NOTICES OF PERU. 



403 



tion of a sort of cart, made of heavy pieces of algarrobo, sup- 

 ported on low wooden trucks, and drawn by oxen. 



Many years ago, this place was inhabited by Indians alone, 

 the capital of the province being Sana, situated a few leagues 

 to the southward; but after the latter town was sacked by an 

 English pirate, about the year 16S5, the inhabitants removed 

 to Lambayeque. "Old Lambayeque" applies now to the site 

 of an ancient Indian village, about four miles to the northward. 



The country around, for many leagues, is a plain, watered 

 by the river of Lambayeque, which bursts over the land in al- 

 most every direction, and like the Nile, carries fertility with 

 it; these vagrant streams terminate in small lagoons, which 

 have so much encroached upon the roads in many places, that 

 a guide is necessary to lead one through the many paths, wind- 

 ing among algarrobo and other trees, which grow thickly 

 everywhere, a half mile from town. 



This province, sometimes styled the garden of Peru, pro- 

 duces excellent sugar, tobacco, rice, soap, hides, and cordovan 

 leather. The tobacco and sugar have been sent from the 

 earliest times to the Chilian and Panama markets; the soap 

 and leather were usually consumed at Lim.a. Lately, how- 

 ever, from difficulties existing between the governments of 

 Peru and Chile, the export of sugar has been very limited ; the 

 latter having imposed a duty of twelve dollars the quintal on 

 all Peruvian sugars, not because the article is raised in Chile, 

 but to retaliate on Peru for the imposition of a heavy duty on 

 Chilian bread stuffs ! The fruits are similar to those of Lima. 

 Large quantities of sweetmeats, both dry and in syrup, are 

 made in the town, from peaches, quinces, and grapes, the lat- 

 ter being most esteemed. 



Besides all the fruits of the soil, large amounts in silver bul- 

 lion, from the mines of Hualgayoc and Caxamarca, are ex- 

 ported, in spite of the law, and sold either at Callao or Valpa- 

 raiso, to English or American merchants. The ingenuity prac- 

 tised by the owners of the silver to elude the custom house is 

 admirable. It is sometimes packed in bales of soap, and some- 

 times in bags of rice, and in that way arrives on board of the 

 men-of-war, where the silver is removed, and the rice and 



