As a shipwrecked seaman, on the wild rock in the middle of the ocean,
anxiously scans the horizon to search for a sail in sight, so did I cast
my eager gaze over the barren sandy waste, to discover if providentially
any succour was at hand. The shades of night melting away before the
rays of the sun, the wished-for oasis appeared in the distance; and by
the marks on the sand, I could not doubt that we had been wandering away
instead of approaching it. How eagerly I looked towards the spot where
I believed the means of reviving our fast-failing strength could be
found! As I gazed at it, it seemed to approach nearer, and tantalised
me the more that I knew that I could not reach it.
The sun rose slowly and majestically in the sky, and his burning rays
began again to strike down upon our heads. Still I kept my senses; but
I felt that death must soon terminate my dear father's sufferings, and
mine as well. Once more I cast my glance round the horizon. I gazed
steadily--I saw a dark object moving in the distance. O how earnestly I
watched it! I could not be mistaken--it was approaching us. As it came
on, I discerned the figure of a man on horseback. He was leading
another animal with a load on his back. Now he seemed to be verging off
to the right hand. He might pass and not observe us. I shouted; but it
was folly to fancy that my feeble voice could reach him. Again he
turned. I saw him dismount and stoop down on the sand. He stopped,
however, but a minute, perhaps not so much, though to me it seemed an
age, and he again mounted and came on. He was directing his course, I
judged, for the oasis. As he came still nearer, I recognised Ithulpo,
and he was leading our baggage mule. I could not doubt, also, but that
he was searching for us. Again I tried to shout, but my voice failed
me. I lifted up my hand and waved it above my head; but I could no
longer stand upright, or I should have attracted his attention. He rode
on. He had already passed, when he turned his head and caught sight of
the handkerchief I was waving in my hand. He spurred on towards us. To
spring from his horse, and to take one of the saddle-bags from the back
of the mule, was the work of a moment. From the saddlebag he produced a
skin of water. Without speaking, he poured out a cup, from which he
allowed a few drops to fall into my father's mouth. When once I felt it
to my lips, I could not withdraw it till I had drained it to the bottom.
The pure draught so much revived me that I could sit up and help
Ithulpo to tend my father. This he did with the greatest care; but
human care, alas! seemed to be of little avail. He loosened his dress
to admit of perfectly free circulation; he then washed his mouth, and
after bathing his temples, he allowed a few more drops to trickle down
his throat. This judicious treatment had, after a time, the most
beneficial effect. My father languidly opened his eyes, and attempted
to sit up; and I saw that his first act of consciousness was to turn
them towards me with an inquiring glance. Finding that I was alive, his
countenance brightened; and after slowly drinking some more water, in
the course of three or four minutes he revived sufficiently to propose
proceeding on our way.
"Wait a little longer, Senor," said Ithulpo. "Water has restored you to
life, but you require food to give you strength; see, I have brought
some."
As he spoke, he opened a basket full of bread and dried meat, and
several sorts of the most delicious and cooling fruit. There were figs
and grapes and pomegranates, fragrant chirimoyas, yellow bananas, and
several pine-apples; indeed many others too numerous to name.
Never shall I forget the exquisite delight with which I ate the first
fig Ithulpo handed to me. It cooled my burning thirst more than all the
water I had swallowed, and served both for meat and drink. It was a
large soft fig with a white pulp. I instantly put out my hand for
another, and he gave me a black fig with a red pulp, which vied with the
first in excellence. Then he handed me a bunch of juicy grapes, but I
still asked for more figs; and when I had finished as many as he thought
were good for me, he tore open a chirimoya, and let me eat its
snow-white juicy fruit. Outside it did not look tempting, for the skin,
though green, was tough and hard, and covered with black spots. The
platanos or bananas were cooked; and though I could not have swallowed a
piece of dry bread, I was enabled to eat some of them with much relish.
Altogether, never was a repast eaten with greater appetite, or, I may
add, with more gratitude; for it certainly was the means of preserving
my father's life as well as mine. Ithulpo had taken the precaution to
tether the animals, so that they could not escape; and as he sat by us,
distributing the food, he informed us of what he had done after we had
lost sight of him in the sand-storm.
"You must know, Senores," he began, "I was so busy in liberating my poor
countrymen from the ropes which bound them, that I did not observe which
way you were taking. I shouted after you to turn back, but you did not
hear me; and then the dreadful sand-cloud came on, and it was too late.
I am well acquainted with this dreadful desert, and I was aware that we
were out of the right path; but I also knew where that path was; so, as
soon as all the poor fellows were free, we set off towards it. They
were all well able to run without the ropes, and out of sight of our
tyrants. Fortunately the sand-cloud wheeled round before it reached us,
and we were safe.
"You must know that on the previous night I had stowed away the
wine-skins full of water in your portmanteaus, and I thus had enough to
give a good draught to each of the men, and to my beasts also. Our
first care was then to get out of the desert. I knew where the ground
was hard, so I led them to it, and we then could travel at a fast rate.
About a league beyond where we were, there is a fountain of pure water
gushing up out of a hard black rock. Here we were all able to refresh
ourselves; and still a little farther on, marks are to be seen, by which
I could direct my companions how to escape from the desert. They
quickly availed themselves of my advice, and are now on their way to
hide themselves among the mountains, where there is no fear of the
Spaniards searching for them."
"But what did you do, my friend?" I asked, stretching out my hand for
another bunch of tempting grapes.
"Just as I was parting from them I saw a party of fruit-sellers crossing
the desert, with several mules laden with fruit. I purchased some, as
also some bread and baked platanos, and then set off to search for you.
I knew, by the feel of the atmosphere, that there would be no more
sand-storms; and hoped, it you had escaped that of yesterday, to find
you. I know my way across any part of the desert blindfold, for I can
tell by the smell of the sand alone where animals have before passed.
As soon as it was daylight I returned to where I last had seen you. I
saw where the sand-cloud had settled down, forming huge mounds, beneath
which many of the Spaniards, I found, lay overwhelmed. At last I fell
in with the tracks of your two horses. I guessed they were yours, for I
thought the Spaniards would have kept together. I followed them up
steadily. I came to where you had found the Spanish officer, and given
him a pistol with which to defend himself."
"What, did he tell you so?" I asked, interrupting Ithulpo.
"Oh no; his voice has ceased for ever," he replied, with a dark smile.
"He had been dead some time, and the fowls of the air were feeding on
him; but I knew him by his dress, and I recognised your pistol, which he
had fired. Here it is. I next reached the spot where you dismounted,
and your horses had run away. I began to fear that I was too late to
save you; and when following up the track of your footsteps, I saw that
a number of the Spanish cavalry had escaped, and had gone towards yonder
clump of trees. Several have fallen in the way, as the wings of the
condors I could see flapping above the ground, one beyond the other,
told me plainly. And now, Senores, it is time to mount and proceed.
Two hours' riding beyond those trees will carry us free of the desert;
and may you never again enter it without a proper guide."
My father rode Ithulpo's horse; and while I clambered upon the back of
the baggage mule, he walked. It was almost as hot as on the previous
day; but I kept my mouth cool by occasionally eating a grape, and
sometimes one of my favourite figs; and with little suffering we drew
near the oasis.
"Are you not afraid of falling into the hands of the Spaniards, and of
being accused of liberating their prisoners?" I asked.
He looked up, and, smiling significantly, answered. "I tell you, Senor,
not one of our enemies live to bear false witness against us. I have
marked among yonder trees signs not to be mistaken of their fate."
I asked no further questions. We passed, as we rode along, several
bodies of horses and men; and as we approached the trees, Ithulpo
shouting with all his might, several condors rose slowly on the wing,
and a huge tiger stalked slowly away, looking round every now and then
at us with an angry glance, for having disturbed him at his repast. I
thought I recognised him as the monster who had paid us a visit during
the night; and I have no doubt that he was the same.
I can scarcely describe the dreadful scene which met our sight as we at
length reached the longed-for oasis. In the centre existed a small
shallow pool, filled by a stream which bubbled up through the earth. It
would allow scarcely more than a dozen horses to drink therein at a
time. We at once perceived what had occurred. The survivors of the
cavalry had reached it in a body. Some of the front ranks, both horses
and men, overcome by weakness, had, in their attempt to drink, fallen
in, and prevented the others from getting their mouths to it. The first
lay trampled on and drowned, making the once clear pool a mass of mud
and filth. The rear ranks, rushing over them, had died of raging
thirst, in sight of the water which might have saved them. Both men and
horses were mingled in a dreadful heap, torn and mangled by the birds
and beasts of prey. We crossed as rapidly as we could to the other side
of the oasis, where Ithulpo produced a skin full of clear water from one
of the saddle-bags.
"We must not disappoint our poor beasts," he observed, as he gave them
to drink.
Just then the horse my father rode gave a neigh. It was answered from a
distance; and to our no little satisfaction and astonishment, our two
horses were seen trotting up towards the oasis. They had evidently been
prevented taking shelter in the oasis by the presence of the tiger, but
had kept in the neighbourhood, in the hopes of his taking his departure.
Ithulpo at once enticed them to him by the offer of water, which they
drank eagerly; and having secured them, after allowing them to crop a
little of the grass which grew beneath the shade of the trees, we
mounted, and prepared to recommence our journey. As we left the now
polluted oasis, Ithulpo looked carefully round to examine the traces on
the sand, and declared that of all those who had reached the spot, not
one had left it.
"A just vengeance has overtaken the tyrants who yesterday so cruelly
ill-treated us, Senores," he remarked. "I knew it would be so. We may
now, without fear, proceed to Lima."
In two hours we reached the confines of the desert, and once more got
among streams, and trees, and cultivated fields. We slept that night at
an Indian village, where Ithulpo's influence procured us a warm
reception; and after a rest of two days, we proceeded on our journey to
Lima. As we rode along a fine straight road, shaded by an avenue of
lofty willows, peculiarly grateful in a hot climate, we at length came
in sight of the steeples and domes of the far-famed city of Lima, with
the blue ocean on one side of us, and the interminable ranges of the
snowy Cordilleras reaching to the sky on the other.
"What a magnificent city!" I exclaimed. "Well worthy, indeed, does it
appear of its great founder, the conqueror Pizarro."
"Wait till we get within the walls before you pronounce an opinion,"
remarked my father. "Like the deeds of the founder, it gains more
admiration when observed at a distance than when examined closely. We
admire Pizarro when we regard alone the wonderful conquest he achieved;
but when we learn the wrongs, the injustice, the misery he inflicted,
the blood he spilled, and the ruin he caused, he and his companions
appear monsters of iniquity, worthy of detestation rather than
admiration."
We entered the city by a handsome gateway, and immediately found
ourselves in a long street, with low, mean, ruinous houses on either
side. The houses had porches in front, and _patios_ or court-yards.
The shops were small, with their goods placed on tables at the doors;
there was no glass to the windows, and no display of articles of
commerce. The street was badly paved, though there was a rough footway
on each side. The walls of many of the houses were composed of double
rows of bamboo, but some were of brick; the roofs were flat, and very
few of the houses had two stories. As we rode on, however, the
appearance of the place improved; and in and near the principal square I
observed some fine buildings, with handsomely ornamented _facades_, and
many fine churches and convents; but altogether I had to own that the
outside beauty was sadly deceptive.
The streets were crowded with persons of every variety of costume, and
every hue of skin; from the people of Northern Europe, and the
bright-complexioned native of Biscay, to the red Indian and the
jet-black African. Some were on horseback, and others in carriages of
very clumsy and antique construction; and of the lower order, some were
riding on mules and donkeys, and others were driving animals laden with
ice from the mountains, skins of brandy, and fruits and provisions of
every description. Among this motley crowd we forced our way, till we
reached the house of my father's agent, a Spanish merchant, Don Jose
Torres de Santillan by name, a very honest and good man.
As the plan of his house was similar to that of most of the larger
dwellings in Lima, I will describe it. In what may be called the front
of the house were two doors; one, the _azaguan_, was the chief entrance,
and the other led to the coach-house. By the side of the _azaguan_ was
a small room with a grated window, where the ladies of the family were
fond of sitting to observe the passers-by. This building formed the
street side of a spacious court-yard or _patio_, on either side of which
were a number of small rooms, and on the farther side was the
dwelling-house, round which ran a balcony. In it were numerous doors;
the largest opened into the _sala_ or hall, which was furnished with
several net hammocks, a row of chairs, and two sofas; while
straw-matting covered the floor. Inside of it was a smaller
well-furnished room, called the _quadro_, which was the usual
reception-room; and beyond it were the dining and sleeping rooms, and
the nursery. They all opened into an inner court-yard, the walls of
which were ornamented with fresco paintings; and part of it was laid out
as a flower-garden, with a fountain in the centre. From it one door led
to the kitchen, and another to the stable. The windows were mostly in
the roof, as were those in Pompeii and many ancient cities; indeed it
was very similar to the plan of building followed in the south of Spain.
On hearing of our arrival, Don Jose hurried out and received us with the
greatest attention. Our animals were led off to the stables by a number
of servants, and we were conducted to the _quadro_, where he instantly
ordered refreshments to be brought. We begged leave in the mean time to
be allowed to change our dusty dresses. On our return we found hammocks
slung, in which our host invited us to rest ourselves. In a hot climate
there cannot be a more luxurious couch than a net hammock, as it allows
the air to circulate freely round the body in the coolest part of the
room. The softly-stuffed sofa of an English or French drawing-room
would be insufferable. A young negress slave then brought in a tray
with cups, into which she poured out some chocolate, making it froth up
till they overflowed, and then handed them round to us. Cigars were
next offered to us, and we smoked them till suppertime.
For this meal we adjourned to the dining-room, where our host insisted
on waiting on us. It was a repetition of dinner, which the family had
taken according to custom at two o'clock. The wife of Don Jose, and her
maiden sister and three daughters, pretty, palefaced, black-eyed girls,
with hair like the raven's wing, were present, as were the family priest
and two gentlemen, cousins of our host. We first had an insipid kind of
soup, and then their principal dish, called _puchero_. It contained all
sorts of meats and vegetables mixed up together--beef, pork, ham, bacon,
sausage, poultry, cabbage, _yuccas camotes_ (a sort of potato),
potatoes, rice, peas, _chochitas_ (grains of maize), quince, and banana.
The meat was brought in on one dish and the vegetables on another, and
they were afterwards mixed to suit our individual tastes.
At the same time a dish of _picante_ was served. It was composed of
dried meat and some pounded roots, highly seasoned with cayenne pepper,
and coloured with grains of the _achote_, which gave it a brilliant
vermilion tint. After the meat, a sort of pudding was brought in,
consisting of a great variety of fruits stewed in water,--a dish I
cannot praise; and then followed a dessert of delicious fresh fruits and
sweet cakes, which were washed down by a tumbler of fresh water. Such
is the usual dinner of a gentleman's family in Lima. A little light
sweet wine was the only liquor drunk, though in compliment to the
supposed taste of our countrymen, strong wine, brandy, and other spirits
were placed before us. After dinner the servant brought in a piece of
lighted charcoal and a tray of cigars, which the men and the elder
ladies smoked with much apparent relish; but my three fair friends
declined using them.
I soon became perfectly intimate with these young ladies. They were
troubled with no tiresome bashfulness to keep them silent, and they were
full of life and spirits; so we rattled away in conversation in the most
agreeable manner, till it was announced that some guests had arrived,
and were waiting in the _sala_ to commence dancing. Musicians appeared,
and, with much spirit, boleros, fandangos, and cachuchas, and other
dances, well-known in Old Spain, were commenced and kept up for some
hours. As we were in the height of the amusement, the cathedral bell
struck three slow measured sounds, the signal of the _Oration_. It was
repeated by the belfries of all the churches in the city. Instantly, as
if by magic, every movement was suspended. Each one said the evening
prayer in a low whisper, and then made the sign of the cross; those of
most consequence turning to the persons near them, uttering the words
_buenas noches_ (good night), which was repeated by all present. It is
a simple but beautiful custom, and is intended to remind people of their
duty to God in whatever occupation they may be engaged. It may often do
good; but unless people are possessed of the true spirit of piety,
custom will make them callous, and it will fail to have any beneficial
effect.
I have observed this custom in many other Roman Catholic countries. In
a public place full of people of different ranks, the effect is still
more curious. The lively conversation of the smart lady and the gallant
cavalier is cut short, the donkey-driver with uplifted arm ceases to
belabour his beast, the oath dies on the lips of the rough seaman or
uncouth black, the workman drops his tool, the shopman lays down his
measure, children refrain from their play, men quarrelling suspend their
dispute, lazy monks engaged in their constant game of draughts neglect
to make the intended move, vendors of fruit no longer utter their cries,
and one and all engage in silent prayer till the bell has ceased to
toll, and then in a moment the noise and bustle of active life once more
goes on.
When I retired to my room for the night, not a little tired with my
exertion, Ithulpo made his appearance.
"How long, Senor, may I ask, does your father purpose remaining here?"
"Some short time; a week or two perhaps," I replied, rather surprised at
his question.
He went to the door and looked cautiously out, and then, speaking almost
in a whisper, as if he were afraid the walls might convey the
intelligence, he said--
"You have a mother and sisters and young brothers at your home in the
mountains. As you love them, press your father not to remain here
longer than you can help. Two or three days at furthest is all you
should take, and then by travelling fast we may arrive in time. My
orders are to accompany you to your home; but I tell you that it shortly
will no longer be a place of safety for you or those you love. More I
may not say."
"You have already been of infinite service to us, Ithulpo; and I know
that you would not, without good reason, alarm us; but cannot you tell
me more particularly what sort of danger we have to apprehend?" I
asked.