76 



CAMPINA OF AREQUIPA. 



Chap. V. 



busy and most interesting scene in the morning, the time for 

 marketing. It is then filled with gaily-dressed Indian women, 

 some sitting under shades, with their goods spread out on 

 the ground before them, and others, in constant movement, 

 threading their way amongst the sellers. Their dresses are 

 of baize, manufactured at Halifax,^ of the gayest colours— con- 

 sisting of a skirt and mantle of the two most brilliant colom's 

 they can find, red and bhie, green and crimson, or purple and 

 orange. The effect of these bright-coloured groups, in con- 

 stant motion, as they move about buying fruit or vegetables, 

 potatoes, earth-nuts, medicinal drugs, corn, articles of dress, 

 and other necessaries, is very pleasing. The background is 

 formed by the handsome new cathedral of whitest stone, behind 

 which the noble volcano, and the peaks of Charcani (18,558 

 feet above the sea) dazzle the eyes by the brilliancy of their 

 snow}^ covering. 



The campina of Arequipa, which surrounds the city, is 

 about five miles broad from the foot of the cordillera to the 

 arid range of hills which separates it from the wilderness of 

 the coast ; and about ten or twelve miles long, being bounded 

 at each end by a sandy desert. It is watered by the river 

 Chile,'' coming from a chasm in the cordillera, on the north- 

 west side of the volcano, and by the streams called Posterio 

 and Savandia, which flow from the Pichu-pichu mountains to 

 the eastward of the volcano. These several streams unite on 

 leaving the campina, and finally fall into the river of Quilca, 

 The campina contains, besides the city of Arequipa, a number 

 of small villages, and numerous farm-houses. In March the 

 view fi'om the hills above the city is most beautiful. The 

 brilliant green of the campina, with its fields of maize and 

 alfalfa, its rows of tall willows, and orchards of fruit-trees, is 



" Almost all the woollen clothing 

 of the Peruvian Indians is now im- 

 ported from Yorkshue, and their shirt- 

 ings from Lowell. Formerly it was 



all of home manufacture. 



' Probably from the Quichua word 

 Chiri — cold. 



