"Hoyara." I believe them to
be the ruins of the first Spanish settlement in this region, a place
referred to by Ocampo, who says that the fugitives of Tupac Amaru's
army were "brought back to the valley of Hoyara," where they were
"settled in a large village, and a city of Spaniards was founded
.... This city was founded on an extensive plain near a river, with
an admirable climate. From the river channels of water were taken for
the service of the city, the water being very good." The water here
is excellent, far better than any in the Cuzco Basin. On the plain
near the river are some of the last cane fields of the plantation
of Paltaybamba. "Hoyara" was abandoned after the discovery of gold
mines several leagues farther up the valley, and the Spanish "city"
was moved to the village now called Vilcabamba.

Our next stop was at Lucma, the home of Teniente Gobernador
Mogrovejo. The village of Lucma is an irregular cluster of about thirty
thatched-roofed huts. It enjoys a moderate amount of prosperity due to
the fact of its being located near one of the gateways to the interior,
the pass to the rubber estates in the San Miguel Valley. Here are
"houses of refreshment" and two shops, the only ones in the region. One
can buy cotton cloth, sugar, canned goods and candles. A picturesque
belfry and a small church, old and somewhat out of repair, crown the
small hill back of the village. There is little level land, but the
slopes are gentle, and permit a considerable amount of agriculture.

There was no evidence of extensive terracing. Maize and alfalfa seemed
to be the principal crops. Evaristo Mogrovejo lived on the little plaza
around which the houses of the more important people were grouped. He
had just returned from Santa Ana by the way of Idma, using a much
worse trail than that over which we had come, but one which enabled
him to avoid passing through Paltaybamba, with whose proprietor he
was not on good terms. He told us stories of misadventures which had
happened to travelers at the gates of Paltaybamba, stories highly
reminiscent of feudal days in Europe, when provincial barons were
accustomed to lay tribute on all who passed.

We offered to pay Mogrovejo a gratificacion of a sol, or Peruvian
silver dollar, for every ruin to which he would take us, and double
that amount if the locality should prove to contain particularly
interesting ruins. This aroused all his business instincts. He
summoned his alcaldes and othe