To the Editors of the CRIMSON.

Wonders will never cease! One of our peons, while digging for potsherds on the outskirts of the university site the other day, suddenly felt the ground give way beneath him; and before he knew it, he found himself in a large hollow space at some depth underground. His shouts attracted fellow-workmen, who helped him out with a rope and brought Senor Alvarotez, Leon Cavallo, and myself to the scene of the discovery. With torches and shovels we descended into the opening and proceeded to explore it.

What we found proved to be a long, broad tunnel. It was well preserved, and we had little difficulty in making our way along it. We proceeded with caution, two peons going ahead to make sure there were no pitfalls; and in about half an hour of walking we came to the end. Digging our way out, we reached the upper air and looked about us in entirely new surroundings. The place where we had come out was nothing less than Machu Picchu, the old capital city which Bingham discovered, the Hub of the Inca universe. You will remember from my earlier letters that the University was situated on a spur of the same mountain-unit on which the city was perched, but separated from it by a steep ridge which made it almost inaccessible. The tunnel had been built underneath to communicate between the two.

Along the edge of the tunnel floor a footpath was worn, evidently dating to an early age. Later, but also much worn, were some curious grooves in the centre of the floor, running parallel in two pairs, from one end to the other. The floor was of solid rock, and these grooves had been hollowed with care. It was also observed that the tunnel sloped slightly in the direction of the city; and Senor Alvarotez has evolved this remarkable plausible hypothesis. When the tunnel was in use, there had been two cars of some sort, on wheels, one on each track. These cars were joined by a cable the length of the tunnel, so that when one car was at the university end the other was at Machu Picchu. It may be presumed that there were always more students going toward the city than toward the university; consequently the car at the top of the incline would be the heavier, and when the brakes were released it would pull the other up, supplying all the motive force needed. The journey seems to have required about eight minutes.

It is quite evident that the tunnel had seen much use at one period of the university's existence. In fact, we learn from obscure references in the records that the lure of the city was once considered a grave problem by the Circle of the Elders. As far as we can make out they took no action on the matter, and the danger remedied itself. Either the tunnel was deliberately stopped up by the students, for fear of encroachments of visiting Incas from the metropolis; or else in the revival of intellectual interest during the golden age it was neglected and fell into natural decay. Cordially yours.   J. BLAIR DUNCAN

With the University of Nueva Barcelona Peruvian Expedition.

Near Machu Picchu, Peru, November 21, 1921.