The islands of Titicaca and Koati, illustrated . estigation. We have as yet found but faint traces of geological mythsamong the folk-lore and traditions of the Aymara Indiansinhabiting the shores. This negative result, however, is notfinal, since it was only from the Island of Titicaca, and tosome extent from the Peninsula of Copacavana that, previ-ous to 1897, we had been able to secure scraps of what maybe called folk-lore. At Tiahuanaco, stories are told con-cerning a time when the sun had not yet risen into theheavens, but none of them bear any relation to the conditionof the Lake or to an
The islands of Titicaca and Koati, illustrated . estigation. We have as yet found but faint traces of geological mythsamong the folk-lore and traditions of the Aymara Indiansinhabiting the shores. This negative result, however, is notfinal, since it was only from the Island of Titicaca, and tosome extent from the Peninsula of Copacavana that, previ-ous to 1897, we had been able to secure scraps of what maybe called folk-lore. At Tiahuanaco, stories are told con-cerning a time when the sun had not yet risen into theheavens, but none of them bear any relation to the conditionof the Lake or to any modifications in its contours. Wewere told by an old Indian that the builders of the edificesof stone (now in ruins) were Gentiles, and were de-stroyed by a flood. The appearance of the sun in the heav-ens is said to have occurred after this supposed is not an uncommon belief that the waters of the Gulf ofTaraco once reached as far inland as Tiahuanaco, now aboutfive miles distant from the shore. Some of the explanations o 0 Oh. THE BASIN OF LAKE TITICACA 11 of the name are even based on this hypothesis, giving it themeaning of: dry beach. ^^ Among the traditions recorded by early Spanish chron-iclers, that of the appearance of a white man on the shoresof Lake Titicaca appears to be connected with a dim recol-lection of geological phenomena. Ticiviracocha (alsocalled Tuapaca and Arnauan) is represented by Cieza ^^as having come from the south and as having beenendowed with such power that, he converted heights intoplains and plains into tall heights, and caused springs toflow out of bare rocks. ^^ A century after Cieza had writ-ten his chronicle, an Augustine Monk, Fray Antonio de laCalancha, referred to a tradition in regard to a disciple ofTonapa, called Taapac, stating that the Indians of theLake-shore killed him, placed his body on a raft, orbalsa: ^^and thrust that craft on the great lagune aforesaid;and so, propelled by the waves and breezes ... it navi-g
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