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82 of the snowy peak of Vilcañota, the valley of Vilcamayu increases in fertility and beauty as the river descends. The most lovely part is from Pissac to Ollantay-tampu, where the mighty Andes sends up its snowy peaks on one side, and precipitous cliffs bound the other. The groves of fine trees are alive with singing-birds—the checollo, with a song like our nightingale, the pretty tuyas and chaynas, the bright-plumaged ccamantira and choccla-poccochi, and the ccenti, or humming-bird. Here, too, are doves and pigeons, the urpi and cullcu, and the golden-breasted quitu. There are also many small green paroquets. In the valley are raised splendid crops of maize, unequalled elsewhere, grown on terraces arranged in patterns, and the fruit gardens are filled with chirimoya, palta, lucuma, and paccay trees, up which twine the passion flowers with their refreshing fruit. In this enchanting valley the Incas had their most delightful country palace of Yucay, with extensive baths and gardens. The wide world might be searched without finding a rival, in enchanting beauty, to the sacred valley of the Incas.

The most northern zone is occupied by the wild mountainous district of Vilcapampa, between the two rivers, here forty miles apart.

This land of the Incas had been brought under a settled government, and there was a breathing time of peace. But intrigue and discontent were rife in Cuzco. Uira-cocha Inca, who was old and wholly under the influence of his concubine