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[Book I,
with cocks and pipes of the same metal, for conveyanee of the water.”Some interesting particulars are also given by Garcilasso respecting thesupply of Cusco with water. Speaking of a certain Street, he says, “ nearthereunto are two pipes of excellent water, which pass under ground, butby whom they were laid and brought thither, is unknown, for want ofwritings or records to transmit the memory of them to posterity. Thosepipes of water are called silver snahes, beeause the whiteness of the wa-ter resembled silver; and the windings or the meanders of the pipes werelike the eoils and turnings of serpents.” In the fortress of Cusco was “afountain of excellent water, which was brought at a far distance underground, but where and from whence the Indians do not know; for suchsecrets as these were always reserved from common knowledge in thebreasts of the inca and of his counsel.” The lake Ghinchiru near Cusco ,contained good water, and “by the munificence of the inca was fur-nished with several pipes and aqueducts,” to convey water into lowergrounds, which were used tili rendered useless by neglect of the Span-iards. “ Afterwards, in the year 1555 and 56, they were repaired by mylord and father Garcilasso de la Vega, he being the mayor of thatcity, andin that condition I left them.”
In describing the temüle and gardens at Cusco , he observes, “ therewere five fountains of water, which ran from divers places through pipesof gold. The cisterns were some of stone, and others of gold and silver,in which they washed their sacrifices, as the solemnity of the festival ap-pointed. In my time there was but one of these fountains remaining,which served the garden of a convent with water; the others were lost,either for want of drawing or cleansing, and this is very probable, be-cause, to my knowledge, that which belonged to the convent was lost forsix or seven months, for want of which water the whole garden was driedup and withered, to the great lamentation of the convent and the wholecity; nor could any Indian understand how that water came to fail, or towhat place it took its course. At length they came to find that on thewest side of the convent the water took its course under ground, andfeil into the brook which passes through the city; which in the times ofthe incas had its banks kept up with stones, and the bottom well paved,that the earth might not fall in; the which work was continued throughthe whole city, and for a quarter of a league without; which now by thecarelessness and sloth of the Spaniards is broken, and the pavement dis-placed; for though the spring coramonly yields not water very plentiful-ly, yet sometimes it rises on a sudden and makes such an incredible inun-dation that the force of the current hath disordered the channel and thebottoms.”
“ In the year 1558 there happened a great eruption of water from thisfountain, which broke the main pipe and the channel, so that the fury ofthe torrent took another course and left the garden dry; and now by thatabundance of rubbish and sullage which comes from the city, the channelis filled up, and not so much as any mark or signal thereof remains. Thefriars, though at length they used all the diligence imaginable, yet theycould not find the ancient channel, and to trace it from the fountain headby way of the pipes, it was an immense work, for they were to digthrough houses and deep conveyances under ground, to come atit, for thehead of the spring was high. Nor could any Indian be found that couldgive any direction herein, which diseouraged them in their work, and inthe recovery of the others which anciently belonged to the temphHence we may observe the ignoranee and inadvertisement of those In-dians, and how little the benefit of' tradition availed amongst them; for