Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-06-29


the Andes; and certainly no pen-picture can
do them faintest justice. Seen from a
distance, their bare and totally inaccessible
sides look as black as ink, in contrast with
the extensive snow-felds above, which the
foot of man or beast has never trodden. Dc
casionally a condor is seen-the poet s
"proud birG of the Andes"-slowly circling
to his home above the clouds.
NATIONS WONDERLAND.
Such waterfalls and cascades as come tum-
bling down from unknown heights to the
valley far, far below; some of them rlvallng
in magnifcence our own Niagara, or any
thing the Yosemite can show; while the
river which fills the center of the narrow
valley. so tar below our aerial track that IL
looks like thread of silver, is in reality
raging cataract, dashing over giant boulders
with noise loke thunder. for more than 5O
miles outdoing the rapids above Niagara,
and nowhere navigable in all its course.
There are mountains on every hand, mount
aims everywhere, stretching away to the
horizon; while the range on the opposite SIDE
OF the valley, parallel to this we are slowly
traversing, appears almost near enough TO
toss stone from one to the other.
When the lowlands were reached, came
small rivers, but we found 1t preferable to
most of the bridges along the route-frall
structures swung from tree to tree, and
swaying like cradles beneath us. When
once in the valley, no words can tell the
beauty OF the luxuriance of the tropical veg
citation in solitudes where Near to Nat
ure's Heart" is not an empty idea. There
were groves of wild banana trees, whose
broad leaves of brightest green are each
large enough for a tent; towering palms OF
many species, wonderful orchids, shining
foliage, beauti ul flowers, and enormous
ferns whose perfect ironds waved high
above our heads And then the birds Of
brilliant plumage-parrots, macaws, paro-
quets-the monkeys chattering among the
trees, gorgeous butterflies as large as the
palm of your hand, beetles dressed in green
and blue and gold, and other wonders en-
countered at every stepi
PRODUCTS OF THE VALLEY.
A portion OF the highway to Yungas'
capital is a mere foot path running through
the coffee groves of private plantations, and
between orange and lime trees crowded so
closely together ss to rake off our hats with
their branches, and render imminent the
fate of Absalom. The lower hlllsides are
mostly laid out in terraced slopes for the
.
the valley.
There are many grottoes, or miniature
caverns by the wayside, formed by springs
or waterfalls forcing their way through
heaped-up boulders, where every inch os
rock is thickly covered with the most beau
tiful MOSES and delicate maiden-hair ferns.
overhung by gigantic fronds and brilliant
flowers. Passing one of these, we saw in
side number of half-naked Indian women
washing their clothes in the clear cascade,
while their lazy lords sat by circulating
sundry jugs and bottles among themselves.
1t happened at the moment that the doctor
and were tagging In the rear, and as we
rode by the customary "Buenos diss" (good
day) on our part, and "Ma-Ma" on theirs
were exchanged-the latter word not mean
ing mother, as might be inferred, but in
Quichua language a token of greeting and
respect.
CHASED BY DRUNKEN INDIANS.
To our surprise, up sprang three of the
Indians calling on US to stop, and who, in
spite of all our efforts at speed, kept almost
within reach OF us. Up hill and down we
went mile or more, until, in particularly
bad piece OF road where the narrow trail
had not only the usual precipice on one side
and wall OF rock on the other, but turned an
abrupt curve that hid us from sight OF our
companions, we were stopped short by the
hand of an Indian grasping the bride of
each mule.
Naturally, we imagined them to be part
of the robber gang; but while the doctor
fumbled in his saddle bags for pistol
which wasn't there, the third Indian, with
the lowest of salaams, held up bottle and
tiny glass and humbly insisted on drinking
healths with us. To resist their drunken
caprice would have been folly, so we both
put the dirty glass to our lips with due
ceremony and "Salud," (to our health) of
course without tasting the beverage, what
ever it may have been, and then, whipping
up our weary nags, we tossed some small
coin to the convivial Quichuas, and left'them
happy by the wayside.
FANNIE B. WARD