The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1888-07-12
FROM LIMA TO CRlGLA.
A RIDE OVER THE oRoYA RAILROAD.
Continued

Matucara is little hamlet of pos
sibly three hundred people on a pla-
tcau of several acres in extent, and
this offers Il convenient place for
one of the pricnipal stations Of the
road.
Being mile and half above sea
level we expected to notice some of
the effects of the elevation, and we
were not disappointed, for we found
that quick walk would cause the
pulse to jump up fifteen or twenty
beats, and the breathing to become
long and hard. So we were content
with strolling around in very quiet
nonchalaut way.
As in every town in Peru, we
found the church the largest build
ing, and here outside was n figure
of the Virgin, decorated with taw-
dry ribbons and tinsel, and with
motley assortment of articles at her
feet, among them a skull, and
couple of dice. We did not find
what was the Specification of these,
and our "man of all wisdom" was
for once stuck.
Besides the railroad and the ho-
tel, there are other evidences of civ
ilizalion in Malucara. In our stroll
we came across a school, which
reminded me very much Of the en-
cravings which Illustrate Gold
smiths deserted Village" and
show the school. The boys were
brght-cyed little felIows-secmed
to bc Just the same as our boys at
home, when stranger comes into
the schoolroom.
About 30 p. IN, we left Matu-
cara on our trip to Chicla, this time
feeling somewhat afraid that we
would be troubled by the eieration.
On the way to Chicla, as well rs
lower down before reaching Matu-
cara, VIC had noticed the terraces on
the sides of the mountains some
times reaching clear TO the top.
These were made by the Incas for
the purpose of gaining ground for
agriculture, and many OF the lower
ones are still used for that purpose
by the Inhabitants. Advantage
would be taken of one little brook
coming down the mountain side for
irrigation, but it seems that the In
cas- had aqueducts starting from
points further up the Rmac.
From all that one can see, it
would appear that at one time these
hillsides must have been covered
with fertile fields, aud lhe Valley of
the Rimac between Lima and Chi
ella must have had n population Of
several thousand. II speaks well
for the patient industry of these an
cient people that they could thus
force a living from an unwilling soil,
though, it also suggests the same
thoughts as do the Pyramids, that
there may have been toiling myriads
whose whole existence was an un-
ending round of work for the bene-
fit of higher caste. At all events
here is a good place for Henry
George to come with a colony. Be
yond doubt they can have the land
for the asking, and the terraces are
already constructed so that they
need only see to The irrigation.
In the part of the road between
Matucara and Chicla, it is con-
stant repetition of tunnels, and zig.
zags or VS. for getting through tho
rocks and climbing up the steel
mountain side. In many places one
could barely help thinking that or
the first survey, the engineers must
have said, CAT last we are baflled
we can't get beyond here" but il
) has been done. In one place they
: found it would be easier to put the
+ road right in the rive. bed, so they
, drove Il tunnel, turned the river
through that, and then put the roat
in the dry bed. OF course, tn,
river here is not very large, onl!
D about 20 feet C metres) wide.
As we climb up, the same granC
panorama OF rugged peaks towering
heavenwards is presented, and a
. they melt off in the distance the col
5 ors they take under the clear blu
. sky are eXquisitely shaded ant
Y blended.
Down below the road some hun
> dreds Of feet is san Matteo in pre- tt,
: little green valley, we'll watered b,
Il the Rimac. This must have at leas
= a thousand people, and there ar
a some houses of fair size and quit
an imposing church. Pizarro's me
> though their lives were anything
c but good, were certainly grea
. church builders, for every town has
t for such places, very decent edi
fee.
The fields in these little valley
are very curiously shaped, never i
regular geometrical figures, but i
2 all sorts of odd ones, separated b.
walls of loose stones.
In some places the trail or roaC
for horses over the mountains, run
r quite near the railroad, and eve
{ now il is used, In many places