Robbers on the coast of Peru--The Bandit Leaders Leon and Rayo--The
Corps of Montoneros--Watering Places near Lima--Surco, Atte and
Lurin--Pacchacamac--Ruins of the Temple of the Sun--Difficulties of
Travelling on the Coast of Peru--Sea Passage to Huacho--Indian
Canoes--Ichthyological Collections--An old Spaniard's recollections
of Alexander Von Humboldt--The Padre Requena--Huacho--Plundering of
Burial Places--Huaura--Malaria--The Sugar Plantation at
Luhmayo--Quipico--Ancient Peruvian Ruins--The Salinas, or Salt
Pits--Gritalobos--Chancay--The Piques--Mode of extracting
them--Valley of the Pasamayo--Extraordinary Atmospheric
Mirrors--Piedras Gordas--Palo Seco.
All the inhabited parts of the coast of Peru, especially the districts
adjacent to Lima and Truxillo, are infested by robbers, and travelling
is thereby rendered extremely unsafe. These banditti are chiefly runaway
slaves (simarrones, as they are called), free negroes, zambos, or
mulattos. Occasionally they are joined by Indians, and these latter are
always conspicuous for the cruelties they perpetrate. Now and then a
white man enters upon this lawless course; and, in the year 1839, a
native of North America, who had been a purser in a ship of war, was
shot in Lima for highway robbery. These robbers are always well mounted,
and their fleet-footed steeds usually enable them to elude pursuit. It
is no unfrequent occurrence for slaves belonging to the plantations to
mount their masters' finest horses, and after sunset, when their work is
over, or on Sundays, when they have nothing to do, to sally forth on
marauding expeditions.
Most of the highway robbers who infest the coast of Peru belong to an
extensive and systematically-organized band, headed by formidable
leaders, who maintain spies in the towns and villages, from whom they
receive regular reports. They sometimes prowl about in parties of thirty
or forty, in the vicinity of the capital, and plunder every traveller
they encounter; but they are most frequently in smaller detachments. If
they meet with resistance they give no quarter; therefore, it is most
prudent to submit to be plundered quietly, even when the parties
attacked are stronger than the assailants, for the latter usually have
confederates at no great distance, and can summon reinforcements in case
of need. Any person who kills a robber in self-defence must ever
afterwards be in fear for his own life: even in Lima the dagger of the
assassin will reach him, and possibly at the moment when he thinks
himself most safe.
Foreigners are more frequently waylaid than natives. Indeed, the rich
and influential class of Peruvians are seldom subjected to these
attacks,--a circumstance which may serve to explain why more stringent
police regulations are not adopted.
The most unsafe roads are those leading to Callao, Chorillos, and
Cavalleros. This last place is on the way to Cerro de Pasco, whither
transports of money are frequently sent. A few weeks before my departure
from Lima a band of thirty robbers, after a short skirmish with a feeble
escort, made themselves masters of a remittance of 100,000 dollars,
destined for the mine-workers of Pasco. The silver bars from Pasco are
sent to Lima without any military guard, for they are suffered to pass
unmolested, as the robbers find them heavy and cumbrous, and they cannot
easily dispose of them. These depredations are committed close to the
gates of Lima, and after having plundered a number of travellers, the
robbers will very coolly ride into the city.
The country people from the Sierra, who travel with their asses to Lima,
and who carry with them money to make purchases in the capital, are the
constant prey of robbers, who, if they do not get money, maltreat or
murder their victims in the most merciless way.[41] In July, 1842, I was
proceeding from the mountains back to Lima, and, passing near the Puente
de Surco, a bridge about a league and a half from Lima, my horse
suddenly shied at something lying across the road. On alighting I
found that it was the dead body of an Indian, who had been murdered,
doubtless, by robbers. The skull was fractured in a shocking manner
by stones. The body was still warm.
The zambo robbers are notorious for committing the most heartless
cruelties. In June, 1842, one of them attacked the Indian who was
conveying the mail to Huacho. "Shall I," said the robber, "kill you or
put out your eyes?" "If I must choose," replied the Indian, "pray kill
me at once." The barbarian immediately drew forth his dagger and stuck
it into the eyes of the unfortunate victim, and then left him lying on
the sand. In this state the poor Indian was found by a traveller, who
conveyed him to a neighboring village. The following anecdote was
related to me by an Indian, in whose dwelling I passed a night, at
Chancay:--About half a league from the village he met a negro, who
advanced towards him, with musket cocked, and commanded him to halt. My
host drew out a large riding pistol, and said, "You may be thankful that
this is not loaded or you would be a dead man." The negro laughing
scornfully, rode up and seized the Indian, when the latter suddenly
fired the pistol, and shot him dead.
When these Peruvian banditti are attacked by the military or the police,
they defend themselves with desperate courage. If they can effect their
escape they fly for concealment into the woods and thickets, which, if
not too extensive, are surrounded and set on fire, so that the fugitives
have no alternative but to surrender, or to perish in the flames.
Within the last few years, two negroes, named Escobar and Leon, were
daring leaders of banditti. Leon, who was originally a slave, commenced
his career of crime by the murder of his master. He eluded the pursuit
of justice, became a highway robber, and for many years was the terror
of the whole province of Lima. The police vainly endeavored to secure
him. Leon knew the country so well, that he constantly evaded his
pursuers. When the price of 2000 dollars was set upon his head, he
boldly entered Lima every evening and slept in the city. At length
placards were posted about, calling on Leon's comrades to kill him, and
offering to any one who might deliver him up dead into the hands of the
police the reward of 1000 dollars and a pardon. This measure had the
desired result, and Leon was strangled, whilst asleep, by a zambo, who
was his godfather. The body was, during three days, exposed to public
view in front of the cathedral.
Another celebrated bandit was the zambo, Jose Rayo. He took an active
part in several of the political revolutions; and having, during those
commotions, been serviceable to the president, he was raised to the rank
of a lieutenant-colonel, and made chief of the country police, called
the _Partida montada del campo_. This post he still fills, and he is
admirably well adapted to it, as experience has rendered him thoroughly
acquainted with banditti life, and he knows every hiding-place in the
country round Lima. Nevertheless he could not catch the negro Leon, or
possibly he would not seize him, for Leon was his godfather, a
relationship which is held sacred throughout all classes in Peru. When
Rayo speaks of the president and ministers he always styles them _sus
mejores amigos_ (his best friends). I fell in with him once, when
travelling on the road to Chaclacayo, and rode in company with him as
far as the Hacienda de Santa Clara. I found him exceedingly complaisant
and courteous in his manners; but his true zambo nature was not wholly
concealed beneath the smooth surface.
Robbers, when captured and brought to Lima, undergo a very summary
trial, and are then sentenced to be shot. The culprits have the
privilege of choosing their place of execution, and they generally fix
on the market-place. They are allowed the assistance of a priest for
twelve hours prior to their death, and they are conducted from the
chapel to the place of execution, carrying a bench, on which they sit to
undergo the punishment. Four soldiers fire at the distance of three
paces from the culprit; two aiming at his head, and two at his breast.
On one of these occasions a singular instance of presence of mind and
dexterity occurred a few years ago in Lima. A very daring zambo,
convicted of highway robbery, was sentenced to death. He made choice of
the Plaza de la Inquisicion as the scene of his execution. It was market
time, and the square was crowded with people. The culprit darted around
him a rapid and penetrating glance, and then composedly seated himself
on the bench. The soldiers according to custom levelled their muskets
and fired; but how great was the surprise, when the cloud of smoke
dispersed, and it was discovered that the zambo had vanished. He had
closely watched the movements of the soldiers, and when they pulled the
triggers of their muskets, he stooped down, and the balls passed over
his head. Then suddenly knocking down one of the guards who stood beside
him, he rushed into the midst of the crowd, where some of his friends
helped him to effect his escape.
In time of war a corps is raised, consisting chiefly of highway robbers
and persons who, by various offences against the laws, have forfeited
their freedom or their lives. This corps is called the Montoneros, and
they are very important auxiliaries when the coast is the theatre of the
war. The Montoneros, not being trained in military manoeuvres, are not
employed as regular cavalry, but only as outposts, scouts,
despatch-bearers, &c. They are good skirmishers, and they harass the
enemy by their unexpected movements; sometimes attacking in front and
sometimes in the rear. They have no regular uniform, and their usual
clothing consists of dirty white trousers and jacket, a poncho, and a
broad-brimmed straw hat. Many of them are not even provided with shoes,
and their spurs are fastened on their bare heels. Their arms consist
of a short carbine and a sword. When the corps is strong, and is
required for active service, it is placed under the command of a
General of the Army. In 1838, General Miller, now British Consul at
the Sandwich Islands, commanded a corps of 1000 Montoneros, who were
in the service of Santa Cruz. They are held in the strictest
discipline by their commanders, who punish theft with death. There is,
however, one sort of robbery which they are suffered to commit with
impunity, viz, horse-stealing. The horses obtained in this way are
used for mounting the cavalry; and detachments of Montoneros are sent
to the plantations to collect horses. They are likewise taken from
travellers, and from the stables in the capital; but sometimes, after
the close of the campaign, the animals are returned to their owners.
When the war is ended the Montoneros are disbanded, and most of them
return to their occupation as highway robbers.
In all campaigns the Montoneros are sent forward, by one or two days'
march in advance of the main army, either in small or large
detachments. When they enter a village they experience no difficulty in
obtaining quarters and provisions, for the inhabitants are not disposed
to refuse anything that such visitors may demand. A troop of Montoneros
is a picturesque, but, at the same time, a very fearful sight. Their
black, yellow, and olive-colored faces, seared by scars, and expressive
of every evil passion and savage feeling; their motley and tattered
garments; their weary and ill-saddled horses; their short firelocks and
long swords;--present altogether a most wild and disorderly aspect. The
traveller, who suddenly encounters such a band, may consider himself
exceedingly lucky if he escapes with only the loss of his horse.
A universal panic pervades the city of Lima whenever a detachment of
Montoneros enters within the gates. On every side are heard cries of
"_Cierra puertas!_" (close the doors!) "_Los Montoneros!_" Every person
passing along the streets runs into the first house he comes to, and
closes the door after him. In a few moments the streets are cleared, and
no sound is heard but the galloping of the Montoneros' horses.
Within the distance of a few leagues from Lima there are several pretty
villages, to which the wealthier class of the inhabitants of the capital
resort in the summer seasons, for sea-bathing. The nearest, situated
about three-quarters of a league from Lima, is Magdalena, where the
Viceroy of Peru formerly had a beautiful summer residence. Miraflores,
about midway between Lima and Chorillos, is a small village containing a
plaza and some neatly-built houses. Though the heat is greater here than
in the capital, yet the air is purer, and Miraflores may be regarded as
the healthiest spot in the neighborhood of Lima. The sultry atmosphere
is refreshed by the sea breezes. Surrounded by verdant though not
luxuriant vegetation, and sufficiently distant from the marshes,
Miraflores appears to combine within itself all that can be wished for
in a summer residence. For asthmatic patients the air is particularly
favorable. An old Spaniard of my acquaintance, who was engaged during
the day in business in Lima, used to go every night to sleep at
Miraflores: he assured me that if he slept a night in the capital he
suffered a severe attack of asthma.
Chorillos is a poor, ill-looking village. The streets are dirty and
crooked, and the houses are mere ranchos. It is built close to the sea,
on a steep sandy beach; but, though anything but a pleasant place,
Chorillos is the favorite resort of the wealthy Limayan families. Not a
tree is visible in the neighborhood of the village, and the unshaded
rays of the sun are reflected with twofold power from the hot sand. A
broad, steep road leads down to the bathing-place on the sea-beach,
which is rough and shingly. A row of small huts, covered with matting,
serve as dressing-rooms. Both ladies and gentlemen use bathing dresses,
which are very neatly made of a kind of blue cloth. The ladies are
accompanied by guides (_banaderos_). These are Indians, who dwell in the
village. In winter they employ themselves in fishing, and in summer they
live by what they get from the visitors who resort to Chorillos. They
are a good-looking, hardy race of people.
The time for bathing is early in the morning. The interval between
breakfast and dinner is devoted to swinging in the hammock, either in
the sala or in the corridor. The afternoon and evening are spent on the
promenade, and the later hours of the night at the gaming-table. The
routine of the day's occupations and amusements is much the same as in
most of the watering-places of Europe, excepting that, in the latter,
the hammock is suspended by the chair in the reading-room and
coffee-house, or the bench on the promenade. The sultry nights in
Chorillos are rendered doubly unpleasant by the swarms of vermin which
infest the houses. Fleas, bugs, mosquitoes and sancudos, combine to
banish rest from the couch of even the soundest sleeper.
Surco is situated about half a league from Chorillos, and further into
the interior of the country. It is a poor but pleasant village,
surrounded by tropical trees and luxuriant vegetation. The climate is
not so hot as that of Lima or Chorillos. Surco is a very pretty spot,
though seldom resorted to by the inhabitants of the capital; because it
boasts neither baths nor gaming-tables.
Two leagues eastward of Lima, in the direction of the mountains, is
the village El Ate. It lies in a fertile valley, and enjoys a pure
and equal temperature. It is much resorted to by invalids suffering
from pulmonary disorders, which, if not cured, are at least relieved
by the pure air.
Lurin is situated five leagues south from the capital, and a quarter of
a league from the Rio de Lurin, which intersects the Quebrada of
Huarochirin. Fine gardens, and well-cultivated lands, impart beauty to
the surrounding scenery. At Michaelmas Lurin is visited by many of the
inhabitants of the capital, St. Michael being the patron saint of the
place. The village stands about a thousand paces from the margin of the
sea-shore, which is two miles distant from the rocky islands of
Tarallones, Santo Domingo, and Pacchacamac. Prior to the Spanish
conquest, the valley of Lurin was one of the most populous parts of the
coast of Peru. The whole of the broad valley was then called
Pacchacamac, because near the sea-shore and northward of the river,
there was a temple sacred to the "Creator of the Earth."[42] Pacchacamac
was the greatest deity of the Yuncas, who did not worship the sun until
after their subjugation by the Incas. The temple of Pacchacamac was then
dedicated to the sun by the Incas, who destroyed the idols which the
Yuncas had worshipped, and appointed to the service of the temple a
certain number of virgins of royal descent. In the year 1534, Pizarro
invaded the village of Lurin: his troops destroyed the temple, and the
Virgins of the Sun were dishonored and murdered.
The ruins of the temple of Pacchacamac are among the most interesting
objects on the coast of Peru. They are situated on a hill about 558
feet high. The summit of the hill is overlaid with a solid mass of
brick-work about thirty feet in height. On this artificial ridge stood
the temple, enclosed by high walls, rising in the form of an
amphitheatre. It is now a mass of ruins; all that remains of it being
some niches, the walls of which present faint traces of red and yellow
painting. At the foot, and on the sides of the hill, are scattered
ruins which were formerly the walls of habitations. The whole was
encircled by a wall eight feet in breadth, and it was probably of
considerable height, for some of the parts now standing are twelve
feet high, though the average height does not exceed three or four
feet. The mania of digging for treasures every year makes
encroachments on these vestiges of a bygone age, whose monuments
are well deserving of more careful preservation.
Travelling on the coast of Peru is difficult and tedious. The roads
lead through plains of sand, where often not a trace of vegetation is
to be seen, nor a drop of water to be found for twenty or thirty
miles. It is found desirable to take all possible advantage of the
night, in order to escape the scorching rays of a tropical sun; but
when there is no moonlight, and above all, when clouds of mist obscure
the directing stars, the traveller runs the risk of getting out of his
course, and at daybreak, discovering his error, he may have to retrace
his weary way. This extra fatigue may possibly disable his horse, so
that the animal cannot proceed further. In such an emergency a
traveller finds his life in jeopardy; for should he attempt to go
forward on foot he may, in all probability, fall a sacrifice to
fatigue and thirst. Numbers of beasts of burden sink every year under
the difficulties of such a journey; and their bones serve to mark the
direction of the road. Long journeys over these sand plains should be
undertaken only with good and well-tried horses. For the most part the
horses cannot stand hunger and thirst forty-eight hours without
becoming so exhausted that the rider has the greatest difficulty in
making them drag on; and if he is inconsiderate enough to force the
animal to take a quicker pace, the horse lies down and dies. The mule,
which more easily supports the difficulties of a severe journey on the
sparest food, is, in Peru, the camel of the desert. Without mules, a
long journey on most parts of the coast would be impracticable. The
horse obeys the spur until he falls dead under the rider. Not so the
mule: when too weary to journey onward he stands stock still, and
neither whip nor spur will move him until he has rested. After that he
will willingly proceed on his way. By this means the traveller has a
criterion by which he can judge of the powers of his animal.
Excursions along the coast have been greatly facilitated by the
introduction of steam navigation, and travellers now eagerly avail
themselves of that rapid and secure mode of conveyance. Even in sailing
vessels voyages from south to north can be conveniently performed in
consequence of the regularity of the tradewind.
During my residence in Lima, in the commencement of the year 1841, I
visited the port of Huacho, situated to the north. A packet bound to
Panama had permission to touch at Huacho, without casting anchor, as she
had to convey political prisoners under sentence of transportation to
Panama. I was one of five passengers who landed at Huacho, and among the
number was the pastor of the town, that very original individual, "the
Cura Requena." The passage, which is usually made in fourteen hours,
lasted two days and a half. Off the port we fell in with a Peruvian
sloop of war, which, on our sailing from Callao, had been sent to watch
us, and to stop the prisoners in case they attempted to escape. Our
captain lay to, and we stepped into a boat. Our movements were
observed from the shore, where, for some days, a report had prevailed
that Santa Cruz was coming with Corsairs, to make a descent. The
inhabitants believed that our ship must belong to that expedition.
They were the more confirmed in their notion, inasmuch as the
appearance of a sloop of war, which had sailed about for some hours in
the bay, could not otherwise be explained. Accordingly the alarm bell
was rung. The custom-house officers and the coast guards, headed by
the port captain, and followed by a crowd of people, came down to the
shore, some armed with muskets and pistols, others with swords and
cudgels, to repel the intended attack.
At the entrance to the port of Huacho the breakers are so dangerous that
an ordinary-sized boat cannot put in. Landing is therefore effected in
the small canoes of the Indians. When we approached the shore we made
signals, and called loudly for canoes, but in vain. The dismayed
Huachanos showed no inclination to assist their supposed enemies. Our
captain, who was with us in the boat, said, that as a fresh wind from
the shore was springing up he could wait no longer, and that he must
take us with him to Panama. This very unpleasant piece of information
prompted us to put into execution a plan which was suggested by despair.
The tall, lank pastor, wrapped in the black ecclesiastical robe, called
the _talar_, was placed at the prow, where he stood up, making signs of
peace and friendship to the natives. This had the desired effect. The
port captain had a good glass, with which he quickly recognized the
marked features of the Cura, and several Indian boats were instantly
despatched to convey us on shore. These Indian canoes consist of long
narrow stumps of trees, hollowed longitudinally. On either side is
nailed a _palo de balzas_, viz., a beam of a very porous kind of wood.
One Indian sits forward, another more backward, each having a short
wooden shovel-shaped oar, with which they strike the water right and
left, and thus scull the boat onward. The passengers must crouch or
kneel down in the middle, and dare not stir, for the least irregularity
in the motion would upset the boat. We landed safely, and amused
ourselves by referring to the mistake of the brave guardians of the
coast. Horses were provided for us, and we rode to the town, which is
situated at about half a league up the gently-rising coast.
My principal occupation, during a six weeks' residence on this part of
the coast, which is very rich in fishes, was to augment my
ichthyological collection, and to make myself well acquainted with the
environs of Huacho. Every morning, at five o'clock, I rode down to the
shore, and waited on the strand to see the boats returning with what had
been caught, during the night, by the fishers, who readily descried me
at a distance, and held up, in their boat, such strange inhabitants of
the deep as had come into their possession. I succeeded in making out,
from several hundred individual specimens, one hundred and twenty
distinct species of sea and river fish. But an unlucky fate hovered over
this fine collection. The fishes were all put into a cask with brandy,
which, by neglect of the commissary of the port, was left on the Mole at
Callao, for several months, in the burning heat of the sun: in
consequence its contents were utterly destroyed. A second collection was
prepared, and immediately shipped for Europe, and in the packing the
greatest care was observed. Nevertheless it arrived, after a voyage of
fifteen months, in a state quite useless. Thus the fruits of much labor
and a considerable expense were entirely lost.
Huacho is a little village, which, since the war of Independence, has
received the title of "city." It has more than 5000 inhabitants, of
whom four-fifths are Indians and the rest mestizes. Very few whites
have settled here. Among them I met an old lame Spaniard, "Don Simon,"
who, at the beginning of the present century, accompanied the
celebrated Alexander von Humboldt to the beds of salt situated a few
miles to the south. In relating, with enthusiastic pleasure, his
recollections of the youthful and indefatigable traveller, he told me
that, some years ago, he had read through the book which Humboldt
wrote on America, and he added, with great simplicity, "_pero, Senor,
ahi he perdido los estribos_."[43]
The natives employ themselves in fishing, agriculture, and the
breeding of poultry. Most of the poultry brought to market in Lima
comes from Huacho. Every Friday large caravan-like processions of
Indian women repair to the capital with fowls, ducks, and turkeys.
Fifteen or twenty are tied together by the feet, and make a sort of
bunch; and two of such bunches are hung at the pommel of the saddle,
so that one hangs down on either side of the horse. The chola[44] sits
in the middle. Under this burthen the poor animal has to travel two
days and a half. Only when the caravan halts does he enjoy the relief
of being unsaddled and fed. Some of the Indians of Huacho work in the
salt-pits. The women plait coarse straw hats, and a kind of mats
called _petates_, which they carry to Lima for sale.
The Huachanos cannot be ranked among the best classes of the Indians.
They are malicious, revengeful, and knavish. Their character has
evidently deteriorated amidst the numerous revolutions which preceded
the establishment of the Republic, and the frequent passage of troops
through the town. The Padre Requena sketched to me a terrible picture
of his _Indios brutos_; but truly, under the guidance of such a
shepherd, it were unreasonable to expect the flock to be very good.
This venerable Cura was a fair type of the Peruvian priesthood. He was
passionately fond of hunting, and for the enjoyment of that recreation
he kept a number of excellent horses, and several packs of hounds,
particularly _galgos_ (greyhounds), for some of which he paid 150 or
200 dollars. In the most shameless way he violated the ecclesiastical
vow of celibacy, and he was usually surrounded by several of his own
children, who called him _uncle_, addressing him by the appellation of
_tio_, the term usually employed in Peru to express that sort of
relationship. The Padre used to boast of his alleged friendship with
Lord Cochrane, in which he affected to pride himself very greatly. He
died in a few weeks after his return to Huacho. He refused so long to
make his confession, that the Indians, uttering furious menaces,
assembled in crowds about his house. Some even compelled a priest to go
in to him, to represent the awful consequences of his obstinacy. On the
approach of death, he declared that the thought which most occupied him
was his separation from his hounds, and when his hands were becoming
cold he called to his negro to fetch a pair of buckskin hunting gloves,
and desired to have them drawn on.
In Peru the clergy have no fixed stipend. Their emoluments are derived
from the fees and perquisites which their ecclesiastical functions bring
in. For baptisms, marriages, and masses, fixed sums are established; but
it is not so with burials, for which the priest receives a present
proportional to the circumstances of the deceased. The interment of a
poor person (_entierro baxo_) costs at least from eight to ten dollars,
which sum is extorted from the survivors with the most unrelenting
rigor. For the burial of a rich person (_entierro alto_) the sum of two
hundred dollars is frequently paid. If a wealthy man should express in
his will his desire for an _entierro baxo_, the priest sets this clause
aside, and proceeds with the costly ceremonies, the payment for which is
insured by the pious feelings of the family. Hence some of the richer
_comunerias_, of which Huacho is one, yield to the priest annually from
12,000 to 14,000 dollars. When a priest dies, the clergy of the
neighboring villages meet and bury him with great pomp, free of any
payment except a good banquet.
A rich Indian of Huacho made a bargain with his countrymen that, on
their paying him weekly a medio (the sixteenth part of a dollar), he
would defray the expenses of their funerals. By this agreement he
realized a considerable sum of money. The Cholos made it a condition
that they should be buried in coffins, which is not common with the
lower classes in Peru. The Indian complied with this condition. When a
Cholo died, a coffin was sent to his residence. If too short, the corpse
was bent and forced into it. The interment then took place according to
the ritual of the Church. On the following night the Indian who had
contracted for the burials repaired with a confidential servant to the
churchyard, dug up the coffin, threw the body back into the grave, and
carried off the coffin, with the _mortaja_ (the funeral garment), which
served for the next customer. The contractor made each coffin last as
long as the boards would hold together. This system, at all events,
secured the Cholos against the danger of being buried alive.
The churchyard of Huacho presents a revolting spectacle. A low wall
surrounds a space of sandy ground, which is strewed with skulls, bones,
fragments of burial clothes, and mutilated human bodies. The coffin
plunderer, on replacing the corpse in the grave, merely throws some
loose sand over it, and the consequence is that the remains of the dead
frequently become the prey of dogs, foxes, and other carrion feeders.
When the family of a deceased person can contribute nothing to defray
the funeral expenses, the body is conveyed privately during the night to
the churchyard. In the morning it is found half consumed.
The environs of Huacho abound in fine fruit gardens, and productive
Indian farms. The climate is healthful, though very hot. The vicinity of
the sea and the convenience of good bathing would render it an agreeable
place of residence, were it not infested with vermin. Fleas propagate in
the sand in almost incredible multitudes, especially in the neighborhood
of the Indian huts, and any person entering them is in a moment covered
with hundreds of those tormentors. Bugs, too, swarm in the lime walls;
though that description of vermin is less numerous in Huacho than in
some of the more northern towns.
In a fine valley, about two short leagues from Huacho, the little town
of Huaura is situated on the bank of a river of the same name. This Rio
de Huaura is formed by the union of two rivers. The larger of the two
rises in the Cordillera de Paria, and flows through the wild ravine of
Chuichin: the smaller river, called the Rio Chico de Sayan, rises from a
lake of considerable size in the Altos de Huaquimarci. Both unite below
the village of Sayan. In the vicinity of Huaura the river forms several
marshes, in which malaria is generated. In very few places have I seen
the stratum of malaria so distinctly separated from the atmosphere as
here. It lies at an average about two, or two and a half feet above the
marsh, and is carried over it by strong atmospheric currents. It is
distinguished by a peculiar kind of opalization, and on certain
changes of light it exhibits a yellowish tint. This is particularly
perceptible in the morning, on coming down from the high grounds. The
marshy plain then appears overhung with a thick color-changing sheet
of malaria. Malignant intermittent fever and diseases of the skin are
frequent in Huaura. The town is thinly peopled; the number of
inhabitants being not more than 2000.
A great sugar plantation, called El Ingenio, is situated at about a
quarter of a league from Huaura. It formerly belonged to the Jesuits,
but is now the property of a rich Lima family. The _trapiche_, or
sugar-mill, is worked by a water-wheel, the first ever established in
Peru, a circumstance of which the owner proudly boasts.
The valley which opens here is magnificent, and to ride through it
easterly eleven leagues towards Sayan is one of the finest excursions
which can be made in Peru. Over this beautiful district are scattered
many rich plantations. The one next in importance to El Ingenio is
Acaray, which, though not very large, is most carefully cultivated:
another, called Huillcahuaura, has a splendid building erected on it. In
the middle of the valley is the extensive sugar plantation of Luhmayo.
Near this place I saw, in a negro's hut, an ounce of immense size, which
had been killed a few weeks previously. More than fifty Negroes and
Indians had been engaged in subduing this ferocious animal, which was
not killed until after a conflict of two days, in the course of which
several negroes were dangerously wounded. This gigantic specimen
measured, from the snout to the tip of the tail, eight feet three
inches; the tail itself measuring two feet eight inches.
At the sugar works of Luhmayo, notwithstanding the number of pipes, and
other methods of supplying water, the cylinders are always worked by
oxen, and are kept in motion day and night. I took a view of the works
during the night, and the extraordinary picture I beheld will never be
effaced from my memory. In the middle of the spacious building
appropriated to the operations blazed a large fire, fed by the refuse
of sugar canes. Around lay negroes, some asleep, and others muttering
to each other in an under-tone. Here and there sat one perfectly
silent, wrapped in his own reflections, and apparently brooding over
some gloomy plan. The oxen paced slowly round the pole, which directed
the movement of the cylinders; the animals alternately disappearing in
the obscure background, and returning to the point where the glare of
the fire, falling full upon them, lighted them up as if by the sudden
effect of magic. Behind them stalked a tall black figure, driving them
on with a rod made of brambles. Groups of children were busily
employed in thrusting the full sugar canes between the cylinders; and
after they were pressed, collecting together the sapless reeds, and
piling them up in regular heaps.
Next morning the person who officiated as medical superintendant of the
plantation, showed me all the arrangements of the establishment. He gave
me an account of his cures and operations, and told me that he often
found it necessary to amputate, because the slaves purposely injure
their fingers and arms in the _Phalangeles_ (machines) in order to
disable themselves. The worthy AEsculapius had never in his life read a
regular medical work. He had originally been an overseer of slaves,
and had afterwards turned doctor. He informed me that some time before
I saw him, ninety negroes, his patients, had died of small-pox in the
space of nine months, whereby the owner of the plantation had lost
45,000 dollars. The hospital was clean and well fitted up, but
over-crowded with sick. Most of them died from intermitting fever, and
from dropsy and rheumatism which followed it. Not a few of the male
negroes suffer from a peculiar kind of cutaneous disease, which shows
itself by large pustules on the arms and breast. After suppuration
they dry and fall off, but leave indelible spots, which, on a black
skin, are of a whitish color; on a brown skin, olive-green, and on a
white skin, black. I never saw the disease in any other part of the
country except in this valley. Negroes and persons of mixed blood are
more subject to it than the whites.
The two plantations on the east side of the valley are Chambara and
Quipico. The latter is celebrated for the fine sugar it produces, and is
also well known on account of the original character of its late
proprietor, Castilla. When I rode into the court, I was in a moment
surrounded by about fifty fine greyhounds, and from every side others
came springing forward. This was but a remnant of Castilla's collection.
He was passionately devoted to hunting, and generally kept from 200 to
300 greyhounds, with which he rode out daily. A bell was rung at certain
hours to collect the light-footed tribe to their meals. A gallows was
erected in the court, where the intractable underwent capital punishment
as a warning to the rest. One day when Castilla went out to hunt, he was
joined in the chase by an Indian, who brought with him a common mongrel.
This animal outstripped some of the greyhounds in speed, and quickly
overtook the deer. Castilla immediately bought the dog, for which he
gave the immense price of 350 dollars. A few days after he rode out to
hunt with his best greyhounds, together with the newly-purchased dog.
The pack being let loose, all the dogs set off in full chase, but the
mongrel remained quietly beside the horses. On returning to the
plantation, he was hung up on the gallows as a warning example.
To the north of Huacho, the _Pampa del medio mundo_, a sand plain, seven
leagues long, stretches out to the village of Supe. At short successive
distances farther to the north are the villages of _Baranca_,
_Pativilca_ (or rather Pati Huillca), and _la Fortaleza_. Then there
intervenes a vast waste, which extends nearly to Huarmay. Between that
village and the Port of Casma there is a similar long plain of sand.
Thus do wastes, and fruitful valleys, alternate along the whole coast
until near Tumbez, on the frontiers of the Republic of the Ecuador.
The whole district is rich in memorable monuments of the time of the
Incas. The most important are the remains of the palace of King Chimu
Cancha, not far from the harbor of Huanchaco, and the ruins of
Paramanca, near la Fortaleza. Doctor Unanue[45] is of opinion that the
latter edifice was built to commemorate the peace between King Chimu
Cancha and his conqueror, Capac Yupanqui; and that of two other
buildings, one (the larger), situated towards the east, marks the
dominions of the powerful Inca Pachacutec, and the other (the smaller),
towards the west, indicates the territory of the conquered Chimu. This
supposition is, in my opinion, quite erroneous. Independently of the
plainly-recognizable character of those ruins, the construction of which
shows them to have been fortifications, their situation bears evidence
against the inference of Unanue. Supposing the larger building to have
indicated the position of the Inca Empire, it ought to have been
situated to the south, and the smaller building would have been to the
north. The only passable road along the coast led between these two
fortified hills; and by them the road on that side to the Kingdom of
Chimu could be cut off. The Incas well knew, from experience, that the
subdued populations, usually after a longer or a shorter time, again
revolted, and endeavored to shake off their yoke, and therefore they
were on their guard against such an occurrence. Capac Yupanqui must
have greatly mistrusted an enemy so formidable as Chimu Cancha, who
had only yielded after the most obstinate resistance, and it is no
slight proof of this that Paramanca[46] was built as a fortress to
hold the subjugated nations in check. It was not, however, built as a
monument of victory, for such monuments were always erected in Cozco,
the capital, and never on the field of battle. Etymology affords no
solution of this question. Some write Paramonga, others Paramanca. I
regard the latter as the most correct. Garcilaso de la Vega calls the
valley Parmunca. In the Quichua dialect _Paramanca_[47] signifies a
pot for rain. It is therefore possible that the name may indicate an
allusion to heavy torrents of rain, which, though now unusual on this
particular part of the coast, may have occurred in this basin-like
valley after a great earthquake.
Five leagues to the south of Huacho are the extensive _Salinas_, or salt
pits, which supply Peru and Chile with excellent salt. They spread from
the sea coast to the distance of half a league eastward, and present a
most extraordinary aspect. On approaching them the traveller might fancy
he beholds a field of glaciers, on which the sun's rays produce
wonderful effects of variegated color.
This salt is the produce of a natural evaporation of the sea water,
which trickles through the porous stones of the coast, and fills every
intervening hollow. The whole space is parcelled into divisions, called
fields, from which, according to a definite regulation, square masses,
weighing each one hundred pounds, are cut. In a few days the holes are
again filled up with sea water, which, in the space of twelve to
sixteen, or sometimes twenty to twenty-four months, being evaporated by
the sun, leaves a precipitate completely filling up the square holes.
The government has farmed the salinas to a private individual in Huacho,
who keeps on the spot an overseer with the necessary number of
laborers. This establishment is an inexhaustible source of wealth, and
it can only be destroyed by a violent earthquake. In the bay on which
the salinas border there is very convenient and secure anchoring
ground, where coasters are constantly lying, ready to receive the
salt, and convey it to any Peruvian or Chilean port. Most of the
laborers employed in the salinas suffer from diseases of the skin and
rheumatism. Water and provisions have to be brought from Huacho. The
Indians, when they come from the mountains to convey salt, never take
their llamas to the salinas. They go straight to Huacho, where the
animals are loaded at the great depots. Each llama carries the weight
of one hundred pounds, which, however, is not, like ordinary burthens,
laid on the bare back of the animal--beneath it is placed a layer of
thick woollen cloth, called a _jerga_.
The road southward from the Salinas runs, for the distance of nine
leagues, through deep sand, chiefly along the sea-coast, and is bounded
on the east by the _Lomas de Lachay_. Here flocks of strand snipes and
flamingoes fly constantly before the traveller, as if to direct his
course. In the _pescadores_ (fishermen's huts), five leagues from the
Salinas, brackish water and broiled fish may be obtained, and sometimes
even clover, which is brought hither, from the distance of several
miles, to feed the hungry horses. From the pescadores the road crosses
steep sand-hills, which rise from three to four hundred feet high, and
fall with a declivity of more than sixty degrees towards the sea. The
road leads along the side of these hills, and, where the ground is not
firm, it is exceedingly dangerous. On a false step of the horse the
ground yields beneath his hoof, and rolls down the declivity; but by due
care the rider can easily recover a solid footing. There is on one of
these hills a very large stone, which at a certain distance presents in
color and form a deceptious similarity to an enormous-sized seal. Almost
perpendicularly under it is a small bay, inhabited by a multitude of
seals. The dull crashing sound made by the breakers on the shore,
mingling with the howling of these animals, makes a gloomy impression on
the traveller who is passing along the height above them, and creates a
sort of shuddering sensation. The natives call this place and its sounds
the _Grita Lobos_ (the Sea-dog's Howl). From this hilly ground the road
descends into the fruitful valley of the _Pasamayo_, which contains two
villages and eighteen plantations.
Chancay, the principal town in this valley, is the residence of a
sub-prefect. It is a league and a half from the river, and a short
league from the sea, where there is an inconsiderable and not very safe
port, which can only be entered by small vessels. The number of
inhabitants is about 1200, chiefly Indians and Mulattos. Excellent
fruits and vegetables, good beef, mutton, and poultry, and well-flavored
fish, are found here in abundance. The houses are all of the poorest
structure, and are sparingly and rudely furnished. In the neighboring
farms, some of which are large, as Torreblanco, Pasamayo, &c., maize is
extensively cultivated for exportation and for food to the swine, which
are very numerous. In no other valley of Peru are there so many
earth-fleas, or _piques_, as they are called, particularly about the
plantations. The _pique_ is a small, white insect, which lives in sand,
but fastens as a parasite on man and beast, more particularly on swine.
It attacks man by penetrating the skin, for the most part under the
toe-nails, where an egg is laid, from which a painful tumor is
afterwards formed. Should this be neglected, the brood is developed, and
penetrates further into the flesh. Then follow violent inflammations and
imposthumes, which sometimes assume so serious a character that the
amputation of the foot becomes necessary. While the _pique_ is
penetrating there is no sensation of its presence; it is first felt on
the development of the egg, and then it is still easy to remove the
bag which contains it, and the mother with it. The Negresses
accomplish this with great dexterity. They make an aperture in the
skin by scratching it with a needle, and then they draw the bag out.
Should it burst, they take out the egg with the needle; but this is a
very delicate operation. I have always been able to do it more
speedily and more securely with the lancet. The hole is commonly of
the size of a bean, and hot cigar ashes are put into it to destroy any
eggs or larvae which may remain. These insects do not always confine
themselves to the feet; they sometimes attack the body and the face,
and it is in general extremely difficult for the patient to discover
how or where he became acquainted with such troublesome companions. I
once had six tumors, caused by broods of _piques_, on my right foot,
and I could not trace the annoyance to any other cause than having
stopped for a few minutes, while my horse was being saddled, in the
_corral_, or yard, of a plantation.
The road from Chancay to the Haciendas of Bisquira, Andahuasi, and the
village of Sayan, extends in a northeasterly direction, through a dreary
valley of sand, between rows of sterile hillocks of the most singular
forms. I had once to travel along twelve leagues of this wearisome road,
under the most oppressive heat of the sun. The mules were quite
overcome, and when we reached the _Cuesta de los ahorcados_ (the hill of
the hanged) they would not move another step. We had to descend and give
them a long rest. We stretched ourselves under the bellies of the
animals, the only shade we could get in this treeless waste. At last,
after a very difficult journey, during which we lost ourselves in a
marsh in the neighborhood of Bisquira, we arrived about midnight at
Andahuasi. On this road, only two leagues from Chancay, near the
Hacienda of Chancayllo, are situated the Colcas, most remarkable
subterraneous structures, of the time of the Incas. According to
tradition, they were built by the Yuncas, during the campaign of Capac
Yupanqui against Chimu Cancha, as provision magazines for the numerous
army, more than 120,000 strong.
At the mouth of the Pasamayo, on the north bank, there are some salinas,
which, however, are far more inconsiderable than those of Huacho.
The first time I went from Huacho to Lima, I wished to pass over the
whole road, twenty-eight leagues, in one uninterrupted ride; accordingly
I left Huacho at two o'clock, P. M., in order that I might cross the
great sand-flats during the night. A negro who knew the road accompanied
me. We passed through Chancay at midnight. Some muleteers, lying before
a hut, called to us, and warned us to stop, as the river had swelled
very much. Nevertheless we proceeded onward, and by one o'clock we
reached the Pasamayo, which, in consequence of the heavy rains from the
mountains, had overflowed its banks. Several travellers had stretched
themselves on the ground to wait for the morning light, and in the hope
that the flood would by that time subside. No Chimbadores[48] were to be
had. My negro guide looked at the water with dismay, and declared that
he had never before witnessed so furious a swell. However, we had no
time to lose, and I resolved to attempt the passage of the river.
Trusting to my well tried horse, which had already carried me safely
through many difficult coasting journeys, I cautiously rode into the
river, which became deeper at every step. The overwhelming force of the
stream was felt by my horse; and he presently lost his footing, though
he still continued to struggle vigorously against the force of the
current. At this juncture, some passing clouds obscured the moon, and I
lost sight of a group of trees which, before leaving the opposite bank,
I fixed my eye upon as a guiding beacon. Quite powerless, my horse
and I were carried away by the stream, and driven against a rock in
the middle of the river. I now heard the anxious outcries of my negro
and the travellers on the bank, whilst the waves rose over my head.
With a convulsive effort I pulled the bridle, and the horse then
turning completely round, once more gained his solid footing. I then
gave him the spur, and the courageous animal dashing again into the
midst of the current, swam with me to the bank. I rode forward with my
negro in search of a better fording-place, and after several fruitless
attempts, we at length found one, and we crossed the river safely. The
other travellers did not venture to follow our example, but called out
begging us not to leave them behind. I sent the negro back on my horse
to bring them over; and the noble animal went backward and forward no
less than seven times without making one false step. After all this
exertion, he bore me with unflagging spirit into Lima, where we
arrived at noon on the following day.
From the Pasamayo, the road runs for the space of two leagues
tolerably level, and for the most part amidst plantations. Then
succeed steep sandy hills, for the distance of about four leagues.
The roads are very wearisome both to horse and rider, especially in
the declivities towards the plains, where the horse is frequently
over his knees in sand. In those parts there are also some
extraordinary atmospheric mirrors, in which we beheld ourselves in
reflection, riding over our own heads, and our figures magnified to
gigantic proportions. Six leagues from Chancay, there are two wretched
huts, forming the tambo, or inn, in which travellers obtain
refreshment. From thence the road runs through a stony tract,
partially strewn with large masses of rock, called the _Piedras
gordas_, and leading to the marshes which surround the Copacahuana
plantations. Two leagues further on is the river Chillon, which, like
the Pasamayo, may generally be easily forded, but which swells
furiously during heavy falls of rain. At a short distance behind the
river, the road, called the Camino de Valles, joins that leading to
Cerro de Pasco. About a league from Lima there is a place called _Palo
seco_, which, like _Piedras gordas_, is a celebrated haunt of robbers.
The traveller has reason to congratulate himself if he passes these
two places without an attack.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 41: The Indians resort to very artful methods of hiding their
money. They sometimes conceal it between the boards of the boxes in
which their eggs are packed, or stitch it into the stuffing of their
asses' saddles. They often submit to be killed rather than avow where
their money is concealed.]
[Footnote 42: The word Pacchacamac signifies _He who created the world
out of nothing_. It is compounded of _Paccha_, the earth, and _camac_,
the participle present of _caman_, to produce something from nothing.]
[Footnote 43: Literally--"But there, sir, I lost the stirrups." Meaning
that he did not understand it. The Spanish phrase, _Perder los
estribos_, signifies to get confused or embarrassed.]
[Footnote 44: _Chola_ is the common designation for an Indian female.
The masculine is _Cholo_.]
[Footnote 45: Nuevo dia del Peru. 1824.]
[Footnote 46: According to some ancient authors Paramanca was built by
King Chimu as a frontier fortress against the neighboring nations. There
is some foundation for this view of the subject, as Chimu Cancha had,
long before he was attacked by Capac Yupanqui, carried on war most
fiercely with Cuyz Mancu, King of Pacchacama, and Chuquiz Mancu, King of
Runahuanac (the present Lunahuana).]
[Footnote 47: _Para_ (rain) _Manca_ (pot).]
[Footnote 48: Guides, who conduct travellers across rivers, being well
acquainted with the fords. They are also called Vadeadores.]