A PERUVIAN EXPEDITION

To readers of this column the letter from Mr. Blair-Duncan (Honorary) '03 F.S. may seem somewhat of an innovation. We hasten to explain the reason for this departure.

Readers of the "National Geographic Magazine" may recall that about seven years ago there appeared in that publication two articles telling of an exploring expedition sent out by Yale University and the National Geographic Society under the direction of Dr. Hiram Bingham which resulted in the discovery of the city of Machu Picchu in a hitherto inaccessible region of the Peruvian Andes. We have not space here to explain the archaeological significance of this discovery. Suffice it to say that the city of Machu Picchu was believed to have been the cradle of the ancient Inca empire, Tampu-Tocco, or "Window-Tavern". What is of most interest to us is that Dr. Bingham, at that time, conjectured that the Urubamba canyon, near which is the narrow ridge whereon Machu Picchu is situated, might be a rich field for explorers and regretted that he had not the resources to continue his excavations. The interruption of the war, however, prevented any such work being undertaken till this fall when the University of Nueva Barcelona, a Chilean institution of considerable antiquity, sent out a well equipped expedition of which Mr. John Blair-Duncan (Honorary) '03 F.S. was a loading member. Since leaving college he has had wide experience as an explorer.

Ordinarily the CRIMSON could not find space to publish letters such as Mr. Blair-Duncan is sending us. The fact, however, as he points out in his first letter, that the Chilean expedition has discovered the existence of what appears to be an ancient institution of learning led us to believe that we should not deprive our readers of the opportunity to see these remarkably interesting letters. Those which we have received to date tell of the translation how going of records found in the ruins of this ancient university; perusal of them has convinced us that the history of this hitherto unheard of institution in the mountain fastnesses of Peru will throw an exceedingly interesting light on the problem of our own university. Whether we have over estimated the importance of the letters their publication will show.