281 ARRIVAL AT VILQUE. Chap. XVII. 



over a rocky cordillera and a wide plain, and reached the 

 little town of Vilque by four in the afternoon. The place 

 presented a very different appearance from the time when we 

 passed through it in March, on our way to Puuo. It was now 

 the time of the great yearly fair, when buyers and sellers 

 from every part of South America flock to the little sierra 

 town. This great gathering was first established in the time 

 of the SiJaniards, and it is not improbable that the Jesuits, 

 who once possessed- the great sheep-farm of Yanarico near 

 Vilque, and who always looked well after the improvement 

 of their property, may have been the great promoters of the 

 fair. 



Outside the town therq were thousands of mules from 

 Tucuman waiting for Peruvian arrieros to buy them. In the 

 plaza were booths full of every description of Manchester and 

 Birmingham goods ; in more retired places were gold-dust 

 and coffee from Caravaya, silver from the mines, bark and 

 chocolate from Bolivia, Germans with glass-ware and woollen 

 knitted work, French modistes, Italians, Quichua and Aymara 

 Indians in their various ^picturesque costumes — in fact, all 

 nations and tongues. In the plaza, too, there were excellent 

 cafes and dining-rooms, all under canvas ; but house-rent was 

 exorbitant, and a lodging was not to be had for love or 

 money. There was much complaint of the injury done to 

 trade by the threatened war with Bolivia, and the edict of 

 President Linares, prohibiting all intercourse with Peru. 



I placed the bundles of plants, carefully wrapped round 

 with ponchos, in a barley-field occupied by arrieros, covered 

 over Avith their warm aparejos ; but the thermometer was 

 down to 23° Fahr. in the night. 



In the afternoon of the 23rd I left Vilque for the sheep- 

 farm of Taya-taya, in company with Dr. Don Camillo Chaves 

 the superintendent. The road Avas croAvded Avith people 

 coming from Arequipa to the fair at Vilque : native shop- 



