Logo
Prev
Bookmark
Rotate
Print
Next
Contents
All Pages
Related Articles
Browse Issues
Help
Search
Home
'
National Geographic : 1913 Apr
Contents
Photo by Hiram Bingham THE TEMPLE OF THE THREE WINDOWS: MACHU PICCHU The floors of the principal temples yielded little, but on the terraces beneath the walls of the three-windowed temple, here shown, we found potsherds and artifacts to a depth of four or five feet (see pages 440 and 449). much as he had. Accordingly, I started with four peons and Tomas Cobines, the soldier, to have a look. "The river was passed easily on the rather shaky four-pole bridge, and we started up the slope, cutting steps as we went, for it was almost vertical. About 30 feet up it moderated, however, and, after that, while it was steep, we seldom had to cut steps for more than 20 to 30 feet on a stretch. The greatest hindrance was the cane and long grass, through which it was hard to cut a way with the machetes. "Our progress, slow at first, got abso lutely snail-like as the men got tired; so, getting impatient, I resolved to push on alone, telling them to follow the marks oi my machete, and charging Tomas to see that they made a good trail and did not loaf. "I pushed on up the hill, clearing my way with the machete, or down on all fours, following a bear trail (of which there were many), stopping occasionally to open my shirt at the throat and cool off, as it was terribly hot. The brush through which I made my way was in great part mesquite, terribly tough and with heavy, strong thorns. If a branch was not cut through at one blow, it was pretty sure to come whipping back and drive half a dozen spikes into hands, arms, and body. Luckily I had had enough practice to learn how to strike with a heavy shoulder blow, and for the most part made clean strokes, but I didn't get away untouched by any means. A NARROW ESCAPE "Finally, about 3 p. m., I had almost gained the top of the lowest part of the ridge, which runs along like the back plates of some spined dinosaur. The trees had given way to grass or bare rock, the face of the rock being practi cally vertical. A cliff some 200 feet high stood in my way. By going out to the end of the ridge I thought I could look almost straight down to the river, which looked more like a trout-brook than a river at that distance, though its roar in the rapids came up distinctly. "I was just climbing out on the top of the lowest 'back-plate' when the grass and soil under- my feet let go, and I
Links
Archive
1913 May
1913 Mar
Navigation
Previous Page
Next Page
