Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1891-01-08
4 RAINLESS REGION.
A PART OF PERU WHERE RAIN
NEVER FALLS.

Arid Desolation are Alternate
Spots of Fertility-An Ancient
System of Irrigation.
Writing from Palpa, Peru, to the
Washington Star, Fannie B. Ward says:
"Our main object in tarrying at this out
of-the-way Acadia was to make it the
starting point of several excursions; for
the little oasis, surrounded on all sides
by desert sands, is in the midst of a most
interesting region Forty miles from
Palpa, over rocky hills and arid sands,
lies the valley of Nasca, which descends
from the Sierras by an easy slope and
gradually wldens as it approaches the
sea. This place is inter esting on account
OF its peculiar mode of irrigation. Though
covered with rich haciendas, yielding
marvellous crops of grapes, cotton, corn,
sugar cane, melons, potatoes and all
kinds of fruits and vegetables, nature
has provided nothing for its watering in
region where rain never falls, except
tiny river which is dry during about
eleven months of the year. But for the
industry and engineering skill of the alb
original Indians, the lovely valley would
have been no better than the surrounding
deserts. Long before the arrival of the
destroying Spaniards they had con
tended with the arid obstacles and exc
cuted work here which is almost un-
equaled in the history of irriga.
tion. Cutting deep trenches
along the whole length of
the valley they extended them
so high up into the mountains that to
this day the inhabitants do not know
how far they were carried. The main
trenches, known as puquios in the Ian
| guage of the 1ncas, are at the upper end
of the valley and each il about four feet
deep, the sides and roof lined with ce-
mented stones. These descending branch
off into smaller puquios which ramify all
over the valley in every direction, plen-
tifully supplying every farm with pure,
cool mountain water and feeding the
little bitches that irrigate and fertilize
the soil. The main trenches are several
feet below the surface and at intervals
of about 200 yards there are ojos or
small holes by which workmen may 90
down into the vault and clear away any
obstruction. Diverging in every direc-
tion the puquios often cross one another
and by the time they have reached the
southern limit of cultivation every drop
of water has been exhausted. In the
valley of Nasca no fewer than fifteen ex-
tensive vineyards and cotton plantat ions
are thus watered by artificial means, and
at Ala small mill for cleansing the cot
ton is also turned from the bitches of
the Incas.
Going little nearer to the sea one
comes to the most profitable cotton
estates in Peru, named respectively
''Lacra" and "San jose" Both contain
mills propelled by water, with machinery
and presses for packing the cotton The
product is all sent to Lomas, little port
that has been opened expressly for it
across thirty or more miles of desert. 1t
goes on mule back, each animal CARRYING
two bales weighing 175 pounds apiece.
The cotton is then piled on large raft,
which is launched in the heavy surf and
so brought alongside the waiting vessel.
The next village, across long strip
of desert, is Chilca, collection of cane
huts surrounding fine old church, in no
way remarkable, except for being in.
habited by a race of Indians who, in this
isolated oasis of the wilderness, have
managed to resist oppression from every
|
of their ancestors. An example of their
character is related by a recent explorer.
His soldier escort was so unwsc as to get
into wrangle with the syndic of
the village, in course Of which
the latter barefooted dignitary received a
blow in the head from the butt end of
the soldiers pistol. Instantly the whole
population were wild with excitement.
Assembling in the plaza they demanded
that the fellow should be remanded at
once to Lima for trial; nor would they
permit him to remain over night in the
town, but sent him off into the desert,
weary as he was after hard days jour
ney.
So jealous are these Indians of their
rights and so suspicious of all outsiders
that until within n few years there was
one particular room in the Jefe's house
which was kept on purpose for the ac-
commodation of white travellers. All
who came were put into it and well
guarded, were the party large or small.
The Jeie supplied them with food, but
Immediately informed them that on nc
account, whatever their business, would
they be allowed to remain in the village
more than twenty-four hours. The
Chica Indians are an industrious com
munity, many of them being employed
as farm hands in the neighboring valley
of Maa, Others working on their own
account as mueteers and fishermen,
while the women braid colored straws
into pretty baskets and cigar cases.
Such are the general characteristics OF
that portion of Peru between the cor
dilleras and the sea, with its perpetual
alterations of dreary desert and fertile
valleys. High, bare rocks, frayed and
crumbling, line the beach, and beyond
stretches wilderness of sand beside
which Sahara would be blooming gar.
den. Is is the very dominion of desola-
tion, strewn with bleaching skeletons
left by the old-time whalers and the
to death by the wayside, its eternal ST
lence broken only by the short, quick
bark of sea lions and the screams OF
water fowl.
For the most part the sand is hard,
swept smooth by the winds, but in many
places it has drifted up into mounds,
called medanos Each heap is crescent
shaped, with the bow of the crescent to-
ward the wind, as regular and sharp in
the outline rs the new moon. Whenever
these medanos happen to have core OF
rock they are permanent, but most of
them vary in shape with the varying
winds. Brave men, as we'll ms bold, must
those old conquistadores have been,
when, knowing nothing of the then un-
explored better country beyond the
\ al.