in crossing these dangerous bridges.]

CHAPTER XI

The Cordillera and the Andes--Signification of the terms--Altitude
of the Mountains and Passes--Lakes--Metals--Aspect of the
Cordillera--Shattered Rocks--Maladies caused by the diminished
Atmospheric Pressure--The Veta and the Surumpe--Mountain Storms--The
Condor--Its habits--Indian mode of Catching the Bird--The Puna or
Despoblado--Climate--Currents of Warm Air--Vegetation--Tuberous
Plant called the Maca--Animals of the Puna--The Llama, the Alpaco,
the Huanacu and the Vicuna--The Chacu and the Bolas--Household
Utensils of the Ancient Peruvians--The Viscacha and the
Chinchilla--Puna Birds and Amphibia--Cattle and Pasture--Indian
Farms--Shepherds' Huts--Ancient Peruvian Roads and
Buildings--Treasure concealed by the Indians in the Puna.

Two great mountain chains, running parallel with each other, intersect
Peru in the direction from S.S.W. to N.N.E. The chain nearest the coast
of the Pacific is at the average distance of from sixty to seventy
English miles from the sea. The other chain takes a parallel direction
but describes throughout its whole course a slight curve eastward. These
two ranges of mountain are called the Cordilleras, or the Andes: both
terms being used indiscriminately. Even the creoles of Peru confound
these two terms, sometimes calling the western chain by one name, and
sometimes by the other. Nevertheless, a strict distinction ought to be
observed:--the western chain should properly be called the Cordillera,
and the eastern chain the Andes. The latter name is derived from the
Quichua word Antasuyu; _Anta_ signifying metal generally, but especially
copper, and _Suyu_ a district; the meaning of Antasuyu, therefore, is
the metal district. In common parlance, the word Suyu was dropped, and
the termination _a_ in _Anta_ was converted into _is_. Hence the word
_Antis_, which is employed by all old writers and geographers; and even
now is in common use among the Indian population of Southern Peru. The
Spaniards, according to their practice of corrupting the words of the
Quichua language, have transformed Antis into _Andes_, and they apply
the name without distinction to the western and the eastern chain of
mountains.[65]

The old inhabitants of Peru dwelt chiefly along the base of the eastern
mountain chain, where they drew from the mines the metal which afforded
material for their tasteful and ingenious workmanship: those mountains
consequentl