Trip to the Cordilleras. 



PERU. 



Valley of the Rio de Caxavillo. 



CHAPTER IX. 



PERU (CONTINUED). 



TRIP TO THE CORDILLERAS PREPARATIONS FOB THE JOURNEY PASSPORTS DEPARTURE EFFECT OP OFFICIAL 

 PAPERS FACE OF COUNTRY RUINS OF INCA TOWNS PONCHORUA CABALLEROS CONVOY OF SILVER ACCOM- 

 MODATIONS EARTHOCAKE ROUTE UP THE VALLEY OF CAXAVILLO FACE OF COUNTRY ST. ROSA DE QUIVI 

 YASO OBRAJILLO DIFFICULTIES IN PROCURING. MULES BEAUTY OF SITUATION LLAMAS RIOTERS 

 PLUNDERING OF INHABITANTS CULNAI LA VINDA VEGETATION MULETEERS ENCOUNTERKD CREST OF THE 

 CORDILLERAS CASA CANCHA ITS ACCOMMODATIONS COOKING-RANGE SICKNESS OF PART* SNOWSTORM 

 ALPAMARCA COMPANY OF PERUVIANS THEIR ATTENTIONS PROCESS OF AMALGAMATION OF ORE VISIT TO 

 THE MINE FACE OF THE MOUNTAIN ROAD BAN~OS BEAUTY OF VALLEY VEGETATION THREATENED ATTACK 

 OF A CONDOR PORTRAIT INCIDENTS RELATING TO IT DESCRIPTION OF BANOS ITS HABITATIONS STATE OF 

 HORSES RETURN TO CASA CANCHA CHILIAN CONVOY FROM PASCO PASCO MINES VEINS OF ORE NUMBER 

 OF MINES IN OPERATION LAWS IN RELATION TO SILVER MINED DUTIES HILL OF RACO NEW SPECULATIONS 

 IN 1840 DIFFICULTIES IN PURCHASING MINES POLITICAL STATE OF THE COUNTRY ADVERSE TO THIS BUSINESS 

 TEMPERATURE BEAUTY OF SITUATION OF CASA CANCHA THE PARTY RETURN LINE OF PERPETUAL SNOW 

 AMMONITE CHICRINE TRAVELLING PARTIES FRENCHMAN HIS COMPLIMENTS AND FATE CULNAI CULTI- 

 VATION HOSPITALITY OBRAJILLO A CCOMMOD ATIONS WANT OF GALLANTRY GUIDES SETTLEMENT BRIDAL 

 PARTY YASO ROBBERY YANGA HOSTESS ANGELITA CABALIEROS RETURN TO LIMA BOTANICAL REVIEW 

 GEOLOGICAL CHARACTER OF THE COUNTRY FLYING-FISH SENT TO PACHACAMAC LANDING TEMPLE TOWN 

 TOMBS THEIR CONTENTS EMBARKATION RETURN TO CALLAO COMMERCE AND TRADE OF PERU. 



ON the arrival of the Relief at Callao, Messrs. 

 Pickering, Rich, Agate, and Brackenridge, re- 

 quested permission to make a jaunt to the Cor- 

 dilleras of Peru, for the purpose of making bota- 

 nical collections. I felt much gratified that this 

 object had been effected, although I could not but 

 regret that they were suffered to depart without 

 the necessary instruments for obtaining the alti- 

 tudes, which had been put on board the Relief at 

 Orange Harbour*, for that very purpose. 



Mr. Rich spoke the Spanish language well, which 

 afforded the party many facilities for overcoming 

 the difficulties that were thrown in their way. 



In Lima the journey was considered as a very 

 serious undertaking, and likely to be attended with 

 much danger, from the banditti who frequent the 

 route they intended to pass over, that to the mines 

 of Pasco. Through the friendly assistance of Mr. 

 Biggs, of the house of Messrs. Bartlett and Co., 

 every thing was made easy. By his advice, they 

 supplied themselves, not only with blankets and 

 horse-furniture, but with all sorts of provisions, 

 and particularly with bread, of which they took as 

 much as they could carry, notwithstanding the 

 country was described as well inhabited. As a 

 preliminary step, it was necessary to provide them- 

 selves with passports, for which they lost no time 

 in applying. After the delay of a day, the passports 

 came in the form of a letter of protection and re- 

 commendation from Lafuente himself, to the local 

 authorities throughout all Peru, couched in the most 

 liberal terms, and treating the affair with as much 

 importance as if it were a national one. It is a regu- 

 lation that the names of all who receive passports 

 shall be published in the official gazette; their inten- 

 tion, therefore, became known to all Lima. From 

 the few who are gazetted, it would appear that but 

 a small number travel into the interior, or else that 

 the regulation is not very strictly complied with. 



The injunction to render the party assistance in 

 case of need was very strong, and among other 

 things specified to be furnished, was clothing, which 



was thought to look somewhat ominous in this 

 country of banditti. In spite of the positive terms 

 in which the passport was expressed, it was found 

 of little effect in procuring them mules or horses ; 

 and it was not till after much trouble and disap- 

 pointment on many sides, that horses were at last 

 obtained from the post establishment. 



On the 16th May they were ready to set out, 

 and were accompanied for some miles by Mr. 

 Biggs, whose friendly advice and assistance they 

 had often, during the jaunt, reason to be thankful 

 for. It saved them much inconvenience, and was 

 the cause of their being provided with many little 

 comforts, without which they would have suffered 

 privation. 



Their proposed route was up the valley of the 

 Rio de Caxavillo, the river next to the northward 

 of the Rimac. Leaving Lima, they passed through 

 the suburbs of San Lazaro, at the gate of which, 

 and for the only time during the journey, they 

 were desired to show their passports. Some little 

 difficulty arose, and an intention was expressed to 

 unload the baggage-mule for examination. This, 

 however, was soon removed by the reading of the 

 passport, and the examination ended in many bows, 

 and the repeated exclamation, " Go on, go on ! 

 God speed you ! " Such was the talismanic effect 

 of an official document at the period of our visit. 



After leaving the city, their route lay along the 

 margin of the extensive plain that borders on the 

 sea, at the foot and over the low hills which skirt 

 it. Many columns of dust and loose particles of 

 sand were seen rising from the heated plain, stirred 

 by the action of the wind, forming vortices of con- 

 siderable diameter and elevation. Clouds of smoke, 

 too, were visible in. the distance, proceeding, ac- 

 cording to the information of their guides, from the 

 burning of the cane-brakes. The Peruvian willow, so 

 much resembling the Lombardy poplar in its form, 

 was much admired, and the contrast in the landscape 

 between the barren clay-coloured hills and the bright 

 green of the irrigated fields was very remarkable. 

 E 2 



