. Tts ufe was to faften 
the /iella’at the breaft, and to ornament it. 
The /vaquero was a {mall earthen veffel. 
* The Peruvian traéts of madame Grafigny 
induced an Italian nobleman, a member of the 
academy of la Crufca, anda duchefs of the fame 
nation, to write a large volume in quarto, en-° 
titled a2 Ahology for the Quifss. After intro~ 
ducing into this work what Garcilafo has writ- 
ten on the fubjeét/ the authors deferibe with fo- 
much confidence the gramma® and dictionary 
of the Quipos, and,"in fhort, whatever relates to 
Quipographia, that wée"fhouid have fancied we 
had fallen in with fome Qyipo-Camayu (fecre- 
tary) of the yncas, if, unfortunately, all the 
conjeCtures had not been utterly tale. 
+ <rabicus. Name of the Peruvian posts, 
from which is derived that of the yaravies, be- 
ftowed on their elegiac fongs. The ftyle, eff :&, 
and peculiar mufic of thefe give them decided 
advantage over all the fimilar compofitions. of 
other nations, fo far as they tend to infpire the 
pig heat with ientiments of piety and, 
Ove, 
dians; 
a 
