84 SPORTING ADVENTURES 



elevation and geographical position of the 

 places. At Callao it is pleasantly cool in 

 winter, and in summer is not so hot as one 

 would suppose from its position in 12 S. ; this 

 is owing to the fact of the sun being almost 

 always obscured. 



Between the Andes and the sea coast no rain 

 falls, though this want is partially supplied by 

 a kind of Scotch mist which prevails ; in con- 

 sequence of this absence of rain a great part 

 of the country west of the Andes is little better 

 than a desert, and is destitute of vegetation, 

 but in the valleys and along the banks of rivers 

 sugar, cotton, rice, and maize flourish, and in the 

 hilly parts coffee and tobacco are grown. 



Several kinds of wild animals exist in the 

 mountainous regions, the most common being 

 the llama, of which there are four kinds, the 

 alpaca, llama, guanaco, and the vicuna. Perhaps 

 the most valuable of these is the vicuna, on 

 account of its wool: this animal is also used as 

 a beast of burthen, and carries a load of about 

 100 Ibs. 



