The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-06-25

in the vicinity of Arequipa are an indus
trious race, and cause very little trouble.
The men are mostly donkey and llama
drivers, and make trips of hundreds of
miles into the interior with freight. The
women remain behind and attend the
chicha stands. While waiting for GUS
always employed in knitting or spinning
or in making some article of dress.
Their dresses are peculiar, consisting
of skirt of some bright color, with
shawl whose shade contrasts effectively
with the dress; mans straw hat sur,
mounts the head The hair hangs
down the back in two heavy braids, to
which is frequently added "switch'' Of
cotton Irvine, which is popularity sup.
posed to add to its beauty and increase
its growth. The children, when small,
are slung in shawl ON the mothers
back, and sleep most contentedly with
their heads dangling over the outer
edge of their nests. No carriages are
to be seen in any part of the city. One
street-railroad connects with the rail-
road station and the main business por.
ton of the town, about mile distant
Everybody rides on horseback, and
here, as in most Peruvian towns, the
horses are all taught to pace A horse
with any other gait is at once recog-
nized as a 6 Chileno." The streets are
all paved with stone, and on either side
is a stream of running water from the
mountains, always fresh and clear. To
this alone Arequipa owes much of its
reputation for being the healthiest city
in South America. Invalids who have
been given up to die with consumption
come here, and in few months are ap-
parently restored to perfect health. In
the environs of Arequipa are several
celebrated baths, all maintained at the
expense of the city, and free to all
Many OF them contain minerals in large
quantities. One of them, known as the
"Banos de Jesus" is said to be almost
miraculous in its cures of rheumatic af-
fections. The waters are hot, and
chalybeate, and sulphurous.
The houses in Arequipa are built in
the most substantial manner, to protect
them from earthquakes. The walls are
of stone, about two feet thick, and gen
orally from one and half to two stories
|
are built of a sort of cement which pro-
tects them from rain and resists the
shock of earthquakes better than flat
one.
The exception to the prevailing style
OF architecture is to be found in the
churches. These have enormous spires
and bell-towers of stone, which come
tumbling down into the adjacent streets
every time an earthquake happens. The
Plaza is large, and has a handsome
fountain and flower garden in the CEN
ter. The buildings on three sides of it
were destroyed by the great earthquake
of 1868, and the buildings are only now
being rebuilt. The Cathedral stands on
the North side of the Plaza, and is now
in good repair, and is the largest and
finest in Peru. The earthquake of '6S
destroyed the towers, but these have
since been replaced. The Cathedral is
built of sillar-stone, which is found in
great abundance in the quarries near
the city; the blocks are cut and dressed
at the quarries and brought in on the
backs of donkeys, block of stone about
eighteen inches long by five in width
| and four in thickness, carried in pam
niers on each side, forming load for
donkey.
In wandering about the streets of
Arequipa one is struck by the large
number of ruins caused by the earth
quakes of former years, no attempt hav-
ing been made to rebuild, except in the
ease of some of the churches here and
there. Upon asking a citizen of
Arequipa why so many houses were al
lowed to remain in their present wrecked
condition, l was answered by a shrug of
the shoulders and the remark: "What
is the use of rebuildingP They may
tumble down again any day"