uished author to whom we have already referred<13> speaks
of what he calls the ancient Peruvians as distinguished from the modern
tribes that acknowledged the government of the Incas.<14> We think that
all the evidence points to a long continued residence of the same race
of people.

We may suppose that in the fertile valleys of the coast, and in the
bolsons of the interior, tribes of rude people were slowly moving along
the line of progress that conducts at last to civilization. There is
no reason to suppose that this progress was a rapid one. Under all
circumstances this development is slow. We must not forget the natural
features of the country. The inhabited tracts were isolated, hence would
arise numerous petty tribes, having no common aims or mutual interests.
Each would pursue their own way, and would keep about equal pace through
the stages of Barbarism.<15>

In process of time geographical and climatic causes would produce
those effects, from which there is no escape, and some tribes would
distinguish themselves as being possessed of superior energy, and the
same results would follow there as elsewhere; that is, the dominion of
the strong over the weak. All other circumstances being equal, we would
look for this result in a section where a mild climate and fertile soil
enabled man to put forth his energies, and rewarded his labors. All
accounts agree in speaking of the bolson of Cuzco as well provided by
nature in this respect. One eminent traveler speaks of it as "a region
blessed with almost every variety of climate. On its bracing uplands
were flocks of llamas and abundance of edible roots, while its sunny
valleys yielded large crops of corn, pepper, and fruits."<16> Mr. Squier
thinks that, on the whole, the climate is very nearly the same as that
of the south of France.<17>

This bolson was the home of the Incas. A number of writers speak of the
Incas very much as if they were a royal family. It is not necessary
to discuss this point very extensively at present. All our accounts of
their early history are traditional. Mr. Markham and Mr. Squier, both
competent judges, assert that the weight of traditions is to the effect
that the Incas originated near Cuzco. "Universal traditions," says Mr.
Markham, "points to a place called Peccari Tampu as the cradle or
point of origin of the Incas." As near as we can make out from the
description, this was where, as seen from Cuzco, the sun appeared to
rise.<18>

We