The Republican journal., 1903-04-16

ever laxative is required.
a shaking. Again in 1925 Callao had
narrow escape from total destruction:
and many lesser shocks have done more
or less damage.
If Callao looks tumble-down and
shabby when viewed through veil of
i mist at a miles distance, how much
more disappointing is a closer inspec-
ton in the full glare of the sun. Some
body has well described it as built gen
! orally of canes, plastered over with mud
and painted dirty yellow, its tiimsy
houses standing askew, with scarcely
perpendicular or horizontal line among
them, and looking as if they were try
ing to straighten themselves up after a
grand debauch, in vain endeavor to
toe the line of the street. AS there is
considerable swell, even in the mildest
weather, a long mole, or breakwater,
has been extended toward the anchor
age, having stairs behind, where all
small boats and lighters receive and
discharge their passengers and cargo.
The stairs are thronged with a motley
and jostling crowd, mostly ragged loaf
ers who have no business on hand but
vagrant curiosity, and who stare at the
ladies and obstruct the landing so that
we have some difficulty in forcing a
path through their dirty ranks The
I little plaza at the end Of the mole pre-
sents strange and busy scene, it being
crowded with wharf bummers and idle
gentlemen in dilapidated sombreros and
ragged ponchos. We are astonished to
see great piles of grain and other mer-
chandiSe lying uncovered III the open
/ air,-until we remember that it never
] rains here and there is no more moist
fogs Here are heaps of wheat from
/ Chill, waiting TO be carried to the mills
| on the Rimac-the river from which
Lima took its name; there are blocks
of salt, white and rose-colored, resem-
bling onyx, brought from the salt mines
near Huacho: gigantic pisces, or red
clay Jars. shaped like the Roman am
phorae, and filled with italia wine
| from the valley of Pisco; bales OF chin
| coma bark from forests in the far lnte-
! rior; pyramids of chancaca, the coarse,
unretined sugar of the country, wrapped
in dried banana leaves, through which
sticky sweetness oozeS to the delecta-
| ton of swarms of flies and nearly ma
ked children; and other products del
pias, mixed confusedly with familiar
looking bags, bales and boxes from the
! United States and Europe.
Callao has population of about
thirty thousand, but its glory as great
commercial shipping center has depart
ed. There are several modern buildings
| of considerable architectural preten-
sions, sandwiched among the mud
plastered canes, conspicuous among
them being the branch house of the
. New York bankers, Messrs. Grace and
Company, and the new railway station,
| w llCll is dlSO CloSC w Ii0 lliOlSs HS
heat is intense, vile smells assail ones
olfactories at every turn; and as there
is no drainage except such as nature
provides in the natural slope of the
soil seaward, and smart showers never
fall to wash things clean, the place is
proverbially dirty and unhealthy. The
poverty of Peru since its first war with
Chill and the consequent depression of
her trade, as we'll as the enormous
traffic imposed by the government, and
the exorbitant port duties charged,
have conspired to drive commerce away
from Callao to the corresponding benefit
of Valparaiso, the port of Chill. \ few
wears ago, when the Peruvian govern
ment was in dire need of funds, and
willing to sell anything it could lay
hands on for enough cash down to keep
things going, it practically sold this
harbor of Callao, to French company,
who leased its docks and anchorage for
a term of years, for the sum of 5000, 900,
per annum. The money was a godsend
to Peru, but almost death to Callao, for
the company has right to tax shipping
to any extent, and has established a
system of rates and rules which no sea-
men who can help themselves will SUBJ
NIT to.
AS before mentioned, the distance
between Callao and Lima is six miles,
but as the latter lies little more than
| five hundred feet above the sea level,
the short journey occupies nearly an
hour. There are two lines of road, both
starting from the same point, but arriv-
ing at different depots in the Capital
city. The one we chose takes a sweep