Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1854-02-18


from stream for the purpose Of igang the vegetables
Just peepng out Of the ground.
The small towns of Guayocachi and Nahuinpucyo are
inhabited solely by Indians and have runous appear
ance; the streets pasture grounds and decnyed old
houses roostng places for buzzards. We had
thunder rain, and hail the hail stones as large peas
soft like snowballs. Lightning flashed all around us in
the valley while the black clouds brought up by the
southeast winds hurried back by heavy northwest
squa Thermometer 45o. The Indians gather the dung
OF animals for fuel wood Is to burn here The
green waters of the Juaa rush down through deep
vines; its power is used for -four mill the grain is
mashed The branches Of few large cedar trees give
shade to the door of the polite old Mestzo miller. De-
scending the river come to beautiful whe-washed
bridge, with arch thirty feet above the
stream. Paying toll of shilling per mule crossed
the Juaa into the small town of lscuchaca Near the
river there patches of lucene, and peach trees in
blossom. Anatve of Copenhagen, in Denmark, came for
ward and invited his house The people had told him
his scountrymen had arrived He was sversmith and
apohecary but had been employed by the Peruvian Gov
eminent to construct this beautiful stone bridge, which
he had finished and married the first pretty girl on the
street leading therefrom, daughter of retired officer of
the Peruvian army The bridge this stream was
formerly built Of wood. During revolution one of the
parties set it on fire. and the ends of the beams while
burning set fire to the stone foundation The Copenha
gen gathered quantity of this stone made fire of
it in his forge, and heated piece of iron red hot He
called brown slate COAL rather hard not good for black
smith work but the same is used for running engine
ut the mines Of Castro Vrreyna in which he is interest
ed. There thermal springs near, and specimens of
magnetic iron collected from mountain one and
half league the northeast OF the town. The matco
bush found here Many stories told OF the effects
Of this medicinal plant which has been in use as tea
among the Indians and poultice for wounds.
Iscuchaca is pleasantly situated amidst wild noun
tans, which seem lock Tho lucia winds its way
towards the Atlantic while we climb steep towards the
Pacific.
/ Many fine mules are dashing down the narrow road.
The drover tells he is from Ica bound to the Cerro
Pasco Mines where he trades mules for silver lea is
situated inland from Psco the coast Among the noun
tains, at the top of dangerous and precpitate pass
there wooden erected by the people in the neigh
borhood Travellers invariably take of their hats as they
pass praying for safe passage or feeling thankful for
one. The women often decorate these embiems with
wreaths of flowers cross themselves devouy and pass
Jose begged me to hang the mountain barometer to
one of the While took the reading OF 1t ne
looked on in great admiration
The small Indian town of Guandc is the first We have
seen built of stone 1t is situated high up the noun
tains and presents most dapdated appearance. On
one side of street little schooboys were seated
saying their lessons to the teachers who were also on the
opposite side As passed between them the boys all
rose and bowed politely Among the inhabitants were
an unusual number Of elderly women. The temptation
was great to ask their ages but dislike ques
ons of that Sort might make an enemy without getting
fact. ..
We ascend the top Of the mountain and perpetual
snow in all directions overhung with heavy black cuInu
us Clouds above which the Cirrus shoots upwards in the
zenith the sky is clear and OF the deepest blue spring
water 44o, air 45o.
Richards shot at four wild geese with his carbne and
single ball of the geese few off leaving the Others
much frightened. The geese few across small snow,
water lake These birds white the end Of wings and
tail being black with red bills and legs as large as the do
mescaed goose though not tender Tadpoles but no
fish, were to be SEEN Wild ducks kept at distance.
The lama is pasurng and giving birth to its young close
under the perpetual snow-ne The Alpaca and Huana-
cos species of the lama in numbers Also Lamas occu
by the useful position among the aboriginal race OF South
America that the camel does to the wandering man in
Arabia. These animals carry loads OF one hundred |
pounds roads too dangerous for the mule or the
and climb mountains difficult for man. They are princi
paly used for conveying silver from the mines The In
dams are yery fond of them. Though they drive with
whip it is seldom used When lags behind or lies
down on the road the Indian talks to it and persuades
to forget its fatigue and get up again They hang little
bells about their graceful necks and decorate the tips OF
their ears with bits of colored rband Their dispositions
like those of their masters gentle and noensive,
cep when much hurried then they cast only saliva
Indians each other This is their only offence
1t is thought to be poisonous They require very little
food which they pick up the mountain and much
more temperate than their drivers They require very
little water. Their loads are taken off at d-day that
they may feed told they never eat Mt night They
seek the cold regions of the Andes nature has provided
warm fleece of WOOL and they need no shelter. Though
they are feeble animals their usual daily travel is about
fifteen miles but after three four days journey they
have rest they perish on the road The motion
their head and neck they the mountain crags
may be kened to that of the as floats over smooth
water The wool makes good coarse cloth Of various
colors seldom all of color The huauaco is known
by its being rather larger than the lama it said to be
difficult to train, if taken young 1t never gives up
its ideas Of liberty and will regain its companions when
ever an opportunity admits The alpaca is the smallest,
with the finest long wool It's body resembles the sheep,
with the head and neck Of the lama Jose tells they
are good to eat but like the Others the is not very
palatabe The alpaca wool well known in the markets
The Indians make clothing Of it. and trade it off the
coast In this department and further south great
bers of these new-world cames raised 1t has been
remarked they seek the south side of the mountains pro-
badly there less evaporation than the north sde and
the pasture is fresh and inviting Barley is gene
rally raised on the north side of the mountain.
After long and tresome descent halted in the main
plaza of the town of Huancavelica, in front of small
Shop on the corner Drawing out letter Of introduce
ton the Of the house. given to by his FRIEND
my Copenhagen "countryman, handed it to very
pretty young woman seated in the doorway sewing |
She invited me in and followed to the bedroom Of he-
dresses hanging around obliged be seated the
bed The husband shook hands, rubbed his eyes, gape3
and then laughed He said he very glad to me
that every thing in his house was mine Our baggage
was put into room and preparations at once made for
dinner While was resting officer with gold-laced
can gray trousers and half-buttoned military jacket /
came in and inquired from whence / came, and as he
was n lieutenant Of police he would thank me to show
him my passport. In return inquired whether in his
opinion the world not sufficiently civilized to per-
nit people to pass without such documents: 1t is very
certain the lieutenant had such question put to
him before told him to call when my baggage was
unpacked; but saw him again. Though l heard
that Don - had told that North Americans required
different treatment from those of other parts of the
world tiy lid not know what passports meant notwith
standing they were very intelligent people
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