The tropical AOmoULTUmST. [June I, 1892. 
EEPOET ON PEEU BY MESSES. 
A EOSS AND A. SINCLAIE. 
We now publish (see page 886) the Report of the 
Commissioners, and very able and interestirg it is. 
A,® "fead that of a large portion of 
the land of the Incas it may be said, " If there 
IS an Elysium on earth it is this ! " It is a 
1.°' luxuriance, the forest trees of 
Which are said to dwarf those of the Ceylon 
jungles into insignificance, with a soil rich beyond 
comparison, requiring only to be &eratobed, or 
in the dry region irrigated to laugh with abun- 
dacoe of all possible products, from wheat and 
potatoes, to coffee and cacao. With all this the 
d emon malaria does not haunt this earthly para- 
d'se. How he came to be banished is the problem 
we should like to see solved ; for prominent in 
history stands the record that the Counteis of 
Chinohon, wife of a Viceroy of Peru, was cured 
of malarious fever by a decoction of tbat 
•Peruvian bark " which perpetuates her name in 
the mutilated form in which LinnsBUS wrote it, 
and which Markham has chivalrously but 
vainly striven, although with the aid of the 
Indian Government, to restore to its proper pro- 
portions in the shape of Chinchoka. Thomas 
Moore during a visit to Byron in Italy com- 
menced a glowing appreciation of a glorious 
Bunset when his brother poet stopped bim with 
" Gome, Tom, don't get poetical." The Com- 
missioners from the Peruvian Syndieate having 
no^ mentor but their own Scotch senee of pro- 
priety and " douceness," that state they found it 
difficult in describing the land and its riches to 
adhere to the usual sober language of official 
reports. On the banks of the Perece river 
there is the selected tract of forest land one 
and a quarter million acres in extent interspersed 
with a few " pajonals " (the equivalents of cur 
patanas), the forest trees being msgnifioent, 
while the wealth of orchids gave evidence 
of BufBoient rainfall for coffee and other tropical 
products. The nature and the luxuriance of the 
vegetation were tho only means available to the 
Commissioners by whioh the amount of rainfall 
oould be estimated for, Messrs. Ross and Sinclair 
afBrm that not only has no record of the rain 
ever been taken in Peru, but that such a thing 
as a rain-gauge hts never been introduced into 
the country 1 What has the representative of 
Peru in Britain, who recently read a paper 
on his country, to say to this token of back- 
wardness ? He can no doubt point in com- 
pensation to a railway which ascends the 
Andes to over 12,000 feet altitude, and to 
a series of good roads in course of forma- 
tion. But in most countries an essential 
preliminary to such works is to ascertain the 
rainfall to which the works in course of construc- 
tion and when completed are likely to be eub- 
jeoted. Peru is, however, a land of anomalies, a tropic 
land with a rainless Beashore climate, varying only 
from 68 deg. to 72 deg.; no malaria, no land 
leeches, very few mosquitoes, and wheat and pota- 
toes growing to altitudes of 8,000 and even 10,000 
feet, while the Peruvian satinwood is an cVony, 
The "alfalfa" (lucerne) grows luxuriantly ; and on 
the elevated grass lands llamas, vicunas, alpacas ar d 
sheep in plenty are fed. Specimens of cinchona — 
Buooirubra and calisaya^ — ^were seen 6 feet in circum- 
ference I These trecB had probably seen Peru a 
Viceroyalty of Spain. The coca plant, so valuable 
tor the aneKthctio it yields, formed the undergrowth 
in much of tho land Ecleoted, and its cultivation on 
a lar(.;n Rcale le recommended. Tho land is in 11 
deg. South, and is described as suitable for tea 
amongst other products ; but as the Commissioners 
specially describe the land and oJimate as d'flering 
from those of Ceylon in beirg a land of flower 
ar.d fruit, rather than of leaf, we should think 
attention will Le specially directed to such pro- 
ducts as coffee (which yields at the rate of 24 
cwt. an acre) and cacao. The great difficulty will 
be that of a good labour supply. The indigenous 
labour cannot be depended on, and there are but 
few Chinese left of those introduced in former 
years. We should think, therefore, that all the 
labour which can be procured will be re- 
quired for the cultivation of coffee, cacao and 
coca. It is stated that the Chinese make 
good labourers is kept away from centres of popu 
ation, but naturally enough the chief reliance 
is placed on Tamils, so ihat we may ultimately 
look for competition from Peru in cur region of 
labour supply. We need not be much alarmed, 
however, as the Indian Government is not easily 
satisfied with the proposals to remove its people 
to remote and foreign countries. Like Mr. Clark, 
Messrs. Eoes and Sinclair, in their glowing accounts 
of Peru, say notbirg of liability to seismic and 
political disturbance. The Commissionets make 
much of the exemption of Peru from the tffeota 
of tearing monsoon winds, and that evening breeze 
whioh ^in Australia is so disagreeable and in India 
£0 deadly. But we in Ceylon are beyocd ihe region 
of volcanic disturbance, we enjoy the pax Britan- 
nica and with occasional little difficulties we have 
the essential advantage of a fufficient, steady and 
reliable labour supply. There is one point in 
this able and interesting report, regarding whioh 
we should like to have an explanation. It is stated 
that there is a potato yet to be introduced from 
Peru superior to anything hitherto known. Lrt us 
have this new variety of potato by all means. It is 
amusing to read that besides caloulaiing the rain- 
fall by the general character of the vegetation, the 
proper zone for coffee was indicated to the ex- 
Ceylon planters by the existence of ageraium, — the 
much abhorred " wbite weed." It is also curious 
to learn that oats are a prevalent indigenous weed 
in Peru, while such y^nt'cs as the Australian 
eucalypts flourish ampzir Amonf;st the native 
trees is a beautiful evergreen willow, which, it is 
believed, would be a great acquisition to * eylon. 
The species of screw pine of whioh the Panama 
hat is made is also common. Cultivation is 
carried on in this wonderful country to 
over 12,000 feet altitude, while grazing 
is successful up to 15,000 feet. Only the mineral 
region eeems to be cold, barren and so rugged as 
to be difficult of access. Extensive pampas and 
beautiful lakes are spoken of es adding to the 
attractions of the scenery. Sug: r culture at present 
absorbs attention in Peru, the rum which ac- 
companies it being unfortunately a source of 
demoralization of the people as veil as of 
profit to the distillers. Let us hope that 
this culture may be superseded by that of 
coffee, which with irrigation can be grown 
almost anywhere in P.ru, under 7,500 feet of 
altitude. At present rates of transport by pack 
animals are prohibitory, and so a railway is recom- 
mended in adciitirn to ^ater carriRge cn the Ama- 
zon, for the accommodation of the tract selected 
cn the bank^ of the Perene. Naturally enough, 
a land in which wheat, barley and potatoes grow 
in close juxtaposition with sugar, coffee and other 
tropical products is deemed suitable for being 
colonized and settled by men of all races and 
from the most varying climes. With the opening 
of the Oroya railway, and the completion of roads 
in course of construction, it is stated, the facilities 
will be all that oould be wished and such as never 
previouBly existed in Peru, 
