The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1890-10-30
ACROSS LAKE TITICACA.
e HE H. CHEST NAvIG ABLE WA
TER ON THE GLOBE.
4 Is Situated II, $50 Feet Abo the Sea Steam.
ers That Accommodate "a Passengers
AMI We're Carried Piccemeal
n Over the Mountains.

Il II & > "A
Alloat on Lake Titicaca! writes q
.ourist from Peru. How tho very
name recalls school days and geogr:l-
ply lessons, though in that early time,
when we located npronounceable
names on the map OF II country which
to our young imaginations did not ex-
lst any where but on paper, we had no
idea OF proving their reality by per-
sonal visit. tits amusing to remer,-
per what incorrect pronunciation of
most OF these South Americn names
the teachers laborlously drilled into
US; ana the fact remains that many of
them are still called in our best
schools, by names which the residents
OF the places would hardly recognize.
| However pleased the traveller may
be to lind himself sailing the highest
navigable water on the globe, he must
pay the price OF many discomforts for
his rare experience. Not only is there
| slrroche to contend with, which makes
a nervous person feel as if grim death
we're clutching his heart-strings with
icy fingers and piling a thousand
pounds weight upon his chest, while
all the blood in the body seems to fill
the head to bursting, crimsontng the
face and leaving the lower extre mites
cold as ice, but the most weather.
beaten voyaeer is bound to suffer all
the pangs of sea-sickness, though he
may have circumnavigated the globe
without Il qualm of it.
Consulting map Of South America.
you will find Titicaca about midway
| down the continent. but only 1926 miles
Inland from the Pacific. 1t lies at an
altitude Of 1850 feet above the level
OF the sea. in an enormous basin,
whose eastern border is bounded by
the lofJiest cordillera of the Andes, an
unbroken. untrodden, snow-crowned
wall, several of whose peaks rival
Chimborazo in height and sublimity
In shape the lake is an Irregular oval,
extending almost due north and south.
10 miles long, its greatest width being
about 81 miles. 1t has an average
depth OF 1000 feet, but in many places
/ line and plummet have failed to find
the bottom ill., =" .s-
! though many rivers, fed by noun
tain SHOWS, flow into it, there is no
visible outlet except the Desaguadero
River, broad, deep, swift, but not
turbulent, stream, 10 miles long,
which itself has many tributaries and
q fall OF 800 feet and discharges into
Lake Aullagas. away to the southwar
OF the latter lake very little is known
except that it has no outlet to the sea
unless it be subterranean, though re-
ceiving the drainage Of the great upper
basin and having several other power
full feeders besides the De5aguerado.
During rainy seasons and dry its water
always remains at precisely the same
depth, though no fewer than nine con-
l siderable streams flow into it,
1 Lake Iiticaca never freezes over.
! whatever the weather, though even in
summer time ice frequently forms near
the shore where the bays are shallow.
! This mysterious body of water exer-
i cises Il very marked and important in
fuence on the climate Of this cold
1 region, being always from ten to twelve
4 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than the
4 surrounding atmosphere. Its islands
perceptibiy, and corn and barley ripen
upon them, though on the mainland
hereabouts they never reach m turity.
The steamers, which by tight squeez-
] ing will accommodate twenty-four pas
sengers each, are Of 100 tons burden.
Being never heavily loaded they roll
and tremble and TOSS about on the
stormy waves in 4 way calculated to
j appall the stoutest heart and upset the
strongest stomach. while winds howl.
4 shrek and moan among the rigging
like q legion Of lost spirits, or as if the
3 angry gods Of Titicaca Island, whose
temples the Europeans have destroyed.
were in revengeful pursuit.
Going straight across from Chililaya
to Puno the trip is only Ito miles, and
& is usually made in twelve or fourteen
4 hours, but one can get quite enough OF
Il itin that length OF time, / assure you.
The little steamers that required ten
& years in the building were brought
III piecemenl over the mountains on the
backs Of mulcs, before the day Of the
railroad, much as COrtez carried his
Il ~. 4=.g. =FSE 80. Z =