The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-03-05
The Battlefield Of ChorrilIos.

CHoRRILLOs, the locality of the battle
before the taking of Lima, is at once the
Newport and Saratoga of Peru. 1t is
small town of some 5000 inhabitants,
at the foot of the lofty cliffs of the
MORO Solar, at the recess of a gently
curving bay, inaccessible to any craft
much above the size of fishing boats
1t is connected with Lima by railroad,
with trains running every hour, and is
the residence of many persons whose
business calls them daily to the capital.
Chorrillos is so called from the little
waterfalls along it's perpendicular cliffs,
below which are the most elaborate
bathing accommodations on the Pacific
coast of South America. There is a
casino, or club and reading-room, built
amid the bathing houses over the water,
to which access is gained down the cliff
by broad stone stairway. At the head
of this stairway is little plaza orna-
mented with bust of a martyr of the
revolution who was native of the place.
In the center of the town is handsome
inclosed square, thickly planted with
small trees and an abundance of flowers,
and decorated with fine marble statue
of General Ramon Castillo, twice Presi-
dent of Peru, who is eulogized in the
inscription as "the liberator of the Ia
dian and the slave.'' Many of the
houses of Chorrillos, though locally
called ranches or huts, are elegant man
sions, owned by the moneyed aristuracy
of Peru. Ex-President Prado and Gem
eral Juan Buendia were among the
habitual residents of Chorrillos. The
latter General, described as the ''right-
hand man" of Pierola, is a represent
alive of the bluest blood of Peru, mar
quis of Spain by right of birth. He is
now above seventy years of age, and
until recently has had the reputation of
being very fortunate officer, having
suppressed several years ago revolu-
ton in Moquegua headed by Colonel
Nicholas de Pierola, now dictator and
commander-in-chie General Buendia
had great popularity in Peru, owing to
his rank, his wealth, his generosity,
geniality, and adventurous career, to-
gether with his reputation for good luck.
Many believe that he was not personally
responsible for the loss of the great bat
tie OF San Francisco in November, 1879,
which cost Peru the department of Ia
rapaca, but he was made the scapegoat,
and was for many months a prisoner
under parole at africa, awaiting a court
martial which might have cost him his
life. When Tacna had been taken and
africa was attacked from the land side
by the Chilians last year, General Buen-
dia offered his services on the staff of
the commander of the post, and by his
gallantry rehabilitated himself in public
opinion. His companion as a prisoner
under parole, Captain Juan B. Moore,
the commander of the ironclad Inde-
pendencia, lost at Iquique, was less for
tunate, having assumed command OF
the batteries on the Moro, and been
killed in the Gillian onset. Chorrillos is
situated on the only possible pathway to
Lima for an invader from the south
|. e., along the sandy beach of the sea.
A few miles southwark is the town OF
Lurin, which has been recently the
headquarters of the Chilians, and be-
tween Lurin and Chorrillos are the
world-famous ruins of the temples, pal
aces and fortresses of Pachacamac, bull
by the Yuncas, a race of Indians ante
rior to the Incas. Chorrillos has beer
the headquarters for several sieges OF
assaults upon Lima. just in front O
the town is the battlefield of La Palma
where General Castillo overthrow Presi
dent Rufno technique, in 1854, and tn,
late President Prado carried Lima by {
coup de main in 1864, from Chorriilo
as base. Between Lima and Chorril
los are hundreds of huacGS or artifcia
mounds, the fortresses and burial place,
of an extinct race, more than one O
which rivals in mass the Pyramids O
Ghizeh.