The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-11-30

ger whom King Atahualpa had sent out
to inquire the object of the white mans
visit. Back of the town are some extern
sive petroleum deposits, which were known
to the Indians long before the coming of
the Spauiards. Since time out of mind the
oil had been used for lubricating and col
oring purposes, but the natives were en-
tirelY ignorant of Its real character and
value until a Mr.. Larkins, from Western
New York, came down here to peddle ker
osene; and then it was Immediately recog
nized as the same stuff.
A little farther down is Paita, or Payta,
as it is sometimes spelled, the ocean gate OF
the fertile valley of Ptura which, with its
town of the same name, lies sixty miles
away,
ACROSS THE DESERT OF sECHURA,
and close to the cordillera.
Being completely surrounded by bare sand
bluffs, except the little space to seaward,
there is not a trace of vegetation anywhere
in sight. All the water that is used is
brought from more than thirty miles away,
formerly on the backs of mules, but now
through an iron pipe. Though lying within
the so called "rainless belt'' Of Peru. it is
said that smart showers occasionally fall
here, say one in three or four years. To
form tolerably correct idea of the appear
ance of Paita, you have only to imagine
collection of the mud nests of the barn
swallow, somewhat enlarged and turned
bottom side up. Its queer shops and houses
are set close together, mainly on one street
near the beach, their wicker-work frames
so thinly plastered over with mud that a
passer-by might thrust his fingers through;
and rooted with a mating OF braided
rushes, tied on the rafters. Some OF them
are two-storied and very well furnished,
being occupied by agents of foreign COM
mercial houses, who are paid extraordinary
salaries for consenting to a residence here.
There is big bamboo cathedral and the
most notable objects in it are an image OF
the Virgin with chains on her wrists and a
! Ito me) unknown saint who carries a
| Ratchet.
Paita has no cemetery and it is said that
none is needed, as nobody ever dies here
abouts-they dry up in course OF centuries
and blow away into the desert. We are
informed that the public spirited citizens
were very
DESTROYS OF STARTING A GRAVEYARD
few years ago, having heard that such an
institution is feature Of all frst-class
towns. They laid out an enclosure, but
even motives of patriotism could not in.
duce anybody to be inferred alive. Finally
a vessel came along which had man on
board at the point Of death; and as he had
neither friends or money, the captain was
easily persuaded to put him ashore, tc
start the new cemetery. But no sooner
had he reached land than he began te
mend. and in short time was as robust
as the rest of them. The term ''old citi-
zen" is no misnomer in Paita, where the
average age is said to be well on into the
second century There are blooming
maidens here of seventy and eighty, frisky
boys of hundred or more, and Flower
Lii, le,, .>f = fhy.na oy11 ian fhn,
tell us
One is struck by the extraordinary mum
Der Of gaunt, half starved dogs that liz
sleeping upon the sand heaps or go prowl
ing about in the most dispirited manner. A
; comical story is sometimes imposed upor
credulous travellers to the effect that wha
: has caused these CANNES to look so leaf
and lazy is not lack of food but the grea
distance they have to go for water. | wa
gravely assured by bare footed native
that every morning before sunrise all thu
dogs of the village assemble in the plaza
they march together in u body to the river
thirty miles away, where they drinl
enough to satisfy them for twenty fou
hours, and then slowly return, being quit
worn out by the time they have reache
? home
Paita is place of
! CONSIDERABLE COMMERCIAL IMPORTANCE,
? chiefly on account of being the only Quite
from PiuIa valley. There is commod
: Gus custom house built of iron and Ion
9 mole The place used to be favorite re
a sort for whalers and their rendezvous fo
4 supplies and repairs in days when thos
/ huge fish were more numerous in thes
v waters than now. Landing is compare
i lively easy here and the tourist should ne
fail to go ashore, if only to see how we
+ people can live IN swallows nesst. On
t who tried it wrote as follows: I'VE tray
: ersed the narrow. pale-gray streets b: