The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1855-01-04
T From G3edSon'S Pictorial.
EiD0RAD0.
NO. XII.
BY THOMAS BULFINCH.
VALLEY Of the Amazon, Continued.


Valley Of the Amazon, Continued.
On the 4th Of July the travellers ar
rived at the great mining station Of Cerr
Pasco. The weather was SO cold that tn
lieutenant, not being quite well, sat By th
fire all day, trying to keep himself warm
The town is a most curious looking place
entirely honey -combed, and having The
mouths of mines, some of them two OF
three yards in diameter, gnping every.
where. From the top of hill the best
view is obtained of-the whole. Vast pits.
called Taios. surroud this bill, fro1l
which many millions of silver have been
taken; and the miners are still burrow.
ing, like so many rabbits, in their bottoms
aud sides. The hill is penetrated in ev.
err direction, and it would not he sur.
p-ising if it should cave in, any day, and
bury many in It's ruins. The falling in
Of mines is of frequent occurrence; one
caved in some years ago, and buried three
hundred persons. An English company
undertook mining here in 1925, and fail
Cd. Vast sums have been spent in con-
st-uctinc tunnels and employing steam
machinery to drain the mines, and the
parties still persevere, encouraged BY dis
covering that the lower they penetrate
the richer are the ores. The yield of
there mines is about Two million dollars
worth year, which is equal to the yield
Of all other mines of Peru together.
The lieutenant found the leading peo-
pie here, as well as at Tarma, enthusias-
tic on the subject Of opening the Amazon
10 foreign commerce. "It will be great
day for tbem," they say, "when the a
mericans get near them with a steamet."
On the 18th Of July they arrived at a
spot of msrshy ground, from which trickl-
ed in tiny streams the waters, which u
hitting with others, swell till they form
the broad river Huallaga, one of the head
tributaries of the Amazon. Their de-
scent was now rapid, and the next day
they found themselves On a sudden among
fruit trees, with a patch of sugar cane on
the banks of the stream. The sudden
transition from rugged mountain peaks,
where there was DO cultivation, to trop-
ical vegetation, was marvellous Two
miles further ou, they came in sight of a
pretty village, almost hidden in the luxu-
RANT regetation. The whole valley here
becomes very beautiful The land, which
is rich river bottom, is laid of into al
ternate fields of sugar cane and alfalfa.
The blended green and yellow Of this
growth, divided by willows, interpreted
with fruit-trees, and broken into wavy
lines by the serpentine course of the riy-
er, presented scene which filed them
with pleasurable emotion, and indicated
that they had exchanged 8 emi-barbarous
for civilized society.
The party had DO occasion to complain
of want of hospitality in any part oftheir
route, but here they seemed to have en-
tered upon a country where that virtue
fourished most vigorously, having at its
command the means of gratifying it.
The owner Of the hacienda of Quicscan,
an English gentleman named Dyer, re-
ceived the lieutenant and his large party
exactly as if it were a matter of course,
and as if they had quite as much right to
occupy bis house as they had to enter an
inn. The next Gay they had an oppor-
tunity to compare with the EngIishman
q fine specimen of the Peruvian country
gentleman. Col. Lucar is thus described
"He is probabaly the richest and most
influential man in the province. He
seems to have been the father of husband.
ry in these parts, and is the very type of
the old landed proprietor of Virginia,
who has lived upon his estates, and at
tended personally to their cultivation
Seated at the head of his table, with his
hat on, to keep the draft from bis head,
and which be would insist upon remov-
ing unless | would wear mine, his chair
surrounded by two or three little negro
children, whom be fed With bits from his
plate, and attending with. patience and
kindness to the clamorous wants of pair
of splendid peacocks. a couple of small
parrots or brilliant and variegated plum
age, and beautiful and delicate monkey,
/ thought l had never seen more per-
feet pattern of the patriarch. His kindly
and afectionate manner to his domestics,
and to his little grandchildren, a pair of
sprigbtiy boys who came in the evening
from the college, was also very pleasing
The mention of college in region in
come respects SO barbarous, may surprise
our readers, but such there is. It has
hundred pupils, an income of s75, 900
yearly, chemical aud philosophical appa-
ratus, and one thou.and specimens Of