Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-11-15
LIVING IN PERU
Peouliarities Of the People in Some
Of the Villages.
VERY RICH PLANTATIONS
The Fertile Valleys Between the Des-
erts-WonderfuIIy Productive vinc-
yards and Sugar Hacicndas-The
Plain of Canate.


n ~
N fair specimen of the coast towns of Peru
lie charming little plaza is surrounded by pre-
tentious casas of adobe whose outer walls are
tinted pale blue. pink. yellow, or gray. Tn,
smaller dwellings of the poorer classes, who arc
principally negroes and .half-breeds, are one
room novels of the simplest construction
There are whole streets where the houses Oh
either side are built of wild cane stuck up.
right in the ground, having cross pieces tied
on at intervals, without nail from top to bot
tom. this wicker-work foundation being plas-
tered with mud and rooted with straw. Though
generally windowIess and often foorless, these
poor abOdes. being well whitewashed inside
and out, present a neat and cheerful appear
ance; and over each doorway glass lamp is
suspended. rendering the streets better lighted
than those of many more pretentious cities.
THE PLAZA.
One side Of the plaza is occupied by very
large and handsome church. built in the Ii
menian style of architecture. which is a con-
spicuous landmark for vessels far out at sea.
Near by Is the old chapel of the Jesuit fathers,
which possesses, among other interesting relics
of departed glory, a high altar. most eiabOratelv
carved and heavily gIlded. An avenue OF will
low trees leads to the dilapidated Franciscan
monastery, which was suppressed nearly halt
century ago by order of the republican gov
eminent For many years its cloIsters have
been deserted, its halls empty and its pleasure
grounds" with their long lines of olive
trees, allowed to run wild with weeds
and thistles. The records tell US that
this ancient garden intended for a
place of religious contemplation, wherein
the piOus monks might enjoy communion with
nature well as with their own souls and COM
blne pleasant exercise with their evening pray
ers. We read that countless doves once lived
in the olive trees. which were 50 tame that they
were wont to alight upon the shoulders OF the
frlars when the latter were pacing to and fro
in the cool of the day" reading or repeating
their prisons. But doves and deyotees long
since disappeared. and not a living thing is now
TO be seen within the melancholy inclosure. ex-
cept an occasional Zipolote, the foul carbon
crow OF Peru. or a turkey buzzard waiting ior
some dead thing to rend-
THE PLAIN OF cASArE.
This region usel to be proyerbially I'M
healthy, and the people OF Peru suffered much
from malarial fever until ditch eight feet
deep was dug all around the town a few years
ago, which has drained off the moisture and
made 1t one of the most saluDriOus towns on the
coast The plain of Canate is thirteen miles
long and extends in breadth from the cordll-
lerss to the sea To the southwark are many
small swamps, where reeds are cultivated for
making the mating which supports the straw
roofs of the houses, and then a barren bit, COW
cred with stony mounds and clumps of date
palms, stretches away to the desert But to the
north 1t is very different. In the immediate
vicinity Of Pisco are rich pastures for mules.
horses and cattle. meadows of alfalfa (tropIcal
clover) and vegetable gardens. each field SUI
rounded by hedge rows Of date palms, olive,
orange, fg and willow trees. Beyond are purple
vineyards and long reaches of yellowish-green
sugar cane, each estate separated from its
neighbOr by rows of willows.
DELICIOUS GRAPES II ABUNDANCE.
The grapes grown hereabouts are as delicious
as those Of southern France and seem to have
absorbed the breath of the nearby sea, as well
as the su ,shino Of perpetual summer. Great
quantities of wine and brandy, called italia"
and ''Plsco," are exported from this place. and
their manufacture Is the principal industry OF
the valley. We visited the store house of the
winemaker and found it to contain nearly a
thousand casks. each cask holding three hun
cred gallons regret to say that | am unable
TO give you any figures. having neglected to jot
down IN my note book information received on
the spot, but the amount of liquor made is mar
velouJ. considering the limited district. and the
value OF the exports Is III full proportion.
Italia" is the favOrIte white wine OF
Peru, though much too strong for general
use. and "PiscO." though a most innocent
looking beverage. being colorless as water
contains more into1icatIOn to the cubic inch
than any other known liquid. unless il NAV be
the mescal of Mexico. There is a Portuguese
here who produces three distinct kinds of wine
from the same grape. one an excellent variety
resembling Madeira. another similar to the best
Bucellas and a third much like the inferior
Rhine wines. There is also a very fine and cor
respOndlngly expensive liquor distilled from
the large white grape, favored with chlrimo-
jas, the latter being the most delicious fruit to
be found IN the tropics. All along the beach
are immense ware houses where the common
.PIsco" is stored in huge red jars shaped much
like an egg she'll. waiting shipment to the va
rious ports of Peru and Chilli
CULTIVATED By NEGROES
The estates OF Canate mostly cultivate
by negroes, assisted by few Cinnamon. The
negro population of these coast valleys was
originally imported from Porto Bello, the great
depot for the slave trade, which was chiefly in
the hands Of English merchants during the
nrst century after the conquest. 1t was old
John HAWKINS one o: the naval heroes OF
Queen EEZabeth's reign, who first set I'D a
lucrative business in African flesh and blood
between the coast of Sierra Leone and the
Spanish colonies IN America. THE sins of the
fathers shall DO visited upon the children. :"
and retrlDutiOn overlook the pirates son off
this very vale of Canate, which had then
Just begun TO receive cargocs OF human
merchandise. In 1894 Sir Richard Hav klns
sailed from England in vessel which his
mother (the wife of old john had quantity
but not inapproprIately named 1.-The Repent
anee, for she remembered the heartless avarlce
OF her slaye-deallng husband with shame and
sorrow. Being buccaneer himself Sir Rich
asu nStu come into these waters on marauulng
EXPEDITION, when he was overhauled by a Span
lsh fleet III the Bay of Pisco and afteward put
TO death Again in the year lilo Canate suf-
Tered greatly from the attacks OF the English
when Arson came ashore and burnt the little
TORT called Cerro Azul, and carved his name in
Dig letters on the face OF the cliff, whore il may
still be seen.
SUGAR CANE CULTIVATION.
Next to grape growing the cultivation OF sugar
oane engrosses the people in the neighborhood
OF Pisco; and as rain never falls, though the
weather Is sometimes quite cold. the necessary
irrigation requires great care and labor But
though the cane Is backward i'll maturing it is
OF closer texture, containing more Juice than
IN mi!der regions and yielding a greater amour,
ofsugar. The propretors OF the Canate hacien-
das mostly Englishmen. and an excellent
class of country gentle n they are. hospitable
upright and much kinder To their dependents
than the Peruvians inclined to be- The build
lngs on the estates uniformly large and hand
some, and q description of one applies equally
well TO all the rest Ono side of the extensive
inner courtyard is devoted to the trapiche or
sugar mill, the boiling house, refinery and
store rooms, while the other side shelters the
owners family IN long, lofty and airy apart
ments. all on the ground floor and extremely
well furnished Adjoining the houses is AWAY,
cnape! and a resident priest Is main tanned
whose duty II Is to look after the spiritual wei.
fare o! everybody on the estate from the lord
OF the manor to the meanest dependent
HABITS OF THE INHABITASra
Life in these isolated communities il by nj
means disagreeable. Everybody rises yer,