the Church of Santo Domingo. The fine-looking window and balcony are
modern additions to this ancient building. According to Mr. Squier, the
temple was an oblong building, nearly three hundred feet long, by about
fifty in width. It formed one side of a spacious court. It did not
extend east and west, but rather north-east and south-west. Early
chroniclers affirm that the inner walls of this temple were covered with
gold. Portions of very thin plates of gold exist in private museums in
Cuzco, said to have formed part of this covering. The end of the
temple shown in our illustration was covered with a great plate of gold
intended to represent the sun. This plate was all in one piece, and
spread from wall to wall.

Illustration of Temple of the Sun.-----------------

Only fragments of the ancient buildings of Cuzco now exist. But enough
are at hand to enable us to describe their general characteristics. As
a rule, they were built around a court, the outer surface presenting the
appearance of an unbroken wall. These walls are excellent specimens of
Inca masonry. All travelers speak in their praise. Mr. Squier says: "The
world has nothing to show in the way of stone-cutting and fitting to
surpass the skill and accuracy displayed in the Inca structures at
Cuzco." There was but one gateway to the court. This entrance was broad
and lofty. On the lintels, over the doorway, was frequently carved the
figure of a serpent. The apartments were constructed so as to face the
court, and nearly all opened upon the same. In some cases rooms wore
observed, to which access could be obtained only after passing through
several outer rooms. Some of the walls yet remaining at Cuzco are from
thirty-five to forty feet high. This would indicate houses of two or
three stories.

It is here necessary to state that the structures we have been
describing are considered by most writers as palaces of the Inca chiefs.
Names hive been bestowed upon them--such as the palace of Huayna
Capac. It is asserted that each Inca chief built a separate palace. The
credulous traveler is even pointed to a pile of ruins said to have
been the palace of that mythical personage, Manco Capac. There is some
conflict of authority as to the names of these palaces. Modern tradition
names one of the most imposing piles as the palace of Inca Rocca, and
as such it is described by Mr. Squier and others. Garcillasso De La
Vega says this chief's palace was in an altogether dif