Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-10-26

chase. The men "stalk" the game with
greatest care, and sometimes getnear enough
for shot with their rifles; but il otener
happens that the timid creatures decline so
close an acquaintance with their natural
enemy, man. Ifa guanaco is found grazing
singiy on the plain. the chance of getting
him is very small; but when the herd is pur-
sued, each animal tries to crowd himself
into the center for greater safety, thus con-
siderably retarding their speed by the con-
fusion that ensues. 1t is amusing to note
how we'll the dogs understand this trick, and
while crazy to pursue flock, they look with
Indifference upon the solitary guanaco or
vicuna. What is known as ''bezoar stone"
is occasionally found in the stomach of one
of these animals, and to possess it is consid-
cred the greatest kind of good fortune, its
magical virtues exempting the lucky indi-
vidual who carries it in his pocket from
most of the Ills to which flesh is heir.
Alpaca and vicuna wool closely resemble
one another, both being very fine and Yslu-
able. Large quantities OF it are exported to
England, and u little goes to the United
States. The coarser wool of the llama is
from six to eight inches long, and single
fleece often weigh us much as 12 pounds;
but it is seldom sheared, the animal being
most valuable as beast of burden in alti-
tudes where horses and mules are useless.
THE LONGEST AQUEDUCT.
Along the side OF the track, for distance
Of more than So miles, runs an S-Inch iron
pipe, Tor the purpose of supplying water to
Mollendo and the intervening stations, there
being none near the coast Coming from
springs in the mountains near Arequipa,
1000 feet above the sea and extending to
the Pacific, it is the longest aqueduct in
the world, and is capable of discharging
430, 900 gallons OF water during every "a
hours.
From Arequipa to the ocean is 107 miles,
and most of the route lies across the hot and
lifeless desert of Islay. After descending
the shoreward range OF the Andes, the train
zig-zags RAPIDLY down the barren foothills
to the great desert, which it crosses with
directness in marked contrast to its tortuOus
course among the heights In its narrowest
place the desert is about 60 miles across, and
before the day of the railroad the journey
had to be made on donkey back. Then 1t
was customary to cross it in the night to
avoid the heat and glare of the sun.
RIDING THE DESERT.
I can never forget the aspect of the coun-
try with the glare of the sun upon it-one
vast waste of sands and stones, hills bare OF
all but cactus, measureless stretches of sand
which the waves have receded. There are
no trees, nor even bushes, except in those
inlrequent spots where fertility has been
produced by irrigation; and wherever the
tanks that are placed at regular intervals to
supply the locomotives with water, led from
the long aqueduct, have leaked or dripped
into the aakle-deep dust, grass grows luY-
uriantly, indicating what the result might
be. even in this desert, under a judicious
system of irrigation.
There are many peculiar mounds of sand,
white as snow, all blown into semi-circular
shapes like huge crescent moons, showing
the direction and force of the prevailing
winds. But for most OF the distance not
living thing is to be seen, except at the few
stations, where bedraggled women, dusty as
their surroundings, come on board with
peaches to sell-tolerably fair-looking fruit.
but hard as the rocky hills and tasteless as
the sands in which they grew.
FANNIE B. WARD.