PERUVIAN ANTIQUITIES. The social structure of Peru was not unlike that of the more primitive tribes to the north. There was a head chief or Inca. who had an advisory coun cil elected by the various clans or genres of the people. The office of Inca was hereditary in the female line.
The religion was based upon the worship of the sun as the supreme god, who according to the Peruvians had three sons: lion or Viraeocha. Paehaeamac, and Alamo C'apac. the last the founder of the mean Empire. It is, however, probable that the myths of Viracocha and Piiehacanmne antedate the Incas. Legend says that Vira cocha (q.v.) signifies Foam of the Lake or Sea. One day he arose out of the waters of Lake Titi caca and created the sun, moon. and stars. Ile mathe stone statues, and, putting life into them, commanded them to follow him to Cuzco. After settiu<_g Allea Viea. the ancestor of the Incas, over them he disappeared in the water.
Pachaeanme signifies 'He who animates the universe.' He was regarded as the being who created and ruled the world. In the valley of Rinme a vast temple was erected to this invisible god.
Next to the sun the Incas 'worshiped the moon, his sister and consort. Cuyeha, the rainbow•. was venerated as the servant of the sun and moon ; Chasea, the planet Venus. as the page of the sun. The Pleiades were the next most venerated.
Fire was worshiped as coming front the sun, and thunder as his servant. After these many minor deities and eanopos, which last correspond to the Lae- and Penates of the Romans. The bloody rites so frequent in Mexico and Yucatan were unknown in Peru.
The Peruvians believed in the existence of the soul after death, and in the resurrection of the body. The good were to lime a life of luxury and ea-e; the wicked must expiate their crimes by age.: of wearisome labor.
The Empire of the Incas was a perfect the ocracy. The reigning lion was not merely the representative of divinity.; he was divinity itself, the law, and the law-giver, the violation of whose ordinance was sacrilege. The Inca ap pointed the chief priest. who in turn nominated
all his subordinates. All the higher offices were tilled by members of the Inca family. The vir gins of the sun were young maidens dedicated to the service of the deity. They dwelt in convents under the charge of elderly matrons. These holy virgins were occupied in weaving the fine wool of the vicuna into garments for the Inca and hangings for the temples. In the houses of the virgins of the sun at ('uzco all the inmates, said to number 1500, were of royal blood. These vir gins of the sun were brides of the Inca. and at marriageable age the most beautiful were trans ferred to the royal seraglio. The great nobles were also allowed a plurality of wives. At an appointed day of each year all those of marriage able age were called together in the great squares, throughout the Empire. The marriage ceremony consisted in joining the hands of the eouples to be united. The Inca performed this ceremony for his own kindred, pronouncing them man and wife. 'His Caracas performed a like office for those of inferior rank. Land was allotted to the newly wedded pair for their maintenance, and a dwell ing was built at the charge of the district.
The land was parceled out to the various clans by whom it was owned in common. and under the wise system of administration everyone not ineapaeitated by age or other infirmity was obliged to be a producer. Agriculture was the basis of prosperity and was carried on carefully and thoroughly. with division of labor, irrigation. manuring. and terracing of rocky slopes, to make every tillable acre yield its full return. Their chief ('rips were maize, potatoes, yucca, piinoa, and cotton. Much attention was given to irriga tion. aqueducts and canals crossing the low lands in all directions like a vast network. Hogs were kept as elsewhere, besides monkeys, birds. and guinea pigs, and the llama had been domesticated as a beast of burden and for its hair. from which, as well as from native cotton. were spun and woven the fabrics in coninnul use.