Nature aud Art, June 1, 1867. 
THE DESERTS OF PERU, AND THEIR WEALTH. 
169 
into tho man’s hand, and returned with all speed to the 
other end, which was floating some twenty yards from the 
rooks. He then commenced tugging, with all his strength, 
to drag the man towards the shore ; but the strength 
required was too much for him, and, when nearly exhausted, 
a heavy sea rushed in round the rocky point, foaming in all 
directions. Poor Guillermo was covered by it for so long a 
time that my heart sunk within me, fearing he would rise 
no more. Of course he let go the soga to save himself, and 
when his head did appear above the water, he called to me 
for assistance, saying that he could not stand another sea. 
I was soon stripped ; and calling to him to keep up his 
spirits, made the best descent possible over the broken 
rocks. With anxious eyes upon him, I waited the result of 
a few moments, and saw that he had yet strength to reach 
the shore. I was partly in the water, ready to strike out if 
necessary. With some trouble I got him up the rocks, 
where he remained for some time unable to move, and 
throwing up the sea-water he had swallowed. 
“ All this time our poor guide was insensibly beating the 
water with his hands ; and, for all that I could do, I could 
not get him to keep them under water, and use them in 
making way for the shore. He knew nothing whatever of 
swimming, but most surprisingly kept his head above water 
for more than an hour, and at last gradually disappeared. 
This was a most appalling sight to see a fellow creature so 
long in the water, and having no means at hand to save him. 
One more soga would have done it. . . This dreadful 
accident will cause us to remain on this inhospitable shore 
to-night, as we are all depressed with fright and gloom, and 
not fit to get up the cuesta, which is so steep and long. 
“ At 6.30 p.m. we make the best meal we can upon what 
the drowned man’s ass had pleased to leave. In our 
absence, the ass got hold of our alforjas (saddle-bags), and 
helped itself to nearly all, but has not drunk the brandy: so 
far we are well off. No doubt we shall* have plenty of 
beastly, blood-sucking, black bugs of the Pampas, called in 
Peru, Bincliucas or Chvrvmachas (Reduvius), for bed-fellows 
to-night. 
“ 16th January.— Passed a very fair night, considering- 
the stony description of our beds ; and at daylight prepared 
for our return to Sal de Obispo by another track, sending 
our animals to meet us in the cuesta- top. . . Started alone 
for the caleta (inlet), to the N. about two miles, and I never 
had a more hard task, many of the passes being so dangerous, 
with thousands of difficulties. I arrived there with Guil- 
lermo, who overtook me, but I was completely done up. I 
sent him off to meet the rest of our party on the top of the 
mountain, and to send down an Indian with water and 
something to eat. The Indian presently arrived with water- 
sent by Oviedo, but had heard nothing of Guillermo ; so I 
sent him back immediately, and determined to stay upon 
this melancholy shore until the morning — when I expected 
a mule from Oviedo — my only companions sea-birds and 
vinchucas. 
“ I had observed some of the Vinchucas walk off full of 
my blood, but did not feel their bites. Being completely 
tired out, and suffering from thirst, I tried a bathe in the 
sea. I felt relieved, and then crept under a large block of 
rock, which was supported at both ends, leaving just room 
enough for me to creep in, and upon rounded stones I passed 
the time, asleep and awake, until about midnight. It was 
moonlight, and with great effort I made a start for the 
cuesta. I never had so hard a job in my life. The side of 
the mountain was so steep, that I could only climb a few 
yards and then rest awhile to recruit strength and breath, 
and again struggle forward. The ascent was so steep, that 
to rest myself I had to lie on my back with outstretched 
legs and arms, and even so I was not safe, as I found myself 
sliding down on more than one occasion, which movement 
awoke me from profound sleep, into which I invariably fell 
the moment I stopped to rest. I came at last to a narrow 
path, and on this I found a secure resting-place, and there I 
slept until about 8 a.m. on the 17th. When Osorio hove in 
sight, coming down the mountain with the animals to my 
relief, I was about half-way up and could not move another 
step. I drank a bottle of water, and we proceeded. At 
the summit we had a meal. ' Mine was three cups of tea 
with plenty of brandy in it. Height of the cuesta, 1,765 
feet. Got again to Sal Obispo.” 
On my journey from Peru to Chile by the coast 
in 1827, mainly in search of reported masses of 
meteoric iron existing in the great desert of 
Atacama, leaving Paposo, traversing Mai Paso, a 
very dangerous and rocky track overhanging the 
sea, I came to Hueso Parado, where I fell in with a 
party of Indians I had hoped would have crossed the 
desert, but their journey was only along the coast. 
The subject of the meteoric iron haunted me, and 
on my companions observing, that if I were a 
Vaqueano del Desierto (a good desert traveller) I 
might cross the desert of Atacama, and about a spot 
called Huanaquero, find one of the Reventasones , 
outbursts, or mines of pure iron, I decided at once 
upon the exploration ; and giving my mule a good 
drink of water (for in all probability it would be two 
or three days ere the animal again had one), I 
started alone upon a track running E. 1ST. E., and 
was informed that after travelling some twenty-five 
or thirty leagues I should come upon the track from 
Copiapo to San Pedro de Atacama, about Baquillas ; 
then pursuing this track northerly come to 
Huanaquero Grande, the position of one of the 
Reventasones. Should I find no one there, I was 
to continue onwards to Peine, the other Reventason. 
I had travelled about three hours, when I found 
that instead of the track I thought I was on, I had 
got among others, going in all directions, which on 
careful examination proved to be those made by 
troops of Huanacos in their search for water and 
pasture. In a word, I was lost, and had got also 
amongst half-moon-shaped sand-hills. Out came my 
compass, and, as well as I could, I commenced 
travelling westward to the coast. I was perplexed 
indeed, working my way in and out of the sand 
hills. Having got up one of them with difficulty, 
in consequence of the looseness and depth of the 
sand, I hoped to see the mountains of the coast ; but 
arriving at its summit, beheld yet another in ad- 
vance of me. I descended in a thoughtful mood, 
sat down, smoked a cigar, and came to. the wise 
conclusion to let my mule have its own way. 
Mounting, and throwing the reins over its neck, the 
animal began ambling cautiously in and out of the 
sand-hills. When, about dusk, we struck the coast 
track, thankful indeed was I for having thus escaped 
being lost in the terrible desert of Atacama, another 
victim to science.’" 
I will now proceed to say something of the 
wealth accruing to Peru, in consequence of the 
rainless character of its shores on the Pacific. 
In the north, near Tumbez, the coast is washed 
by the great river Guayaquil ; but coming south 
the want of moisture is soon observed ; from eight 
to ten years pass without rain, but when it does 
# See report by Dr. R. A. Philippi to the Government of 
Chili of his explorations in the desert of Atacama in 1853, 
where he describes his falling in with specimens of the 
meteoric iron of Atacama. — Trans. Geographical Society, 
1855. 
“History of Meteoric Iron of Atemaca, by W. Bollaert. — 
Journal of Meteorological Society, 1858. 
