The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-08-27
MOUNTAINS OF PERU
Continued from second page)

it rained steadily until $50 a. m. AT
9 a. M, we set out on wet roads to La
MERGED, six miles away. The valley
here is quite broad and largely cult
waited We passed many hlJs of chOl-
os and chinese, built OF cane and
mud with a heavily matched roof.
There is plenty of fruit along the way
at this stage, the Palta, the melon
like Papaya growing in clusters on
a tree with a top like an umbrella,
oranges and bananas. The immense
leaves Of the latter often meet over
the road forming a shady banana
avenue.
We soon reached La MERGED and
had breakfast at a Chinese hotel. La
MERGED means the market or
"store" containing, as ii does, several
large ones doing a business with the
natives on the surrounding hills who
come in on market days to trade
Leaving La MERGED we passed long
stretches of sugar cane used to make
"a guardiente" or rum. After a mile
or more the valley again became mar
row and more beautiful than ever.
The road however was not more than
a woodland path, rather rough and
demanding caution This continued
for about twelve miles across the Rio
Colorado to the Rio Paucartamb0.
Here, although in sight of our des-
tination, we must go up the river
mile and half and cross by a lively
swing bridge We were now riding
by moonlight and it demanded eau
ton to get our tired ponies along this
unknown path However we safely
reached the residence of ST. Fuilong,
who received us cordially and after
a good dinner and short chat we
were soon in dreamland. The Peru
Wan Corporation here owns about a
million acres OF land. On this ter
ritory are several chacras where
large quantities of coffee, the finest IN
the world, is produced, besides some
cocoa. In fact anything can be
grown here the land is so fertile. How
ever, transportation is at present a
serious proposition, preventing them
from competing with countries like
Brazil, having better transportation
facilities.
This estate Is managed by Sr. Fur
long, fine old gentleman. He has
been there continually for about 20
years and could not be induced to
leave. He has a large comfortable
house comnOdious quarters for en-
plcyees and extensive buildings for
f2rmenting and drying coffee. The
camp is situated where the rivers
Chauchamayo and Paucartambo join
al IL,
Of about 200O feet The climate is
the most delightful imaginable. There
Is an abundance Of a ! kinds Of trop-
ical fruit includlr. the finest oranges
! ever tasted. Uuti a few years ago
they suffered at times from a malari-
Gus fever, but we never saw mos
quito on cur trip ror any case Of this
dreaded Tercana, rs II is called.
Mr.. Furlong was very kind and fur
nished us with q couple OF fine sad
die mules to roam about at our leis-
ure. He is the only Englishman at
the camp and seldom sees any of his
kind
We stayed four days in this de-
lightfu paradise, each one replete
with interesting Incidents. Our first
day. Sunday was market day at the
camp. Mr.. Furlong has a large store
to which the Chunchos or native In
dams come for miles to trade and
spend the few centavOs they earn
picking coffee. | was busy securing
pictures of them which was not easy
as they are shy and flee at the ap
proach OF q camera. Later on | took
several good pictures of them. es
pecialy near their homes.
They are a curious people, very
quiet and peacable and never known
to steal. They are of small stature
well built and many really handsome
They live very close 10 nature eatinl
the Yucca, fish, fruit, land snails, etc
They wear a loose brown robe anC
no more in line of clothingand wher,
the white man has not invaded the!
discard that also. They have the saw
age idea of adornment. Around tn
head a plain band OF spit cane will
solitary long feather sticking up be
hind, with their long hair, cut onl
across the eyes the effect Is yer,
striking. In addition they pierc
their noses and wear ring from tina
appendage. Their faces are adorne
by red paint, secured ready mad
from the seed pods OF the achote.
is an intense vermillion and the
smear their faces after many fancifu
designs The women wear see
chains which are pretty and artist,
ally constructed. To these seed chain
they often attach small birds. wing
Of larger birds, monkeys teeth. ct,
They are clean In their habits an
skillful with the bow and arrow
They all chew the cocoa leaf froi
which cocaine is made and drin
their pisco and chacta.
1t is customary for a man when
marries n widow having small chi
dren to throw these into the rive
Old people dependent on others Il
their support and persons Athlete
with any malignant disease are de
patched in q similar manner. Abol
so miles from camp where the rive
Perene and Enc unite to form n
Tambo, dwell u colony OF Campas i
dians, known as Ungonlnos. The,
people will not allow strangers
their territory. They are not cam
balls, but, owing to the treatmei