4-44 TuE Andes and the Amazons. 



CHAPTER XXXIV. 



The Railways of Peru. — Henry Meiggs and his Enterprises. 



Peku lias just found out that this is an age of I'oads, 

 and that, if she would not fall too far behind in the race 

 of nations, she must have means of intercommunication. 

 No other country has greater need of highways, for the 

 two agricultural regions, the interandean plateau and the 

 eastern transandean slope (" Montafia ") are separated by 

 the oriental cordillera, and the mineral region is cut off 

 from the agricultural by the coast range, while no naviga- 

 ble streams enter the Pacific. The Incas constructed some 

 renaarkable roads, chiefly longitudinal — one passing over 

 the grand plateau from Quito to Cuzco ; another aloTig the 

 coast. The latter is quite effaced by the shifting sands ; a 

 fragment, however, is still visible at Pacasmayo. The re- 

 mains of the other bear evidence to their primitive grand- 

 eur, and have drawn forth the eulogium of Humboldt, 

 that " the roads of the Incas were among the most nsef nl 

 and stupendous works ever executed by man." But these 

 old roads are now useless, and, even if repaired, would be 

 unsuited to modern commerce. What Peru wants, and 

 what she is trying to accomplish, is a system of transverse 

 railways, bringing her rich highland valleys in connection 

 with her ports, and a longitudinal line, eclipsing the royal 

 road of the Incas, which shall link all together, passing 

 from Jaen through Cajamarca, Cerro de Pasco, and Cuzco 

 to Lake Titicaca. 



The following railways are owned by private compa- 

 nies: Lima and Callao, eight miles; finished. This is the 



