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PERU. 



PERU. 



1-16 



is in October and November. During the rainy season the heat is 

 frequently oppressive. The declivities of the mountains which inclose 

 the vale are covered with thick forest* of tall trees, which is also the 

 eaae with the greatest part of the vale itself. Wheat and barley are 

 grown in the southern and more elevated districts, whence they are 

 sent to the table-land of Pasco. In the lower part maize, plantains, 

 and bananas are cultivated. There are also plantations of sugar-cane, 

 coffee, cacao, and coca, a herb much used by the Indian population, 

 . who chew it with a small quantity of lime. Fruit ia hero produced 

 in greater perfection than in any other part of Peru, and there are 

 several sorts of vegetables. 



The Eastern Plains. The country to the east of the range of 

 hills which form the eastern boundary of the vale of the Huallaga, 

 and extending from their base to the banks of the Rio Ucayali, is 

 known under the name of the Pampa del Sacramento. But though 

 the term 'pampa' i* applied in South America to level plains destitute 

 of trees, this country is covered with woods. The surface also is not 

 a lev, 1, except along the banks of the Rio Ucayali. At some distance 

 from this river the country is diversified by numerous eminences. This 

 region extends from the banks of the Amazonas to the Rio Pachitea, 

 more than 300 miles from north to south, with a breadth varying 

 between 40 and 100 mile*. North of 7 S. lat it U a dead level, and 

 forms part of the alluvial plain of the Amazonas. No European 

 settlements have been established in this part of Pern. It does not 

 suffer from oppressive heat, while in fertility and product* it appean 

 to be little inferior to the vale of Huallaga. It is still in possession 

 of the native tribes, of whom a small number have embraced 

 Christianity. 



The country extending from the eastern bank* of the Rio Ucayali 

 to the Rio Yavari, which separates Pern from Brazil, is almost 

 entirely unknown. In its general features it appears to resemble the 

 Pampa del Sacramento. Some bill* of considerable elevation rise on 

 the plain between 74" and 75 W. long. ; and north of 7 a lat they 

 are called the Sencis Hill*. 



The Pampa del Sacramento extends southward to the batiks of the 

 Rio Pachitea. The country which extends south of this river, from 

 the eastern chain of the Andes to the Rio Ucayali, i* more broken ; 

 and the height* riie near the Andes into lofty mountain*, but towards 

 the Ucayali sink into hills. The country along the bank* of the 

 Ucayali u rather flat, and covered with forest*. 



II plroyrapky. The riven which descend from the western declivity 

 of the Western Andes and fall into the Pacific are about 'JO iu numb r. 

 They have a short course, and flow with great rapidity ; are shallow, 

 and have very little water during the greater part of the year; many 

 of them indeed are quite dry for several months. They cannot con- 

 sequently be navigated even by the smallest canoe*, but the water ia 

 used to irrigate the adjacent flat tract*. 



All the large riven of Pern originate within the mountain region, 

 and all the water* which collect in it are united in three large riven, 

 the Mannon, the Huallaga, and the Ucayali. Thrae three riven may 

 be considered a* the principal bnnche* of the Rio Amazon**. The 

 Mar anon i* noticed under AMAZOXAS, of which river it i* commonly 

 regarded a the principal branch. It issues from the Lake of 

 LUuricocha on the table-land of Pasco, and run* north-north-west 

 about 150 mile* in a narrow valley, and with great npidity ; it then 

 flow* in a wide valley with a much gentler current for more than 

 350 mile* to the Pongo of Rentoma, and i* navigated by bal*a* and 

 eanoes. From the confluence of the Tummbuna the Mannon becomes 

 the boundary line between Pent and Ecuador. From the Pongo of 

 Rcntema the river turns to the north-east, and then to the eait ; and 

 alter a eonne of 150 mile* more it descend* into the plains by the 

 Pongo de Manseriche, a npid about 7 mile* in length. At the foot of 

 the Poogo de Manseriche i* the town of Borja (in Ecuador), from 

 which place the nver is navigable for vessels drawing not more than 

 7 feet After it* union with the Huallag* and Ucayali it* depth i* so 

 much increased that it i* navigable for the largest vessel*. 



The J/ttallay.,, whi. h joins the Mannon near 5* a lat, 76* W. long., 

 lie** in the Lake of Quilnacocba. which i* also on the table-land of 

 Pasco, south-east of the Lake of LUuricocha. It run* nearly 600 mile*. 

 The southern half of it* course i* north-north-west, and the northern 

 half north north-east. The upper part of its coarse i* full of rapids, 

 which may however be descended. These npid* cease at Juan del 

 Rio, south of 9* & lat ; and the river thence affords an easy navi- 

 ftsti.m as far north a* 8 8. Ut, whrre several npid* again occur. 

 North of 6* 40' a kt occur the last npids, which render the river 

 nearly annavigable for about SO mile*. North of 6* 20' 8. lat the 

 Huallaga flow* through a level marshy plain to its junction with the 

 Mannon, ad i* navigable for Teasel* of considerable size. 



The L'coyal, bring* to the Amaiona* the dninage of the mountain 

 region diluted between 11* and 15 a Ut This Urge river i* formed 

 by the junction of the riven Unibemba and Tambo, which take* 

 place near K S. Ut. The Urubimba ia formed by the union of the 

 riven Paucartamba and Quilabamba, which drain the ra-t-rn portion 

 of the table-land of Cuzco, and running north, meet near 11* 30' a Ut 

 The liif Tambo i* formed by the confluence of the riven Apurimac 

 and Mantero. The Apurimac, which drains the western portion of 

 the table-land of Cuzco, unites with the ManUro, which drain* the 

 valley of the Janja, and in it* upper part U called Rio Janja. Not 



0100. DTT. YOU IT. 



far below the place where the Urubamba and Tainbo by their union 

 have formed the Ucayali, is a great rapid or cataract called Vuelta 

 del Diablo. From this place downward the river runs above 500 miles, 

 first north-north-west and afterwards north-north-east, and no impedi- 

 ment to its navigation by large vessels occurs in this part of its course. 

 Among its chief tributaries is the Rio Pachitea, which rises on the 

 eastern declivity of the mountains which inclose the upper vale of the 

 Huallaga, near 10 S. lat., and runs first east and then north, falling 

 into the Ucayali near 8 30' S. lat. Nearly the whole of its course 

 appears to be free from impediments to navigation ; but its banks are 

 inhabited by native tribes who are iu a state of continual enmity with 

 the whites. 



Productions. The trees and plants which are objects of cultivation 

 have been already enumerated. The vast forests of the mountain 

 region and the eastern country supply several articles for commerce 

 and for domestic use, such as vanilla, sarsaparilla, copaiva, caout- 

 chouc, and several kinds of resins and gum ; also various barks and 

 woods, used as dyea, such as Brazil-wood, log-wood, mahogany-bark, 

 andarnotto; and the medicinal or Peruvian bark (Cinchona). The 

 indigo plant grows spontaneously. There are various kinds of lofty 

 trees, useful as timber or for cabinet-work, as mahogany and cedar. 



Domestic animals are far from being abundant iu Los Valles, on 

 account of the want of pasture. There is a good supply of horses, 

 and -till better of mules, which are used for the transport of merchan- 

 dise. On the elevated table-land of Pasco, and in other mining districts, 

 llamas are kept for that purpose. A llama carries about 130 Ibs., or 

 half the load of a mule. Alpacos are bred for their wooh Cattle 

 are abundant in the mountain region, where the declivities supply 

 extensive pasture-grounds; and in the colder places sheep abound. 

 The wool of the sheep, llama, and alpaco now forms an important 

 article of export. 



Nearly all the wild animals peculiar to South America are found in 

 Peru, as the jaguar, the puma, the ounce, the tapir, the spectacled 

 bear, several specie* of monkeys, sloths, armadilloes, wild boars, ant- 

 eater*, guanacoe*, and vicuna*. Von Tschudi found twenty-six species 

 of Mammalia in the coast region. The condor inhabits the most ele- 

 vated parts of the Andes. Fnlcons, hawks, and owls abound. Parrots, 

 parroqueta, and macaw* are numerous in the woods on the mountains. 

 Whale* and teal* abound along the coast. Fish are plentiful iu the 

 large river* of the eastern region, where they constitute the principal 

 food of the inhabitant*, together with the manatee and turtles. The 

 manatee occurs only in the Ucayali and the lower part of the Huallaga. 

 The oil extracted from the eggs of the turtle is an article of export 

 under the name of manteca. Alligators are numerous in these rivers, 

 and they are often thirty feet long. 



Peru is noted for it* wealth in silver and gold. The number of 

 mines which have been worked is above a thousand ; many of them 

 are exhausted or abandoned, but many of them are still worked ; and 

 tome, a* those of Pasco, are v. ry rich. Of late yean mining in Peru 

 ha* received a great impetus from tha introduction of foreign capital, 

 and the annual produce of the mines ha* been largely increased. There 

 are quicksilver-mines near H uancavelica. Copper, iron, lead, and brim- 

 stone are found in several place*. Saltpetre is found in the country- 

 adjacent to the Pacific, couth of Arvquipa, and great quantities of it 

 are exported by English vessel*. Salt is collected on the coast north 

 of Callao, at Point Salinas, and in Sechura Buy, where there are salinas, 

 or salt-pond*. Of late yean a very important source of revenue has 

 been the guano, which is obtained in vast quantities on the islands 

 and rocky headlands of the coast Of 235,1 11 ton* of guano imported 

 into England in 1854, no lei* than 221,747 tons came from Peru. 



Inkalntantt. The population i* composed of crool s, or descendants 

 of European*, Peruvian Indiana, negroes, and a mixed race. The 

 greater part of the eastern region is in possession of independent 

 tribe*, and only those natives who inhabit the vale of the Huallnga 

 have been converted and rabjected to the government of the whites. 

 The number of Creole* i* estimated at about 200,000, and that of the 

 Peruvian Indian* at more than 800,000 ; the remainder are a mixed 

 race, the offspring of European* and Indian women, with about 40,000 

 free negroe* and slaves. 



The Peruvian Indian* inhabit the Valles and the Montana, to the 

 exclusion of all other native tribe*. They speak the Quichua language, 

 which is generally called the language of the Incas, and which is used 

 by all the native* of South America, from Quito near the equator, to 

 Tucuman in La Plate, 27 S. hit. That the Peruvian Indians had 

 attained a considerable degree of civilisation at the time of the arrival 

 of the Spaniards is proved by the numerous ruins of extensive 

 buildings ; the remains of the great artificial road which leads through 

 the Montana from Quito to Cuzco, and thenco southward over the 

 Talley of the De*aguadero ; and more particularly by the fact that 

 they irrigated the low tracts in the vales by making cuts to convey 

 the water from the small riven over the fields, and by the judicious 

 manner in which the water was distributed. They have since acquired 

 iron implement* and domestic animal* to assist them in their agri- 

 cultural labour, but they have not been benefited in any other respect. 

 These Indians apply themselves particularly to agriculture, and there 

 are numerous villages, and even small towns, the whole population of 

 which now consists of Peruvians. They also work iu the mines, 

 manufacture different kinds of woollen and cotton cloth, and show 



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