Show huros indians living on lake Titi caca make their homes on floating islands nearly feet hish high lake tl TI tacaca not only is famed for its nat ural and historical values but also because it is the home of the lauros a strange race of indians living on man made floating islands T the lie islands are built of matted aquatic growths gro and anchored by barn bam boo poles driven into the lake bed the material employed Is rattan grass known to the indians as totora which Is woven into a dense matting clentry strong and buoyant to support the weight of the indian huts to maintain the islands in a seaworthy condition the indian chi dren are trained in the art of pro pre serving what in most cases Is home for life during the entire lay day the children are e employed nip loyed in cutting and collecting the totora and beav ing it in many layers on the dounda NOD already existing they are also taught to build the light totora canoes so familiar to those who travel on lake Titi caca the indians spend their time in ili hunting bunting and fishing for the lake teems with tish fish of such delicate flavor that they were one of the most highly prized arned courses ot the incas table the lives ot the huros are passed on their floating islands but the abil ity to keep beep them floating largely de rr i on a knowledge of meteorology which has become an inherited sense they can tell almost to the minute w when hen a storm lurking on the crest of the andes will burst over the lake and they can predict with tile the same certainty whether a year will be wet or dry with this knowledge they strengthen their island homes against the corn ing of the wet years and with tile aPP approach of storms they anchor more firmly their arnelle fri grile abode |