National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-05-26

load always consisted Of two wooden boxes
almost covered with lashings, 80 firmly were
they tied on. l found out upon inquiry that
these contained hens eggs, on their way 70
Lima. They came from Jnuja pronounced
kowka), on tho other side of tho Andes; in
short they were making journey of 24O
miles to market. There arc 400 eggs in
box, making 800 to mule, that being called
cargo. They have carried eggs down in
this way for years, and refuse to use the
railway from Chicla, which would save
them walk of eighty miles each way, and
they refuse to sell Gu route, even If you pay
them double what they can got in Lima
While we wore In Matucana tho eggs gave
out, and the hotol keeper tried to buy Of
these people In vain, so the subDrefect or
dered a woman to stop and sell her cargo.
wish you could have heard her talkl Any
one would have imagined that she was being
robbed, instead of getting an advanced price,
but sho sold them, soolding all the while,
even Mt tho last abusing the proprietor be-
cause he offered to pay her in silver insist
ing on paper, and the next day she continued
hor journey to Lima, bound TO go there any
way. The eggs are packed in chopped hay,
and very rarely is one broken. The usual
price that they receive Is cents an egg by
he cargo.
Summer In the mountains is tho rainy
season, and sometimes y stray shower comes
down to within thirty-four miles of the
coast, but at Matucana, which Is about sixty
four miles inland, the rains arc heavy. Last
month, when We were there was the first fall
month and the rainy season was about over,
but we had occasional showers late In the
afternoon and the flowers were very abundant.
l mover dreamed of such beautiful wild flow
ers, and such q variety of them, not stunted
and small, but large, rich in color, and many
having delicious perfume. Among the most
familiar were holiotrope, lantana, carnations,
red, pink, and white; morning glories, blue,
purple, white, aud flaming scarlet; dande-
lions, single marigolds, oxalis, and hundred
othors that 1 never saw before, growing on
vines, or largo or small bushes, clothing the
mountain sides and making them look green
and beautiful. There were quantities Of wild
oats, and you could-not step off tho paths
without treading on blossoms Of ono kind or
other. These all dry up In the winter and
seom to entirely disappear, leaving the
mountains barren and forlorn az they are on
the coast.
When you are down in q valley you look
up at the surrounding mountains and say to
yourself that you will climb one of Thorn aud
look over 10 see how the country looks
beyond. So you pick out your mountain, 1t
makes no difference which, and climb to the
top, taking about all day to got there, some
times more, and when you arc on tho summit
you SEQ before you another mountain as high
again as tho one you have climbed, and
between IL and you q steep ravine with o
mountain torrent foGming down it. If you
persevere and climb the other mountain, you
only find it surrounded by still higher ones,
80 you give it up and wander around the
ravines and mountain sides near your
abiding place and enjoy tho flowers and the
pure, clear air. MARGUERITE DICKINs.