The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1850-04-18
Our Chilian Correspondence.
VALPARAISO, Feb. q, 1850.
TIE CHEF Commercial Cities on the South Paey'e
(I1rsf

harle cd NJ the last named city, ON board Of the
Neuva Granada Ofor Valparaiso), one of the five
British mail steamers, which leave that port, on
the 9th of every month, regularly, for this and
The intermediate points. | propose TO describe TO
YOU the commercial features of each place; my
chief object being TO open TO the view of American
merchants, the commercial importance of the Pa
eific seaboard. From what can learn, il is COM
poratively little known.
On the 10Th of November, after smooth and
pleasant run of fifty hours, we reached, early in
the evening, Beunaventura, the seaport TO Bogota,
the capital of New Granada. 1t is a small, palm
matched village of l,400 inhabitants, mostly
negroes, and the residue mixed race. II
exports chiefly gold. Cotton and cocoa grow
IN the interior, and are taken by land to
Guayaqui The rainy season lasts from April
70 November. Little time Is lost here ex-
changing the mails receiving cargo. On the Sd
December, at p M, we rode into the harbor of
beautiful Guayaquil, large and poPulous town,
the seaport 10 Quito, the capitol of Ecuador. Ii
contains IL 600 inhabitants, and is, doubtless, one
Of the warmest places on terra fr1d. IL lies some
distance from the sea, upon the Guayaqml river
a river remarkable for Its scenery, with lofty
mountains in the distance, on either side. The
shores are covered with dense growth OF forest
trees Its chief exports are cocoa, tobacco, coffee,
Peruvian bark, straw hats, lumber, and the richest
~
are celebrated the world over. In this place
il found, in its perfection, the rare and deli
cicus fruit known as the "cherrymoya." Here
ii rains from December till May. The balance OF
Of the year the earth is parched with the rays of
vertical sun. Irrigation supplies the want of rain.
On coming out of that river, the hrst object at sea
that arrests the attention is Santa Clara, or Dead
Mans Island, so called, from its striking resem-
Nance TO a corpse Around this lone and sepul-
chral spot thousands and thousands of sea-
birds are necessarily ,crcmg. A century hence,
the Yankees will be there digging guano, perhaps
gold. On the 9th of the same month, about md
day, moored in the pretty bay of "Payta," which
affords safe and roony harbor for ships OF any
tonnage. The country around, to the eye, as you
approach "Payta," presents the most sterile view
that can well be imagined. Not sprig of vegeta-
ton is anywhere TO be seen. Ii is a sand-cursed
land and rains once in five years. The inhabitants,
5000 in number, look as though they were never
free from dust and perspration. They are supplied
with water, in tanks, from the interior. The
chief exports cotton and straw hats of inferior
quality Poultry and potatoes Qrom the interior),
since the discovery of gold in California, have be-
come articles of recent export. A United States
consul is stationed here, an intelligent Jerscyman,
by the name of Polemus. Touching the waters of
The bay of Payta there is very remarkable phe-
nomenon ; il presents sometimes, for acres in ex.
tent, with the deep sea-green entirely around
them) spots of reddish almost vermillion color,
supposed to be the emission of marine anmalcules.
Sea birds, they say. never alight in them.
On the 9th of December arrived, after
n charming passage, at San Jose Llmbayeque,
Peu) and, there, in the preceding places,
exchanged The mail IL numbers loo lnb bs
yans Rains less frequently here than at Payta
Their chief export is rice.
On the 7th, about noon, we stopped at Huancha-
co, the seaport 10 Tnxillo, about nine miles dis
tant. The latter city was formerly destroyed by
an earthquake, the ruins of which the scientific
and curious now exploring. We lay off some
two miles distant The beach is bold and dan.
gerous, and can only be reached by a species Of
canoes called by the Peruvians balsas, which are
large logs of corkwood spced together with thongs
of hide, resembling Susquehannah raft, with a
sail in the centre. With these cumbrous conir-
vances they load and discharge the ships in the
offng. They are 80 constructed that il is impos-
sible either 10 sink or upset them. My attention
was struck with another sight, equally novel, at
this place, vz-that of the natives, out some five
OF six miles from shore, upon the bold ocean,
fishing upon small baisds, or sea-horses," which
ale nothing more nor less than two seal skins filled
with air and spliced together. The fisherman sits
in a half kneelng, half sitting position, handling
doube-bladed oar, with which he propes his buoy
ant and feather-light canoe, by plying Il right and
ieh. You will sometimes see tive hundred out at
once, bolbing up and down amidst white-cappcd
seas. They ride the surf with fearless safety. On
the detached rock near this beach, we discovered,
with the aid of glass, thousands OF seals and sea
hons. gambolling about under torrid sun. Com
municaton with shipping here is rendered some
times impractcablc, and frequently unsafe, on ac-
count Of the breakers. Wool, rice, and silver are
the chief articles Of export. We saw two Arheri-
can barks living at this place. At 8 Il. NJ, we
weighed anchor, and ON the sth arrived AT Casml,
Peru, where | went on shore 10 examine the depo-
sites q Peruvian guano. Casma - surrounded by
immense mountains, and Is the seaport To a small
town in the interior, the country around which
supplies Lima with fire wood. Cotton and beefare
articles ofeNpo. AT this port We received ON board,
for transportation 90 the capital, distinguished
prisoner, nephew of a late cx-Prcsidcnt of the
ePUbhc, who. by his own confession, had muir
dcred. on the highways and byways, sixteen hui
man beings. In the corrupt government OF rcru,
.alN ll-IaVt
luishcd connections and the potency Of gold can do
anything in that country. heard several very in
telligcnt gentlemen AT Lima remark, that the go
yernment Of Peru corrupt has n become, WIS
nothing but n grand scheme. under the guse of
law. Of official swindng. OF that, unc dHfre fOis.
AT tins place u seldom rains. In sallying out of
this snug little harbor, we rushed into the midst Of
several sperm whales, which were playing abOrt
the bay. Two days after We arrived az Callao,
seaport 70 Luna, the capital of Peru. Call1o con-
iains seven thousand inhabitants. and hes IN sight
cf the ruins Ct quondam Callio, which was IL
suoyed in the last century by an earthquake
IL cGgCris silver. gold. wool. hides, bark, and
CoIpcfofc. IN great abundance u rarely rains
there. For a dcsciption oi the beautiful city of
I..ma-oucc the home. and now the grave Of Pr
careful reserve future letter Ga the lith. NJ
3P. II. We LETT Calico Tor Pisco. Peru, arriving
there the neat day. II contains 300 inhabitants.
risco and IT. vicinity are remarkable places. The
yilarc presents a beautiful view from the ocean,
rising On a gradual slopC from the beach. IT. cN-
poIts are native sqnt. called - Psco.' distilled
nom grarc; also, very superior kind, callci
" Italia" which Is always in great demand and
sells high; also. n common country wine and
sugar. Al this place. will remark, found the
Largest and best wafer melons IN the world,swhlch
the natives call 4" saEdillas." Near TO Pisco are
The celebrated ruano islands, the Chinchas by
name, and three IN number. upon which - found
the hn,st End most abundant Peruvian gutno.
1000 tens yer aunum are taken from these dcpo-
sitcs. We saw, IN passing them. 1900 tonnage Of
Erglish end American ships loading with this
much sought manure. i was really an interesting
. ght
About ~ v miles from these fir-famcd islinds, |
We came in sight Of n barren rock. upon which /
were disCcmihlc, with the naked eye. from the \
tea Icr thrcc large crosses representing the cross-
rs of CALVARY; which the higotry Of the natives /
ronicnds. were actually engraved by the finger of
God. Upon two e the great feast days IN the Ca
hole calendar. tie pious PcruYians make pill /
ninarc from Lima 10 this consccraied SPOT, AMI /
here celebrate mass with all the solcmniiy and /
'onp peculiar % Catholic worship. II seldom rains
N ihis rari 81 the coast. Vegetation, here. as /
'E,wiere. Is obtained BY iuieat,oa. Dec. 9Th /
About y. ~. We reached Islay. containing 400 |