National Republican., 1883-09-28
FROM TUMBEG TO CALLAO.
The Barren Hills and Mountains of Peru
the Curious Town of Payta.
Iron Barred windows FOR Flimsy Huts-.
The Inst Two Days at Sea.
Specialization.

Special later.
CNLLAo, PERU, Sept 2-'rhe bay of Tumboy
is historically interesting, for il was hero
that Pi2arro landed i ?j, aud commenced
the conquest Of Peru. We left it in the carly
afternoon, and in doing SO bado farewell to
trees and vordurc, for no sooner were We
around the outermost southern point than we
camc in sight of the utterly barren hills and
mountains Of Peru.
Looking at them ! wondered moro and
moro why people who inhabited such a coun-
try should havo worshiped tho sun. Rather
should have expected 10 find thom bowling
down TO bubbling springs aud flowing rivers,
which make their barren land SO fertile and
beautiful wherever they exist.
Early in the morning of the day after leav-
ing Tumbey we anchored of Payta, and were
it not for the shipping in the harbor this
would be a very difficult place to find, for the
town, which has several thousand inhabitants,
is composed of bamboo huts pastorcd with
mud from the hills and is built on long,
narrow strip of laud at the base of these hills
so the whole aspect, hills and town, arc Of the
same yellow brown tint Going ashore We
landed Mt good wharf, at the head of which
had stood corrugated iron custom house of
some pretensions but IL was destroyed by tho
Chlians aud the Chilian flag now floats over
tho town and there is garrison of fifty
Gillian soldiers. A gunboat formerly belong
ing TO the Peruvians lies in the bay.
Tho streets are narrow and were chiefly
occupied by children and small donkeys the
latter loaded with carthen water jars or piles
of wood which they had brought some twelve
miles from the mountains. The people wero
smiling and polite, and always ready to talk.
All you had to do was TO stop at the door and
say good day, aud you were invited in and
offered chair. They seemed to think the
chance of freedom for Peru very small,
because the people were so divided. What
the northern provinces wanted the southern
did not which IL natural enough, as the
tho southern province is the one which is
| called upon ITO cede territory. Montero
seemed To be the favorito general with these
people The houses were wretchedly put
| together, and the mud had fallen in patches
from the sides and roofs, leaving the bamboo
exposed in many places, and allowing a free
circulation of air. The doors were of thick,
heavy wood, and the windows barred with
iron gratings, the reason for which puzzled me
| not a little; for with a good macheta knife
one could cut his way through the sides of all
the houses in the town without troubling the
| doors or windows.
In one part OF the town we saw numerous
| white cotton flags decorating the houses, and,
fearing yellow jack, inquired what they were.
| They proved to be chicha factories, or places
| where it was sold.
Chicha is favorite drink on this coast, and
| there are several kinds Some is made from
Iudian corn; some from peanuts. 1t is quite
sweet smells like cider, and what i saw was
of the same color. When clarified it is slid
to be very nice. We also saw and tasted
aquadientc, which takes the place of whisky
and brandy hereabouts. 1t is made from the
| refuse of PisCO grapes after they have been
used to make Pisco wine. This liquor is of q
pale straw color, and is slightly sweet to tho
taste 1t is very Intoxicating and is some
times called Pisco, like the wine.
From Payta there is q railway about forty
miles inland to Pinra which passes near sew
eral silver mines. 1t is one of q system of
railways which was proposed in order
| to open up the western part of this con-
tncnt. There was to be a main line running
north and south on the plateaux east of the
| Andes; then short lines were to run down 10
the seacoast, tapping any port Of importance,
such as Payta, Callao, africa, Valparaiso, and
others Several of the short coast lines are
built, but that is all. Trains run very seldom
on this road since the war began, only one q
| day on an average.
We stopped and inspected school, which
consisted Of five bright looking Indian bpys
and two teachers. 1t looked quite like home
to see them at wooden desks slowly writing
moral maXims in ruled cOpybooks or ON q
bench gravely poring over dog-eared prim-
mers. There was not n tree, blade of grass,
or any green thing about the town. The in
habitants suppose, do not miss them, but
we did, and were not sorry TO leave.
Outside we soon ran into fog, and found
the weather quite cool The fog staid with
us two days, during which we often amused
ourselves watching the stoerage passengers,
who were numerous. Among them were
| some fifteen Cinnamon, who had made them
for
lows and numbers of wadded quilts. Then
| there were thirty boys of between IL and Is
years ofagc, who were in charge of n barefoot
monk. lie had picked them up in the cities
of southern Spain, and they were bound for a
religious institution in Lima, where they
were to be educated for priests. They were a
good, sturdy looking lot of boys, and had fine
voices which were very pleasant to listen to,
MS they sang hymns and chants in the twilight.
When not singing or studying they were
playing cards, using corn for points
They seemed much attached to the padre
quite happy and very quiet There were
piles of fruit chiefly bananas on each sidc of
the steerage deck, and the owners sat beside
them, caring for them on the trip or ready to
do II stroke of trade at any intermediate port.
| With them was cunning little Indian baby
that laid quietly, most of the time, in its tiny
grass hammock, but occasionally it would
make itself heard at such distance that il
seemed as if il must be all lungs.
The weather became right cold, and I, fol
one was glad when we arrived in Calao bay
and working our way carefully among the
shipping were soon alongside one part of the
splendid docks, our long journey ended, and
our destination reached.
While We were thus pursuing the even
tenor of our way Alfaro with his victorious
army was marching into Guayaquil, aud
Vientemilla had fed
MARGUERITE DICKINs.