uiura, each carrying a stick of
firewood. Calancha says the Indians worshiped the water as a divine
thing, that the Devil had at times shown himself in the water. Since
the surface of the little pool, as one gazes at it, does not reflect
the sky, but only the overhanging, dark, mossy rock, the water looks
black and forbidding, even to unsuperstitious Yankees. It is easy to
believe that simple-minded Indian worshipers in this secluded spot
could readily believe that they actually saw the Devil appearing
"as a visible manifestation" in the water. Indians came from the most
sequestered villages of the dense forests to worship here and to offer
gifts and sacrifices. Nevertheless, the Augustinian monks here raised
the standard of the cross, recited their orisons, and piled firewood
all about the rock and temple. Exorcising the Devil and calling him
by all the vile names they could think of, the friars commanded him
never to return. Setting fire to the pile, they burned up the temple,
scorched the rock, making a powerful impression on the Indians and
causing the poor Devil to flee, "roaring in a fury." "The cruel Devil
never more returned to the rock nor to this district." Whether the
roaring which they heard was that of the Devil or of the flames we
can only conjecture. Whether the conflagration temporarily dried up
the swamp or interfered with the arrangements of the water supply so
that the pool disappeared for the time being and gave the Devil no
chance to appear in the water, where he had formerly been accustomed
to show himself, is also a matter for speculation.

The buildings of the House of the Sun are in a very ruinous state,
but the rock itself, with its curious carvings, is well preserved
notwithstanding the great conflagration of 1570. Its length is
fifty-two feet, its width thirty feet, and its height above the present
level of the water, twenty-five feet. On the west side of the rock are
seats and large steps or platforms. It was customary to kill llamas at
these holy huacas. On top of the rock is a flattened place which may
have been used for such sacrifices. From it runs a little crack in
the boulder, which has been artificially enlarged and may have been
intended to carry off the blood of the victim killed on top of the
rock. It is still used for occult ceremonies of obscure origin which
are quietly practiced here by the more superstitious Indian women of
the valley, possibly in memory of the nusta or Inca pr