Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1901-12-19
TRIP TO SOUTH AMERICA.
CHAPTER ,.

CHAPTER ,.
We have left Ecuador and are now in
the coast lands of Peru.
We are IN the midst OF the great
South American desert, which extends
from Ecuador two thousand miles south
along the coast of Peru and Chilli.
AS far as your eye can see north and
south there is nothing but sand. On
the west are the sparkling waters Of the
Pacihc casting their silvery spray upon
the beach There is no vegetation in
tnls great desert, except along tho
rivers moving from tho Andes to the
Pacific. Along them we find cities
such as Lima, the capital of Perm. and
other large cities. Most of the farming
is done in a small way The fields are
cultivated with oxen yoked to the plows
| by their horns. Sugar cane, bananas,
oranges, lines and lemons grow side by
side with peaches and pears. There
are other delicious fruits that grow in
the irrigated lands along the rivers,
such as cherries, plums, dates and figs
Peru also produces fine cotton and il
! let stand they will make trees and pro-
| duce cotton for ten years
The cotton plant blooms throughout
| most OF the year and we can see buds,
| blooms and cotton wool on the same tree
| at the same time. The best cotton is
| grown on plants only one or two years
old
The large farms are owned by the
rich whites or by people of the mixed
race of Spanish and Indians.
Those who do the work are Indians
as they have no ambition to work for
themselves. Bat let us enter the huts
Of the poems and learn how they live.
The hut is made of cane and we can
see out on all sides through the cracks
in the walls. The floor is the ground
and the roof is of reeds, for it is only
needed to keep out the sun there being
on danger Of rain on the desert. The
house has only one room which is not
as large as many a room in our houses
at home They have no furniture, only
a small platform for the father and mo-
ther. The children sleep on the floor
There are no mattresses, no blankets
and no quilts. Each peon wears at
night the same clothing he bad on dur
lag the day, the little ones budding to-
gether to keep warm. The stove for
the family is an earthen pot placed on
two stones.
These Indian were once a very rich
|
and drink out of dishes of gold and sill
yer, just as the Indian chief told Bal
boa.
Their Spanish conquerors took out Of
one OF their temples, it is said as much
gold as forty-two horses could haul at
one time and about twice as much silver.
The silver nails of another temple
weighed TWENTY-FIVE THOUSAND ounces
and there was so much more silver that
when the horses of the invaders need ed
new shoes they were shod with this
, precious white metal.
The Spaniards soon became masters
of the whole country, For centuries
after this time they treated the Indians
with the greatest of cruelty. They
made slaves of them, forcing them tC
work in the mines, and used them 81
+ badly that many of them died so tina
! today, Peru, with both white people anC
Indians, has not as many inhabitants o.
it had when the Spaniards first came.
, We will now visit Lima, the capita
! of Peru. The houses have fat roof
covered with poles and a thin layer 0
y dirt spread over them. 1t looks like thu
dirt would melt with the rains but yol
q must remem Der we are III the South A
= meriCan desert.
g Through this city flows the Rima
p river which comes from the top of tn
!, Andes to water this beautiful valley
= whose green fields streach away be
pond the Andes to the right and left.
:, This is the river that makes Lin
y possible. Without it all would be de
+ sert 1t waters the large plantations o
sugar cane, cotton and other rich crop
! which extend from Lima six miles +
1, l., 81, n
: sea. The houses of Lima are construct
n ed of mud because this is the cheapes
building material. The city, notwith
! standing, has a substantial appearance
: and seems at first glance to be made O
some of its buildings look like marble
others are painted to resemble grant
. and others of bright colors seem to b
made of brick covered with plaster
y Most or them are in reality nothing ou
y mud being made of sun-dried bricks.
AS you go along the streets you ca
- see that Peru is land of good thing
4 to eat. There are string beans as Ion
h as your arm. They are tied up il
q lunches and hung upon poles. YoI
can see potatoes of all kinds some C
which is as yellow as gold There ar
y many fruits for sale at the stores.
We will now leave Lima and take
=, trip up the Andes. We shall 60 Their
! upon the 0roya Railroad, the steepes
railroad of the world.
1t begins at Callao on the Pacific, ant
. passes through Lima on its way up tn,
Andes. 1t was planned by an Ameri
o can named Meiggs, who intended tina
it should connect the seaport with thu
! famous silver mines of Cerro de Pasco
- 1t would cost so much, though, that j
-, has never been completed. 1t now ex
v tends to a short distance on the othe
side of the mountains, although it il
planned to build 1T at some time to thC
navigable tributaries of the Amazon
about three miles farther on. As it il
the road is less than 100 miles long. /
is so steep however that it will carry
US more than three miles above where
we now are, and bring us to the grea
plateau between the tops Of the Andes
We leave Lima, abe land of tropical
fruits, and in very few hours we are
climbing the steep sides OF the Andes
The railroad in climbing this mighty
height must curve about like the letter
5, and in some places we can count five
tracks, one above the other. We dash
across high bridges and shoot through
dark tunnels, and find ourselves at last
| on ton of tho A ndaa thrpa miles above