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of the sanctuary of "Venus and the Stars" (Ve–

nus y las Estrellas) which is farther to the front,

from which fact one may inf

er that its dimen–

sions were 12 metres long by 8 metres wide–

these being the dimensions of the Temple of Ve–

nus. The remainder of this edifice, or Chapel

of the Moon, extends toward the temple of San..

to Domingo.

The Sanctuary of Venus and the Stars looks

toward the western gallery of the lower cloister.

From the eixterior one in1ay see a door and its lin–

tel, which opened on a little street running be–

tween the sanctuaries of Venus and the Moon;

this street ends at the· Catholic vestry which is

built on the ruins of these sanctuaries.

Entering

oor thiere may be seen the

vertical [ha]f of a niche which GBircilaso calls a

"tabernacle" · in e tio ders of this niche are

channels and

openin~s

which at f1rst sight seem

to be unexplainable. It would 1a.ppear that this

niche was a dais of homage where the Inca sat

in his golden seat, and the channels and open–

íngs held plates of gold and incrustations of

precious stones, such as emeralds, in such great

avour with the Incas, thus

orming of the niche

a refulgent throne.

Back of this recess, that is, entering the

interior of the sanctuary

Venus, are the re–

mains of a similar niche, of the same tlimensions

and general arl'fangement; this probably held the

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