The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1854-12-28
NO. G..

countcred suddenly at turn of the road.
The leader, which is always selected on
account of his superior height, has his
head decorated with tufts of woollen
fringe, hung with little bells; and his great
height (often six fee), gallant and grace
ful carriage, pointed ear, restless eye and
quivering lip, as he faces you for mo-
ment, make him as striking an object as
one can well conveivc. Upon pressing on
him, he bounds aside either up or down
the cliff, and is followed by the herd,
scrambling over places that would be i'm
passable for the mule or the ass. The
llama travels not more than nine or ten
miles day, his load being about one
hundred and thirty pounds. He will not
carry more, and will be beaten to death
rather than move when IS overloaded or
tired. The males only arc worked; they
appear gentle and docile, but when irri-
tated have very savage look, and spit
at the object of their resentment. The
guanaco, or alpaca, is another species of
this animal, and the vicunia third. The
guanaco is as large as the llama, and
bears fleece of long and coarse wool; tho
vicunia is much smaller, and its wool Is
short and fine. So valuable is it, that it
brings at the port Of shipment dollar a
pound. Oar travellers saw no guanacos,
but now and then in crossing the noun
tains caught glimpse of the wild and shy
yicunia. They 60 in herds Of ten Or ff-
teen females, accompanied by one male,
who is ever on the alert. On the ap-
proach of danger, he gives warning by Il
shrill whistle, and his charge make OF
with the speed Of the wind.
! On the 3lst of May the thermometer
stood at SO deg. at 5 y. NJ. This, it
must be remembered, vas in the torrid
zone, in the same latitude as Congo, in
Africa, and Sumatra, in Asia; yet how
different the climate. This is owing to
the elevation, which at this water shed of
the continent, which separates the rivers
of the Atlantic from those of the Pacific,
was about 49, 900 feet above the level of
the sea. The peaks Of the Cordillera
presented the appearance Of hilly coun-
try at home, on winters day, while the
lower ranges were dressed in bright green,
with placid little lakes interspersed, Civ
ing an air of quiet beauty to the scene.
The travellers next arrived at Morocco
cha, where they found copper-mining to
be tie prevailing occupation The cop
per ore is calcined in the open air, in piles
consisting of ore and coal which burn for
a month The ore thus calcped is taken
to the ovens, and sufficient heat is en-
ployed to melt the copper, which runs off
into moulds below. The copper in this
state is impure, containing so per cent. of
foreign matter, is worth ift cen cents the
pound in England, where it is refined
There is a mine of fine coal near the ha-
cienda, which yields an abundant supply.
The travellers passed other mining dis
tricts, rich in silver and copper. \ large
portion of the silver which forms the cir
culation of the world is dug from the range
of mountains which they were now cross
ing; and chiefly from that slope of them
which is drained off into the Amazon.
Their descent after leaving the mining
country was rapid. On June 9Th, We
find them at the head of a rayine leading
down to the valley of Tarma. The height
of this spot above the level of the sea was
II,27O feet. As they rode down the steep
descent, the plants and flowers that they
had left on the other side began to reap
pear. First the short grass and smaI!
clover, then barley, lucern, Indian corn,
beans, turnips, shrubs, bushes, trees, flow
ers, growing larger and gayer in their
colors till the pretty little city of Tarma,
embosomed among the hills, and engelo-
ped in its covering of willows and fruit
trees, with its long lawns of alfalfa (the
greeneSt Of grasses) stretching out in front,
broke upon their view. 1t is place OF
seven thousand inhabitants, beautifully
situated in an amphitheatre of mountains,
which are clothed nearly to the top with
waving fields of barley. The lieutenant
gives an attractive description of this
mountain city, whose natural productions
extended from the apples and peaches of
the temperate Zone to the oranges and
pine-apples of the tropics, and whose air
is so temperate and pure, that there was
but one physician to district of 10000
people, and he was obliged todepend up
on gov ernment for a part of his support.
The party left Tarma on the 10th of
Jnne, and resumed their descent of the
mountains. The ride was the widest
they had yet had. The aseents and de-
scents were nearly precipitous, and the
scene was rugged, wild and grand be-
yond description. At certain parts of the
road, it is utterly impossible for two beasts
to pass abreast, or for one to turn and re-
treat; and the only remedy when they
meet, is to tumble one off the prcciplce, or
to drag him back by the tail until ne
reaches a place where the other can pass.
Tbey met with considerable fright in
this way, one day. They were riding in
single file along one of those narrow as
cents, where the road is cut out of the
mountain side, and the traveller has per-
peudicular wall on ono hand, and sheer
prccipice of many hundreds of feet upon
the other. Mr.. Gibbon was riding ahead.
Just as he was about to turn a sharp