A GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE COUNTRY
[Illustration: ON THE WAY TO MARKET.]
Although Peru lies entirely within the tropics, and close to the
equator, yet its climate cannot be called equatorial, nor is the
vegetation exclusively that of the Torrid Zone. Latitude has
comparatively little influence in determining its character, the chief
index to which is to be found in the remarkable physical features of
this extensive territory, one of the largest and richest of the South
American countries. The temperature here varies from equatorial heat to
arctic cold, and the products of all zones flourish within its
boundaries. Lofty peaks, clad in perpetual snow, look down from their
frozen summits on scenes of perennial spring-time; and, from these
lesser heights, the view extends over valleys and forests where summer
reigns throughout the year and Nature is riotous in her extravagances.
According to the best Peruvian authority, the republic extends from
north latitude 1° 29′ to south latitude 19° 12′ 30″; and from meridian
61° 54′ 45″ to 81° 18′ 39″ longitude west of Greenwich, covering an area
of about one million seven hundred thousand square kilometres. Its
boundaries are marked on the north by Ecuador and Colombia; on the east
by Brazil and Bolivia; on the south by Chile; and on the west by the
Pacific Ocean. The settlement of boundary disputes and the definite
establishment of limits between the different countries of South America
are problems that have long taxed the diplomacy of these nations and
proved a persistent drawback to their unity. By mutual agreement, it is
understood that the basis on which the disputed frontiers are to be
defined rests on the division of the territory made by Spain during the
colonial government and recognized at the time of the Independence. The
delays that have occurred in fixing these limits have made the task more
delicate with the passing of time, owing to the increased value of the
lands in dispute, the growing population and other circumstances; but,
fortunately, the vexed problem is rapidly nearing a final solution, most
of the rival claims having been already submitted to arbitration, and
many of them satisfactorily settled. The frontiers indicated in the
accompanying map represent the claims of Peru; though the limits between
this country and its northern and eastern neighbors, as here shown, may
be modified by the decisions that are to result from the arbitration of
friendly nations, chosen by mutual agreement to mark the dividing line;
on the south, the Camarones River forms the boundary between Peru and
Chile, though the latter occupies the provinces of Tacna and Arica
pending the plebiscite agreed upon in the treaty of Ancón.
[Illustration: LAKE OF LA VIUDA, IN THE HIGH SIERRA.]
Between the rainless region of the coast and the dripping forests of the
Montaña, the country is crossed by three mountain ranges that run
parallel through a part of their course, sending out transverse chains
at intervals, or joining together in great _nudos_, “knots,” that form
high plateaus in the midst of lofty peaks, covered with perpetual snow.
By this mountain system, Peru is divided into three distinct regions:
the coast, the sierra, and the Montaña, or wooded plains. The coast
region extends from the sea inland to the Cordilleras, reaching an
altitude of from three thousand to four thousand feet; the sierra
attains a height varying from ten thousand to eighteen thousand feet,
the high altitude, above the limit of vegetation being known as the
_puna_; the Montaña covers nearly two-thirds of the total area of Peru,
stretching from the eastern slope of the Andes to the frontiers of
Brazil and Bolivia.
The coast zone embraces a strip of land about fifteen hundred miles in
length, having an average width of from fifty to one hundred miles. From
the Gulf of Guayaquil, which forms its northern boundary, to the extreme
southern limit of this region the coast line is marked by a succession
of bare cliffs and shifting sandhills; though even this dreary prospect
has its peculiar charm when seen in the lights and shadows of dawn, or
in the still more marvellous colors of the sunset. One is reminded of
the glow that spreads over Alpine summits as the great orb vanishes; in
the fading light, the waters of the Pacific are as purple at the foot of
these rosy rocks as are the deep ravines below the Jungfrau. On this
strip of coast land, rain falls so seldom and in such insignificant
quantities as to be hardly worthy of mention. The only moisture which
the soil receives is derived from the rivers that traverse it on their
way to the sea from the Cordilleras, and the mists that prevail during
the winter season from May to August, caused by the southeast winds.
[Illustration: IN THE VALLEY OF ABANCAY.]
The lack of rain on the Peruvian coast is chiefly due to two important
circumstances, which explain why neither the winds from the Pacific nor
those from the Atlantic discharge any moisture on this sandy soil. The
prevailing winds from the Pacific blow from the southeast and carry very
little moisture, owing to their courses being parallel with that of the
Humboldt current,—a submarine stream from the antarctic, which follows
the line of the Peruvian coast throughout its entire length and has a
temperature seven degrees colder than the ocean; it is a hundred and
fifty miles wide, with a velocity of about a mile an hour. Besides the
southeast wind, a west wind blows across the Pacific, bringing plenty of
rainclouds; but it is checked by the stronger southeast current as it
approaches the coast, and its benefits are lost. The trade winds that
cross the Amazon plain from the Atlantic discharge a great amount of
rain in their course, but when they reach the high altitudes of the
Andean range, their vapor is condensed and falls in the form of snow, no
moisture remaining with which to water the narrow strip that lies
between the Cordilleras and the Pacific. The sea breeze, known as the
_virazón_, is strongest along the southern part of the coast, where,
during the winter months, it sometimes causes inconvenience in the
various harbors, on account of the heavy surf it creates. As a rule, the
Peruvian coast presents few difficulties to navigation. It is seldom
visited by storms, and there are no rocks, reefs, or shoals, to give the
mariner anxiety. A remarkable feature of the ocean in this region is the
appearance, during the winter season, of a current which is supposed to
be a prolongation of the equatorial stream, and which flows in an
opposite direction to the Humboldt current; it is known as the _niño_.
[Illustration: SCENE ON THE TUMBES RIVER.]
Only two seasons are perceptible in the coast region of Peru, the winter
months, from June to November, being cooler than those of summer, from
December to May. Fogs are frequent between December and April, though
they seldom last throughout the day. The heat is never intense, owing to
the influence of the Humboldt current, which modifies the effect of the
sun’s rays. Although apparently barren throughout a large extent of its
territory, the coast zone is really rich in production and supports a
large and flourishing population. In the subsoil of its arid plains,
valuable deposits of petroleum have been found; its uninviting deserts
contain saline beds of great commercial importance; and throughout its
length appear at intervals beautiful and fertile valleys, watered by
abundant streams and yielding enormous harvests of sugar-cane, cotton,
rice, and all kinds of fruits. The rivers of the coast, though numerous,
are of limited extent and volume, nearly all of them having their
sources on the Pacific Slope of the Andes and flowing directly across
the sandy strip of coast land to the ocean. During the summer, when
abundant rains fall in the upper ravines of the Cordilleras, the coast
streams carry plenty of water to irrigate the valleys; a few of them are
navigable for a short distance, but only for small craft. The valleys
drained by these rivers—about fifty in all—are like ribbons of green
crossing the brown sands of the coast; their existence is an indication
of the wealth which might be secured throughout the entire region by
artificial irrigation.
[Illustration: MONZON VALLEY, IN THE HUALLAGA REGION.]
The coast line of Peru presents few indentations. Its principal bays
are: Tumbes, in the extreme north, an inlet from the Gulf of Guayaquil;
Paita and Sechura on the coast of Piura; Chimbote and Samanco near the
northern border of Ancash Department, both large and beautiful bays;
Salinas and Callao, on the Lima coast; Pisco, San Nicolás, and the
famous Bay of Independencia, where San Martin landed the Liberating
Army, on the coast of Ica; and the picturesque bay of Arica. A few
notable capes and promontories mark the sea line, Cape Blanco being the
first point at which the coast curves southward after leaving the Gulf
of Guayaquil; and Point Parinas, the most westerly promontory of South
America. Near the coast, and presenting the same barren aspect, are
several groups of islands belonging to Peru, the most important being
Lobos de Afuera, Lobos de Adentro, and Guañape, in the north, and the
Chincha Islands a few miles from the port of Pisco, south of Callao,
noted for their rich deposits of guano. San Lorenzo Island, which lies
six miles to the southwest of Callao, serves as a protection to the
chief harbor of Peru. They are all desert rocks, though many interesting
prehistoric relics have been found on San Lorenzo which indicate that
this island was at one time the abode of a considerable population,
apparently of the same race as the pre-Incaic inhabitants of the
southern coast district.
[Illustration: ANCÓN, A COAST RESORT NEAR CALLAO.]
Leaving the coast for the sierra, one is impressed by the rapid change
of scene and the beauty of the landscape that unfolds to view in varying
aspects as the lower levels are left behind and the towering majesty of
the Cordilleras appears in closer proximity. The great Andean system not
only divides the region of the coast from that of the Amazon plain, but,
by its peculiar formation, gives to this part of Peru certain features
not to be found in any other country. Where the Andes mountains cross
the border between Peru and Bolivia, they consist of three high ranges,
viz., the Occidental and Oriental Cordilleras and an intermediary or
central chain. Near Lake Titicaca the Cordilleras join to form the Nudo
of Vilcanota; and about three degrees farther north, following a
northwesterly direction, they again unite in the Nudo of Cerro de Pasco.
The average height of the great ranges, from the Bolivian border as far
north as seven degrees south latitude, is from thirteen thousand to
seventeen thousand feet above sea level, a few peaks rising above twenty
thousand feet; then the altitude diminishes to an average of from nine
thousand to ten thousand feet, with frequent openings or passes not more
than seven thousand feet above sea level. Farther north, crossing the
border of Ecuador, the altitude is again increased to the limit of
perpetual snow. Between the mountain ranges extends a high uneven
plateau, broken by deep ravines and gorges, where transverse chains have
destroyed the regularity of the majestic Cordilleras; in this
inter-Andean region are also fertile valleys marking the courses of
streams which have their origin in the Nudos of Vilcanota or Cerro de
Pasco, and which flow between the ranges, until an opening occurs to
give them passage to the plains of the mighty Amazon.
The abundance of moisture carried by the winds from the Atlantic, and
deposited on the Andean summits in the form of snow, accounts for the
existence of several lakes at great altitudes in this region; in most
cases, an opening in the surrounding mountains has caused an overflow
into lower levels, thus originating the greatest river system of South
America. There are evidences in the plains and valleys of the high
sierras that these were at one time lakes, their waters having
disappeared in consequence of the gradual wearing away of the opening
and the levelling of the bed of the lake by sediments deposited in the
course of ages. A few of these inter-Andean lakes still remain. The
famous Lake Titicaca, which lies partly in Peruvian and partly in
Bolivian territory, and which covers an area of more than eight thousand
square kilometres, at an altitude of twelve thousand five hundred feet
above sea level, is one of the most remarkable bodies of water in the
world; it is the highest navigable lake on the globe, and is celebrated
in South American tradition as the cradle of the Inca dynasty. Steam
navigation was established on this lake in 1867, between the Peruvian
port of Puno, at the Titicaca terminus of the Southern railway from
Mollendo, and the Bolivian port of Guaqui, at the Titicaca terminus of
the La Paz railway. The trip across the lake by steamer takes from
twelve to fifteen hours, during which one may enjoy a most unusual
experience, not only “on a sea above the clouds” but at times in view of
a whole range of resplendent snow summits, glistening under a sky of
marvellous blue. Many rivers and streams flow into Lake Titicaca, though
only one, the Desaguadero, has its source in that lake. From the Nudo of
Vilcanota at the north flow the rivers Suchis, Huancane, and Ramis, with
their affluents; from the west, having their origin in the high sierra
between Arequipa and Puno, descend the Cabanillas and Lampa, confluents
of the Coata; and from the south, the Blanco, Juli, and smaller streams
empty into the great lake. Besides Titicaca, Peru has several lakes of
less extensive area, the most noted being the Laguna de Junin, famous as
the site of the historic victory won by the patriot army over the
colonial forces of Spain; Rimachuma in the Department of Loreto, and
Arapa in Puno, are of considerable importance.
[Illustration: THE BELL ROCK OF ETEN.]
[Illustration: QUEBRADA SANTA ROSA, ANCASH DEPARTMENT.]
The Laguna of Santa Ana, in the Department of Huánuco, though only six
square miles in circumference, is worthy of mention as the source of the
Marañon, one of the parent streams of the great Amazon River. It is
situated in the Nudo of Cerro de Pasco, a few leagues northwest of
Junin. The Ucayali and the Madeira—the latter with its tributaries, the
Beni and the Madre de Dios, being the longest of all the Amazon’s
tributaries—have their source in the Nudo of Vilcanota, and, like the
Marañon, have an inter-Andean course for a considerable distance before
entering the vast Amazon plain. On the route from Puno to Cuzco, at a
point called La Raya, the mountain summits surround a small basin, in
the midst of which is a little pond; from this insignificant beginning,
two streams take their course in opposite directions,—the Ramis, which
flows into Lake Titicaca, and the Vilcanota, afterward the Urubamba,
which, after forming a junction with the Apurimac, another important
river of this region, becomes the chief affluent of the Ucayali. The
Urubamba and the Apurimac run parallel along the separate valleys formed
between the Occidental and Oriental ranges by the intermediary chain
which accompanies them from the Nudo of Vilcanota northward, until the
three Cordilleras join again in the Nudo of Cerro de Pasco. Separating
north of Cerro de Pasco, these three great ranges form the valleys of
the Marañon and the Huallaga. The rapids, or “pongos,” which interrupt
navigation on nearly all the Amazon tributaries at some point of their
course, usually indicate a break in the enclosing Andean walls,
simultaneous with a change of their direction, the river resisting an
effort to turn its channel, and plunging through the narrow gorge that
affords it escape.
The rivers which have their source in Vilcanota or Cerro de Pasco are no
more than little rivulets of melted snow as they first appear in the
crevices of the high sierra; but they are fed by a thousand streams
along their course, and increase rapidly in volume as they flow toward
the plain, following the channel cut for them in the course of ages, now
carved so deep that, in some places, it lies at the bottom of a chasm
thousands of feet below the level of the bordering hills and plains. It
is only after leaving the region of the sierra that these rivers are
navigable, though they are capable of supplying unlimited motive power
for manufacturing and other purposes. Many of them are famous in history
and a few have claims to particular interest through their association
with the legends and traditions of the Incas. The Apurimac, across which
Maita-Ccapac swung the first American suspension bridge, has its source
in the Laguna de Vilafro, fourteen thousand feet above sea level, in the
Department of Arequipa. It receives many affluents, and, as it descends
into the lower valleys, drains a country rich in agriculture, one of the
most productive regions of Peru. It was on the border of this river that
General Sucre and his army were encamped by Bolivar’s orders, when the
news of the royalist army’s approach led to the rapid change of plans
which resulted in General Sucre’s becoming the hero of Ayacucho. To-day,
the beautiful valleys of this region blossom with the fruits of peaceful
industry, and thriving towns adorn its landscapes. Abancay, the
picturesque capital of the Department of Apurimac, is surrounded by
sugar plantations, and the _campiña_ is dotted with mulberry trees, the
silkworm industry being a profitable source of revenue.
The Urubamba River, like the Apurimac, flows through a fertile valley,
crossing the Department of Cuzco in a northwesterly course from the
border of Puno to the southern limit of Loreto, where it forms a
confluence with the Tambo—as the Apurimac is called after receiving its
last tributary, the Perené,—and enters the broad channel of the Ucayali.
The Urubamba has a number of tributaries, the most important of which is
the Paucartambo; along the courses of these rivers are fields of
sugar-cane, and in the lower valleys grow cacao and all tropical fruits.
The Marañon, and its tributary, the Huallaga, flowing northward from the
Nudo of Cerro de Pasco, water a region of surpassing fertility, in the
valleys of which are to be seen every variety of agricultural product.
The Marañon receives a great many tributaries from the Occidental range
as it flows northward across the Department of Huánuco, turning
northwest between Loreto and Ancash, and traversing the Department of La
Libertad. After dividing the Departments of Cajamarca and Amazonas for
some distance, it makes a curve to the northeast and, turning sharply in
an easterly direction, pursues a tortuous course until joined by the
Ucayali, to form the Amazon. In changing its direction from northwest to
east, the Marañon passes the “pongo,” or falls, of Manserriche, the last
and most important of a series of rapids which mark an effort to free
its current from the confining Andes. From the north, the Marañon
receives the Santiago, Morona, Pastaza, Tigre, and other tributaries,
while from the south, its chief affluent is the Huallaga. The greatest
variety of scenery and climate marks its course, which begins on the
high _puna_, in the midst of snowy peaks, and descends between mountain
slopes, on which cattle and sheep graze in perennial pastures, through
valleys dotted with orchards, and fertile levels where cotton, tobacco,
and sugar-cane grow, to the region of the Montaña, fruitful in cacao,
coca, and other products of a tropical zone. In the valleys drained by
the tributaries of the Marañon are situated some of the most prosperous
farms and plantations of Peru, though the wealth of this region has
never been exploited on a scale of sufficient importance to show what it
is capable of producing. Cajamarca, the capital of the Department of the
same name, and Chachapoyas, the capital of the Department of Amazonas,
are the most important industrial centres of this inter-Andean valley.
[Illustration: NATIVE BOATMEN ON LAKE TITICACA.]
Cajamarca, the historic city of the Conquest, celebrated as the site of
the capture and execution of Atahuallpa, lies in an oval plain
surrounded by mountains and traversed by the Camarca River, a branch of
the Marañon. Interesting ruins remain to give an idea of the great
structures built by the Incas or their predecessors, and the hot springs
are as efficacious to-day as they were when the last unhappy monarch of
Cuzco found them a source of royal comfort and pleasure. The valley of
Cajamarca is well cultivated, the inhabitants being industrious and
thrifty.
Leaving the inter-Andean region for the Montaña, it is interesting to
observe the contrast in scenery and natural conditions. In the Andean
valleys, the traveller who departs from the line of the railway must
journey in a coach or on muleback; in the Montaña, the small steamer or
the canoe is the accustomed means of travel through the forest, the
waterways of this region affording transportation throughout their
entire length. Among the most important rivers having their source in
the Montaña—generally in a ledge branching off from the foothills of the
Andes, are the Yavary, Yuruá, Purús, and some tributaries of the Madeira
River. The great waterways, with their affluents, form a network of
communication in the Amazon country, and contribute greatly to the
development of the rich resources of this vast zone, which is
essentially tropical, yielding the valuable products of the rubber tree,
the dyewoods, medicinal herbs and hardwoods of commerce, and other
precious gifts of nature.
With such a great variety of physical conditions as those which govern
Peru, it is not surprising that its climate should present many
contrasts, and some unique features. In the coast region, owing to the
proximity of the snow-clad Andes and the cold Humboldt current, the
average temperature is lower than that of any other country extending
over the same degrees of latitude; in winter, the thermometer registers
an average temperature of fifteen degrees centigrade, and in summer the
average is twenty-six degrees centigrade, the hottest days marking no
higher than thirty degrees in the shade. The mildness of the climate
makes this region of Peru an agreeable place of residence even to those
accustomed to the bracing air of the temperate zone; it is not so liable
to the epidemics of a tropical climate as are less favored countries in
the same latitude; and, with proper sanitation and the adoption of
modern hygienic measures, there is no reason why the Peruvian coast
should not be a paradise of health and longevity.
The climate of the sierra varies with the location and altitude of the
inter-Andean valleys and the plateaus that separate them. In the lower
slopes of the Cordilleras, the heat is greater than on the tablelands,
which have a temperate climate; while on the lofty, snow-clad summits of
the range, the cold is as intense as in the arctic regions. The seasons
of the sierra are divided differently from those of the coast; the rainy
season, from November to May, being called winter, and the dry season,
though colder, being known as summer. The average temperature, within
the populated region of the sierra, is ten degrees centigrade during the
day and five degrees at night, the absence of the sun making a great
difference in the atmosphere. The pure air of the plateaus is very
beneficial to consumptives, and Jauja, Tarma, Huancayo, and other towns
of the sierra have become famous as health resorts.
In the Montaña, the two seasons correspond to those of the sierra, the
wet season being from November to May, called winter, and the dry and
cooler season called summer. As the region of the Montaña slopes away
from the Cordilleras, its higher levels present the evidences of a
tropical zone in the exuberance of their vegetation, though the climate
is as cool and mild as that of southern Europe. Foreigners who live in
this region pronounce it healthful and delightful, as malaria is
unknown, and illness of any kind is a rare visitor. As one descends to
the lower Amazon plain, the heat becomes intense in places, though it is
generally modified by the daily showers and the cooling effect of the
trade winds. Taken as a whole, the climate of Peru may be considered
benign and healthful, and favorable to the acclimation of foreigners,
the conditions being such that every stranger may find, somewhere in the
country, the same climate as in his native land, or a better one.
[Illustration: A LAKE AMONG THE GLACIERS OF YAULI.]
The extensive territory of Peru, well provided by nature to meet the
needs of a great population, has at present between four and five
million inhabitants. The coast region supports one-fourth of this
population, having an average of 4.53 inhabitants to each square
kilometre; the sierra has about two-thirds of the entire population,
with an average of 5.32 to each square kilometre: and the Montaña, with
less than half a million inhabitants in its vast forests and plains,
shows only one inhabitant to every three kilometres. It is in this
region that the greatest opportunities are offered for colonization. Of
the total population, the official statistics give fifteen per cent to
those of European descent; fifty per cent are of Peruvian (Indian)
origin; two per cent are African, one per cent is Asiatic, and the
remainder are of mixed races, chiefly European and Indian. In the
predominance of the descendants of the Incas’ gentle and obedient
subjects is explained the peaceable and tractable character of the
masses, whose faults are rather those of indolence than of evil
intention. The governing class is chiefly of Spanish origin; and,
notwithstanding all that has been written to the contrary, their Latin
inheritance has peculiarly fitted them to be the rulers of this refined
race. The Spanish conquerors treated the Indians with great cruelty, it
is true, and reduced their number by forcing them to unaccustomed tasks;
but the Indians of North America hardly fared better under the zeal and
energy of the Puritan colonist, who instead of making them his servants,
drove them away from their homes, took possession of their country, and
gave himself no responsibility as to their future in this world,—though
earnestly seeking to teach them how to find a haven in the next.
Peru could very well support many times its present population, which is
only equal to that of Holland, though the Department of Lima alone
covers more territory than the entire Dutch republic. The Department of
Arequipa, equal to Switzerland in extent, and resembling it in
mountainous character, though having the advantage of several good
seaports, has only one-tenth of the population of that inland country.
England covers less area than the Department of Cuzco, yet has a hundred
times the population. One of the reasons for the limited European
population to be found in South American countries is their remoteness
from the great highways of travel, which have hitherto been between
countries of the northern hemisphere. But the twentieth century finds
the extension of international relations making rapid advances south of
the equator; and new steamship lines are being constantly inaugurated to
connect the ports of Europe and North America with those of the
trans-equatorial countries. Nearly all these countries have good
seaports and railway facilities for transportation to the interior. When
the Panamá Canal is opened, Peru will be placed within easy
communication with New York and Europe; in the meantime, the service is
being improved so that it will soon be possible to make the trip from
the Peruvian port of Callao to New York in ten days.
In a general description of the country, it is not possible to give
details regarding the many interesting features of coast, sierra, and
Montaña; the coast is closely related to its highland neighbor and may
even dispute boundaries, where the mountains crowd near to the sea; the
sierra and the Montaña encroach on each other’s domain in the equatorial
region, offshoots of the great Andean chain extending far into the
Amazon valley, while the virgin forest climbs high up the sides of the
Cordillera’s slope. Many of the coast departments extend inland to the
great range, and, as in Ancash, have their chief city in the sierra. Not
far from Huaraz, the capital of Ancash, rises the lofty peak of
Huascarán or Huascán, said to be one of the highest of the Western
range, and in the coast departments of Arequipa, Moquegua, and Tacna are
several extinct volcanoes, the summits of which are covered with
perpetual snow.
Owing to the fact that the various altitudes of Peru have a modifying
effect on the natural conditions of soil and climate, even though the
latitude is equatorial, the same kinds of products are found in nearly
all the departments, though each of the three natural divisions—the
coast, the sierra, and the Montaña—has also its own peculiar vegetation,
not to be found in the other regions. Along the coast are fisheries of
growing importance; the Peruvian government has engaged the services of
an expert from the United States to study the conditions most favorable
to pisciculture and the results are most satisfactory. According to a
recent report sent to the Minister of Fomento in reference to the
fisheries of Lobos de Afuera and Lobos de Tierra, there is an abundance
of fish off the shores of these islands. The _peje-aguja_, “needle
fish,” measures as much as two and a half feet in length; the
_anchoveta_, _peje-blanco_, _bonito_, _cabrilla_, _castañeta_, _charlo_,
_morena_ (three feet long), _sardine_ and _tiburon_ are among the
largest varieties, besides which there are innumerable small fry. These
islands have long been frequented by fishermen from the mainland, the
inhabitants of Eten, Pacasmayo, and other coast towns having established
a considerable trade in this product. In their primitive-looking boats,
called _balsas_, the fishermen carry provisions and other necessary
articles for a month’s sojourn on the islands, where they settle
themselves until they are ready to make the return voyage. As soon as a
fish is caught it is killed by a blow on the head, and each day’s
“catch” is salted after the fishing is over. Nets are rarely used in
these waters, the hook and line being usually employed.
But although the islands of Peru yield an abundance of fish, it is as
the centre of the guano industry that they are chiefly known. The
history of the Chincha Islands, of Lobos de Afuera and Lobos de Tierra
is especially interesting as it relates to the pelican’s haunts and the
wealth stored on their desert rocks by millions of these birds.
[Illustration: NATURAL ARCH OF STONE AT HUANCANE, NEAR LAKE TITICACA.]