Produced by Annie R. McGuire
[Illustration: Book Cover]
[Illustration: MAP OF SOUTH AMERICA]
[Illustration]
THE BOY TRAVELLERS IN
SOUTH AMERICA
ADVENTURES OF TWO YOUTHS IN A JOURNEY THROUGH
ECUADOR, PERU, BOLIVIA, BRAZIL, PARAGUAY, ARGENTINE REPUBLIC, AND CHILI
WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF PATAGONIA AND TIERRA DEL FUEGO, AND
VOYAGES UPON THE AMAZON AND LA PLATA RIVERS
BY
THOMAS W. KNOX
AUTHOR OF
"THE YOUNG NIMRODS IN NORTH AMERICA" "THE YOUNG NIMRODS AROUND THE
WORLD"
"THE BOY TRAVELLERS IN THE FAR EAST: ADVENTURES OF TWO YOUTHS IN
A JOURNEY TO JAPAN AND CHINA--TO SIAM AND JAVA--TO CEYLON AND
INDIA--TO EGYPT AND THE HOLY LAND--TO CENTRAL AFRICA"
"THE VOYAGE OF THE VIVIAN" ETC., ETC.
Illustrated
NEW YORK
HARPER & BROTHERS, FRANKLIN SQUARE
1886
By THOMAS W. KNOX.
* * * * *
THE BOY TRAVELLERS IN THE FAR EAST. Five Volumes. Copiously Illustrated.
8vo, Cloth, $3.00 each. The volumes sold separately. Each volume
complete in itself.
I. ADVENTURES OF TWO YOUTHS IN A JOURNEY TO JAPAN AND CHINA.
II. ADVENTURES OF TWO YOUTHS IN A JOURNEY TO SIAM AND JAVA. With
Descriptions of Cochin China, Cambodia, Sumatra, and the
Malay Archipelago.
III. ADVENTURES OF TWO YOUTHS IN A JOURNEY TO CEYLON AND INDIA. With
Descriptions of Borneo, the Philippine Islands, and Burmah.
IV. ADVENTURES OF TWO YOUTHS IN A JOURNEY TO EGYPT AND PALESTINE.
V. ADVENTURES OF TWO YOUTHS IN A JOURNEY THROUGH AFRICA.
THE BOY TRAVELLERS IN SOUTH AMERICA. Adventures of Two Youths in a
Journey through Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Argentine
Republic, and Chili; with Descriptions of Patagonia and Tierra del
Fuego, and Voyages upon the Amazon and La Plata Rivers. Copiously
Illustrated. 8vo, Cloth.
THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN" TO THE NORTH POLE AND BEYOND. Adventures of
Two Youths in the Open Polar Sea. Copiously Illustrated. 8vo, Cloth,
$2.50.
HUNTING ADVENTURES ON LAND AND SEA. Two Volumes. Copiously Illustrated.
8vo, Cloth, $2.50 each. The volumes sold separately. Each volume
complete in itself.
I. THE YOUNG NIMRODS IN NORTH AMERICA.
II. THE YOUNG NIMRODS AROUND THE WORLD.
* * * * *
PUBLISHED BY HARPER & BROTHERS, NEW YORK.
_Any of the above volumes sent by mail, postage prepaid, to any part of
the United States or Canada, on receipt of the price._
* * * * *
Copyright, 1885, by HARPER & BROTHERS.--_All rights reserved._
PREFACE.
The plan of this volume is almost identically that of "The Boy
Travellers in the Far East." Frank Bassett and Fred Bronson, with their
accomplished mentor, Doctor Bronson, have traversed the length and
breadth of the South American Continent from the Isthmus of Panama to
the Strait of Magellan. Twice have they crossed the Andes; they have
descended the Madeira and the Amazon rivers; navigated the La Plata and
the Paraguay; visited the principal cities of the continent, and studied
the manners and customs of the many people whom they encountered on
their way. For the information of their friends and schoolmates at home
they recorded the results of their travels and observations, and it is
the author's pleasure to tell the story of their journey.
The characters of the story are fictitious, but the descriptions of
everything coming under the observation of the Boy Travellers, or
learned in their wanderings, are intended to be as nearly exact as
possible. The author has not relied alone upon his personal knowledge of
South America, but has drawn from the narratives of others who preceded
or have followed him. It has been his earnest endeavor to present a
realistic picture of South America; its lofty mountains, magnificent
rivers, luxuriant forests, and fertile pampas, together with the many
varieties of people that form its populations; their governments as we
find them to-day, and an epitome of their history from ancient times. He
earnestly hopes for the same kindly reception by press and public that
was accorded to his volumes of a similar nature concerning Asia and
Africa.
Many works of travel have been examined in the preparation of this book.
Some of these are mentioned in the narrative, but it has not been
practicable to refer to all. The author acknowledges his great
indebtedness to that prince of travellers, Alexander Von Humboldt, whose
graphic description was the first adequate picture of the South American
continent ever presented to the world. He is specially indebted to the
admirable work of the Hon. E. George Squier, upon "Peru and the Land of
the Incas," not alone for information about the country and people, but
for several illustrations which have been kindly loaned for this volume.
He is also under obligations to the following books: "The Andes and the
Amazon," by Professor James Orton; "Brazil and the Brazilians," by J. C.
Fletcher and D. P. Kidder; "Life in Brazil," by Thomas Ewbank; "Fifteen
Thousand Miles on the Amazon," by Brown and Lidstone; "Brazil, Amazons,
and Coast," by H. H. Smith; "Wanderings in Patagonia," by J. Beerbohm;
"Across Patagonia," by Lady Florence Dixie; and, "The War between Peru
and Chili," by Clements R. Markham. The reports of the surveys and
explorations of the various proposed routes for an inter-oceanic canal
have supplied important data, and the officers of the company engaged in
cutting the Panama Canal have cheerfully answered the author's
interrogatories concerning that enterprise.
The publishers have kindly allowed the use of illustrations from their
previous publications on South America, in addition to those specially
prepared for this work, or obtained from Mr. Squier's "Peru." As a
consequence of their courtesy the author has been able to present a
"copiously illustrated" book, which is always a delight to the youthful
eye.
T. W. K.
NEW YORK, _July_, 1885.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I. PAGE
FROM NEW YORK TO THE ISTHMUS OF PANAMA.--INCIDENTS OF THE
VOYAGE.--OLD TIMES AND THE PRESENT.--ASPINWALL.--A TROPICAL
CITY.--THE TEREDO.--ENTRANCE OF THE PANAMA CANAL. 13
CHAPTER II.
FIRST DAY ON THE ISTHMUS.--THE PANAMA CANAL.--HISTORY OF THE
CANAL ENTERPRISE.--PLANS OF BALBOA AND OTHERS.--THE VARIOUS
ROUTES PROPOSED.--STRAIN'S SURVEY OF DARIEN.--VISITING THE
WORKS AT PANAMA. 27
CHAPTER III.
OVER THE ISTHMUS.--A PROFITABLE RAILWAY.--ISTHMUS FEVER.--
TROPICAL TREES, FLOWERS, AND ANIMALS.--SIGHTS IN PANAMA.--THE
CATHEDRAL.--A STROLL ON THE BEACH.--THE PARADISE OF
CONCHOLOGISTS. 43
CHAPTER IV.
"THE PLACE OF FISH."--AN EXCURSION TO OLD PANAMA.--VISITING A
HERMIT.--DRINKING CHICHI.--RUINS OF THE CITY.--MORGAN THE
BUCCANEER.--HIS HISTORY AND EXPLOITS.--HOW HE CAPTURED PANAMA. 65
CHAPTER V.
FROM PANAMA TO GUAYAQUIL.--VASCO NUNEZ DE BALBOA.--HIS
ADVENTURES AND DEATH.--SCENES IN GUAYAQUIL.--FIRST EXPERIENCE
WITH SOUTH AMERICAN EARTHQUAKES. 85
CHAPTER VI.
THE PARADISE OF EARTHQUAKES.--FROM GUAYAQUIL TO QUITO.--A RIDE
OVER THE MOUNTAINS.--ALL CLIMATES UNITED IN ONE.--THE PLAINS
OF ECUADOR.--CHIMBORAZO AND COTOPAXI. 105
CHAPTER VII.
DESCRIPTION OF QUITO.--VISIT TO THE VOLCANO OF PICHINCHA.--THE
DEEPEST CRATER IN THE WORLD.--ROUTE OVER THE ANDES TO THE
AMAZON.--RETURN TO THE COAST. 122
CHAPTER VIII.
FROM GUAYAQUIL TO CALLAO.--LANDING AT PAITA.--THE SITE OF OLD
CALLAO.--ARRIVAL AT LIMA.--SIGHTS OF THE PERUVIAN CAPITAL.--
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE CITY AND ITS INHABITANTS. 141
CHAPTER IX.
EQUESTRIANS AND THEIR COSTUMES.--LADIES OF LIMA.--EXCURSIONS
AMONG RUINS.--PACHACAMAC, A HOLY CITY.--THE ANCIENT PERUVIANS.--
ORIGIN OF THE INCA GOVERNMENT. 160
CHAPTER X.
RAILWAYS OVER THE ANDES.--FROM LIMA TO MOLLENDO, AREQUIPA, AND
LAKE TITICACA.--THE CHINCHA ISLANDS AND THE SODA DESERTS.--UP
THE ANDES BY STEAM.--IN A RAILWAY CARRIAGE FOURTEEN THOUSAND
FEET ABOVE THE SEA. 177
CHAPTER XI.
PUNO AND LAKE TITICACA.--COCA AND ITS PROPERTIES.--THE LLAMA
AND HIS KINDRED.--EXCURSION TO THE SACRED ISLAND OF THE INCAS. 193
CHAPTER XII.
COATI ISLAND AND THE RUINS OF TIAHUANACO.--RETURN TO PUNO.--
CUZCO, AND THE TEMPLES, PALACES, AND FORTRESSES OF THE INCAS.--
PLANS FOR DEPARTURE. 212
CHAPTER XIII.
LEAVING PUNO.--CROSSING LAKE TITICACA.--RESOURCES OF BOLIVIA.--
SILVER MINING.--PRIMITIVE LODGINGS.--BEGINNING THE JOURNEY TO
THE EASTWARD. 229
CHAPTER XIV.
OVER THE EASTERN ANDES INTO THE AMAZON VALLEY.--AN EXCITING
JOURNEY.--ADVENTURES BY THE WAY.--TROUBLES OF TRAVELLING WITH
A TIGER. 243
CHAPTER XV.
DOWN THE RIVER.--ARRIVAL ON THE BENI.--BIRDS OF THE AMAZON
VALLEY.--BUILDING A HUT.--HUNTING WITH POISONED ARROWS.--
TURTLES, AND TURTLE-HUNTING. 258
CHAPTER XVI.
DOWN THE BENI.--PRODUCTS OF THE VALLEY.--PLANS FOR DEVELOPING
COMMERCE.--OBSTRUCTIONS TO NAVIGATION.--VOYAGE ON THE MAMORÉ. 275
CHAPTER XVII.
HUNTING THE TAPIR.--AMONG THE CARIPUNA INDIANS.--ARRIVAL AT
THE FALLS OF THE MADEIRA.--MAKING INDIA-RUBBER. 290
CHAPTER XVIII.
SLOW TRANSIT.--PASSING AROUND THE FALLS.--ANCIENT
INSCRIPTIONS.--THE MADEIRA TO THE AMAZON.--THE JANUARY
RIVER.--THE AMAZON FOREST. 306
CHAPTER XIX.
FROM THE MADEIRA TO THE RIO NEGRO.--OTHER TRIBUTARIES OF THE
AMAZON.--NOTES ON THE GREAT RIVER.--MANAOS.--DOWN THE AMAZON
TO PARA. 322
CHAPTER XX.
PARA.--ITS BUSINESS AND CHARACTERISTICS.--THE ISLAND OF
MARAJO.--DOWN THE COAST.--PERNAMBUCO.--THE SUGAR INDUSTRY. 337
CHAPTER XXI.
BAHIA AND ITS INDUSTRIES.--RIO JANEIRO.--THE BAY AND THE
CITY.--SIGHTS OF THE CAPITAL.--EMPEROR DOM PEDRO II. 354
CHAPTER XXII.
THE SIGHTS OF RIO.--PUBLIC BUILDINGS, AQUEDUCT, CHURCHES,
MIRACLES, AND FUNERALS.--VISIT TO TIJUCA AND PETROPOLIS.--THE
SERRA. 373
CHAPTER XXIII.
RAILWAYS IN BRAZIL.--COFFEE PLANTATIONS.--MANDIOCA AND ITS
CULTURE.--TERRIBLE FAMINES.--SLAVERY AND EMANCIPATION. 390
CHAPTER XXIV.
RETURN TO THE CAPITAL.--INTRUDO SPORTS.--MUSEUM AT RIO.--
MONTEVIDEO AND BUENOS AYRES.--THE ARGENTINE REPUBLIC.--
ASCENDING THE RIVER PLATE. 404
CHAPTER XXV.
VISITING A CATTLE ESTATE.--THE LASSO AND BOLAS.--ASCENDING
THE PARAGUAY AND PARANA RIVERS.--ROSARIO AND ASUNCION.--
PARAGUAYAN WAR.--INDUSTRIES OF THE COUNTRY.--MATÉ. 420
CHAPTER XXVI.
RETURN TO BUENOS AYRES.--DIVIDING THE PARTY.--TWO ROUTES TO
VALPARAISO.--FRANK'S JOURNEY OVER THE PAMPAS.--MENDOZA.--AT
THE FOOT OF THE ANDES. 437
CHAPTER XXVII.
INCIDENTS OF A RIDE OVER THE ANDES.--CONTRACT WITH THE
ARRIERO.--PASSES BETWEEN CHILI AND THE ARGENTINE REPUBLIC.--
NIGHT SCENES.--DANGERS OF THE ROAD.--A PERILOUS POSITION.--
USPALLATA.--AT THE CREST OF THE ANDES. 453
CHAPTER XXVIII.
DOWN THE WESTERN SLOPE OF THE ANDES.--A LONG IMPRISONMENT IN
THE SNOW.--"THE SOLDIER'S LEAP."--SANTA ROSA.--SANTIAGO.--
ARRIVAL AT VALPARAISO. 469
CHAPTER XXIX.
STRAIT OF MAGELLAN.--FALKLAND ISLANDS.--A PENGUIN CITY.--SANDY
POINT.--HUNTING THE OSTRICH AND GUANACO.--PATAGONIAN GIANTS. 485
CHAPTER XXX.
MUTINY AT SANDY POINT.--TIERRA DEL FUEGO.--MISSIONARY
ENTERPRISES THERE.--CAPTAIN GARDINER.--CRUISE OF THE
"WATEREE."--SIDE-WHEEL DUCKS.--UP THE PACIFIC COAST.--THE
MEETING AT VALPARAISO.--THE END. 498
ILLUSTRATIONS.
At the Foot of the Andes _Frontispiece._
On the Sea Again 13
The Fog Clearing away 14
Sandy Hook Light-ship 15
A Stranded Ship 17
Weighing Baggage 18
The Shipworm and his Work 19
The Donkey's Descent 21
The Wharf at Aspinwall 22
Departure for Panama 23
Native Market, Aspinwall 25
Preparing for a Boat Excursion 26
Balboa taking Possession of the Pacific 28
The Isthmus of Darien 29
Rescue of the Survivors of Strain's Expedition 30
Strain's Arrival at the Coast 31
View on the Chagres River 32
Beach near Aspinwall 34
In the Rainy Season 35
A Hand-car Journey on the Panama Railway 36
Surveying under Difficulties 37
Native Village on the Isthmus 38
Native Idea of the Locomotive 39
The Espiritu Santo Flower 40
Gatun Station 41
A Tropical Harbor 42
Map of the Panama Railway 43
Crossing the Isthmus in 1849 45
A Bongo 46
Bridge Across the Chagres River at Barbacoas 47
Meeting a Train 48
The Humming-bird at Work 49
The Singing Hummer 49
The Iguana 49
A Centipede 50
A Scorpion 50
Exhibiting a Tarantula 51
Hills near the Railway 52
Map Showing how Ocean Routes are Shortened by the Panama Canal 53
Basaltic Cliff 55
Panama in the Distance 56
Station at Panama 57
Cathedral at Panama 58
Ramparts, with Old Cannon 59
Water-carrier and Native Woman 60
Gate of the Monks 61
Ruins of Church of San Domingo 62
A Remarkable Archway 63
Ruined Church 64
View from the Ramparts at Panama 65
On the Northeastern Beach 66
Watch-tower of San Jerome 68
A Hermit at Home 70
Making Chichi 71
Bridge at Old Panama 72
Slaughter of Priests by Buccaneers 74
Pirates' Rendezvous 75
Buccaneers Embarking on an Expedition 76
Morgan's Reception at Chagres 78
Morgan's Men Dining on Leather 79
Death of the Indian Chief 80
Moving Through the Forest 81
Capture of Old Panama by Morgan. (Fac-simile of an old print) 83
The Lucky Arrow 84
Bay of Panama, from the Southeastern Rampart 85
Coast Scene Below Panama 86
Cave Near Limon River 87
Vasco Nunez De Balboa 89
Balboa Carried on Shipboard 90
Balboa Makes his Appearance 91
Village on a River of Darien 93
Balboa and the Indian Princess 94
Quarrel for the Gold 95
Marching Through the Forest 97
Discovery of the Pacific 98
Cutting Timber for the Ships 99
Death of Balboa 100
Cathedral of Guayaquil 102
Street Scene and Ruins 103
In the Land of the Earthquake 104
The Central Part of Ecuador 106
Las Bodegas, Guayas River 107
A House in the Tropics 108
Cacao 109
Arriero and Traveller 110
In Holiday Costume 111
A Pack-train Under Way 112
A Mountain Cascade 115
Baron von Humboldt in 1802 116
Native Huts Near Guaranda 117
Among the Lava Beds 118
View of Cotopaxi 119
View of Quito and the Volcano of Pichincha 120
Inca Gateway and Fortress in the Andes 121
Crossing the Mountains 122
A Street in Quito 123
Palacio de Gobierno (Government House), Quito 124
Water-carriers 125
Priests and Monks 126
Laundresses of Quito 128
Balcony View of the Andes 130
The Crater of Pichincha 131
El Altar, Volcano, Ecuador 133
View of Ibarra, Ecuador 135
Napo Indian Porter 137
Descending the Napo 138
Mountain Pass in the Andes 139
Rapids in a Mountain Stream of South America 140
Water-carrier and Donkeys 141
Desert Scene 142
A Wolf Emigrating 143
Ships in a Fog 145
A Garden on the Rimac 147
A Claimant for the Sidewalk 148
View of Lima from the Steps of the Cathedral 149
Lima and the Surrounding Country 150
Wearing the "Saya y Manto" 151
A Lady of Lima 152
Interior Court, Lima 154
Bridge over the Rimac, Lima 155
One Use for Chickens 156
Ladies of Lima at Home 157
Peruvian Infantry and Cavalry 158
A Passage of Politeness 159
A Peruvian Cavalier 160
Horse-breakers at Work 161
Native Women of Lima 163
Ruins of Pachacamac 164
Head of Peruvian Statue 165
Terraced Space on a Hill-top 165
Peruvian Mummies 166
Sepulchral Tower 167
Golden Vase Found in a Tomb 167
Silver Vase 168
Peruvian Idol 168
Peruvian Copper Knives 169
Ruins on Titicaca Island 169
Part of Temple of the Sun, Cuzco 170
Outer Wall of Fortress of Cuzco 171
Stones in the Wall of Cuzco 171
Part of Wall of Fortress 172
Peruvian Vases 173
Ornaments of Peruvian Walls 174
Ancient Palace at Huanco 175
Doorway Cut Through a Single Stone 175
Central Figure over Doorway 176
Deep Cutting on a Railway 177
Among the Foot-hills 178
Guano Islands 181
Sea-birds at Home 182
Scene on a Coolie Ship 183
On the Edge of the Desert 185
Indians of Arequipa 186
Arequipa, and the Volcano of Misti 187
The Old Way of Travel 189
View of Lake Titicaca 190
The Nevada de Sorata, Crown of the Andes 191
View on Lake Titicaca 193
Peruvian Heads, Ancient and Modern 194
Cathedral of Puno 195
Quichua Woman (from a photograph) 196
Coca Plant 197
Llama 199
Ancient Gateway near Puno 200
The Vicuna 201
Indians and Llama Among the Ruins 202
Cattle Feeding on Rushes, Lake Titicaca 203
Tortora Bridge Over the Outlet of Lake Titicaca 204
Head-dress of Aymara Women 205
Aymara Men, Puno 205
Aymara Woman, Puno 206
A Ride on a Balsa, Lake Titicaca 207
Closed Doorway, Titicaca Island 207
Palace of the Inca 208
Bath of the Inca 209
Room in the Inca's Palace 210
The Sacred Rock of Manco Capac 210
Ground-plan of "Palace of the Inca," Titicaca Island 211
Bridge and Custom-house at the Frontier 212
Ruins on Coati Island 213
Indians Celebrating the Chuno, or Potato Festival 214
Head-dress of Indian Female Dancers 215
Plan of Part of Ruins of Tiahuanaco 216
The American Stonehenge 216
Front View of Monolithic Doorway 217
Symbolical Slab 218
Terrace Walls and Scattered Blocks of Stone 219
Remains of Palace at Cuzco 220
Inca Doorway, Cuzco 221
Old Bridge at Cuzco 221
Court of Convent, with Ancient Fountain 222
Church and Convent of Santo Domingo, Cuzco 223
Terra-cotta Figures, Cuzco 224
Ancient Stone Sculpture, Cuzco 224
Section of Walls of the Fortress 225
Salient Angle of Fortress 225
Road Leading to Fortified Hill 226
Ancient Dwelling-house 227
Specimen of Cyclopean Wall 227
Ancient Sun Circle, Sillustani, Peru 228
Tanatero (ore-carrier) 229
Section of a Silver Mine 230
A Primitive Mill 231
Arastra, with Mule-power 232
Breaking Ore 233
Indians Extracting Silver from Ore 234
Galleries in a Silver Mine 235
Caving in 236
Wild Indian of Bolivia 237
Limited Accommodations 239
Aymara Skull 240
Turf House near Lake Titicaca 241
Chulpas, or Burial-towers 241
Ancient Sepulchre 242
Manuel 243
Loading the Mules 244
The Start 245
A Mountain Trail 247
Hacienda among the Mountains 248
Travelling by Silla 250
Dead Whale on Shore 251
Shot at a Condor 252
Puma, Cougar, or American Lion 252
Capybara 253
Jaguar 254
Game for the Jaguar 255
Steamer Leaving Para 256
Head of Navigation 257
A Chance Acquaintance 258
A Landing-place 260
Humming-birds of the Andes 261
Humming-bird's Nest 262
Pair of Toucans and their Nest 263
Tanagers and Nest 264
Toucan 265
Parrots 265
An Amazonian Dwelling 266
Near the Village 267
Agave, or Sisal Hemp 269
Hunting with the Blow-gun 271
A Giant of the Forest 272
Turtle-shooting in South America 273
Turtle-turning 274
South American River Scene 276
South American Monkey with Prehensile Tail 277
Howling Monkey 278
A Monkey Robbing Birds'-nests 279
Hunting the Monkey 280
Amazonian Mosquitoes at Home 282
An Indian of Northern Bolivia 283
Breakfast Scene on the River Bank 285
Plaza and Church at Exaltacion 287
Mojos Indians Celebrating Mass 288
The Cherimbita 289
A Mojos Indian 289
The Agouti 290
Hunting the Tapir 292
Water-snakes at Home 294
Rattlesnake Disturbed by a Wildcat 295
Visiting the Caripunas 296
A Caripuna Indian 298
A Walk in the Forest 299
Branch of the India-rubber Tree 300
India-rubber Making on the Madeira 301
Leaves, Fruit, and Flowers of the Cow-tree 303
Milking the Cow-tree 304
Dragging a Boat Around Teotonio 307
Inscriptions on the Rocks at Ribeirao 308
Cuttings on Stones near the Rapids 308
Buried in the Tropical Forest 310
Banana in Blossom 311
Rubber Tree and Parasites 312
Station of a Rubber Collector 313
A River Town 315
Pira-rucû, a Fish of the Amazon 317
Deposits in the Amazon Valley 318
Wasp-nest, Showing Interior Construction 319
Leaves, Nut, and Flowers of Sapucaya, an Amazon Tree 320
Ferns, Trees, and Creepers 321
Natives on the Middle Amazon 323
In an Igaripé 325
Fruit Pedlers 326
Arrival at Manaos 327
Giant Fig-tree 328
Natives of the Banks of the Ucayali 329
A Brazilian Landing-place 331
The Ant-eater Asleep 334
The Mouths of the Amazon 335
Para, from the River 336
Environs of Para 337
A Tropical Plant 338
A Dealer in Monkeys 339
Street in Para with Silk-cotton Trees 340
Nazareth Square, Para 341
A Para Belle 342
The Market at Para 343
Theatre of Our Lady of the Peace 344
The Government Palace at Para 345
Sourré and Salvaterra 347
A Snake Merchant 348
Going Ashore in a Jaganda 349
Street Scene in Pernambuco 350
Pernambuco 351
Pack Horses Laden with Sugar 352
Ox-cart 353
View of Bahia 354
Diamond-washing in Brazil 355
"Star of the South" 356
Porters Asleep 357
Brazilian Humming-birds 358
Market Scene, Bahia 359
Porters and Cask 359
Sedan Chair 360
Frame of Sedan 360
Entrance to the Harbor of Rio 361
View of Rio Janeiro from the Sea 362
Front View of the City 364
Coffee-carriers 365
Coal-carriers 366
Modern Innovations 366
Pedlers of Dry-goods 367
Poultry Dealer 367
Fruit Vender 368
View in the Bay of Rio de Janeiro 369
An Imperial Palace 370
Statue of Pedro I. 371
Scene in a Brazilian Suburb 372
Votive Offerings in a Church at Rio 374
View in the Bay 374
Alms-box 375
Religious Festival in Front of a Church 376
Monk in a Procession 377
The Aqueduct 378
A Brazilian Forest, with Characteristic Mammalia 379
Coffin Closed 380
Coffin Opened 380
Cemetry of the Paula Church 381
View of Rio from Boa Vista 382
Hotel at Tijuca, near Rio 383
Cascade at Tijuca 385
The Armadillo 386
Road over the Serra, near Petropolis 387
The Palace at Petropolis 388
Religious Procession in Brazil 389
Negro Hut near the Railway 391
Entrance to a Coffee Plantation 392
Victims of the Famine 394
Dying for Lack of Food 395
A Tropical Railway Station 396
Mandioca Plant 397
Plantation Negro 398
Punishment 399
In the Fields 400
Slaves with Collars 400
Slave with Mask 401
Mask 401
Shackles 401
Household Servant 402
Slaves Gathering Sugar-cane 403
At Home with the Sugar-cane 404
Intrudo Sports Thirty Years Ago 406
Intrudo Balls and Bottles 407
Wooden Cannon 407
The Condor and the Bull 408
Embalmed Head 408
Ancient Musical Instruments 409
Ancient Comb 409
Brazilian Basin 409
Montevideo from the Sea 410
View in the Capital of Uruguay 411
Ox-cart of Buenos Ayres 412
Soldiers of the Argentine Republic 413
A Guacho 414
A Guacho on Horseback 415
Post-station on the Pampas 417
A Steamer on the River Plate 418
A Refuge from Mosquitoes 419
Branding Cattle on an Estancia 421
Use of the Lasso and Bolas 422
Costumes of Paraguay 424
Indians of the "Gran Chaco" 425
Battle with Chaco Indians 427
Indians of the Lenqua, River Plate 428
Indians Shooting Fishes 429
A River Port during the War 430
Headquarters of General Lopez 431
Paraguayan Mother and Daughters 432
A Landed Proprietor 433
Cups and Tubes for Maté 434
Paraguayan Cart 435
Carlo Antonio Lopez, former President of Paraguay 436
Olive Branch from the Banks of the Parana 437
Map of Chili, Argentine Confederation, and Uruguay 439
In the Strait of Magellan 440
Arrival of Travellers at a Guacho Village 442
A Dance at San Luis de la Punta 444
The Police-office at Mendoza 446
The Birlocha 448
The Pampa Coach 449
Ox-carts near Mendoza 450
Coming to Town 451
Exercising the Mules 452
A Start under Disadvantages 454
Pass of Uspallata 455
Near the Base of the Andes 457
A Dangerous Road in the Mountains 459
Peons at Rest 460
A Mountain Cañon 462
Snow-slide on the Trail 463
Hanging Bridge in the Andes 465
Deep Chasm in the Mountains 466
A Victim of the Storm 467
A Chilian Ox-cart 468
The Condor 469
Travelling in the Snow 470
A Natural Highway 471
Cutting Steps Along the Mountain 472
Bridge of the Apurimac 474
Looking Across the Bridge 475
By the Roadside 476
Court-yard of the Posada 477
A Pedler of Forage 478
The Alameda 480
A Street Scene 481
Customs Guard-house, Valparaiso 483
Spanish-American Costumes 484
Seal of the Falkland Islands 486
Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego 487
The Penguin 488
The Home of the Sea-birds 489
The Cormorant 489
A Steamer Entering the Strait of Magellan 490
Chilian Settlement at Sandy Point 491
Patagonian Dress 492
A Patagonian Belle 493
The Guanaco 494
Seeking Safety 495
The Ostrich and his Hunters 496
Skeleton of the Ostrich 497
Captain Smiley 498
Mountains and Glaciers in Magellan's Strait 499
Jemmy Button's Sound 500
Fuegians Visiting a War Steamer 501
The "Allen Gardiner" at Banner Cove 502
Starvation Beach 503
A Fuegian and his Food 504
A Fuegian Feast 505
Ruins at Port Famine 506
Borgia Bay 507
Inscriptions at Borgia Bay 507
"H" Cliff, Wateree Bay 508
The Yankee Wood-dealer 509
Near the Coast of Patagonia 509
Map of South America, with Route of the Boy Travellers _Front Cover._
Physical Map of South America _Back Cover._
THE BOY TRAVELLERS
IN
SOUTH AMERICA.
CHAPTER I.
FROM NEW YORK TO THE ISTHMUS OF PANAMA.--INCIDENTS OF THE VOYAGE.--OLD
TIMES AND THE PRESENT.--ASPINWALL.--A TROPICAL CITY.--THE
TEREDO.--ENTRANCE OF THE PANAMA CANAL.
"Is everything ready?"
"Yes," was the reply. "The trunks are packed and strapped, and the
carriage will be at the door at ten o'clock."
"That is quite early enough. The steamer leaves the dock at noon, and we
can easily be settled on board by eleven o'clock."
"Quite easily," was the response. "And here comes Frank, who has been to
see the porter about the heavy baggage."
"It's all arranged," said the latter; "the baggage-wagon will take our
trunks, chairs, and other heavy things, and have them ready at the pier,
so that we shall have only our satchels and rugs for the carriage."
"An excellent plan," was the reply; "and the next business before us is
to go to breakfast."
The conversation recorded above took place not many months ago in the
corridor of the Fifth Avenue Hotel, in New York. The parties to the
dialogue were Dr. Bronson, his nephew, Fred Bronson, and Frank Bassett,
a cousin of Fred. Some of our readers have met this trio of travellers,
or, at all events, have read of their wanderings in Asia and Africa.
When we last saw them they were on their homeward journey from Zanzibar,
after making the ascent of the Nile, visiting the equatorial lakes of
the Dark Continent, and reaching the Indian Ocean at Bagamoya. Those who
have perused the narrative of the travels of Frank and Fred with the
amiable doctor will need no further introduction.[1]
[1] "The Boy Travellers in the Far East." Adventures of Two Youths in
Japan, China, Siam, Java, Burmah, Sumatra, the Philippine Islands,
Borneo, the Malay Archipelago, and Central Africa. Five Volumes.
Published by Harper & Brothers, New York.
The Doctor and his young friends had planned a journey to South America,
and at the time our present story begins they were just starting on
their new adventure. With their experience in former travels they
realized the wisdom of going to the steamer in ample season to take
everything leisurely, and be comfortably settled before the hour of
departure.
[Illustration: ON THE SEA AGAIN.]
Promptly at the advertised time the steamer left the dock, followed by
the cheers of the crowd that had come to witness her departure or say
farewell to friends on board. As she moved slowly into the river there
were dozens of handkerchiefs fluttering over her rail, and other dozens
waving answer from the shore. Steadily the distance between ship and
pier increased, and it soon became impossible to distinguish friends
from one to the other, even with the aid of glasses. With her engines at
half speed the great vessel moved majestically down the channel, passed
the Narrows, and entered the lower bay. A fog blowing in from seaward
compelled the pilot to order the anchor dropped, and the chain rattled
through the hawse-hole with a vehemence that seemed to threaten the
safety of the steamer's bows.
[Illustration: THE FOG CLEARING AWAY.]
For two hours the fog continued; then it lifted, and the way to the
ocean was revealed. Up came the anchor, round went the ponderous screw,
the outer bar was passed, the pilot, his pocket filled with letters, the
last messages to friends on shore, descended to his boat and was safely
deposited on the light-ship at Sandy Hook, and then the steamer took her
course for more southern waters.
[Illustration: SANDY HOOK LIGHT-SHIP.]
The flag of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company fluttered at the
main-truck, and it needed little observation to show that the craft on
which our friends had embarked belonged to that famous organization.
When the project for visiting South America was first discussed, the
Doctor told his young friends that their best plan would be to proceed
from New York to Aspinwall by one of the Pacific Mail Steamers. "We will
then," said he, "have the whole of the continent before us; we can go
down the western coast to any point we choose to visit, or we can travel
along the northern and eastern coast, and make our way westward by one
of the overland routes, or through the Strait of Magellan. We can ascend
the Amazon, or descend it, or we may cross the Andes in the vicinity of
Santiago. We will leave our plans incomplete till we reach Panama, and
there be guided by circumstances."
As our friends were by no means novices in ocean travel they speedily
dropped into the ways of the ship and made acquaintance with the
passengers and officers. The passengers were a polyglot collection,
numbering some fifty or more, and including about a dozen nationalities.
There were Americans, on their way to California or Central America;
Englishmen, with similar destinations, or bound for Callao and
Valparaiso; Frenchmen, who were interested in the work on the Panama
Canal; Peruvians, Chilians, Nicaraguans, and other natives of Central
and South America; Germans, commercially engaged in the republics beyond
the Equator; besides, as Fred expressed it in his note-book, "several
districts to hear from." But in spite of their difference of nationality
they were entirely harmonious, and the voyage proved a most agreeable
one.
"Things are not now what they were before the overland railways were
built," said one of the officers in conversation with Frank; "in those
days we carried three or four hundred passengers in the first cabin, and
twice or three times as many in the steerage. Now, the travel between
the east and west goes by railway, and comparatively few persons make
the sea trip between New York and San Francisco. But it's as pleasant as
it ever was, and if people would only think they could spare the
additional time there would be more of them going by steamer than by
rail. There's no more delightful voyage in the world than from Panama to
San Francisco. You are in sight of the coast nearly all the way; the
ocean is so calm that you might suppose yourself on an inland lake,
except on rare occasions; and before you begin to be weary of the trip
you are entering the Golden Gate, and making fast to the dock, at your
journey's end."
Dr. Bronson confirmed the assertion of this ancient mariner, as he had
made the voyage to California in the manner described; "and we used to
think," said he, "that we were getting along finely when we went from
New York to San Francisco in twenty-three days. Now we can go in a week
by the railway, and it is contrary to the American temperament to make
the longer journey."
Frank and Fred were agreeably disappointed in the expectation of a storm
before reaching the Caribbean Sea. In looking up the accounts of
previous travellers they had found an old couplet:
"If the Bermudas let you pass,
You must beware of Hatteras."
They questioned the captain on the subject, and found that the poetical
assertion was not without basis, as many a ship sailing on her course
had encountered a gale in the neighborhood either of Cape Hatteras or
the Bermuda Islands. "But in marine verses, as in every other sort," the
captain continued, "you must allow for the poet's license, which often
requires a very large margin to include it."
[Illustration: A STRANDED SHIP.]
Hatteras and "the vexed Bermoothes" permitted them to pass without a
semblance of a gale. They sighted one of the islands of the Bahama
group, and there was great excitement on board the steamer when it was
discovered that a ship was stranded on the shore. Fred and Frank rushed
below to tell the Doctor, and that worthy ran on deck as soon as he
could don his hat and coat. The captain scanned with his glass the
unfortunate craft, and relieved the general anxiety with the
information that she had sent a line to the land, and there was no
danger to the lives of her people, whatever might be the risk to the
property. "If anybody was in peril," said he, "I would do all I could to
save him; but when it comes to a mere question of ship and cargo, none
of us care to take any risk, or even go out of our course for a minute.
It is a serious matter to stop a great steamer like this, and, besides,
it is a peril to her passengers and crew. We will save life always, and
the property of our own company, but when it comes to the ships of other
people, who would, quite likely, refuse to pay anything for the service
without a lawsuit, we mind our own business and keep on our way."
The correctness of his reasoning was apparent to all the listeners, and
before the day was over the stranded ship was well-nigh forgotten.
[Illustration: WEIGHING BAGGAGE.]
They passed the eastern end of Cuba, and then steered between that
island and Jamaica. The sight of the palm-trees that fringed parts of
the shores reminded the youths of their journeyings in Ceylon and the
Malay Archipelago, and increased their eagerness to be once more in
tropical lands. In the Caribbean Sea they renewed their acquaintance
with the flying-fishes, that darted from wave to wave, and were
sometimes so numerous that hundreds of them could be seen at once. On
the seventh day of the voyage the heavy baggage was brought from below
and piled on deck, each piece being carefully weighed, and checked off
on the purser's books. The Doctor explained to the youths that each
passenger was entitled to free transportation of one hundred pounds of
baggage across the Isthmus, but all above that amount was subject to an
extra charge.
At daybreak the next morning the steamer entered the harbor of Aspinwall
and made fast to her dock. The city was named in honor of William H.
Aspinwall, of New York, but the French persist in calling it Colon,
which was its appellation before the Panama Railway was thought of. It
was a place of little consequence until the discovery of gold in
California, in 1848, called attention to the necessity for a route of
speedy travel between the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of our continent.
Frank and Fred were up early on the morning of their arrival at
Aspinwall, and as soon as the gang-plank was out they hurried on shore,
accompanied by the Doctor. Tropical verdure greeted their eyes as they
looked inland, and the open sheds and slightly built houses told very
plainly that they had reached a region where frosts were unknown.
The wharf where the steamer lay was more than a thousand feet in length,
and, on inquiry, they learned that it was built on a coral reef, which
formed an excellent foundation. "You observe," said Dr. Bronson, "that
the piles resting in the water are covered with copper, to resist the
teredo, a tropical worm which is very destructive to wood. Perhaps you
would like to know something about him.
[Illustration: THE SHIPWORM AND HIS WORK.]
"Well," the Doctor continued, "the teredo is better known as the
ship-worm, a name he has obtained from his habits of attacking the
timber of ships in tropical countries, and also in the warmer parts of
the temperate zones. He is a long worm with a boring head; imagine an
auger endowed with life, and you have a very good idea of what the
teredo is. He enters the wood when young, and keeps on boring all his
life; he goes in the direction of the grain of the wood, and only turns
aside for hard knots or for a fellow-worm, whose presence he seems to
detect by the sound of his work. The teredo attacks wood immersed in
salt water, and hence his destructiveness to ships and to the piles that
support docks and other marine structures. The timber is perforated and
riddled so much that it crumbles to pieces in the course of time, and
not a very long time either. Millions of dollars have been lost in
consequence of the worm's performance, and not a few human lives. Ships
lying in tropical harbors have been ruined by the teredo, and the injury
has remained unknown until the vessels went to sea and were lost in the
first gale that blew.
"But he has not been without his uses," said the Doctor, with a smile.
"It was the teredo that gave Brunel his idea of a machine for tunnelling
under the Thames River, and since his time most of the machines for
tunnelling in soft earth have been made on the teredo principle. The
head of the worm has a series of cutting disks that eat away the wood;
Brunel made a gigantic worm with windows in front, and each window was
occupied by a man who removed the earth before him and thus made way for
the machine to be pushed forward. The progress of Brunel's worm under
the bed of the Thames was exactly like that of the teredo in a piece of
wood."
[Illustration: THE DONKEY'S DESCENT.]
The Doctor delivered his improvised lecture amid the rattle of boxes
that were sliding down the sloping gangway from the side of the steamer,
as the process of unloading began almost immediately on her arrival. The
lecture was suddenly terminated by the inattention of the audience, the
antics of a donkey in a portable stall having caught their eyes. The
animal did not relish the rapid descent along the gangway, as his
progress easily averaged a mile a minute, and the momentum acquired in
the slide carried him far out upon the wharf. He reared and plunged as
he was going downwards, and in his struggles one of the upper slats of
his cage was torn off. But at this point he became discreet, and carried
his protests no further than to lift up his voice in its loudest tones.
[Illustration: THE WHARF AT ASPINWALL.]
Threading their way through the mass of bales and boxes that covered the
wharf, our friends were soon on solid earth at the end of the coral reef
already mentioned. Here the tropical forest was visible in all its
luxuriance, and not very far away, as the city does not cover a large
area, and the trees grow luxuriantly wherever they are not kept down by
the hand of man. Dr. Bronson explained to the youths that Aspinwall is
built upon the island of Manzanillo, which is about three miles long by
a mile in width; the harbor was formerly known as Navy Bay, and is said
to have been discovered by Columbus on his third voyage.
In spite of the commercial importance of the place, Aspinwall contains
little to interest the ordinary sight-seer. "You observe," said the
Doctor, "that everything is designed for use, and not for ornament; the
buildings are of a practical character, and many of them are not even
intended to be permanent. There are only a few hundred houses in the
city, most of them of wood, and very loosely constructed. Some of the
buildings of the railway company are of iron or brick, partly as a
precaution against fire, and partly to secure immunity from tropical
insects and the rapid deterioration of wood in the damp climate of the
Isthmus. The canal company has followed the same plan in the
construction of its shops and sheds, but as these structures will be of
no further use when the canal is completed there is no attempt to make
them ornamental. In the ordinary parlance of the tourist, Aspinwall can
be 'done' in half an hour."
Following the Doctor's suggestion, they strolled along the street of
hotels and shops near the head of the wharf, passed in front of the
stone church, the first Protestant edifice ever erected in New Granada,
gave a hasty glance at the iron buildings of the Panama Railway, and
then returned to the steamer for breakfast. After that meal was
concluded they went on shore again, arranged for temporary quarters in
one of the hotels, and immediately transferred their baggage to it.
As soon as they were settled at the hotel a carriage was ordered for a
drive around the island by the "Paseo Coral," as the encircling road is
termed. For much of the way the drive was through, or close upon, the
tropical forest, and the youths were more than once reminded of their
excursion in Singapore, and the ride in Ceylon from Point de Galle to
Colombo. On one side of the island there was a view of the ocean, while
on the other the scene included the dense swamp and series of islands
lying between them and the mainland, with an occasional glimpse of the
mountains that form the dividing ridge between the Atlantic and Pacific.
The Doctor's scientific ardor was roused by the numerous shells with
which the beach was strewn, and several times he stepped from the
carriage to gather specimens for his cabinet of conchology. The youths
looked longingly at the bananas and other fruits which grew in
abundance, but they heeded the advice of their mentor, and abstained
from indulging. Aspinwall is not a healthy place at best, and the
dangers of a stay there are greatly increased by an intimate
acquaintance with the products of its gardens, when one has freshly
arrived from a sea-voyage.
[Illustration: DEPARTURE FOR PANAMA.]
On returning from their excursion our friends went to deliver letters to
one of the officials connected with the canal company's works, but, not
finding him, they went to the railway terminus to witness the departure
of the train for Panama. The passengers, mails, express matter, and
"fast" freight had been loaded as expeditiously as possible into a train
of eight or nine cars, and when all was ready the usual signals were
given, and the locomotive moved off with its burden. One of the officers
of the steamer had joined our friends, and explained that it was the
custom of the company to despatch a special train on the arrival of a
steamer, whether from Europe or America, in addition to the regular
trains that were sent each way daily. Sometimes five or six trains were
sent off in a single day, but such occurrences were unusual.
"In the old times," he continued, "when this was the principal route of
travel between New York and San Francisco, the arrival of a steamer made
a busy scene. Several hundred passengers were to be transferred,
together with a large amount of mail and express matter; the passengers
were packed into the cars as closely as possible, and when there was an
unusual rush it took two or perhaps three trains to carry them all. In
such cases the steerage passengers were sent away ahead of the others,
while the cabin passengers and mails followed an hour or two later. Most
of the passengers were encumbered with several articles of hand-baggage,
together with oranges, bananas, and other fruits bought from the natives
that swarmed around the station; you would have thought they were
setting out for a journey of a week or more, and provisioning themselves
accordingly, instead of a continuous ride of three or four hours over a
railway. There was often a contest for places in the carriages, and many
an impromptu fight has occurred on the spot where we are so peacefully
standing."
Soon after the departure of the train Dr. Bronson and the youths
returned to the hotel, where they found the official from the canal
company awaiting them. He was accompanied by Mr. Colné, the secretary of
the American committee of the company, and after the formalities of
introduction were completed the party set out for the Atlantic entrance
to the promised waterway from the Caribbean Sea to the Bay of Panama.
The entrance to the canal is on the mainland, just behind the island on
which Aspinwall is situated. The island has been enlarged in this
direction, and, when the great ditch is completed, Aspinwall will be its
Atlantic terminus in much the same way that Suez is the Red Sea terminus
of the Suez Canal.
Our friends were surprised at the magnitude of the works of the canal
company, as they walked through the miniature city which has sprung up
since the work of cutting the waterway was undertaken. There were acres
and acres of warehouses and workshops, dwellings for the laborers, and
residences of the officers, together with other edifices connected with
the enormous enterprise. There was a scene of activity around the
machine-shops, where engines and dredges were undergoing repairs, and it
was difficult to believe that all this life had been infused into the
tropical languor of the Isthmus in the past few years.
[Illustration: NATIVE MARKET, ASPINWALL.]
Mr. Colné told the strangers that the new town had received the name of
Christopher Columbus, in honor of the great navigator, who was believed
to have visited the spot on his third voyage, at the time he discovered
the bay in which Aspinwall is situated. "And here," said he, as they
reached a row of neat cottages, "is the street called Charles de
Lesseps; these houses were made in New York and then brought here and
put together, and we have houses at other places of the same character.
Most of our dredges were made in the United States, and an American
company has taken the contract for a large part of our excavating. Part
of the land on which the city is built was reclaimed from the bay by
filling in with the earth dredged out for the canal and its approaches.
Before we get through with the work we shall have changed the appearance
of this part of the coast so that its friends will hardly know it.
"When we came here," he continued, "one of the first things we
determined upon was the deepening of the harbor of Aspinwall up to the
point where the canal is entered. As soon as the dredges were ready they
went to work and made a channel that permits the largest ships to come
up to the shore. We might have left it till the end of the enterprise,
but it was better to have it done at the outset, as it facilitates the
landing of our material."
[Illustration: PREPARING FOR A BOAT EXCURSION.]
At the suggestion of Mr. Colné the party entered a boat, and spent a
half-hour or more in an excursion around the harbor. While they were
being propelled by the strong arms of six negro boatmen from the West
Indies, their entertainer told them about the history of the canal
enterprise. Frank and Fred listened eagerly to the narration, and the
former made notes of its most important points. With the aid of these
memoranda we will endeavor to repeat the story.
NOTE.--This book was written and in the hands of the publishers
previous to the burning of Aspinwall by insurgents, in March, 1885.