ra is occupied by llama herdsmen and
drovers, who find the enclosure a very convenient corral. Probably
Pucara was built by the chief of a tribe of prehistoric herdsmen who
raised root crops and kept their flocks of llamas and alpacas on the
neighboring grassy slopes.

A short distance up the stream of the Lkalla Chaca, above Pucara, is
a warm mineral spring. Around it is a fountain of cut stone. Near by
are the ruins of a beautiful terrace, on top of which is a fine wall
containing four large, ceremonial niches, level with the ground and
about six feet high. The place is now called Tampu Machai. Polo de
Ondegardo, who lived in Cuzco in 1560, while many of the royal family
of the Incas were still alive, gives a list of the sacred or holy
places which were venerated by all the Indians in those days. Among
these he mentions that of Timpucpuquio, the "hot springs" near Tambo
Machai, "called so from the manner in which the water boils up." The
next huaca, or holy place, he mentions is Tambo Machai itself,
"a house of the Inca Yupanqui, where he was entertained when he
went to be married. It was placed on a hill near the road over the
Andes. They sacrifice everything here except children."

The stonework of the ruins here is so excellent in character, the
ashlars being very carefully fitted together, one may fairly assume
a religious origin for the place. The Quichua word macchini means
"to wash" or "to rinse a large narrow-mouthed pitcher." It may be
that at Tampu Machai ceremonial purification of utensils devoted to
royal or priestly uses was carried on. It is possible that this is
the place where, according to Molina, all the youths of Cuzco who had
been armed as knights in the great November festival came on the 21st
day of the month to bathe and change their clothes. Afterwards they
returned to the city to be lectured by their relatives. "Each relation
that offered a sacrifice flogged a youth and delivered a discourse to
him, exhorting him to be valiant and never to be a traitor to the Sun
and the Inca, but to imitate the bravery and prowess of his ancestors."

Tampu Machai is located on a little bluff above the Lkalla Chaca,
a small stream which finally joins the Huatanay near the town of San
Sebastian. Before it reaches the Huatanay, the Lkalla Chaca joins the
Cachimayo, famous as being so highly impregnated with salt as to have
caused the rise of extensive salt works. In fact, the Pizarros named
the place Las Sali