The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1891-03-07
LIFE IN PERU
WAYS OF THE PEOPLE IN SOME
OF THE VILLAGES,
The Plain of Canate-Tsolat ted Com
munities-Cotton Regions of Tea.

The village of Pisco, which is situatco
about ZOE miles south of Caao, in tn,
broad and fertile plain of Canate, is
fair specimen of the coast towns of Peru
Its charming little plaza is surrounded b.
pretentiOus casas OF adobe, whose outel
walls are tinted pale blue. pink. yellow
or gray. The smaller dwellings of tn,
poorer classes. are one-room novels Of
The simplest construction. There arr
whole streets where the houses on either
side are built of wild cane stuck upright
IN the ground, having cross pieces tied
On at intervals, without nail from tor
to bottom, this wicker-work foundation
being plastered with mud and rooted
with straw. Though generally window
less and often fioorleSs, these poor abodes,
being we'll whitcwashcd inside and out,
present a neat and cheerful appearance
md over each doorway glass lamp is
suspended, rendering the streets better
lighted than those of many more preten-
a0us cities.
This region used to be proverbially I'M
healthy, and the people of Peru suffered
much from malarial fever until a ditch
eight feet deep was dug all around the
own few years ago, which has drained
oil the moisture and made it one of the
most salubrious towns on the coast. The
plain of Canate is thirteen miles long,
and extends in breadth from the cordil-
teras to the sea. To the southwark are
many small swamps, where reeds are cul-
tivated for making the mating which
supports the straw roofs OF the houses,
and then barren bit. covered with
stony mounds and clumps of date palms,
stretches away to the desert. But to the
North it is very different. In the inn
mediate vicinity of Pisco are rich pas
lures for mules, horses ami cattle,
meadows of alfalfa tropical clover and
vegetable gardens, each field surrounded
by hedge rows of date palms, olive,
orange, fig and willow trees Beyond are
purple vineyards and long reaches of vel
iOwish green sugar cane. each estate sep
sratcd from its neighbOr by rows Of
willows.
Life in these isolated communities is
BY no means disagreeable. Everybody
rises very early, takes Il bit OF bread and
cup of coffee and goes about his or her
especial vocation, the master riding over
the fields and the mistress attending to
the house servants. At 10 o'clock a. m.
breakfast is served; and the meal inyar-
ably consists of soup. eggs. poached
Or fried and garnished with slices of
fried banana, various dishes of meat and
chocolate. At o'clock comes dinner
soup, fish, roast, some vegetables well
garnished with ahi or sauce Of red pep
pels, dulces (sweetmeats), wine and
coffee. About 8 O'Clock p. M. there is
supper of tea, bread and dulces. Attached
% the house is beautiful garden of
fruits and flowers, with stream of water
through it, from which the les
ser irrigating bitches are filled. Besides
trult-bearing trees there are hedges of
roses and thickets of geraniums, paths !
bordered by pansies and forget me nots,
trellises covered with choicest grapes.
and srbors shaded with passion vines
Adjoining the garden is the galpon, or
negro quarters, collection Of huts !
ranged around central square, the |
whole surrounded by high wall
The negroes appear to be as happy and !
a lot of people as one can find |
in long days Journey. Though no
longer slaves their labor is still forced, !
md while they receive little more than |
Iood, poor clothing and poorer lodging
hey are at least sure of that of medical |
when i'll and exemption from
he taxes that so Cypress those who I'M
lertake to be Independent. Early in the
before going to work, all the
women and girls repair to the door of
he chapel and chant hymn of praise
lpon their knees, and again at sunset.
when the labor of the day is concluded,
heaven for their lives of servi-
ude.
n short line railway connects Pisco
With the cotton regions of Yea. running
outward with the vine-bearing plain
nd across forty miles of desert. The
apital of this department, which is also
allied Yea, is the largest town between
lima and Arequipa. 1t lies inland about
wenty miles, separated from the sea by
he desert and a range of sandy hills.
Ibout half way between Pisco and Yea the
usty landscape is beautified by forest
f date palms, covering an area of sew
raj miles, in the midst of which stands
deserted hacienda named Villa Ccuri.
he word is of compound Spanish and
luichua origin, and meaus "City of
Iold." A good many Indian graves are
ound hereabouts, each of them contain
,g not only its mummy, but pottery,
nall idols, spindles and golden Orna-
rents; and the story has gone forth that
ne ghosts of the dead have driven the
surpers from the estate which occupies
ie Site of an ancient city.
The northern edge of the valley of
ca is fringed with an enormous growth
( cafob tees, or algo1bas, as they are
,metimes called. This curious tree
rows to great size and resembles the