CHAPTER I. 



Tarma— - Inca Toad— Juaga valley— Qui chua Indians—Trade— Juaj a river — 

 Snow mountains — Stone bridge and stone coal — Temperature of springs — 

 Llamas — Lieutenant of police — Quicksilver amines of Huancavelica — Wool 

 growing — Molina Posta, or country tavern — Silver mines of Castro — 

 Virreyna — Population of Huancavelica — Its mineral productions — Sand-stone 

 pyramids — Chicha and chupe — A New-Englander among the Andes — Fruits 

 and flowers of Huanta — Blacksmiths. 



Tarma, a small town in Peru, by alpha and beta, Centauri, in lati- 

 tude 11° 25' south, is situated in a rich, well-cultivated, narrow valley, 

 between the Andes range of mountains on the east, and the lofty Cor- 

 dillera chain on the west. 



On the 9th of July 1851, the jwriter turned southeast, accompanied 

 by Henry C. Richards, a native of Virginia, in the United States, and 

 Jose Casas, of Spanish descent, native of Peru. 



A volunteer mestizo, Arfiero, with his little son, drove a train of mules 

 which carried the baggage. 



Our path was shaded by willow trees, and the way obstructed with 

 droves of llamas, loaded with rock salt from mines in the neighbor- 

 hood. 



The leaves of the trees seemed calling for water, while the tempera* 

 ture of the air, at mid-day, in the shade, was 68° Fahrenheit. Peach 

 and apple-tree leaves doubled up, showing both their edges to the sun ; 

 the fruit is small, oblong, and unthrifty-looking. 



The ravine through which we ascend is thickly populated with 

 Quichua Indians. Their houses are built of stone and mud, and 

 thatched with coarse mountain grasses. 



The natives are busily employed gathering in the harvest of maize, 

 which is small-grained and of four colors, r,ed, white, yellow, and blue. 

 It is of excellent quality, generally used as food, roasted or parched. 



Potatoes, of which there are numerous varieties, are also now 

 gathered ; they grow in perfection, though much smaller than their de- 

 scendants in the United States. 



