and enjoys a fair amount
of rainfall. The lake is fed by springs and small streams. In past
geological times the lake, then very much larger, had an outlet not
far from the town of Puyusca. At present Parinacochas has no visible
outlet. It is possible that the large springs which we noticed as we
came up the valley by Puyusca may be fed from the lake. On the other
hand, we found numerous small springs on the very borders of the lake,
generally occurring in swampy hillocks--built up perhaps by mineral
deposits--three or four feet higher than the surrounding plain. There
are very old beach marks well above the shore. The natives told us that
in the wet season the lake was considerably higher than at present,
although we could find no recent evidence to indicate that it had
been much more than a foot above its present level. Nevertheless a
rise of a foot would enlarge the area of the lake considerably.

When making preparations in New Haven for the "bathymetric survey of
Lake Parinacochas," suggested by Sir Clements Markham, we found it
impossible to discover any indication in geographical literature as
to whether the depth of the lake might be ten feet or ten thousand
feet. We decided to take a chance on its not being more than ten
hundred feet. With the kind assistance of Mr. George Bassett, I secured
a thousand feet of stout fish line, known to anglers as "24 thread,"
wound on a large wooden reel for convenience in handling. While we
were at Chuquibamba Mr. Watkins had spent many weary hours inserting
one hundred and sixty-six white and red cloth markers at six-foot
intervals in the strands of this heavy line, so that we might be able
more rapidly to determine the result in fathoms.

Arrived at a low peninsula on the north shore of the lake, Tucker
and I pitched our camp, sent our mules back to Puyusca for fodder,
and set up the Acme folding boat, which we had brought so many miles
on muleback, for the sounding operations. The "Acme" proved easy
to assemble, although this was our first experience with it. Its
lightness enabled it to be floated at the edge of the lake even in
very shallow water, and its rigidity was much appreciated in the late
afternoon when the high winds raised a vicious little "sea." Rowing
out on waters which we were told by the natives had never before
been navigated by craft of any kind, I began to take soundings. Lake
Titicaca is over nine hundred feet deep. It would be aggravating if
Lake Par