Jan.] PORT OF QUILC A— ARE QUIPA. 185 



town, in fourteen fathoms of water, mud and sandy bottom. Latitude 

 16° 41' Sv, long. 72° 58' W. Variation per azimuth 10° 27' easterly. 

 On the following day we landed our passengers. 



The town or village of Quilca is the seaport of Arequipa, a fine 

 inland city, situated on the same river, about twenty leagues from the 

 coast. Quilca is a small place, comprising about seventy-five houses, or 

 rather huts, built at the head of a small cove, about two miles north- 

 north-west of the anchorage. The entrance to this cove is narrow, 

 and between two bluff points ; at the head of it the landing is smooth, 

 and small vessels may lie here with perfect safety, moored to ring- 

 bolts in the rocks, on each side the basin. The houses in the village 

 are generally of singular construction ; being built with reed mats, 

 and covered with thatch. Some of them are surrounded with veran- 

 das, and covered with a flat cane roof; without chimneys or glazed 

 windows, and the doors are made of basket-work, or wicker. 



The ground about the town is covered with a white dust or powder, 

 supposed to have been thrown out of the volcano of Arequipa, during 

 some of its dreadful eruptions, in " by-gone years." This is not only 

 very unpleasant to the eyes of strangers, but it has also destroyed 

 vegetation, and rendered the country nearly barren. In sailing along 

 this part of the coast, the volcano of Arequipa presents a remarkable 

 appearance, that of a single sharp-pointed peak, rising about two thou- 

 sand feet above the level of the sea. 



About twenty miles to the south-east of Quilca is Aranta road ; and 

 to the north-west is the village of Camana, situated in an extensive 

 and beautiful valley. 



About five miles to the north-west of Camana are several small 

 islands, or rocks, called the Pescadores, lying near the shore. On 

 passing these islets, we must give the bank of Camana a good berth ; 

 and immediately afterward we suddenly deepen the water. We then 

 stand in-shore, keeping the land close on board, as there are no dan- 

 gers, until we are abreast of the high land of Quilca, where we imme- 

 diately anchor abreast of a small valley, in from twenty to twelve 

 fathoms of water. This anchorage is open to the seaward, entirely 

 unsheltered, and exposed to a heavy swell which rolls in from the 

 south-south-west. The shipping are seen lying at anchor as we ap- 

 proach the port. 



The city of Arequipa, or, as it is sometimes spelled, Arequiba, is the 

 capital of a Peruvian province bearing the same name. It is situated 

 about twenty leagues from the coast, in the delightful and fertile valley 

 of Quilca, on the margin of a beautiful river, and is said to be nearly 

 eight thousand feet above the level of the sea. This city was founded 

 in the year 1536, by the celebrated Francisco Pizarro, who first marked 

 out a place for it in a different situation ; but repeated earthquakes, 

 and the inconvenience arising from its being too near a terrible vol- 

 cano, induced the inhabitants to leave it, and to remove to their present 

 site. The word " Arequipa" signifies, in the Peruvian language, " to 

 remain" and the district was thus named, because the troops of the 

 inca who conquered the country became so fond of it that they en- 

 heated their leader to permit them to remain there for the rest of their 



