The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-05-01

or otihh- lou would see long lines Of
skeletons Of animals which had been lost
upon some OF whi.h the gailinasos or bug
zards might be sssu picking 1t their bones
j passed cord or 30 OF human skulls.
many bones Of donkeys and cattle during
a recent ride across the desert, and az
one point stopped by q pile of skeletons
which had been dug up from an Inca ruin
and left there 70 bleach.
small Chances for UnAertak~ru.
II Is curious thing that there are no
bad smells on the desert Flesh does fot
rot and you could leave a dead chicken IN
your aack yard at Pacasmayo and never
&c, smell The air IL 30 dry that IL sucks
al the juice out of anything left on
the sands A short distance north OF here
Is the valley of the Piura river which has
the same surroundings. Not long since q
Traveller. In passing through this valley,
saw an open cof5in Ia the cemetery and
within IL the body of a dead priest clothed
IN nothing but q purple shirt and white
cotton drawers. The body was lying alone
out under the hot sun Of tho tropics. and
the man, who was deyout Catholic, Of
fered to bury It. expressing great lndigna-
ton that one OF the fathers should be 20
treated. The priest of the town. however.
refused TO permit anything of the kind.
saying: MY dear sir. you do not UNDER
stand That IL the body OF my friend.
which l have put out there to dry. so that
may send him TO his family In Guaya-
quill
AmOng the Rains.
This dryness Of the air is the cause OF
the munmies of Peru being found in such
good preservation. There are plenty of
mummies 10 be had here. and every new
and then one is dug UP In the excavation
OF the ruined cities OF the Indians. who
bad possession of the country when the
Spanish came. The mummies are found in
sitting posture wrapped in Goth and tied
up with strings. All about here see the
vestiges of the works of the Incas. They
had a civilization on the average higher
than that of Peru today. They cultivated
a vast deal more OF the land. and their ir-
rigation works included thousands of
acres when are now desert. I went, the
other day. up through the desert to the
old Inca ruins of Jeauetepeuue. / doubt
whether any of you have ever heard OF
them. Stu they mark the site OF what
must have once been popuious city.
They are situated high up above the lands
which are now irrigated by the little river
which fows near them. Just below the
ruins are the remains OF what were once
Inca Notifications. great mounds Of sun
dried bricks tho ruins OF which are still
about 200 feet high. The remain5 OF the
city are In the heart OF the desert. They
cover Eefef5i ana
walls. in many places. higher than your
head still stand. while within them the
outlines Of the houses can be plainly seen.
In the center OF the city there Is a large
mound. probably the site of an Inca PAL
ace or OF a temple devoted to the vesfal
virgins OF the sun. | rode my horse up
TO THE top OF this mound. and In my minds
eye could easily repeople the ruined streets
below me. All about me were bits of
sf.s al
nation OF the past. Here yen could see
the outlines OF square and there the
remains OF a large house. which may
have been the residence OF one OF the
rich mobility from whom the Spanlards
get their god
Peru's Long Dry Spell.
Notwithstanding this part Of the Pacific
coast has had no rain for long time, the
people are expecting Ii this year DO you
know why 1t il because ii does rain here
almost regularly every seven years. and
the last big shower was In 1881. There was
a shower seven years before that and
ara told thar about every seven, eight or
nine years there e period OF week or
more that the rain pours down, and az Il
touches the earth vegetation almost In
simultaneously springs up Almost within
a night the desert becomes covered with
green There are great fields of green
grass and flowers by the thousands come
GOT in blossom. There are plants which
we have only in hot houses and flowers
more brilliant than any we know. This
vegetation often lasts bat few days. IL
has however been known 90 continue
month and ut its height the cattle are
driven from the irrigated valleys out upon
the desert 10 feed. The sesos Of all sorts
OF piantu trees and flowers seem TO keep
perfectly In the hot. dry sand, and 20 he
ready 10 tump into life IL touched with
moisture. I doubt In fact. n there IS
more fertile soil on the globe than that OF
the teoert OF Peru. II seems TO he fully
equal 70 that which borders the Nile val
lev and wherever IL can tR irrigated II
produces In many Instances two crops
wear Planting gees on here all the year
around in the irrigated valleys. and ! see
corn dropped in the same neighhorhooc
whore Il Is almost ripe enough fer musk
ipg.
Farming In Northern Peru.
The ONLY cultivated portions OF The coast
region az Peru are. as l have stated the
little valleys Of the rivers fed by the An
dean rains and SHOWS There are on the
coast OF Peru about forty or these valsys,
which the water has cut out Of The desert.
y ire end Of many Of them yau .nd little
towns which form the ports OF to conn~
try and In the interior there are numerous
Villages and small cities. The captai 81
Peru. LAMA pronounced iEeNf-itfssfs - "a t"'
valley Of the Rimac river Paita. where
We FIRST stepped on our way south, = the
port fof tho valley az the Piupt2 river.
and here We ars near the mouth ~; the
Jequeiepegge U4eke,epeke} river, At the
different ports north Of here. We took on
thousands 81 bags Of rec, boxes OF tobacco
and QuantitIeS Of skins ana hides. rs |
write this | can 49, droves o. as fat cattle
a. any which are ever shipped 30 Chicago
being driven out uP1p the pier. 20 he load
81 for Lima ard the ports further south.
and when walking out this morning :ook
photographs ~ the Ia b.*Ves As they were
swung ~ a derrick high up In The AR and
dropped into the lighter in which they
We're taken 70 the steamer in the hsvlo-.
" here Rcd cotton crows on Trees.
This IS rot thc beSt yottou-raisiug section
% Peru. bat ia every ride which | take
ETso the country ] See Inc bushes and trees
NuiuE the streams and Irritating bitches
white with cotton loils. THIS Is the nat
usal hogue o. she cotton plant. and Il =
;ffs one place IN the world where / have
found cotton growing on trees. There are
'rcss % cotton gn Peru fifteen ana more
-.