“IN THE HEART OF PERU.”

Otago Witness, Issue 3102, 27 August 1913, Page 46 (Supplement)

“IN THE HEART OF PERU.”

(Photo, b, w. Bryco.) T()E FLOOD „„ THE TAIERI PLAIN: SCENES IN THE VICINITY OF ALLANTON AND OTOKIA,

A large audience assembled in Knoy Church Sunday School Hall on the 19th inet. ( to hear a lecture by Mr John Wilson, F.R.G.S., entitled “In the Heart of Peru.” Mr J. A. Alexander occupied the ohair, and, in the course of a few introductory remarks, expreseed hie gratification at seeing such a very good attendance, and explained that the proceeds were to be devoted to the funde of the Young Women’s Guild, which would be relieved of financial responsibility for some time to come, this announcement being received with hearty applause. Introducing the lecturer, the chairman remarked that Mr Wilson’s lecture had :

never been g.ven in New Zealand previously, | but from what he knew of the lecturer and his subject, he could say the audience would enjoy a treat. Mr Wilson stated at the outset that few men had enjoyed the opportunity of seeing the lands, lakes, and ruins amidst the highlands of Peru, where in ages past the Incas flourished, attained to a remarkaßle stage of barbaric splendour, and suffered destruction at the hands of the bloodthirsty Pizarro and his ferocious band of Spanish adventurers. Mr Wilson explained that owing to the high altitudes that had to bo traversed he suffered severely from mountain sickness while following upon an arduous land journey from Mollendo, on 1 the shores of the Pacific, over vast plains

to Arequipa, the second largest city in Peru, thence over a wonderful mountain railway track through the Cordilleras. After attaining an elevation of 15,000 ft, the track descended to Lake Titicaca, which divides Peru from Bolivia. The primary object of Mr Wilson’s journey to the heart of Peru was to hand over to the Peruvian Government a steamer of 550 tons. This vessel, The Coya (Peruvian Princess), he remarked, navigated the lake at a higher altitude than any other steamer in the world. Situated on a large island in Lake Titicaca was the Temple of the Sun, basking under th.’ shadows of the vast pealcs of the Cord 'lleras. Th© ruins of the temple still bore evidences of a high state of civilisation at a time when Europe was in a state of semi-

barbarism. The fauna an<i flora of this historic region were graphica.ly described by the lecturer, who remarked that probably there was no other re g on in the world t o rich in ancient trad tion and historical interest. Speaking of the native Ind.ans, Mr Wilson said the women were vc-ry courteous to strangers, to whom they invariably proffered i ho salutations of the.r race with modest charm. Some of the natives were frugal and industrious, whilst others, belonging to allied tribe's, had reached a low stage of squalor and degradation through drink, pestilence, and laziness. from which they were only slowly emerging. The lecture was illustrated by a number of unique lantern slides depicting the towns and cities in the vicinity of Cuzco, ruined

temples, and examples of Inca architectureand cuneiform inscriptions on massive blocksi of stone. Although nothing had yet i been discovered concerning the origin of the Incas, historians had been able to give the world a idea of their many virtues, and lofty ideals, which, however, made i them a somewhat easy prey to the cupidity j of the treacherous cutthroat, Francisco i Pizarro, in the sixteenth century, the heartless Spaniards becoming the possessors of" gold and silver loot estimated to be wortht about three millions storing. " The slides were shown to the utmost advantage by Mr W. F. Simpson, and at tho close the chairman tendered the lecturer a* very hearty vote of thanks.