ON THE COAST OF PERU. 
we reached an immense ravine, called Que- 
brada Honda, “Deep Glen" We de- 
scended probably one thousand feet to the 
bottom of what is a water-course, when It 
rain falls, but was now a dry valley, sha- 
dowed with thickets of Algarobas. Here 
we found an inhabited house, procured a 
tolerable breakfast, and remained till the 
afternoon, when we continued our journey 
and came to the stream of Parimes, where 
there is a house inhabited by one of the 
dependants of the cattle-farm of this name. 
We then traversed a plain, similar to that 
we had already crossed, during greater part 
of the night, and after sleeping about three 
hours under some tufts of the “Sapote de 
Perro,” arrived in the morning at the vil- 
lage of Arnotape. It is only four leagues 
from hence to Payta. The whole distance 
I should calculate as follows :— 
Tumbez to Los Corales. ..... 3 league 
Malpas ;....:.. 
Mancora ........ 
Quebrada Honda. 12 
TIED ele 1 
Amos, sce ss 10 
oí erty eee 43 
48 
leagues, or 144 miles. 
The * Denotero General,” or “ Iti- 
nerary of Peru,” gives nearly fifty-five 
leagues, but the distance in a direct line, 
if the two points be accurately laid down in 
Banés’ Map of Colombia, is two degrees, or 
one hundred and twenty miles, and I should 
not think the windings of the road exceed 
six, as the country is entirely level and 
open. We spent two days and a half 
betwixt Tumbez and Arnotape travelling 
the greater part of two of the three nights. 
The night is in fact the time preferred for 
passing the parched deserts of Peru, to 
avoid the glare of the sun, and be less in- 
commoded by the scarcity of water; but 
if one suffers from heat by day, the chilli- 
ness of the night-breeze which blows con- 
. Stantly from the South on the whole line of 
coast, is scarcely less annoying. My guide 
mae frequently of being “ empara- 
75 
mado,” as we traversed the table-land, 
after leaving the beach ; and I was myself 
frequently inclined to sympathise with him. 
is true one's feelings are not accurate 
estimates of the absolute decrease of heat. 
After the frame has been relaxed during 
the day, a fall in the thermometer of 5? or 
6° makes an impression much more than 
proportionate to the real change of the 
temperature. The village of Arnotape is 
situated on the banks of the river Chici, 
a considerable stream which descends 
from the mountains of Loxa, and enters 
the sea about two leagues below the vil- 
lage. A general type will represent the 
whole Peruvian coast, as to cultivation and 
population. With intervals of from fifteen 
to twenty leagues, we find a river descend- 
ing from the Andes, cutting the country 
more or less at right angles. There is a 
certain extent of alluvial soil cultivated on 
either side of it. Here is concentrated in 
towns, villages, or scattered farms, the 
population of the district. The interme- 
diate space is a barren desert. It is over 
these intermediate barrens the government 
of the Incas had, by means of aqueducts 
from the mountains, spread agricultural 
abundance. The inhabitants are at present 
contented to extend this advantage merely 
to the alluvions adjacent to, and nearly 
on the level of the rivers. The soil is 
every where abundantly productive. In 
fact wherever heat and m can 
united, there is no doubt of vegetable in- 
crease. Arnotape produces tropical fruits, 
maize, gourds, pumpkins, melons, yuccas, 
Cametes and onions. All these find a 
ready sale in Payta, especially the two 
last, which form articles of trade with the 
whalers. Water is also another branch of 
commerce. Payta is supplied from the 
river Chici, partly by the inhabitants of 
Arnotape, and partly by those of Colon, an 
Indian village, situated on the coast be- 
twixt the mouth of the river and Payta. 
The naked barrenness of the country in- 
of earth, sea and sky. It would seem as if 
the beauty of the two latter would com- 
