The history of America, from its discovery by Columbus to the conclusion of the late war : with an appendix, containing an account of the rise and progress of the present unhappy contest between Great Britain and her colonies . ents, unnavigable by reafon of their rapidity,it was neceflary to find fome expedient for paJTing them. From their unac-quaintance with the ufe of arches, and their inability to work in wood, the Peru-vians could not conftru<5l brkjges either of ftone or timber; but, in order tofupply that defeft, they formed cables of great ftrength, by twifting togetherpliable with
The history of America, from its discovery by Columbus to the conclusion of the late war : with an appendix, containing an account of the rise and progress of the present unhappy contest between Great Britain and her colonies . ents, unnavigable by reafon of their rapidity,it was neceflary to find fome expedient for paJTing them. From their unac-quaintance with the ufe of arches, and their inability to work in wood, the Peru-vians could not conftru<5l brkjges either of ftone or timber; but, in order tofupply that defeft, they formed cables of great ftrength, by twifting togetherpliable withs or ofiers, fix of which they ftretched acrofs the ftream parallel toone another, and made them faft on eacli fide. T hefe they bound firmly toge-ther, by interweaving fmallcr ropes fo clofe as to form a compa^l piece of net-work, which being covered with branches of trees and earth, they paiTed along?with tolerable fecurity. Proper perfons were appointed to attend at each bridge,to keep it in repair, and to affift pafiengers f. • .AcoHa, lib. iv. c. 37. Zara:?, lib. i. c. 4. f Zarate, lib. v. c. u. Garcilaflb, lib. iii. c. 8. Hcrrera. dec. III. lib. x. c. i, 2. Ulloa, Voy. vol. I. Robertfop, Hiih vii. The. T H E HISTORY OF A M E R I C A. 355 The Peruvians had even extended their ingenuity to works of elegance. CHAP. X[.Among thefe their polifhed ftone mirrors are highly celebrated •, and their dex-terity in terming veflels of gold and filver appears even to have been fuperior tothat of the Mexicans. But many other circumftances feem to indicate, thatIbciety was lefs advanced in Peru, notwithftanding fo many improvements in artsand policy, than among the fubjefts of Montezuma. In all the dominions ofthe Incas, Cuzco was the only place that had the appearance, or was entitled tothe name of a city. Every where elfe the people lived moftly in detachedhabitations, difpcrfed over the country ; or, at the utmoft, fettled together inimall villages : but till men are brou
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