36 



AN AFRICAN SLAVE. 



The ladies and their maids are fresh-looking, and manage their horses 

 with ease. A negress rode a man's saddle, and wore a flat straw-hat, 

 trimmed with fancy colored ribband. The riding skirt is dispensed with 

 under the bloomer style ; she wore very long orange-colored silk stock- 

 ings, and on the heel of a small and neat black shoe were buckled her 

 woman's spurs. Her horse had a rocking pace, her hat gracefully placed 

 on one side of her plaited wool, with a large cigar between white teeth ; 

 she smoked her way through the mountains, carefully guarding her 

 smiles, only condescending to deal them out to her mistress's most 

 deserving friends. African slavery exists in Peru. 



On arriving at the town of Abancay, the sub-prefect was in the 

 country. The governor kindly offered me a house, but as I wished to 

 make some observations upon the stars during the night, we passed on, 

 and encamped in the neighborhood. At 2 p. m., thermometer, 11°. 

 The mules were well fed with lucerne. They suffer and begin to show 

 effects of the travel. The parrots are talking in the bushes near our 

 tent, and a cricket lives with us. 



The climate is delightful in this sugar valley. Near town is the ruin 

 of another fort. Flowers, vines, and bushes cover it so thickly that the 

 traveller would not suspect he was passing a masked fortification. The 

 road from it leads over the mountains to the northeast. At 11 a. m., 

 temperature of a spring, 54°; air, 55°; sun, 60°; cumulus clouds and 

 northerly wind. The road seems to be getting worse, and the over- 

 hanging rocks are so low, we occasionally bump our heads. By way of 

 resting our animals, we march on foot. A few hours travel, over a wild 

 country, brings us into another valley, where the cattle are larger than 

 any we have yet seen. Passing an idle great mill, on a stream flowing 

 east, we came to the hacienda Lucmoj , a grove of willow trees shaded 

 the avenue ; the house was of two stories, large and neatly white-washed, 

 the garden richly supplied with fruits and flowers ; the peach tree in 

 full blossom. The out-buildings for the Indian servants were in good 

 order ; the shelter for sheep, horned cattle, horses, mules, jackasses, and 

 numbers of goats, showed unusual kind treatment. The owner of this 

 valuable estate was a young bachelor, of intelligence and hospitality. 

 The death of his father gave him possession of the property. He talked 

 with me about his country, and remarked that " the government did 

 nothing for the people." Upon being asked, why the people depended 

 upon the government, he looked surprised, and wanted to know 

 whether all the improvements in North America were not made by the 

 government? The few silver mines in the neighborhood have been 

 abandoned. 



