rubber estate in
the San Miguel Valley and learning at Lucma of our presence near by,
took great pains to find us and see how we were progressing. When he
learned of our intention to search for the ruins of Conservidayoc,
he asked us to desist from the attempt. He said Saavedra was "a very
powerful man having many Indians under his control and living in
grand state, with fifty servants, and not at all desirous of being
visited by anybody." The Indians were "of the Campa tribe, very wild
and extremely savage. They use poisoned arrows and are very hostile
to strangers." Admitting that he had heard there were Inca ruins near
Saavedra's station, Senor Pancorbo still begged us not to risk our
lives by going to look for them.

By this time our curiosity was thoroughly aroused. We were familiar
with the current stories regarding the habits of savage tribes who
lived in the montana and whose services were in great demand as rubber
gatherers. We had even heard that Indians did not particularly like
to work for Senor Pancorbo, who was an energetic, ambitious man,
anxious to achieve many things, results which required more laborers
than could easily be obtained. We could readily believe there might
possibly be Indians at Conservidayoc who had escaped from the rubber
estate of San Miguel. Undoubtedly, Senor Pancorbo's own life would
have been at the mercy of their poisoned arrows. All over the Amazon
Basin the exigencies of rubber gatherers had caused tribes visited
with impunity by the explorers of the nineteenth century to become so
savage and revengeful as to lead them to kill all white men at sight.

Professor Foote and I considered the matter in all its aspects. We
finally came to the conclusion that in view of the specific reports
regarding the presence of Inca ruins at Conservidayoc we could not
afford to follow the advice of the friendly planter. We must at least
make an effort to reach them, meanwhile taking every precaution to
avoid arousing the enmity of the powerful Saavedra and his savage
retainers.

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FIGURE

Quispi Cusi Testifying about Inca Ruins
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FIGURE

One of our Bearers Crossing the Pampaconas River
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On the day following our arrival at the town of Vilcabamba, the
gobernador, Condore, taking counsel with his chief assistant, had
summoned the wisest Indians living in the vicinity, including a
very picturesque old fellow whose name, Quispi Cusi, was strongly
reminisce