“Upon the sides of some of the mountains,” observes Mr. Temple, “were the remains of walls built in regular stages round them, from their base to their summits, forming terraces on which, or between which, the Indians, in days of yore, cultivated their crops.” “Frezier says the Indians were very industrious in conveying the waters of the rivers through their fields and to their dwellings, and that there were still to be seen in many places Aqueducts formed of earth and stone, and carried along the sides of hills with great labor and ingenuity.” “I have had various opportunities,” says a recent traveller, “of closely examining one of these canals, which is formed at the source of the river Sana, on the right bank, and extends along a distance of fifteen leagues, without reckoning sinuosities, and which consequently supplied a vast population; particularly one city, whose ruins still remain in the vicinity of a farm now called Cojal.” “These Aqueducts were often of great magnitude, executed with much skill, patience and ingenuity, and were boldly carried along the most precipitous mountains, frequently to the distance of fifteen or twenty leagues. Many of them consisted of two conduits, a short distance apart; the larger of these was for general use; the other and smaller, to supply the inhabitants and water the fields, while the first was cleansing; a circumstance in which they bear a striking resemblance to those of Mexico.” Molina, in his “Natural and Civil History of Chili,” observes, that previous to the invasion of the Spaniards, the natives practised artificial irrigation, by conveying water from the higher grounds in canals to their fields. Herrera says, many of the vales were exceedingly populous and well cultivated, “having trenches of water.” The Peruvians carried the system to a great extent. “How must we admire, (says Humboldt,) the industry and activity displayed by the ancient Mexicans and Peruvians in the irrigation of arid lands! “In the maritime parts of Peru, I have seen the remains of walls, along which water was conducted for a space of from 5 to 6000 metres, from the foot of the Codilleras to the coast. The conquerors of the 16th century destroyed these Aqueducts, and that part of Peru has become, like Persia, a desert, destitute of vegetation. Such is the civilization carried by the Europeans among a people, whom they are pleased to call barbarous.” These people had laws for the protection of water, very similar to those of Greece, Rome, Egypt, and all the older nations; for those who conveyed water from the canals to their own land before their turn, were liable to arbitrary punishment. Several of the ancient American customs respecting water, were identical with those of the oldest nations.