THE SOUTH AMERICAN BALSA. 



43 



tance from the shore is very small, a ship is apt 

 to be drifted amongst the rocks, and lost, before 

 a second anchor brings her up. In the case of a 

 chain, however, no such accident need be appre- 

 hended ; and it is curious to observe what an ex- 

 tensive influence this single circumstance has had 

 on the commerce of the coast. Innumerable 

 vessels now lie close to the landing-places, and 

 disembark and take on board their cargoes in 

 safety, not one of which, in former times, could 

 have approached without imminent hazard of 

 shipwreck. 



The operation of landing at such a place is both 

 difficult and dangerous, especially at the full and 

 change of the moon, when the swell is always 

 much increased ; — a remark which applies to the 

 whole coast. I had been told that ships' boats 

 seldom succeeded in crossing the surf, and that 

 the balsa, or double-canoe of the country, was 

 the proper thing to use ; I made the experiment, 

 however, in my own boat, which was accordingly 

 swamped, and I got soundly ducked for my pains. 

 The balsa, which we employed ever afterwards, is 

 made of two entire seal-skins inflated, placed side 

 by side, and connected by cross pieces of wood, 

 and strong lashings of thongs ; over all a platform 

 of cane mats forms a sort of deck, about four feet 

 wide, and six or eight feet long. At one end the 

 person who manages the balsa kneels down, and 

 by means of a double-bladed paddle, which he 

 holds by the middle, and strikes alternately on 

 each side, moves it swiftly along — the passengex'S, 

 or goods, being placed on the platform behind 

 him. The buoyancy of these balsas enables them 

 to cross the surf in safety, and . without wetting 

 the passengers, at times when an ordinary boat 

 would inevitably be swamped. All the goods 

 which go to the interior, at this part of the coast, 

 are landed in this manner. The great bars of 

 silver, and the bags of dollars also, which are 

 shipped in return for the merchandise landed, 

 pass through the surf on these tender, though 

 secure conveyances. 



The Alcalde, or governor, was a more dignified 

 personage than our friend at Ylo, inasmuch as he 

 had under him a guard of six soldiers, and a popu- 

 lation of nearly one hundred souls. As he treated 

 us in the best manner he could, it was but common 

 civility to give him and his friends a dinner in 

 return. Such grotesque-looking company, how- 

 ever, having rarely been seen to enter the cabin, 

 many a smile was raised on board the ship at the 

 expense of the captain and his guests. 



The town of Mollendo, which is the sea-port of 

 the great city of Arequipa, sixty miles inland, con- 

 sists of forty or fifty huts, built of reed mats ; 

 without any coating, of mud, as the climate 

 requires no exclusion of air. Each hut is sur- 

 rounded by a deep shady verandah, and covered 

 by a flat cane roof. There are no windows, and 

 of course no chimneys ; and the doors, like the 

 walls, are constructed of basket-work. The original 

 ground, with all its inequalities, forms the floors ; 

 — in short, a more primitive town was never built. 

 The inhabitants of this rude sea-port were very 

 kind to us, and remarkably gentle in their manners. 

 The women were of small stature, but elegantly 

 formed ; with fine laughing black eyes, and a 

 bright copper complexion ; and, though extremely 

 lively, and even merry when encouraged to speak 



out, seemed so timorous and sensitive, that at first 

 we were almost afraid to speak to them, lest they 

 should fly off like so many startled deer. 



We wished next day to walk over the country, 

 and, if possible, to reach the top of one of the hills 

 in the neighbourhood ; but the ground being 

 covered with a snow-white powder, threw up so 

 disagreeable a reflection, that we were forced to 

 return, half blinded by the glare, and choked with 

 dust. This powder, many years ago thrown out 

 from the great volcano of Arequipa, covers the 

 whole country to a considerable depth. 



On the 20th we left Mollendo, and sailed along 

 the coast, with a fresh and fair wind, till the even- 

 ing of the 24th of June ; when we anchored in 

 Callao Roads, after a passage of twenty-nine days 

 from Valparaiso. 



CHAPTER XIV. 



Progressof the Campaign in Peru. — Attempts at Accommo- 

 dation. — Revolutionary Opinions disseminated through 

 the Country.— Policy of San Martin.— Interview with 

 that General in Callao Roads. 



In our absence, the campaign had made consi- 

 derable progress in Peru, and the Viceroy, pressed 

 severely by want, and menaced by the growing 

 enmity of the districts surrounding the capital, 

 had requested an armistice. The ostensible reason 

 assigned by the Viceroy was the arrival of a com- 

 missioner from Spain, Don Manuel Abreu. This 

 was agreed to by San Martin, and hostilities had 

 ceased for two months, during which the respective 

 deputies frequently met, and many projects for an 

 accommodation were discussed, without any satis- 

 factory result. The object which the Spaniards 

 seemed desirous of attaining was, that an appeal 

 to the mother-country should be made by the 

 Colonists, and that, in the mean time, a truce 

 should be agreed upon, until the Cortes had con- 

 sidered the petition of the inhabitants. San Martin, 

 on the other hand, considered the independence 

 of the country a sine qua non, which must precede 

 any other arrangement whatsoever. The expedi- 

 tion intrusted to his command, he said, had the 

 independence of Peru for its express object; and he 

 could never allow that point to be relinquished, or 

 in the smallest degree modified. If this were once 

 admitted by the Spaniards, and received through- 

 out the country, San Martin declared himself 

 ready to enter into any terms, and even offered 

 to go in person to Spain, as one of the deputies, to 

 treat with the Cortes. The Viceroy also, to prove 

 his anxiety that some terms of accommodation 

 should be arranged, offered to give up the Castle 

 of Callao as a guarantee for his sincerity, in the 

 event of his proposal for a truce being agreed 

 to. 



In consequence of the preliminaries, an interview 

 actually took place between San Martin and the 

 Viceroy ; at which, after much discussion, it was 

 agreed, that the independence of Peru should be 

 acknowledged by the Spaniards, in conjunction 

 with the Chilians. Everything seemed thus to be 

 settled amicably, when the whole of this pacific 

 plan was overturned by the loyal interference of 

 General Valdes, a Spanish officer of great autho- 

 rity, and strongly attached to the royal cause. 

 As he had been chiefly instrumental in raising La 



