The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1854-04-05
MISCELLANEOUS.
Exploration of the valley of the

hleul. NioDOn was JOlneu WIFI Lieut..
lierndon in his recent explorations of the
valley of the Amazon, but separating 70,
the more efficient prosecution Of the work,
Lieut. Herndon returned first, and his work
published by the Senate of the United
States, has already come before the pub-
lie. Lieut. Gibbon returned later, and his
report, constituting part second of the ex-
ploratlon, has just been submitted to Con
gress, and from this work we have pro
cured the extracts below, in the hope that
they may meet the eye of members to the
Southern Convention, to be held in Char
lesion.
Lieut.. Gibhon travelled on horseback
nearly two thousand miles, among the
Andes Of South Peru and Bolivia. En-
barking at their base, he descended though
the falls Of the Great Madeira, in Brazil
and thence down the lower Amazon to
the Atlantic, u distance of over two lhous-
ard miles more. In the course of this
excursion, he passed among many tribes
of the aboriginal inhabitants, and became
necessarily familiar with many of the most
important features Of this secluded and at
tractive country.
The notes we copy have attempted no
digested exposition Of the wealth aud val
ue OF the Atlantic slope, but they merely
give panoramic vie@sf current Incl.
dents and scenes, and on this account are
not the less attractive.
Starting from Forma, small Peruvian
town, in latitude IL degrees 25 minutes
South. and accompanied by Henry G..
Riclprds, of Virginia, and attended 10y
Jose Cosas, a native pf Peru, ant a vol
untccr Mcstizo arriero, who, with his little
son. drove the baggage mules, our tourist
'ook up his line Of march, in q South East
direction on the 9th Of July, 1851, and
thus describes his journey:
The ravine through which we ascend,
is thickly populated with Quichua Indians
gathering the harvest of maize, which is
small grained, and of four coors- red,
white, yellow and blue. Potatoes, of
which there are numerous varieties, are
also now gathered. They grow in per.
fection, though much smaller than their
descendants in the United States The
chacras, Little estates, are owned by de-
scendants Of spaniarIs, Indians, or Mesti-
zos--the later cross between the two
former. In almost all cases, the cultivn-
ton Of the soil is performed by the Abo-
rigines, at wages OF from ten to twenty
cents per day.
The Indians celebrate harvest time with
merry-making. Their meals are cooked
in the fields where their kitchen utensils
are carried. They have dancing and
music in the harley, Stubble Horses,
Mules, Sheep, horned Cattle, Pigs and
Dogs are all admitted, together with the
family. into the harvest field. While the
father reaps and mother gathers, the bows
tend the hocks, and elder girls take care
Of the babies, while at The same time, they
spin wooden yarn 10y hand for stockings
"A pair of which was offered for sale :
twenty-five cents, long enough for trow-
scrs.
At the top of the mountain, not house
or tree was to be seen, and no sign ofcuI
ovation. On tufts of coarse mountain
grass, tlocks OF sheep were grazing-some
OF them good sized Merinos. Wool is
sent to Lima, where it is sold to be expor-
tel around Cape Horn to the mannfac-
lures in the North.
On our left, we see the remains OF an
ancient Peruvian road, used in the times
Of the lnca's. Ii is said good roads are
marks Of civilization, could my mule Rose
give her opinion, size would certainly de-
cide in favor If the Inca roal in prefer
ence to those found al Peru at the present
time. These rem ms show width Of
thirty feet Of rock pavement, with well
placed curb stone. On each side where
the road has consi lerabl, inclination, rows
Of stone are placed across higher than the
general level Of the pavement, so that it
appears like stairway on the side Of a
hill. That it was not coach road, is no
argument against il. 1t was made before
the horse, the as, or the COW were intro
duced into South America from Europe.
II was constructed for tire Indian and his
Lama, who is the surest Of the sure foot
ed, ard therefore the improvement speaks
well for the civilization Of those times Of
which we have but traditionary re.
cord.
On the right side Of our path, was a
cisteTn, in whiclI water is caught during
the rainy season, to supply the thirsty in
the dry. The rainy season commences
heie about the middle Of September, some
times later, aud lasts six months; the re-
nainder ofthe year is dry.
To the east is q snow-peaked mountain
against deep blue sky as the moon rises,
rs II from the Atlantic ocean, the sun
seems to have sunk in the Pacific. Night
overtakes Us where not living thing is