The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-05-01
OVER THE PERQJWDNM
DESERT ON n HAMD@ARo
Queer Features of Life apd Death op tbe Great South
American SabaTa-6mops tbe Ruips Of the lpcaS
at tbe Old City Of Jequetepeque.

, cotton is raised in the department OF
Piura, just north OF where now am II
grows IN the river valleys after the seven
Year, rain. which there Is much heavier
than AT Pacasmayo. At such times the
rivers Hood the country. bringing down
rich slime from the mountains. and when
the rains have ceased every one starts to
planting cotton. The demand for labor IL
such that many people go there FL the
time OF the rains for the work which they
know Will be needed. The wages paid are
from Is TO % cents for a day Of ten hours
Raising this cotton may be called the lux
nry Of agriculture. The soil is so rich that
the plants do not need nnanuring or till
age The ground Is not piowed. but holes
are ding for the cotton seeds with a spade.
and the seeds covered up. 4 plant soon
sprouts and the planters know they are
sure Of three good crops within the next
year or So The first crop natures in nine
months and the others follow. After these
three crops there are irregular crops from
the same plant or trees for a number of
years. The trees grow TO height OF ff-
teen feet and more. All that is necessary
is TO keep them trimmed and pick the cot
ton IN the lands along the river which
can be irrigated the crops are regular and
from two TO three crops year are COM
mon. The cotton rpens. In fact. through
out ElDSt Oh the year. anu On sft pt1Ss
blossoms and cotton wool on the same tree
at the same time. In the irrigated lands
the cotton yields 300 and 40 pounds to the
acre and Il Is estimated that the growing
aud baline cost about 81 gold per bale,
This cotton is very valuable. 1t now
brings l3 cents a pound, and has brought
rs high as . cents. 1t outsels any other
Gotten on earth. for 1t is used as wool
The fiber Is more like wool than cotton,
and when * Is ginned II would easily pass
for wool. IL Is used by the manufacturers
of hats hosiery and underwear 10 mix
with wool and Is said to give the articles
into which IL goes finer luster, better
finish and TO render them less liable TO
shrink The fiber is longer than any other.
except the Sea island and the Egyptian
cotton. am tod that the In which
II will grow is limited Peru Is now rails
ing considerable white cotton. The first
seed planted came, L am tod. from Egypt,
and The product is said TO be very good.
sunset on the Western Pacific
almost despair Of giving you picture
of the country along these little Irrigated
valleys OF Peru. Nature has painted
things differently here than In any other
part OF the world Now you imagine your
self in Egypt: at the next step YOU think
of the highlands OF Mexico and again are
in Southern California or on the Pacific
coast of Asia The very sky is different.
am stopping here with Mr. B. II. kauf-
MANN an Ohio man. who came TO South
America twenty odd years ago. and who
now has the largest shipping and import
ing business of this part OF Peru His
house is on the beach. and waves roll
in with surf like that of Atlantic City
or Cape May. Every evening the sun sets
upon the waters before us in "a blaze
of color such az / have never seen else
where. The tlnts are more gorgeous than
those of the Indian ocean. and more soft
and beautiful than those OF Italy or
Greece. Such colors have never been put
on canvas and such scenic effects are un-
known in our part of the world. The
changes of the sun AZ its setting are Won
derfui: II looks twice az large in this
clear air as at home, and as II sinks down
toward the sea the waters seem to pull
IL TO their surface, so that Il assumes the
form OF a balloon. the lower end of which
IL slowly submerged. A moment later
the top spreads out and you have a great
golden dome resting on the dark blue hori-
zon. 1t sinks lower. and the waters turn
70 gold and silver and the most delicate
'!nts OF purple and red to match the soft.
bright coiors OF the skies. Last night. just
before the sun went down. had double
rainbows in the Andes though there was
no sign or rain here on the coast. The
air is so clear that you can see twice as
far az in the eastern parts Of the United
States ard though II is now midsummer
, the heat IS not oppressive, and we have A
steady sea breeze every afternoon There
Is no better climate anywhere than this
and nature. Notwithstanding the desert.
has done much for Northern Peru.
4 Land OF Fruits
have never been in a land that has so
many varieties OF fruits We had nine
different kinds al our last dinner all OF
which were raised near here There are
oranges. bananas, lines and lemons grow
ing almost side by side with peaches. ar
pies and pears There are grapes as hard
and rs luscious as those of California.
cherries. pftms. dates and figs There are
waIermelonS and muskmelonS, guavas.
manEoes and cherries We isave a so the
alligator pear which has 4 flesh that rooks
ana tastes not unlike fresh butter and is
eaten Win SAT-. Then there are the palta
Inc tumbo and the papaya. and in some
lhafSs there are cocosinut and other srs-
: CHS or PAIN trees Ia every little town
ana AZ every railroad station there are
women peddl'ng fruit. and the prices ar.
Such that You can buy all that ,,o, ran
e"t Tor a very few cents The cor,,a
drink here is made from berries which
come from the coffee plants % a plant,tior
near oN' ana The sugar with which II Is
9Nt@Seht" IS ground out on n sugar ,Asn
tdtipH hot Ken miles away Our milk ara
ou''er come from the cows on Mr. bsnn-
mann : plantation and We have all sa-ts
! OF vegetables from the markets az toacaS~
.sr4 - h.