5l8 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 102 



of the Chimba the city has vineyards and olive groves with a few 

 vegetable gardens. A stream with little water in it flows through 

 this valley, rising in the heights of Copataya and coming down from 

 the sierra in some deep ravines which here they call guaicos. The 

 two Umagata villages lie between very high bare sierras ; they have 

 a marvelous climate, grow [much] wheat and corn, and take mar- 

 velous crayfish, which are to be found in all these plains rivers ; and 

 although it is hot country, there are no alligators after the Rio de 

 Colan, which is near Paita. 



1417. Coming down from these Umagata villages, one crosses the 

 river many times and emerges on wide plains ; if there were only 

 water for the sowing and irrigation of its crops, it would be the 

 finest valley in Peru. Three leagues before reaching the city, one 

 comes to the Azapa Valley ; there are [very] good vineyards here 

 and olive groves and presses for making oil, of which they produce 

 quantities ; they make over 8,000 jugs of wine. They irrigate these 

 in general from a few pools left by this wretched river, and there 

 are many controversies among the residents over their exploitation ; 

 they raise much wheat, corn, aji, melons, native cucumbers, and all 

 sorts of vegetables, which yield abundantly. Coming down the valley, 

 I league before reaching the city one finds other pools with [very] 

 good vineyards and olive and fig groves [all yielding abundantly]. 

 They grow wheat and corn and get excellent crops ; in this valley 

 one fanega of wheat has produced 1,000-fold, sowed in clusters and 

 fertilized with guano. The olives in this valley and city are [much] 

 better than the best Spanish ones. These two valleys are a bit of 

 Paradise, with their prolific fertility ; the vintage comes at the end 

 of Lent. Then the valley becomes dry, up to near the city ; there, 

 right at the salt water's edge, there is another pool welling up from 

 this wretched river. This is the celebrated totoral (cattail slough) 

 of Arica, a patch of cattails as large as a plaza, which God has pro- 

 vided there for their comfort ; the ships depend on them for the 

 packing of their wine, etc. [with them], all the troops of beasts of 

 burden are fitted out with them for the arrangement of their loads 

 for Potosi and they make panniers [out of them] for the llamas to 

 carry wine and quicksilver in them ; in fine, these cattails meet many 

 needs. 



Chapter LVII [58] (59) 



Of the Excellent Mines in This District. 



1418. [One line illegible]. There is in this country a mine of 

 wealth which meets every requirement ; many have grown rich from 



