at not
only had the island been chosen, for some inexplicable reason, as the
site upon which to erect a vast and very magnificent temple dedicated to
the worship of the Sun, but that a monastic establishment of
corresponding importance had also been founded there. Now, however, the
whole of the buildings were roofless and in ruins; yet, even so, they
were sufficiently imposing to imbue Dick at least with several new and
startling ideas regarding the extent of the civilisation to which the
Peruvians had attained under the rule of the Incas. As for Phil, he
seemed to have undergone a complete yet subtle transformation during
that short journey across the waters of the lake; his eyes blazed with
eagerness, his nostrils dilated as though after a prolonged absence he
was once more breathing his native air; he carried himself with a new
and kingly dignity that somehow seemed to render him unapproachable; he
gave his orders with the calm finality of tone of an absolute monarch;
his knowledge of the place which he was approaching was so intimate as
to be positively uncanny, as was evidenced when the raft drew near the
island: those in charge would have run her ashore at the nearest point,
but as soon as Stukely perceived what they would be at he turned to them
and said rebukingly:

"Not there; not there! bear away to the south. Do you not know that
there is a bay on that side of the island, with a wharf at which we can
land comfortably and conveniently?"

Apparently the Peruvians did not know; yet when the balsa rounded the
point, there was the bay, and there the stone pier or wharf of which
Phil had spoken!

The first thing to be done, upon their arrival, was to instal the party
in as comfortable quarters as the ruins afforded; and this was
accomplished more easily than had seemed possible at the first glance.
For although, as viewed from the lake, not only the temple but also all
the other buildings had appeared to be roofless, a closer inspection
revealed the fact that one of the small chambers which formed a part of
the main building of the temple was still intact, even to its coved roof
of solid masonry; and this Phil at once ordered to be cleared out and
prepared for the reception of Dick and himself; while, as for the rest,
a building was soon found which, with the aid of a few branches cut from
the neighbouring grove of trees, and a quantity of rushes, which grew
abundantly along the margin of the bay, could be qu