
51 
TO THE SOUTHERN PACIFIC ACROSS 
THE ANDES. 
(ILLUSTRATED BY THE LANTERN). 
By Captain W. J. P. BENSON, F.R.G.S. 
October 9th, 1906. 
Let them imagine themselves one day in early winter 
slipping out of Southampton docks into Southampton Water, 
on board a good steamer. After passing the Needles and 
calling at Cherbourg, they are next day in the dreaded Bay of 
Biscay. The first important point of call is Vigo, on the 
Spanish Coast. It is one of the finest harbours in Europe, 
and is said to be not unlike the harbour of Rio de Janeiro. 
Next day they are slipping rapidly past the Portuguese shore, 
enter the River Tagus, and are soon at Lisbon. Here there is 
just time for a walk round the Praca de Dom Pedro and a 
hasty look at the Cathedral, which is close by Black Horse 
Square, and at the Carmo Church, a ruin of the great earth- 
quake of 1755. From Lisbon it is a thirty-six hours’ run to 
Madeira. The climate of Madeira is equable; its winter is 
like an English summer, without its variations but with all 
its glories. : 
Half-way between Lisbon and Pernambuco are the Cape 
de Verde Islands, the chief of which is St. Vincent. The 
island itself is devoid of vegetation and interest. Hardly, 
however, has the steamer become anchored than it is surround- 
ed by boats of every size and description, containing men 
and boys of every shade of colour, from something nearly fair 
to the blackest jet, all shouting in broken English for silver 
money to be thrown into the water. At whatever point the 
steamer anchored en route a number of boats always came 
along containing every possible variety of saleable com- 
modities, but nowhere are they more numerous, or so inter- 
esting, as at St. Vincent. 
The morning of the fourth day after leaving the Cape de 
Verde Islands found them at Pernambuco, the first South 
