Chap. XVIII. 



GENERAL CASTILLA. 



297 



and yoimg Eamou acted as his father's lenatero, or wood- 

 cutter. He, afterwards, entered the Spanish army, and on 

 the arrival of the patriot forces from Chile in 1821 he joined 

 their cause, and attained the rank of colonel. After the in- 

 dependence he was appointed Sub-prefect of his native pro- 

 vince of Tarapaca, in 1826 ; and he was Prefect of Puno 

 from 1834 to 183(5 ; but he was mixed up in all the civil 

 wars, and, after a victory gained by him in 1814, he was 

 elected President of the Eepublic. Castiila is a small spare 

 man, with an iron constitution, and great powers of endurance. 

 His bright fier(je little eyes, with overhanging brows, stiff 

 bristly moustaches, and projecting under lip, give his counte- 

 nance a truculent expression, wliich is not improved by a 

 leathery dried-up complexion ; but he has a look of resolu- 

 tion and an air of command which is almost dignified. This 

 remarkable man is an excellent soldier, brave as a lion, 

 prompt in action, and beloved by liis men. Uneducated and 

 ilhterate, his political successes and management of parties 

 almost amount to genius, while his victories have never been 

 stained by cruelty, and Ins antagonists have seldom been 

 proscribed for any length of time, generally pardoned at once, 

 and often raised by him to posts of importance in the service 

 of the Eepublic. His firm and vigorous grasp of power has 

 secured for Peru long periods of peace ; faction has been 

 kept under, Avhile an incalculable blessing has thus been 

 confen-ed on the country ; and probably no other man had 

 the ability and the nerve to effect this. But Castiila, 

 though a necessity, has been a necessary evil. His want 

 of education renders him useless as a statesman. He has 

 generally shown himself indifferent to all public works, and 

 to measures for the moral or material benefit of tlie country. 



this work there is a full and interesting 

 account of tlio province of Turai^aca, 

 and of the nitrate of soda works, and 



other mineral produclti of that part of 

 Peru. 



