The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1860-10-06
AUHsprER OK rANAMAHArs.

Behind the principal chain of the Ande,
extends, on the banks Of the Ucayale and
the Meranon, an immense plain inclined te
the east, traversed by mountain ranges
and which is called in Peru the Mountain
Real. Under rainy sky, which is otter
disturbed by thunder. storms, the eterna
verdurc Of the prmordial forest charms the
eye OF the traveller, while the innndations
the marshes. the enormous scrpents, The
innumerabie insects, arrest his hesitatinc
march. This region. through which the COM
mu:ications are difficult, is called Lowe,
Peru.
There grow, in all the luxuriancc of un.
limited vegetation, the most beautiful and
gigantic plants the lovliest and most odorou.
Eowers, the most usefu. shrubs, and herbs
the richest, both as to production and value,
many OF which are unknown to Europe,
though eminently appreciated in the Country
itself. In Lower Peru grows the bo4nbo-
nara, or hat straw, resembling rs to form
tnft of marsh reeds. The color is DELI
cate green. The hats called rana-na hats.
and made from the bonrbonara, have re.
ceived the name they bear from having first
been imported from Panama into the Uni.
ted States. In truth, however, the bombo-
naxa hats are exported from nearly the
whole South American coast. Certain class
es Of Indians devote themselves exclusively
to making these hats. The process is a
very long one, and this is one reason why
the price of these hats are so high. The
minute, delicate labor is longer or shorter,
according to the quality; for whilst conu, on
articles demand scarcely more than two OF
three days, those Of the best description re.
qulre entire months of care and attention.
The plating Of these hats occupies the
whole OF the Indian { ,'ony Of Moyobamba,
on the banks of the Amazon, to the north OF
Lower Peru. In this village men and wo.
men, children and old men are equally busy.
The Inhabitants are all seen seated before
Their cottages plating bats and smoking
cigaretss. The straw is plated on a piece
Of wood, which the workman holds be,w cen
DIS knees. The center Is begun frst and the
Work continued outward to the rim. The
time the most favorable for this kind ol
work is the morning, or rainy days, wben tho
atmosphere is saturated with moisture. A,
noon, or when the weather is clear and dry,
the straw is apt to break, and these break.
ings appear in the form Of knots when the
work is ended.
ihe leaves OF the hombonaIa, to be fit to bs
used are gathered before their complete de.
velofment. They are steeped in bot waite,
until they become white. When this opera.
ton is terminated. each plan is separately
dried 10 chamber where high tsmpera-
iure IS kept up. The bombonaxa is theu
oleached Tor two or three days. The straw
thus prepared is despatched 10 nil t: e place,
where the inhabitants occupy ,hemselyes
With plating bats: and the Indians Of Peru
employ the straw not only for hats, but in
making those delicious little cigar cases,
whIch are often sold for s. pr SO each.
The Indians OF Mayombanba, evijensi,
sprung from the Mongolisn rice. hare iarg.
TAT faces. Their eye. are placed obliquely,
so that the grand angle de.cends toward tbs
bose. The cheek bones are prominent: the
brow is low and fa;scne,I; the hair i. black
smooth and glossy; their skin is brownisl
red color; their fgure 10 toIernbly good and
regular. They live IN groups and in lisil.
tribes, hidden in the virgin forest, or dis.
.eninatsd over the vast pampas Of Lowe,
Peru u 10 70 this race, which 10 in ths
highest degree isdolens, lazy and selfish,
that the world ewcs the bombonaxa hats.
! When n indias has osde dSsen or %