New-York tribune., 1872-06-19
enanv lead to volcanic eruption In the center of

We started from Cadera In che afternoon vi 'ne io
steering straight for Pisco Bay; distance "heh We
ho,ed 20 accomplish in six seven days. The weather
was cloudy without ram, the breezes light but favor
bo from southery quarters, and the smooth with
oocasonally little swell that set us rolling Agassiz
was 40 kind give US two OF three morning ece'
on geological subjects. We had from Valparaiso 10
Callao the company OF the assistant surgeon OF the
Pensacola, who obtained leave to reioin NE snip aC
Calao in order that he might, upon the Hassler learn
more OF the mode of making collections and observations
at sea that shall be of scientific value and these lectures
were of course OF special value and interest to him. On
Sunday May passed through school OF OF
unusual size For half hour they were eapng 0t OF the
sea in every direction, as far as the eye
could reach. When remember tha6 from our
decks the eye takes in circle OF water OF aoou'
twelve miles in diameter, think we must eoncede
that 900 would be moderate estimate for tho NUMBER
of the porpoises that we saw in that half hour ana we
saw each one leap out OF water many times
We entered Pisco Bay on Tuesday, May q, and an
ohored in inner bay just at sundown ana renamed
until the afternoon Of Thursday. The inner bay Is
formed by the Peninsula of Paracas 1900 to IN
hight mass of perfectly barren rock and soil here and
there white with nitrate Of soda, precpitous on the
Pacific side aud steep the shores OF the bay INC
low isthmus is barren as the peninsula. Gleeh
patches Of feshy plant grew just at high water
edge and obscure chen tho rock, were absoluey
the only plants beside seaweed, that we saw A few
flourish, Of course by irrigation Several groups OF
islands increase the protection 10 the bay among them
the famous Chineha group from which so much guano
has been taken Some Of these islands are pierced through
by the waves, that the setting sun shone through
these natural archways, with very picturesque enect
Along the beach in the bay were some low ciis OF sou
| and apparently very modern rock, pierced IN ike
manner with deep caves The land did not appear so
evidently newly raised from the water as at Caldera
But took these as in themselves some eNence'
They the shores Of sheltered bay tand that
too in the stormess intertTopcal Pacific coas where
no waves commonly high enough to make percepu-
BILE surf The plant at highwatetmark made tufts and
beds of several years in age, without sign OF
having been disturbed. Yet the caves were 10
feet o. more high; all which would be explained
on the suppOsition Of gradual rise OF the coast.
On the beach huge rounded masses OF some animal
product first glance looking like coral or madrepore
These must have brought up by very heavy waves
and suppose by earthquake waves, which are frequent
| epouch ON these coasts, and heavy enough 10 have
brouglt up these madrepOTes but not frequent enongh
TO have worn out the 1t is indeed, possible that
these great masses Of which speak may have been
brought up in memorable volcanic wave or OCTOBER
49, lCs2 when the sea- retiring half league, returned
With such fury as entirely TO destroy Inc
town Of Pisco. The fishing and cunning at
Paraca Bay were almost marvellous in their results
Eight different species Of sharks and skates were caught
abundany, and other marine a91as % h p1 hore G tbe
palm as sportsman Gong OUT alone alItr piedhIsS III
small dngey, rowing himself he returned before an an
Is other sea-fows, including several scssOrs-Ds or
| shearwaters. 1t was mystery TO me now SO many
Sharks and skates abounded in the bay and few other
fish. sharks life, according TO our notions, would I'M
more sharks skates and turtles than other fish. But az
PscO found fish for sale caught III the outer OF Fsco
On the afternoon Of the 2sd started for Calao and
rounded Cape Lorenzo soon after noon on the 2l
The first glance at the shipping on TIE roads Iennded us
tbat IL was Queen VctOTa's birthday We already had
our cOOrs at The peak, but we lmmeuatey raised 1ne
the fore and mzzen the JACK at ls stan ana he
English cOlOrs at the main, and mus came 70 a0chOras
courteous to John Bull as If we had been thinking OF II
AN the morning To me, whom the ciyiltes and cOur-
esies OF naval life have the charm OF entire novelty,
they very interesting and very pleasant, except
! when II comes TO salutes - nave OulsvWn M NY
liking for noise, and for the smell Of powder.
We found 10 my ti s9 came orT so"1
after noon, and the wind was from the equator tne
Thermometer stood steady at 66o all day. and has hardly
been above II since Ihe chahge III th9 lor
the seven weeks preceding our arrival hdd Deen very
small either in the air and the difference between
our dead reckoning and observation showed that We
were moving in current from the South Pole On the
mometer stood az noon CO. Fahrenheit the oath Of
Nav at Caao lat 12o at CO. Translate these facts TO
| Portsinonth, n H.. on the 9Th Of October, with
seasOnable weather aud reaching barbados or Grey Grey
than it was NewHampshre. 1t true the nights are
Lot so cool at Calao they were at san Pedro But
We left Valparaiso May 49, and the difference between
that point in latitude 3o and this in latitude l2' syery
slight even in the night temperature do not, how
ever ind this uniformity OF temperature pleasant
had supposed ana am not yet disposed to fOsake the
North Atlantic coast OF North America, with all its sud
den and extreme changes | am depressed by the per
petua chill and dampness Of the sea air and the heat
| when land and attempt any long ralnDle. ~
Caao has also finished the dispersion Of my childish
faith tropical fruits. Oranges bananas, and pneap-
pies, worthy TO be compared with apples, pears,
peaches grapes Strawberries, TasIberrios hs and cur
rants But for all other tropical fruits, cheri
| moyO consider them like papaws, persinlmons, may
apples, ground cherries, and other wld fruits OF the
Northern states curOsiues rather than substantial
good fruits The chermoy0ls not SO good as s cousin
the papaw 1t tastes TOO much like the mayappe, and it
has 100 large proportion Of great seeds. IL is very
good especially IN the best specimens; but il not 50
good TO my taste as an orange, ana much inferior to
peach pear. The pears on this coast however, are
fruit the temperate climes which find here OF really
! latitude SO, 10 this point in latitude l2o
It is great and rapidly Increasing trade, which our
10 give the United States ana gave TO Great Britain
IL makes us sad as We 20 down Le coast ana see how
important the commerce 10 think that was offered
10 country ana that our Congress was even besOught
it that it was offered to others from the imperfect
and interrupted files Of newspapers which see, 1t looks
petoD 10 hand the trade between China and Cali
fOrnia over also 10 other nations. The sailing tun
five Years between 1865 and 1870 Had our
Congress acceded to the original plans this rapidly grow
ing would have been in American hands, now 1t is
IN the hands of the English, and likely to remain 80, es
peciay il the feat OF connecting CallaO by rail
with the navigable waters of the Amazon be accom-
pished and the difference of time between going from
Lima New York aud Lima to Liverpool he reduced TO
five OF six days The hst part OF tins road, l2O miles,
leading the cordlera Of the Andes, will be fin
shed in about two years from the present time by the
| Peruvian Government We proposing to part
Of road to-day but the steamer sails this morning
with the mall cannot hold back my letter ~ say any
| thing concerning IL.
have looked about Callao place whose architecture
shows wholesome fear OF earthquakes IL stands upon
tongue OF pOIphJIy peDbes-runnng out Two miles or
into the seawhence its name CaaO, cOgnate with
the French caillOuX, and less obviously far the
meaning goes, with the English caous There gar
dens irrigated by windnills, in which saw uxuriant
honeysuckes trumpet creepers figs peaches and other
plants there little public squares. irrigated by
fountains and filed with profusions OF flowers Of every
familiar, some new aud strange to
In the Plaza del q dc Mayo noticed three specimens
OF the Australian Eucalyptus the rival in size Of the