St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1875-04-30
From South America.

Peru. known as the Lima 4 Oroya. and
which really will in about twelve
months connect the port of Callao with
Oroya. Il town on the Atlantic side of
the Andes. the greatest altitude along
which i Monte Meiggs, l7.574 feet
above the sea level. The road itself
ascends no higher than the Tunnel Ell
la Gina. I5.6l5 it.
/ Was AT the latter height some weeks
ago. and witnessed Il grand. tearfully
sublime snow storm. The morning OF
the same day left this place where the
climate is mildly tropical. and in less
than twelve hours stood quite proxi-
mate to almost eternal snow and ice.
The road starting from this point. as
cends the valley of the Riuac. and in
Ii miles attains Il height OF 1000 IT.;
then winding with the intricate gorge
of the Andes along the edge of precI-
pieces and over bridges that seem sus-
pended in mid air. The engineering
'i'ii' hithS ih.it NNlt
overcome are unparalleled. There are
6:' tunnels in all the aggregate length
of which Is 1000 yards. From various
forms of disease and casualties, oven
seven thousand men have died OF been
killed since the road was commenced.
Among the bridges. is one called the
] \ /
bic structure of the kind in the world
/ 1t spauS Il chasm so IT. vide. and rests
on three piers. the base of the middle
one Is % It. square, its height 252 IT
/ The columns are of hollow wrought iron,
and were made III Penn>y lvauia
came down from the Gina tunnel i'll :,
hand car. and truly it is Il fearful ride
Yet Thereby could see the road. tun-
hclS and bridges to excellent advantage
/ Another great and almost ;l> fearful an
I undertaking "t Nj. Megg>. Was tn,
building OF Il load from Moqucgan Ia
-ASeHuipa. thence 10 Puno Oh Lake Tit
icaco, and thence To the very ancient
Inca city of CuZco. BY the way. III.
chief superintendent of that work /,
Mi. j. Ihnrnd Ike. Il man nf remarkably
clcyermc>s III the line of *. X. building.
At his invitation. as also that of Mr..
Mei%g>. | shall soon make IL trip oven
that line
| he climate is charming beyond de
sc!iplion. while an endless variety OF
fruits of both tcmreritc and tropical
chimes are To he had here in pcltcc-
ton.
The summer of Peru is now passing
away. and there has been no higher de
gree "t Fahrenheit here than ~. and
u" lower during the evening OF night
than ~ 81 80. Since arliNin. here my
health has very much improved. and
now | know nothing of bronchitis.
from which have hitherto suffered
greatly.
The future of this country will he de
tcrmincd Ill great measure. think
when full and free religious federation
is established. the vast amount of prop
erIH nov held 10y the priesthood con-
tiScated and placed at the disposal of
the government. and bull fighting pro-
hibittd 10y Law. just think Of the fact
that nearly all this week has been de
voted to religious oh>ervanceS. windin.
up this morning by the destruction 10y
lire OF Judas lscaiiot. and tu-morroW .
Sunday there l. To he Il grand huh
tight. which will doubtless he attended
10y many Il the priesthood, the elite OF
the city. the military and the rIbhlc.
lci these same PcIuNiaIIs. OF rather the
residents of Lima. claim that their city
j. the Paris OF South America. A. re-
CARDS the retail .icwclry. dry goods,
apothccIrN and shoe stores. 1t really
will and does t, quite an cXteut com
pare with the French metropolis: Vet
in uo either particular. unless it he the
wickcducsS of its inhabitants. Yet
there are man! good people to he found
tiI'b- NV III. "iI' 'I'l''
ant chaprl> have been permitted, both
here and III Lima. The PIoteStauts
also have Il cemetery i'll which | have
attended funerals and taken frequent
stroll.
Here in Callao nearly all business OF
Importance is in the hands of foreign
els. and iii one Respect | almost regret
it. Is my progress III fimiliarizing my
self with the Spanish language is ma
tcrially checked 10y having to talk \,
much English. As Nou are aware. thi.
port l. next III commercial importauc,
To Valparaiso on the South Pacific coast
\ mole and enclosed harhor. built %
stone. at Il cost of from eight to tel
million dollars. has just been completed
here. and now the Promenade along i
is only SURPASSED 10y that known il
London us the Thames Embankment
+, From the window of my room | now
have III view nearly if not quite -,
ships and steamers. the representative,
of nearly every maritime nation.
enclose conductors ticket. shown.
distances III miles. and elevation abov,
the sea in feet. Iou will notice that IL
Il point only l04t miles west from tn,
Pacific Ocean. the railroad reaches i'll
elevation of l5643 feet above the So;
level.
Very truly Yours. e. h. q.
Below We copy the check referred t,
> in the above letter: