“We’ll also have a little work,” said his father quietly. “If we get enough specimens from this region to satisfy the museum heads we’ll have to go some.”
Flying over this interesting land was exciting to the youths, who viewed the sights curiously. Before long they could make out the town of Arequipa away over to their right, and just behind it, El Misti volcano, whose sides sloped up to a point.
Karl guided the ’plane as near the ground as possible, knowing that he and his friends could not stand the rare air of several thousand feet higher without the use of oxygen. A few tanks of this valuable gas were now on the train en route to Cuzco. Karl had not thought it necessary to use them in the ’plane so soon.
At the speed they traveled, it did not take them long to sight Cuzco in the distance. Several miles away they could also see the town of Anta, which was a mere village compared to its neighbor city.
When they came nearer, Karl flew straight for the central plaza, so as to get a fine view of all the buildings and places of importance.
“Look at the people swarming to see us,” said Joe. “I guess it isn’t often that an airplane comes here.”
At about three hundred feet they soared leisurely over the central plaza, where natives were gathering rapidly. Directly below them was the huge cathedral, which, as far as they could see, was the most imposing building in the city. All about were low structures, with an occasional higher building dotting the landscape.
It was a wonderful view. Even from that low altitude, the explorers could easily make out the surrounding mountains, on many of which were Inca ruins, including the “staircase farms.”
Joe considered it a wonderful opportunity to take several hundred feet of motion pictures. He pointed the camera first at the city below them, then at the near-by mountains, turning the crank continuously.
When he had flown a few times around the town, Karl picked out a level stretch to the east and began the dangerous task of landing. Well he knew at that altitude it would be easy to crash.