490 



PERTURBATIONS PERU. 



side these, there are. a number of agricultural socie- 

 ties in the county. Population of the shire in 1821, 

 139,050 ; in 1831, 142,894. 



PERTURBATIONS of the course of planets are 

 their deviations from their regular elliptic course, 

 produced by their mutual gravitation. The Newton- 

 ian discovery of the law of universal gravity threw 

 much light on this important subject. Newton has 

 shown that all bodies are attracted towards each 

 other: hence every planet gravitates not only towards 

 the sun, but also towards the other planets, the 

 moon not only towards the earth, but particularly 

 towards the sun ; nay, even towards Venus and 

 Jupiter. The regular course of the planets in ellip- 

 tic orbits, according to Kepler's laws, is effected by 

 the attraction of the sun, the course of the moon by 

 the attraction of the earth ; deviations must, there- 

 fore, naturally occur in the motion of the moon and 

 planets, if they are acted on also by other bodies. 

 Newton explained and determined part of these 

 deviations; for instance, the precession of the equi- 

 noxes, and the nutation of the earth's axis. (See 

 these articles.') But many problems which require 

 the infinitesimal calculus for their solution, he left 

 undetermined. Clairaut, D'Alembert, and Euler, 

 subsequently occupied themselves with this subject; 

 but even their solutions are only approximations. 

 Laplace finally found a formula universally appli- 

 cable, which gives the most exact results, and pub- 

 lished the same in his Mecanique Celeste. This great 

 work is so much condensed, that it requires a perfect 

 knowledge of analysis, and is, therefore, unintelligible 

 to many mathematical readers. Doctor Bowditch's 

 translation and commentary, unfolding the processes 

 by which the results are obtained, render the study 

 of this work comparatively easy. Bohnenberger, in 

 his Astronomy (Tubingen, 1811,) treats this subject 

 in a less difficult manner than Laplace. 



PERU; a republic of South America, formerly a 

 Spanish viceroyalty, lying between 3 20', and 21 

 30' S. lat., and between 67 and 86 W. Ion.; 

 bounded N. by Colombia (Quito) and Brazil, to the 

 E. by Brazil and Bolivia, or Upper Peru; to the S. 

 by Buenos Ayres, and W. by the Pacific ocean; 

 square miles, 426,000; population, 1,700,000. In 

 respect of physical geography, Peru may be divided 

 into the low country on the coast (with a hot cli- 

 mate, characterized by the total absence of rain, the 

 want of which is imperfectly supplied by dew and 

 mists from the ocean,) and the highlands, which are 

 formed by elevated ridges (sierras), beginning about 

 sixty-five miles from the coast, and rising gradually 

 to the Andes, of which, in fact, they are the lower 

 steps. This latter region contains lofty plains, from 

 8000 to 10,000 feet above the level of the sea, and 

 numerous deep valleys. (See Andes, and South 

 America.) The low districts on the coasts, which 

 are supplied with water, or which lie on the streams 

 and rivers, are fruitful. Besides the streams which 

 flow down the western declivities of the Andes into 

 the Pacific ocean, the Marannon or Amazon, and the 

 Ucayale, a tributary of the Amazon, are the principal 

 rivers. The great plain, called the Pampas del Sa- 

 cramento (see Pampas), on the Ucayale, is remark- 

 able for its fertility. Earthquakes and sand-spouts 

 sometimes commit terrible ravages. In the high 

 lands the climate is severe, but healthy. Among 

 the animal and vegetable productions of Peru are 

 lamas, vicunnas, guanacos, pearl-muscles, purple-fish, 

 cochineal, silk-worms, corn, wine, tobacco, sugar, 

 coffee, cocoa, vanilla, cotton, Peruvian bark, Peru- 

 vian balsam, indigo, ginger, cinnamon, &c. Peru is 

 particularly rich in gold and silver. Humboldt 

 reckoned the value of the quantity of these metals, 

 obtained yearly, at more than 6,000,000 dollars. 



(See Mhtes and South America.) Platina, copper, 

 tin, lead, quicksilver, precious stones, salt, alum, 

 saltpetre, coal, sulphur, &c., are also found. The 

 capital of Peru is Lima. The republic is divided 

 into seven iutendencies, Arequipa, Cusco, (Jua- 

 manga, Guanca Velica, Lima, Tarma, and Truxillo, 

 which are subdivided into provinces. An exten- 

 sive tract of country in the north-eastern part, and 

 not included in these divisions, is inhabited by inde- 

 pendent Indians. The population is composed of 

 European Spaniards, Creoles, metis, or mestizoes, 

 Indians, negroes, and mulattoes. The Creoles are, 

 since the revolution, the most influential class. The 

 Indians and mestizoes form the most numerous body. 

 By the constitution of 1828, slavery is totally abo- 

 lished, and a slave brought into the country becomes 

 free. The wealth of Peru has been entirely owing 

 to its mines, the richness of which, with the sterility 

 of the soil, has prevented much attention being paid 

 to agriculture. The whale fishery on the coasts, and 

 the commerce of the country, are almost entirely in 

 the hands of the Anglo-Americans of the United 

 States, and of the British. Its long extent of coast, 

 with numerous bays, harbours, ana road-steads, af- 

 fords great facilities for commerce. The exports of 

 Peru are copper, cocoa, Peruvian bark, wool (of 

 sheep and the vicunna), and chinchilla furs; imports, 

 silk goods, linen, woollen goods, wine, cottons, &c. 

 Mining operations are impeded by the deficiency of 

 quicksilver and wood ; there are four copper, four 

 quicksilver, twelve lead, and 680 silver mines, and 

 seventy gold mines and washings. The richest 

 silver mines are those of Pasco and Lauricocha; they 

 lie 13,000 feet above the level of the sea, and yield 

 2,000,000 dollars annually. The mines of Chota, or 

 Gualgayoc. in Truxillo, are richer than those of 

 Potosi ; they are 13,385 feet above the level of the 

 sea, and yield about 44,000 Ibs. of silver annually. 

 Those of Huantajaya, in Arica, in a dry desert, yield 

 yearly 52,000 Ibs. Two masses of native silver 

 have been found here, weighing, one 225, the other 

 890 Ibs. Gold is obtained in Tarma from the mines 

 of Pataz and IJuilies, and in the washings on the 

 banks of the Upper Marannon. 



According to the traditions of the Peruvians, the 

 early civilization of their country was the work of 

 Manco Capac, who reclaimed their ancestors from 

 barbarism, and introduced art, law, and religion, 

 among them. According to Garcilaso de la Vega, 

 this event occurred towards the beginning of the 

 twelfth century. The successors of Manco Capac 

 continued to reign until the arrival of the Spaniards 

 in the country. Atahualpa, the fifteenth inca, was 

 defeated and put to death by Pizarro, who, with 

 Almagro, had entered Peru at the head of a small 

 Spanish force, in 1532, and rapidly reduced it to 

 submission. Of the ancient Peruvians, we have yet 

 some remarkable monuments remaining, such as 

 their roads (called by the Spaniards Camini del Inca), 

 which traversed the empire in every direction, for- 

 tresses, temples, and palaces, which prove their 

 mechanical skill. They were acquainted with the 

 arts of mining, of working in gold and silver, of 

 polishing precious stones, and of sculpture. Their 

 agricultural labours, and their manufactures of wool, 

 &c., prove their intelligence and industry. (See 

 Garcilaso de la Vega's Historia de las Antiguedades 

 y Conquista del Peru.) Pizarro, having put the 

 inca to death, took possession of Cuscu and its im- 

 mense treasures. The cruelties which were prac- 

 tised by the Spaniards, finally came to the ears of 

 Charles V., who caused a code of laws to be drawn 

 up for the government of the American conquests, 

 and established an audiencia at Lima, the president 

 of which was appointed governor of Peru in 1543. 



