836 Aspects of Nature in Southern Peru. 



I will now say a few words on the general features of the 

 country. 



The Peru of the present day stretches from 3° 35' S. to 

 21° 48' S. along the shores of the Pacific, a length of 1250 

 miles ; its greatest breadth is about 750 miles, with an area of 

 512,122 square miles. After the revolutionary struggle, the 

 Peru of the viceroys was divided into two parts, the one already 

 alluded to, the other was called Bolivia, 700 miles in length by 

 about 500 broad, three-fourths of which is a wilderness. For- 

 merly it was called Charcas and Upper Peru. Its capital is in 

 19° 3' S., 64° 47' W., and known under the names of La Plata, 

 Sucre, and Chuiqusaca. 



The population of Peru is about 2,500,000, variously divided 

 into Peruvians, white (tbe criollos of the Spaniards), and mixed 

 with Indians (mestizos, or cholos, also with some little Negro 

 blood), amounting to 900,000; Indians 1,460,000; Negroes 

 40,000, who are free, and as they can regulate their own 

 amount of industry, have no inclination to overwork themselves, 

 so large numbers of Chinese are imported to Peru as labourers, 

 miners, and diggers at the Guano Islands. 



Now as to the geographical division of the country. 



1. The coast, which is rainless. On the north is the great 

 desert of Sechura, on the south the still more extensive desert 

 of Atacama. Some streams of water, the produce, principally, 

 of the melting of snows and glaciers in the Cordilleras, run 

 down steep and deep quebradas or dells, nourishing the bottom 

 only of the valleys of the coast ; for where water runs, there 

 only is vegetation seen. 



During the winter months of this region, on the lomas or 

 summits of some of these mountains of the coast a peculiar 

 vegetation appears, which will be treated of by and by. 



2. The table-land. After a toilsome climb on mule back 

 up the western slopes of the Cordilleras, and getting almost 

 frozen to death, whilst going through the passes, some of 

 which are over 16,000 feet above the level of the sea, and where 

 a stunted vegetation has been long left behind, we descend to 

 elevated table-lands, and of these the most interesting is that 

 in which is situated the great Andean lake of Titicaca, 13,000 

 feet above the level of the ocean, and enlivened by its own 

 peculiar fish. On the islands of this lake, and on its shores 

 (besides the Incarial Temple of the Sun on the Island of 

 Titicaca) are observed the stone ruins of Tia-Huanacu, some 

 of the oldest monuments found in Peru ; which even the 

 Incas admired when they first discovered them. 



Out of this Thibet of the New World rise aloft the ranges 

 known as the Andes, from 22,000 to 23,000 feet high above 

 the sea. 



