494 smithsonian miscellaneous collections vol. i02 



Chapter XLVII [48] (49) 



Of the Diocese of Arequipa and Other Valleys and Hills along 

 the Coast in Its District. 



1380. Eighteen leagues S. of La Nasca are the valley and village 

 of Acari, the first in the Diocese of Arequipa; and although for 

 over 550 leagues along the coast there is no rain — i.e., from Tumbes 

 down to the city of La Serena in Chile [at 32° S.] — in some districts 

 a very fine dew falls, which they call garua in that kingdom. Since 

 the land is of such excellent quality, during the season when this 

 fine garua falls much excellent grass springs up on some stretches 

 and the meadows are covered with flowers ; at this time they drive 

 down for fattening [on them] great numbers of cattle, mares, mules, 

 goats, hogs, etc. Fifteen leagues along on the road running from 

 La Nasca to the Acari Valley, a range of hills (lomas) begins and 

 almost reaches this Acari Valley, which will be over three leagues. 

 When the grass begins drying out, which period lasts 3 or 4 months, 

 they drive the cattle back to the sierra, till the next season. Thus 

 the residents of this valley avail themselves of these hills for their 

 cattle. The village [in this valley] will have a little over 100 Indians 

 and some 40 Spaniards who live there among them and have their 

 farms and plantations there. It has the same climate as the other 

 plains localities. The valley is wide and well supplied with water ; 

 they raise much corn, wheat, kidney beans, pallares, peanuts, chick- 

 peas, and other cereals, and quantities of fruit : excellent melons, 

 native cucumbers, bananas, and other fruit ; they make flour, which 

 is exported to the Nasca Valley and the Ingenio Valley ; there is a 

 large demand and an excellent sale for all their products. Ordinarily 

 this river has plenty of water. It rises in the Provinces of the Lucanas 

 and Parinacochas. The village is about half a league from the sea. 

 There are some groves of trees in the valley, and many remarkable 

 constructions of the ancients which have lasted to the present and 

 will stand just as they are forever, for as it does not rain [ever] on 

 these plains, they take no harm. All the houses in this village are 

 built bajaraque style, i.e., of stakes or canes plastered with mud, 

 as in all the villages of the plains Indians in this kingdom. As for 

 roofs, some houses have nothing but a few mats on top to keep out 

 the sun, or banana leaves, and others are thatched with straw. On 

 the other side of the river rises a long high ridge of nothing but 

 sand, sloping upward for over a league. [And near this valley there 

 are other small ones of less importance, of which I make no special 

 mention.] 



