, 1874-02-16

There arc fow countries for which Nature has
dono 80 much aud man so little as for Peru.
Blessed with every advantage, with beautiful
climate. 4 fertile SOIL magnificent scenery, and
an inoxhaustiblo supply Of gold, silver, copper,
biBmutl, and lead, it is still one OF tho least-
developed countries III tho world. For this
thoro are two very good REASONS, s,-tho indolonce
Of tho inhabitants and tho absence Of roads,
Tho lazincss OF the people again is connected
directly with tho prodigality Of Nature to them
The utilization Of guano, and the extraordinary
deposits Of 1t found III peru supplies tho coun-
blessing to tho rcst Of the world, it has boon q
real curse to tue Poruyians.
Another reason, however, why Its vast re-
sources have remained undoyeloped is due to
the separation Of tho country into two parts by
an almost impassablo barrlor, tho Cordilloras Of
tue Andes, which traverse it from one end to tho
olhor, and which at ono point rise 2o,320 fcet
aboyo tho level Of the sea. /on tho QUO side Of
this chain lies tho great highway, tho Pacific
Ocean; on tho other side, tho Valley Of tho
pcruyian rivers tributary to 1t. 1t happens
that tho wealth Of tho country is to
bo found, not along the coasts whero tho
Spaniarls made their first sottlomentB, but
beyond the mountains in the rich Valley
Of tho Amazon. The coast is relatively
barron, d sandy waste. covered with foga during
nino months In tho your. Such bong the con-
dition OF things it is not difficult to 500 tho i'm
portanco, for Peru, Of providing como means OF
communication between the Valley Of the ANA
zon aud the Pacific coast. An idea may bo
formed OF the cost OF transportation In the
country when 1t iB known that, whilo to import
ton Of goods from Europe to Lima costs only
80 francs, to carry the Bame ton 150 miles from
Lima costs 500 francs. The Peruvian Govern
mont has como to tho rescue, and is constructing
railroad oyor the Andes, which has
already made good progrcss. and which,
it ia estimated, will bo completed In
1876. Begun In 1870. 1so,ooo,ooo francs hayo
already been expended on 1t, aud 140, ,000, 900
cubic foct Of rock aud earth removed in grading
it. From 5000 to $4,000 men, mostly Ohilians
and Chinese, aro at work at 1t, aud, as no time Ia
to DO lost, there ia day-foroe mud night-iorco.
The road attains height OF nearly 1900 feet
above the aea, and Is by fur tho highest In tho
world, the Pacific Railway not roaohing ono-half
Of this altitude. On THIS road is also the high
ost yiaduct III tho world, hong $50 foot long, 900
foot high in THO contro, mud resting On 'throe
pillars with an altitude respectively Of 1885, 1873,
aud 253 foot. This ylnduct ID made Of iron, aud
WIS manufactured and shipped to Peru from
this country piece by piece.
Tho diflioulties to bo suru,ountod arc gigantic.
10 oross ono worry difficult portion Of the noun
tnina, 1t WINS found necessary to construct no
fowor than thirty bridges and yiaducts, with an ag
gregato length OF over 5000 foct, and thirty-avo
tunnels, with total lough Of IT, 600 feet, ono Of
which measures nearly GOO. The scenery along
tho route Is tho graudost imaginable. The
road III one Of tho greatest enterprises Of
tho ago, uot unworthy to rank with tho con-
struction OF tho Pacific Railway or the laying "a,
tho Atlantic cable.