Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-11-29
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less belt Of Peru IL is said that smart showers
occasionally fall here say oace in three or four
years. To form tolerrbly correct idea o. the
appearance OF PEita You have only TO imagine a
collection OF the mud nests Of the barn
swallow, somewhat enlarged and turned
bottom side up. It's queer shops and houses
are set Close together. mainly on one long street
near the beach, their wicker-work frames so
thinly plastered over with mud that passer-by
might thrust his finger through. and rooted
with n mating Of braided rushes tied on TO the
rafters Some of them are two-storied and
very well furnished. being occupied by agents
OF foreign commercial houses, who are paid ex-
traordinary salaries for consenting 20 resi-
deace here. There is big bamboo cathedral
and the most notable objects in il are an image
OF the Virgin with chains on her wrists and
Vo mel unknown saint who carries Ratchet
No CEMETERY.
Paita has no cemetery and il is said that none
Is needed, as nobody ever dies hereabouts-
they dry up in course Of centuries and blow
away INTO the desert We are informed that
the pubhc-sp,ritcd citizens were very DESTROYS
OF starting grave yard a few wears ago. hay-
ing heard that such an institution is a feature
OF all nrst-ciass towns. They laid ont an nt-
closure. bat even motives of patriotism could
not induce anybody TO be inferred alive. FL
naily a vessel came along which had man on
board at the point of death, and. he had
nelther friends nor money, the captain was
easily persuaded to put HIM ashore TO start the
new cemetery. But no sooner had he reached
land than he began to mend and in short
time was as robust as the rest of them. The
term odd citizen" Is no misnomer in Paita,
where the average age is said to be well on into
the second century. There are blooming maid
ems here Of seventy or eighty. frisky boys of a
hundred or more and flower girls" of twice
three score and ten-so they tell us.
One is struck by the extraordinary number
hal hat E.,
upon the sand heaps or go prowling about in
the most dispirited manner. A comical story
Is sometimes imposed upon credulous travellers
to the effect that what has caused these CANNES
to look so lean and lazy is not lack of food. but
the great distance they have to 10 FOR water.
was grayely assured by bare-footed native
that every morning before sunrise all the dogs
OF the village assemble in the plaza: they march
together in a body 10 the river thirty miles
away, where they drink enough TO satisfy them
for twenty-four hours. and then slowly return.
being quite worn out by the time they have
reached homei
COMMERCE.
Paita is place Of considerable commercial
importance, chiefly on account Of being the
only outlet from Piura valley. There is a
coEmodious custom house built of iron and q
long mole. The place used to lie a favorite re-
sort for whalers and their rendezvous for sup.
plies and repairs in DAYS when those huge fish
were more numerous in these waters than now
Landing IS comparatively easy here and the
| tourist should not fail 10 90 ashore, if only e
see how well people may live in swallows nests
| One who tried 1t wrote as follows: I'VE trav.
ersed the narrow, pale gray streets between
the coniical houses OF cane and mud; mounted
the pale gray cliffs and looked ont upon the
vast plain of pale gray sand that stretches ava,
for sixty miles. We were thirsty on returning
from this pale gray expedition and were told
that the water that we drank 10 wash out oul
pale gray "reminiscences had been brought from
distance Of thirty miles on the back of a pale
gray donkey"
PAcAsMAYo.
A rather more interesting coast town il
Paeasmayo also surrounded by sand hill
and deserts, with no glimpse of vegetation far
as the eye can reach The surf is alwav
heavy here and often dashes over the lofty
half-miic-long pier. Going ashore in rough
| weather Is no childs play. but we veutured il
Our Doatrlan was a cOal-black Jamaica negro
with mouth like a trap door. but to his pres
ence OF mind and trumpet-like orders to TIVE
| or three helpers we probably owe our lives a
the present moment. A sudden wind spran,
| up. rendering the rudder of no more use THAI
straw. and about the only thing thai coul,
be done was to keep the little boat. which wa
fearfully knocked about by the pillows. from
DeinS DRIVEN TO the bottom by receiving on
| broadside.
| AT TIE CONSULATE.
Being thoroughly drenched with spray W,
sought the consulate to dry ourselves and wal
for the gale to subside. And here an agreeali
surprise awaited us. For more than twentr
wears Mr.. II. II. Kaufman. a brother OF one O
| the owners Of the Washington EVENING Sr.R
has been the American consul at Pacasmayo
He lives in big. airy house. no. far from tn,
beach. whose bamboo-roofed yeranda cora
inaids splendid view of the rolling surf am,
the measureless blue beyond. II is a coz,
| home. furnished with all that good taste en-,
money can buy IN this part of the world, in
| GUIDING line pictures dainty china and a Frencl
piano. masking one forget that tracEless deser.
9iid treacheroGs ocean environ on every side
Mrs. Hartmann YVES Lima BELLE and Their
| are several very pretty children. who are bein.
educated at home by an English goyerness
| The young daughter. who excels in music is
striking specimen of the blending of the tw,
races, showing the white skin and fair hair O
the Saxon, with the soft. expressive ewes. fin
form and tiny hands and feet of the Peruyia,
| mother.
Among the sights of Pacasmavo especia
| mention should be made of a street car nro
| PEELED by wind. 1t runs on rails like other cars
out has neither horse, mule. engine. nor an,
| motive power. except the viewless hands of tn
,lr playing in a sail. which can be raised o
lowered 20 s'lit emergencies. Just like that of
yacht. There are brakes. of course and RICH
merrilv Goes this queer Land shin scud along
| from the town to the end of the long pier
when the wind happens to be in the right di
| rection.
And now there are no more stops to be mad
before Callao. the port of Lima. where we shal
bid a happy Gdieu for some time to the ocean
OF which we are heartily tired.
FANNIE d. WARD.