PERU - 1877 - INCIDENTS AND EXPLORATION IN THE LAND OF THE INCAS - GEORGE SQUIER

Many years ago, Mr. Prescott, in the Essay on the Civilization of the Incas, prefixed to his “History of the Conquest of Peru,” said, in words which were echoed by every thoughtful student of antiquities: “The hand of the conquerors fell heavily on the venerable monuments of Peru and, in their blind and superstitious search for hidden treasure, they caused infinitely more ruin than time or the earthquake. Yet enough of the monuments of the Incas remain to invite the researches of the antiquary. Those only in the most conspicuous situations have hitherto been examined. But, by the testimony of travelers, many more are to be found in the less-frequented parts of the country, and we may hope they will one day call forth a kindred spirit of enterprise to that which has so successfully explored the mysterious recesses of Central America and Yucatan.”