The Coast southward of Lima--Chilca--Curious Cigar cases made
there--Yauyos--Pisco--Journey to Yca--A night on the Sand
Plains--Fatal Catastrophe in the year 1823--Vine Plantations at
Yca--Brandy and Wine--Don Domingo Elias--Vessels for transporting
Brandy (Botijas and odres)--Cruel mode of skinning Goats--Negro
Carnival--Peculiar species of Guinea Pig--The Salamanqueja--Cotton
Plantations--Quebrada of Huaitara--Sangallan--Guano--Retrospect of the
Peruvian Coast--Rivers--Medanos--Winds--Change of Seasons--the
Garuas--The Lomas--Mammalia--Birds--Amphibia.
The coast, southward of Lima, is similar in aspect, climate, and
character, to those parts north of the city which have just been
described. Fruitful valleys, villages, and plantations, commodious
sea-ports, and vast sandy wastes, alternate one with the other. Heat,
sometimes almost insupportable, is succeeded by chilly and unhealthy
mists; whilst here and there the scattered monuments of the wealth and
greatness of bygone ages present a remarkable and painful contrast to
present poverty and misery.
Proceeding southward of Lima by way of Lurin, we arrive at Chilca, a
wretched village situated on a soil which affords nothing to supply the
wants of human existence. It appears an incomprehensible mystery that
man should have fixed his abode on a spot where Nature has granted
nothing for his nourishment, not even a drop of pure water; whilst at
the distance of a few miles, luxuriant valleys offer, spontaneously,
those products which the most laborious toil must fail to extort from
the ungrateful soil of Chilca. The hope of wealth from commercial
speculation or mining industry has peopled many inhospitable shores, and
has raised populous towns on barren deserts; but at Chilca there are no
such stimuli of interests. Nevertheless, they may possibly have existed
in former ages, for the numerous ruins scattered around the village
tend to confirm the opinion that the population was very extensive under
the government of the Incas. The force of custom and of local attachment
which frequently chains man to the spot where his progenitors have lived
happily, is all that can bind the natives of Chilca to their miserable
dwelling-place. In few villages, as in Chilca, have the Indians for more
than 300 years so carefully avoided mixing with people of other races.
They employ themselves in plaiting straw for hats and cigar-cases. The
latter they make in a singularly beautiful style with white and colored
straw, which they plait into various figures and patterns--sometimes
into names, and even lines of poetry. Some of these cigar-cases sell for
upwards of a hundred dollars. Fishing is a less profitable occupation to
the people of Chilca, or, as they are called in the country, the
Chilquenos; for, owing to the great distance, only certain kinds of fish
can be sent to the Lima market. Near the village there is a bed of very
strong red-colored salt, which is exported to the mountains, but which
sells at a lower price than the salt of Huacho.
Five leagues south of Chilca, on the river of the same name, lies the
village called Canete, which is the residence of a Sub-prefect. The very
interesting province of Yauyos extends from this village in an easterly
direction towards the Cordilleras. The inhabitants of this province are
distinguishable by their faces and figures, and also by their manners
and language, from the Indians of the coast and the mountains. In
stature they are small. They have expanded foreheads, animated eyes,
prominent cheek-bones, and wide mouths. Their limbs are slender, and
their skin is of a swarthy brown. Their dialect, the Cauqui, contains
many radical words of the Quichua language. After this nation was
subjugated by the Incas their language was so intermixed with others,
that it is now very difficult to trace out its origin. It appears to be
totally different from the Chinchaysuyo language.
Some very considerable sugar plantations, and several villages, lie
between Canete and Pisco. Among the villages, Lunahuana and Chincha
(upper and lower) are celebrated for their great fertility. Two rivers,
at the distance of five leagues from each other, flow in a parallel
direction between Chincha and Pisco, and to their waters the valleys are
indebted for their rich vegetation. On account of their width these
rivers can only be passed with the assistance of Chimbadores, and many
travellers annually perish in their incautious attempts to ford them.
The little town of Pisco is on the left bank of the south river, and
half a league from it there is a secure harbor with good anchoring
ground. This town has acquired some importance by the exportation of
brandy; and it has recently become more active and populous owing to the
near vicinity of the Guano islands. The custom-house and the port
captain's office are on the shore, where there is also a large building
erected by Don Domingo Elias, for a brandy depot. The little town of
Pisco has suffered much from the plundering attacks of European pirates,
from earthquakes, and more recently from the War of Independence.
Several parts of it have been rebuilt. Within the few last years much
has been done in the way of improving and ornamenting it. A broad trench
has been dug round the town, serving the purpose of drainage, and
thereby greatly contributing to preserve the health of the place. Pisco
is merely the key to the large interior town of Yca, which is fourteen
leagues distant. I visited it in the year 1842. The steamer conveyed me
in eighteen hours from Callao to Pisco, where I hired horses and a
guide. He was a Catalonian, who had frequently travelled to Yca.
At three o'clock, P. M., we left Pisco. At first the road passed over
very hard ground, then through deep sand, which continued till we got
to Yca. Notwithstanding the heat, which in the month of February is
insupportable, I was wrapped up in my woollen poncho. Experience had
taught me that in the hotter districts the change of temperature which
takes place at night, and causes fever, is least injurious when the
traveller is protected in warm clothing. My Catalonian guide, who,
with his arms covered merely by his shirt sleeves, nevertheless
suffered greatly from the heat, could not comprehend why I had chosen
such a dress. When I informed him that eleven days before I had, in
the same clothing, passed a night on the Cordilleras, in the midst of
snow, he shook his head in token of incredulity. Whilst the bell rang
for evening prayers we rode into the Huilla Curin Plantation, which
is surrounded by a charming grove of palm trees. We stopped for a few
moments to gather some excellent figs. About midnight a heavy fog
spread over the plain, and veiled from our sight a cross on the south,
which had hitherto served to keep us in the right direction. We,
however, advanced about a league farther. The Catalonian then often
alighted to smell the sand, in order to ascertain whether we were
taking the proper course. This is a very good practical method; for in
deserts through which caravans frequently pass, the dung of the beasts
of burthen mixed with the sand affords a sure indication of the track.
When we had got about three quarters of a league farther on, we came
close against a rock, which my guide--in whose acquaintance with the
locality I had the most unbounded confidence--declared was quite
unknown to him. There was therefore no doubt that we had got out of
the right course. I lighted a cigar, and on examining, by its feeble
light, my pocket compass, I discovered that instead of keeping to the
south-east we had diverged to the west. As there was now no hope that
the fog would clear away before day-break, we rolled ourselves in the
warm sand, to await the coming morning.
I afterwards learned that in this very spot numerous travellers had lost
their way, and had perished of thirst. In the year 1823, a ship stranded
on this coast, with three hundred and twenty dragoons on board, under
the command of Colonel Lavalle. The soldiers succeeded in getting
ashore, but thirty-six hours afterwards they were lost in this sandy
desert. When intelligence of the shipwreck reached Pisco, a cavalry
regiment was despatched to search for the sufferers, and to supply them
with provisions and water; but when they were found it was discovered
that one hundred and sixteen men had died from fatigue and thirst, and a
few days after fifty more perished from exhaustion. It is generally
supposed that a healthy man can live four or five days unsupplied with
food and drink. In the temperate climate of Europe, and with bodily
rest, this, perhaps, may be the case; but in the burning wastes of Peru
to be deprived of nourishment for only forty-eight hours, and at the
same time to wander about in deep sand, would be followed by certain
death. Severe thirst is the most horrible of torments, especially when
the body is surrounded by a medium altogether of an arid nature. At sea
it can be much longer endured than on a surface of sand.
When the grey dawn of morning appeared we again mounted our horses, and
rode by my compass in the direction of E.S.E. After riding a few
leagues, we turned an acute angle, which brought us into the main road,
and we arrived that forenoon in Yca.
On my return I so arranged my journey as to pass the night in Huilla
Curin, where the horses were supplied with forage, consisting of the
shoots and leaves of the Mastick-tree (_schinus molle_).
Yca is a moderately large and very agreeably situated town. Like most of
the larger towns on the coast it is peopled with inhabitants of all
colors, particularly Mestizos. It is the residence of a sub-prefect and
many rich planters. Scarcely anything but the vine is cultivated in the
Haciendas of the environs; and this branch of husbandry contributes
greatly to enrich the province. It is astonishing to see with what
facility the vine thrives in a soil apparently so unfruitful. The young
shoots are stuck into the sand almost half a foot deep, then tied up and
left to themselves. They quickly take root and shoot forth leaves.
Whilst the surrounding country bears the appearance of a desert, the
vineyards of Yca are clothed in delightful verdure. The grapes are of
superior quality, very succulent and sweet. The greater part are used
for making brandy, which is extremely good and very well flavored. All
Peru and a great part of Chile are supplied with this liquor from the
Vale of Yca. The common brandy is called _Aguardiente de Pisco_, because
it is shipped at that port. A kind of brandy of superior quality, and
much dearer, made from Muscatel grapes, is called _Aguardiente de
Italia_. It is distinguished by a very exquisite flavor. Very little
wine is made at Yca. In some plantations they make a thick dark-brown
kind, which is very sweet, and much liked by the Peruvians, though not
very agreeable to a European palate. Only one planter, Don Domingo
Elias,[49] the richest and most speculative cultivator on the whole
coast, makes wine in the European manner. It is very like the wine of
Madeira and Teneriffe, only it is more fiery, and contains a more
considerable quantity of alcohol. Specimens which have been sent to
Europe have obtained the unqualified approbation of connoisseurs. The
flavor is considerably improved by a long sea voyage.
The brandy, which is exported by sea, is put into large vessels made of
clay, called _botijas_. In form they are like a pear, the broad ends
being downwards. At the top there is a small aperture, which is
hermetically closed with gypsum. The large _botija_ when filled weighs
six or seven arobas. Two are a load for a mule. To the pack-saddle, or
_aparejo_, two baskets are fastened, in which the _botijas_ are placed
with the small ends downwards. These _botijas_ were formerly also used
for conveying the brandy across the mountains; but, in consequence of
the dangerous, slippery roads, over which the mules often fell, many
were broken. Still greater damage was sustained at the springs and
wells on the coast, for the poor animals, after their long journeys
through the sandy wastes, rushed, on perceiving water, in full flight
to the springs. As it happens that there is often room for only five
or six mules, and from seventy to eighty were often pressing forward,
a great number of the _botijas_ were unavoidably dashed to pieces in
spite of all the caution the arrieros could exercise. The annual loss
of brandy was immense, and to counteract this evil, bags of goatskin
were introduced. These skins are now generally used for the
conveyance of brandy across the mountains. The method of skinning the
goats is the most horribly cruel that can be conceived. A negro hangs
the living animal up by the horns, and makes a circular incision
round his neck, which, however, goes no further than to the flesh. He
then draws the skin from the body of the writhing animal, which
utters the most frightful cries. When the skin is completely removed,
and not till then, is the suffering animal killed. The negroes assert
that the skin is most easily removed in this manner, and that the
_odres_[50] become thereby more durable. It is to be hoped that
humanely disposed planters will soon put an end to this barbarous
and unreasonable practice.
I happened to be in Yca at the time of the celebration of the negro
carnival, which I will here briefly describe. In some of the principal
streets of the town large arches are erected, and gaily decorated with
ribbons. Round these arches negresses and mestizas dance, and endeavor
to stop the negroes whilst riding at full gallop under the arches. The
negroes start from the distance of about one hundred paces, and gallop
straight to the boundary, where the women endeavor to seize the bridle,
and to throw the rider from his saddle. The task of the men is to ride
past the women without being stopped; and when they fail in so doing,
they have to pay a fine, and are hooted into the bargain. It is hard to
say which is most surprising;--the speed of the horses, the dexterity of
the riders, or the courage of the negresses, who fearlessly throw
themselves in the way of the galloping horses. During the race the
negroes are pelted with unripe oranges and lemons, which, when thrown by
the vigorous arm of a zamba, inflict a sufficiently heavy blow. I saw a
negro gallop to and fro for the space of an hour, at full speed, and
every time he passed under the arch he dexterously evaded the
outstretched hands of the women; thus giving proof of uncommon bodily
strength. While dashing at full speed through the arch of the bridge,
and leaning forward on the horse's neck, he seized two negresses, one
with each of his arms, and pulled them into the saddle beside him.
The climate of Yca is hot, and not altogether healthy, for the torrents
of rain which fall from the hills swell the river so as to make it
overflow its lower bank, where marshes are formed, in which malaria is
developed. Most of the plantations in the environs are more healthy.
All the bushes in the vicinity of the town are inhabited by a kind of
Guinea pig (_Cavia Cuttleri_, King). These animals are exceedingly
numerous. After sunrise and towards evening, they leave their lurking
places and play about in the grass. Upon the whole they are not shy,
and they allow people to approach them pretty closely. The natives
call this little animal the _Cui del Montes_, and they believe it to
be the progenitor of the tame Guinea pig. This notion is, however,
quite erroneous.
Along the whole of the Peruvian coast there is found a small animal of
the lizard kind, of which the natives are very much afraid. They call it
the _Salamanqueja_. It lives in the fissures of walls, and is sometimes
seen creeping along the lime plaster of houses. Its bite is believed to
be mortal. From the descriptions given of this animal, I was curious to
see it, and I commissioned some persons to procure me one. At last, an
Indian brought me a specimen very much crushed, and I found that I had
already got several of them in my collections. I now obtained more of
them, and the natives beheld me with astonishment carrying them alive in
my hand. Of the Salamanqueja there are two species, the _Diplodactylus
lepidopygus_, Tsch., and the _Discodactylus phacophorus_, Tsch. They are
nearly related to each other, being only distinguished by one species
having an orifice in the thighs, serving as a passage for an issue from
a gland which secretes a very acrid fluid. This little animal never
bites; but it is possible that the fluid by touching a fresh wound, or
scratch, may cause very serious consequences.
To the south of Yca there are some large cotton plantations; the most
considerable of which belong to Don Domingo Elias. The cotton for
exportation is shipped at the port of San Nicolas. Many experienced
captains of ships declare the bay of San Nicolas to be the safest and
best along the whole of the western coast of South America.
The Quebrada of Huaitara, which stretches to the east of Yca, is the
principal channel of communication between this part of the coast and
the rich mountain provinces of Jauja and Huancavelica, and from the
latter places to Ayacucho and Cosco.
Opposite to Pisco and Chinca there is a group of small islands, of which
the largest, Sangallan, is six English miles distant from Pisco. These
islands have of late years become celebrated on account of the great
quantity of guano that has been exported from them.
Guano (or according to the more correct orthography, Huanu)[51] is
found on these islands in enormous layers of from 35 to 40 feet thick.
The upper strata are of a greyish-brown color, which lower down becomes
darker. In the lower strata the color is a rusty red, as if tinged by
oxide of iron. The Guano becomes progressively more and more solid from
the surface downward, a circumstance naturally accounted for by the
gradual deposite of the strata, and the evaporation of the fluid
particles. Guano is found on all the islands, and on most of the
uninhabited promontories of the west coast of South America, especially
in those parts within the tropics. I have often been assured that beds
of Guano several feet high, covered with earth, are found inland at some
distance from the sea; but I never met with any, and I have some doubt
of the correctness of the statement. If, however, these inland strata
really exist, I am inclined to believe that they can only be found on
hilly ground; and in that case they afford strong evidence of a
considerable elevation of the coast.
Guano is formed of the excrements of different kinds of marine birds,
as mews, divers, sheerbeaks, &c.; but the species which I can name
with more precision are the following:--_Larus modestus_, Tsch.;
_Rhinchops nigra_, Lin.; _Plotus Anhinga_, Lin.; _Pelecanus thayus_,
Mol.; _Phalacrocorax Gaimardii_, and _albigula_, Tsch. (_Pelecanus
Gaimardii_, Less., _Carbo albigula_, Brandt), and chiefly the _Sula
variegata_, Tsch.
The immense flocks of these birds as they fly along the coast appear
like clouds. When their vast numbers, their extraordinary voracity, and
the facility with which they procure their food, are considered, one
cannot be surprised at the magnitude of the beds of Guano, which have
resulted from uninterrupted accumulations during many thousands of
years. I kept for some days a living _Sula variegata_, which I fed
abundantly with fish. The average weight of the excrement daily was
from 3-1/2 to five ounces. I have no doubt that when the bird is in a
state of freedom the weight must be much greater, for these birds are
constantly plunging into the sea, in order to devour the fishes which
they find in extraordinary masses around all the islands. When an
island is inhabited by millions of sea-birds, though two-thirds of
the guano should be lost while flying, still a very considerable
stratum would be accumulated in the course of a year.
The marine birds nestle on the uninhabited islands, or on rocks near the
shore; but they never settle on the flat beach, or any place distant
from it inland. On this fact, I ground my conjecture that those beds of
guano in the interior, which may have been removed from the shore by
important elevations of the coast, are to be found only on hills.
During the first year of the deposit the strata are white, and the guano
is then called _Guano Blanco_. In the opinion of the Peruvian
cultivators, this is the most efficacious kind. It is found in the Punta
de Hormillos, on the islands of Islay, Jesus, Margarita, &c.
As soon as the dealers in guano begin to work one of the beds, the
island on which it is formed, is abandoned by the birds. It has also
been remarked, that since the increase of trade and navigation, they
have withdrawn from the islands in the neighborhood of the ports.
Much has recently been written on the employment and utility of guano;
but the manner in which it is applied as manure in Peru, seems to be but
little known. The Peruvians use it chiefly in the cultivation of maize
and potatoes. A few weeks after the seeds begin to shoot, a little
hollow is dug round each root, and is filled up with guano, which is
afterwards covered with a layer of earth. After the lapse of twelve or
fifteen hours, the whole field is laid under water, and is left in that
state for some hours. Of the _Guano Blanco_ a less quantity suffices,
and the field must be more speedily and abundantly watered, otherwise
the roots would be destroyed. The effect of this manure is incredibly
rapid. In a few days the growth of a plant is doubled. If the manure be
repeated a second time, but in smaller quantity, a rich harvest is
certain. At least, the produce will be threefold that which would have
been obtained from the unmanured soil.
The haciendas of the valley of Chancay have, during the last fifty
years, consumed annually from 33,000 to 36,000 bushels of guano brought
from the islands of Chancha and Pisco. The price of the bushel of
colored guano is one dollar and a quarter, and the price of the white
from two to three dollars. The price has recently undergone many
fluctuations, in consequence of the great exports to Europe.
The employment of this kind of manure is very ancient in Peru; and there
is authentic evidence of its having been used in the time of the Incas.
The white guano was then chiefly found on the islands opposite to
Chincha; so that for upwards of 600 years the deposit has been
progressively removed from those islands without any apparent decrease
of the accumulation. The uniformity of climate on a coast where there is
not much rain, must contribute to render the Peruvian guano a more arid
manure than the African, as fewer of the saline particles of the former
being in solution, they are consequently less subject to evaporation.
From 3 deg. 35' to 21 deg. 48' south latitude, a plain of sand, 540 leagues
long, and varying from 3 to 20 leagues in breadth, stretches along the
coast of the Pacific Ocean. It is intersected by chains of small
hillocks, which, extending westward from the Cordilleras, gradually
diminish in height, and either become blended with the plain, or form
abrupt promontories, which project into the sea. Between the river Loa,
which marks the southern frontier of the Peruvian coast, and the Tumbez,
on the northern boundary, fifty-nine rivers, great and small, pass
through the line of coast. Proceeding from the avalanches of the Andes
or the small alpine lakes, they force their way through narrow
mountain-valleys, irrigate the waste grounds, and then, after brief
courses, flow into the great ocean.
A fine light yellow drift sand covers hill and dale. It is only where
rivers intersect the plain that oases of luxuriant vegetation are
formed. The peril of traversing these plains is greatly increased by
the movability of the sand and the _Medanos_. The strong winds raise
immense clouds of dust and sand. The sand rises in columns of from
eighty to a hundred feet high, which whirl about in all directions, as
if moved by magic. Sometimes they suddenly overshadow the traveller, who
only escapes from them by rapid riding.
The medanos are hillock-like elevations of sand, some having a firm,
others a loose base. The former, which are always crescent-shaped, are
from ten to twenty feet high, and have an acute crest. The inner side is
perpendicular, and the outer or bow side forms an angle with a steep
inclination downward. When driven by violent winds, the medanos pass
rapidly over the plains. The smaller and lighter ones move quickly
forwards before the larger ones; but the latter soon overtake and crush
them, whilst they are themselves shivered by the collision. These
medanos assume all sorts of extraordinary figures, and sometimes move
along the plain in rows forming most intricate labyrinths, whereby what
might otherwise be visible in the distance is withdrawn from the view of
the traveller. A plain often appears to be covered with a row of
medanos, and some days afterwards it is again restored to its level and
uniform aspect. Persons who have the greatest experience of the coast
are apt to mistake their way, when they encounter these sand-hills.
The medanos with immovable bases are formed on the blocks of rock which
are scattered about the plain. The sand is driven against them by the
wind, and as soon as it reaches the top point it descends on the other
side until that is likewise covered; thus gradually arises a
conical-formed hill. Entire hillock-chain with acute crests are formed
in a similar manner. The small hillock-chain, by which the coast is
intersected obliquely from east to west, is a boundary which arrests the
progress of the wandering medanos; otherwise fruitful oases would soon
be converted into barren sand-flats. A correct observation of these
hillock-chains affords a most certain scale for ascertaining the
direction of the prevailing wind. On their southern declivities are
found vast masses of sand drifted thither by the mid-day gales. The
northern declivity, though not steeper than the southern, is only
sparingly covered with sand. If a hillock-chain somewhat distant from
the sea extends in a line parallel with the Andes, namely from S.S.E. to
N.N.W., the western declivity is almost entirely free of sand, as it is
driven to the plain below by the southeast wind, which constantly
alternates with the wind from the south.
The movements and new formations in the deserts (like restorations
from death to life) are only in full activity during the hot season;
for then the parched sand yields to the slightest pressure of the
atmosphere. In the cold season its weight increases by the absorption
of humidity. The particles unite in masses, and more easily resist
the wind. In the meantime the hillocks also acquire more firmness or
compression by the increased weight which presses on them from above.
In November, summer commences. The rays of the sun are refracted on the
light grey sandy carpet, and are reflected back with scorching power.
Every living thing which does not quickly escape from their influence is
devoted to certain destruction. No plant takes root in the burning soil,
and no animal finds food on the arid lifeless surface. No bird, no
insect moves in the burning atmosphere. Only in the very loftiest
regions, the king of the air, the majestic condor, may be seen floating,
with daring wing, on his way to the sea coast. Only where the ocean and
the desert blend with each other is there life and movement. Flocks of
carrion crows swarm over the dead remains of marine animals scattered
along the shore. Otters and seals impart life to the inaccessible rocks;
hosts of coast birds eagerly pounce on the fish and mollusca cast on
shore; variegated lizards sport on the sand hillocks; and busy crabs and
sea spiders work their way by furrows through the humid coast.
The scene changes in May. A thin veil of mist then overspreads the sea
and the shore. In the following months the thickness of the mist
increases, and it is only in October that it begins to disperse. In the
beginning and at the end of the period called winter this mist commonly
rises between nine and ten o'clock in the morning, and disappears about
three, P.M. It is heaviest in August and September; and it then lies for
weeks immoveable on the earth. It does not resolve into what may be
properly called rain, but it becomes a fine minute precipitate which the
natives call GARUA (thick fog or drizzling rain). Many travellers have
alleged that there are places on the Peruvian coast which have been
without rain for centuries. The assertion is to a certain degree
correct, for there are many districts in which there never is rain
except after an earthquake, and not always even then.
Though the _garua_ sometimes falls in large drops, still there is
this distinction between it and rain, that it descends not from
clouds at a great height, but is formed in the lower atmospheric
regions, by the union of small bubbles of mist. The average
perpendicular height over which this fog passes does not exceed one
thousand two hundred feet; its medium boundary is from seven to eight
hundred feet. That it is known only within a few miles of the sea is
a highly curious phenomenon; beyond those few miles it is superseded
by heavy rains; and the boundary line between the rain and the mist
may be defined with mathematical precision. I know two plantations,
the one six leagues from Lima, the other in the neighborhood of
Huacho: one half of these lands is watered by the garuas, the other
half by rain, and the boundary line is marked by a wall.
When the mists set in, the chain of hillocks (_Lomas_) bordering the
sand-flats on the coasts undergoes a complete change. As if by a stroke
of magic, blooming vegetation overspreads the soil, which, a few days
previously, was a mere barren wilderness. Horses and cattle are driven
into these parts for grazing, and during several months the animals find
abundance of rich pasture. There is, however, no water; but they do not
appear to suffer from the want of it, for they are always in good
healthy condition on leaving the Lomas.
In some parts of northern Peru, where the garuas are scanty, the
fertility of the soil depends wholly on the mountain rains, for in
summer most of the rivers are dried up. When there is a deficiency of
rain, the cattle on the coast suffer greatly. A few years ago a
haciendado, or cultivator, in the vale of Piura, lost 42,000 sheep;
the usual flood, without which the necessary fodder could not be
raised, did not come on at the proper time. At Piura there is such a
total absence of dew, that a sheet of paper left for a whole night
in the open air does not, in the morning, exhibit the smallest trace
of humidity. In central and south Peru the moisture scarcely
penetrates half an inch into the earth.
In the oases the garuas are much heavier than in the adjacent wastes.
Along the whole of the coast there is no rain, and no vegetation
throughout a large circuit. The rain commences first in the north at
Tumbez, and there extensive woods are seen. Towards the east it begins
first in the valleys of the Cordilleras, which abound in vegetation.
These very extraordinary phenomena remain as yet unexplained; they,
however, merit the closest investigation of meteorologists.
I may conclude this chapter by a brief view of the Fauna of the higher
vertebral animals. In the region of the coast I have found twenty-six
species of mammalia, only eight of which belong exclusively to the
coast. Sixteen of the other species are to be found in the mountains or
in the forests. The relation of this number to the whole of the mammalia
of Peru is 1:4, 3. Distributed by single orders, they are in the
following proportions:--Bats, four species, of which only one
(_Vespertilio innoxius_, Gerv.) belongs to this region alone. Beasts of
prey, ten kinds; among them one of the mephitic class, known to the
natives by the name of _zorillo_, or _anash_; an otter (_Lutra
chilensis_, Ben.); a fox (_Canis azarae_, Pr. Max.), which abounds in the
cotton plantations in the neighborhood of Lima and throughout all the
Lomas, where he preys on the lambs; several of the feline race, among
which are the two great American species--the puma and the ounce, which
are seldom seen on the coast, but are considerably larger than those in
the mountains. The American lion is timid, and shuns man. When caught
young he is easily tamed. The Indians of the northern provinces
sometimes bring these lions to Lima, and get money for showing them.
They lead them by a string, or put them in large sacks, and carry them
about on their backs, until a show-loving crowd assembles around them.
The ounces are very bold and fierce. They penetrate into plantations,
and attack children and horses. They very cunningly avoid the numerous
snares laid for them by the Indians. An encounter with this animal is
serious and dangerous. A hunt seldom ends without some of the pursuers
being killed or wounded by the animal.
I have already spoken of the seals. There are three kinds of didelphic
or marsupial animals on the coast. The natives call them _mucamuca_.
They live in bushes and shrubberies, and they often find their way into
the store-rooms of the plantations.
Of the great section of the _Rodentia_, I know of only seven species in
Peru; but I have no doubt that this number might be doubled by a careful
search in the valleys on the coast. The common house-mouse is very
numerous in Lima. The brown rat appears seldom. It came to Peru only a
few years ago; but there is reason to apprehend that it will soon be
very numerous. Probably it has been imported by Hamburgh ships. In
Callao I saw specimens of some that had been killed. I did not see the
common black rat in Peru.
The Armadillo (_Dasypus tatuay, Desm._, L.) is seldom seen. It is found
in some of the Yucca and Camote plantations. The negroes eat it, and its
flesh is said to be good.
Of wild ruminating animals there is only one on the coast: it is a kind
of Roe (_Cervus nemorivagus_, F. Cuv., the _venado_ of the natives). The
venados chiefly inhabit the brushwood along the coast; but after sunset
they visit the plantations, where they commit considerable damage. They
are smaller than our European roe, and somewhat more brown. Englishmen
at Lima go out to hunt them. The natives do not take much interest in
the chase. This animal is also met with in the coldest regions of the
Cordilleras; but it does not come down to the old forests, where the Red
Deer (_Cervus rufus_, F. Cuv.) supplies its absence.
In the woods which surround some of the plantations in the valleys of
Lima, wild boars (_Chanchos Simarones_) are occasionally found. They are
of immense size. At the plantation called the _Hacienda de Caraponga_,
one was killed, of which the head alone was an ordinary burthen for a
mule.
The number of birds in this very extensive quarter of Peru (the marine
and river fowl being excepted) is very inconsiderable. The scarcity of
woods and high trees may probably account for this. Besides the carrion
vulture, condors collect in great numbers on the shore to prey on the
stranded whales. Falcons seldom appear, except the small Sparrow Hawk
(_Falco sparverius_, L.), which is very numerous in Peru. One of the
most common birds is the little Earth Owl (_Noctua urucurea_, Less.),
which is met with in nearly all the old ruins scattered along the coast.
The Pearl Owl (_Strix perlata_, L.) is bred in several plantations, as
it is found useful in catching mice. Swallows are not very common; they
do not nestle on the housetops, but on walls at some distance from
towns. The Peruvians give them the euphonious name, _Palomitas de Santa
Rosa_ (Santa Rosa's little pigeons). Among the singing-birds the Crowned
Fly King (_Myoarchus coronatus_, Cab.) is the most distinguished. The
head, breast, and belly of this bird are deep red, the wings and back
very dark brown. He always plants himself on the highest point of a
tree, flies perpendicularly upward, whirls about in the air singing, and
drops down again straight to his former perch. The Limenos have given
this elegant bird a very unbecoming name, which I need not repeat here.
On some parts of the coast it is called _Saca-tu-real_ (draw out your
real), because his song sounds like these words. Some fine Tanagers
(_Tanagra frugilega_, Tsch.; _Tanagra analis_, Tsch.) visit the fruit
gardens round Lima. I saw two birds, of the starling species, the
red-bellied Picho (_Sturnella militaris_, Viell.), and the
glossy-black Chivillo (_Cassicus palliatus_, Tsch.), which are kept
in cages on account of their very melodious song. Three kinds of
parrots, which abound in the valleys on the coast, commit great
depredations in the maize fields. The largest (_Conurus tumultuosus_,
Tsch.) is green, with a red forehead, and some red feathers scattered
over the body. A second sort builds its nest chiefly on the sides of
rocks (_Conurus rupicola_, Tsch.), and only occasionally visits the
plantations. The third is the smallest, but at the same time the most
beautiful of the whole (_Conurus sitophaga_, Tsch.). A fine green
overspreads all the upper part of the body, a blue fringe borders the
feathers of the wings; and a bright citron-yellow is diffused over
the forehead, neck, breast, and belly. It is only seven inches long.
Pigeons, large and small, swarm in such multitudes over the
corn-fields, and in the environs, that they may almost be called the
great plague of the country. One of the finest is the little
_Turtuli_ (_Chaemepelia gracilis_, Tsch.), on the wing of which
there is a row of very beautiful shining violet spots. The _Cuculi_,
one of the largest pigeons, is a great favorite. It is kept much in
cages. Its song, which is monotonous, yet very melodious, is kept up
from the earliest hours of the morning until midday, and it begins
again nearly at sunset. The song consists merely of a threefold
repetition of _cu-cu-li_. After a pause, it resumes the song again.
There are, however, some of those birds which repeat the _cuculi_
oftener than thrice, and their price increases according to the
number of their uninterrupted repetitions, which seldom exceed five
or six. In Cocachacra, however, I heard one of these birds which
repeated its _cuculi_ fourteen times. The owner would not sell it
under fourteen gold ounces.
The amphibia on the Peruvian coast are proportionally much better
represented than the two foregoing classes. The gigantic tortoises
(_Chelonia imbricata_ and _Ch. midas_, Schweig.) visit in great
numbers the few little frequented inlets. The elephant tortoise
(_Testudo Schweigeri_) is often found on some islands, and in the
marshy mouths of several rivers.
Two kinds of Crocodiles (_Champsa sclerops_ and _Ch. fissipes_, Wagl.)
inhabit the Rio de la Chira. They grow to the length of fourteen
or fifteen feet.
Among the lizard class of reptiles, very large bright green Iguanas are
found on the south coast; for instance, in the Caletas near Merillones,
&c.; but there are great numbers of the land Agama, of which I found
several new species, viz., _Steirolepis tigris_, _thoracica_,
_quadrivittata_, _xanthostigma_, Tsch.; _Liolaemus elegans_, Tsch.;
_Ctenoblepharys adspersa_, Tsch., &c., &c. I have already mentioned the
Gecko, called the _Salamanqueja_.
Serpents upon the whole are rather seldom seen. They belong to
different kinds, some poisonous, some innoxious (for example,
_Zacholus_, _Psammophis_, _Oxyrrhopus_, _Siphlophis_, _Ophis_, _Elaps_,
&c., &c.). A very poisonous viper (_Echidna ocellata_, Tsch.) inhabits
the sugar-cane fields. Its bite is almost instantaneously mortal.
The genuine frog is not to be found on the coast, and of the bladder
frog only two kinds are known (_Cystignathus roseus_ and _nodosus_,
Dum. Bibr.). I have found three amphibia of the toad class. The Thorn
toad (_Bufo spinulosus_, Wiegam.), which has its body thickly covered
with a thorny kind of warts. The beautiful red spotted toad (_Bufo
thaul_), and a very curious and ugly kind with a round, swelled out
body, a loose skin, and a large bladder under the chin (_Anaxyrus
melancholicus_, Tsch.). At night the cry of this animal is a discordant
melancholy howl.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 49: Elias is eminent not only as an extensive landowner and
cultivator, but as a statesman. During the revolution of 1843 and 1844,
he was called upon to place himself at the head of the government. He
discharged the duties of that high office with singular judgment and
moderation. He and his lady are distinguished for their courteous and
liberal hospitality; and many foreign visitors, like myself, look back
with pleasure on the happiness they derived from the friendship of Don
Domingo Elias.]
[Footnote 50: An odre is a goat-skin prepared for carrying wine.]
[Footnote 51: The original word is Huanu, which is a term in the
Quichua dialect meaning "animal dung;" for example, _Huanacuhuanu_
(excrement of the Huanacu). As the word is now generally used it is an
abbreviation of _Pishu Huanu--Bird-dung_. The Spaniards have converted
the final syllable _nu_ into _no_, as they do in all the words adopted
from the Quichua which have the like termination. The European
orthography _Guano_, which is also followed in Spanish America, is
quite erroneous, for the Quichua language is deficient in the letter
_G_, as it is in several other consonants. The _H_, in the commencement
of the word, is strongly aspirated, whence the error in the orthography
of the Spaniards, who have sadly corrupted the language of the
Autochthones of Peru.]