eruvian domestic ox. "Under the life-conditions prevailing in
this part of the Andes, and possibly in correlation with the increased
action of the respiratory muscles in a rarefied air, domestic cattle
occasionally develop first ribs, closely approaching the form observed
in bison." Such was the sad end of the "bison" and the "Cuzco man,"
who at one time I thought might be forty thousand years old, and
now believe to have been two hundred years old, perhaps. The word
Ayahuaycco in Quichua means "the valley of dead bodies" or "dead
man's gulch." There is a story that it was used as a burial place
for plague victims in Cuzco, not more than three generations ago!

CHAPTER VIII

The Oldest City in South America

Cuzco, the oldest city in South America, has changed completely since
Squier's visit. In fact it has altered considerably since my own
first impressions of it were published in "Across South America." To
be sure, there are still the evidences of antiquity to be seen on
every side; on the other hand there are corresponding evidences
of advancement. Telephones, electric lights, street cars, and the
"movies" have come to stay. The streets are cleaner. If the modern
traveler finds fault with some of the conditions he encounters he
must remember that many of the achievements of the people of ancient
Cuzco are not yet duplicated in his own country nor have they ever
been equaled in any other part of the world. And modern Cuzco is
steadily progressing. The great square in front of the cathedral was
completely metamorphosed by Prefect Nunez in 1911; concrete walks
and beds of bright flowers have replaced the market and the old
cobblestone paving and made the plaza a favorite promenade of the
citizens on pleasant evenings.

The principal market-place now is the Plaza of San Francisco. It is
crowded with booths of every description. Nearly all of the food-stuffs
and utensils used by the Indians may be bought here. Frequently
thronged with Indians, buying and selling, arguing and jabbering,
it affords, particularly in the early morning, a never-ending source
of entertainment to one who is fond of the picturesque and interested
in strange manners and customs.

The retail merchants of Cuzco follow the very old custom of
congregating by classes. In one street are the dealers in hats; in
another those who sell coca. The dressmakers and tailors are nearly
all in one long arcade in a score or more of dark little shops. The