PERU 200 PERU appears, however, from all the traditions, that Manco, the first Inca, first appeared on the shores of Lake Titicaca, with his wife, Mama Ocilo. He announced that he and his wife were children of the sun, and were sent by the glorious Inti (the sun) to instruct the simple tribes. He is said to have carried with him a golden wedge, or, as it is sometimes called, a wand. Wherever this wedge, on being struck on the ground, should sink into the earth and disappear forever, there it was decreed Manco should build his cap- ital. Marching N. he came to the plain of Cuzco, where the wedge disappeared. Here he founded the city of Cuzco, be- came the first Inca (a name said to be de- rived from the Peruvian word for the sun), and founded the Peruvian race, properly so called. The Peruvian sys- tem of agriculture was brought to its highest perfection only by the prodigious labor of several centuries. Not only was the fertile soil cultivated with the utmost care, but the sandy wastes of the coast, unvisited by any rains, and but scantily watered by brooks, were rendered pro- ductive by means of an artificial system of irrigation, the most stupendous, per- haps, that the world has ever seen. Water was collected in lakes among the mountains, led down the slopes and through the sands of the coast, appar- ently doomed to sterility, by canals and subterranean passages constructed on a vast scale, and the ruins of which, to be seen at the present day, attest the indus- try, ingenuity, and admirable patience of the Peruvians. The aqueducts, which were sometimes betv/een 400 and 500 miles in length, were in some cases tun- neled through massive rocks and carried across rivers and marshes. They were constructed of large slabs of freestone, fitting so closely as to require no cement, and answering perfectly the purpose for which they were intended, for the sandy wastes were_ converted into productive fields and rich pasture lands, and the
- oast teemed with industrious inhabi-
tants. In the valley of Santa there were once 700,000 inhabitants; there are now only 12,000; in that of Ancullama there were 30,000 individuals; there are now only 425. The edifices of Incarial times are oblong in shape and cyclopean in con- struction. The materials used were granite, porphyry, and other varieties of stone ; _ but in the more rainless regions sun-dried bricks were also much used. The religion of the Peruvians, in the latter ages of the empire, was far in ad- vance of that of most barbarous nations. They believed in a Great Spirit, the Cre- ator of the universe, who, being a spirit, could not be represented by any image or symbol, nor be made to dwell in a temple made with hands. They also believed in the existence of the soul hereafter, and in the resurrection of the body. The after life they considered to be a condition of ease_ and tranquility for the good, and a continual wearisome labor, extending over ages for the wicked. But while they believed in the Creator of the world, they also believed in other deities, who were of some subordinate rank to the Great Spirit. Of these secondary gods the sun was the chief. They reverenced the sun as the source of their royal dynasty; and everywhere throughout the land altars smoked with offerings burned in his wor- ship. The modern history of Peru has been in general one of peaceful development. It was the last of the Spanish South American possessions to become inde- pendent. Independence was obtained in 1821, and the protectorate was assumed by General San Martin. By the spring of 1822 he had compelled the surrender of the last large body of Spanish troops. The government was formed in 1823, with Jose de la Riva Aguero as first president. He was deposed in 1823, through the influence of Bolivar, who se- cured possession of the country and was appointed supreme dictator in 1824. Fighting with the Royalists continued during that year. In these the patriots were successful. Bolivar resigned in 1825, but was reappointed and came into control of the government in 1827, when he returned to Colombia. A constitution was adopted in 1828. There were no im- portant political developments until 1865, when an alliance against Spain was con- cluded with Chile, Ecuador, and Bolivia. The Spanish fleet bombarded Callao in 1866, but was compelled to withdraw. In 1869 Peru, with Bolivia, became allied in war against Chile. In this the Chileans were successful, and Lima and other cities were captured. A treaty of peace Was concluded on Oct. 20, 1883, by the terms of which Peru annexed to Chile the province of Tarapaca, and the terri- tories of Tacna and Arica for a term of 10 years. The people of these territories were to decide by popular vote whether to return to Peru or remain with Chile. The question has never been settled be- tween the two countries. The recovery from the war was slow, but the financial conditions gradually readjusted them- selves. During the years following there were several civil struggles, which, how- ever, did not obtain importance. In 1912 Guillermo Billinghurst became president. His drastic efforts to reform corrupt po- litical practices and his friendly atti- tude toward Chile brought about a revolt which resulted in his overthrow and ex- ile in 1914. The outbreak of the World
