Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-02-22

The petroleum is found there on the
edge Of the sea and this is so with other
oil nelde all along the coast They are
now getting out petroleum in several
provinces in Ecuador; there are oil wells
at Tumbez. Peru, and there is a refinery
at Zorritos. where forty-eight wells are
now working. The piping have on
board will go by launch 10 the oil fields.
and the castings will be used for new
wells They are now discovering oil also
In southern Peru, and are even boring
wells on the shores OF Lake Titicaca, AT
an altitude of two miles above the sea
There the oil is struck at about 500 feet
Ten wells are already working and each
Is yielding an average OF fifty barrels
daily.
The petroleum output OF this country
Is now more than 1oUo.0oo barrels per
annum and the business is at its begin
ming. More than 600 wells are now work
ing, and OF these 300 are I'm the oil fields
of Zorritos The oil is of high grade
and 1t is good for lighting as well as for
fuel. The steamer upon which now am
burns fuel oil instead Of coal. and we
have taken on a fresh supply here. The
oil II stored in great round tank on the
bluhs above Paita. and a pipe from thu
tank runs down to the ocean and TO =
little oil barge. whence II is conducted
into the reservoir of the steamer
luo lAuuinS at Hi these coast pOrtS
Ii done in small boats. The moment
our ship came to anchor at Paita
white boats with red flags started out
from the shore. They were rowed by
barefooted Indian sailors clad In blue
with white caps on their heads. Behind
them came the boats OF the natives bring
ing vegetables and other wares out to the
ship. and farther back still We're towed
the great barges loaded with freight tn
be taken away on the steamer. At Eten.
the port nearest here. the harbor is rough
and the landing Of passengers is by means
OF barrel. the half of which has been
cut away and turned into a chair. The
passenger takes his seat In the barrel.
whereupon he is lifted by the crane
worked by the engine and dropped over
the side into the boat In the same way
passengers are taken from the boat to
the deck OF the steamer. I saw three
women brought up that way today. One
OF them wrapped her head in her shaw
and evidently prayed all the way up.
bought a Panama hat here for e. or
$40. 1t was brought on board by an In
dian whose first price was Sc. I offered
him Ell los and he came down to E5.
At the last moment he again ap-
ly woven as the finest of silk. The straws
are as big around as a cambria needle,
and SO soft that can bundle II UP in
my pocket and hardly know it is there.
largely In our stores are not made in
Panama They come from Ecuador, Co
lombia and northern Peru, being shipped
from here all over North America and
to Germany, France, England and to
other parts Of South America. Just now
the Ecuadoreans are exporting some or
the straw, and q great deal Of ii comes
down into Peru and is here worked into
hats
/ have always heard that the hats sold
to the rich natives are finer than any
that came to our country. This IL SO.
They cost SO much that there Is no de
mand for them abroad Some sell for O.
much as 500. at which price they are
bought by the rich Spaniards. One was
made some years ago as a present TO the
then Prince Of Wales. who is now King
of England. It was SO fine that II
could be folded into a package not as big
as the ordinary one-dollar watch. That
hat took more than six months to make.
It was made OF the finest of straw and
the work upon 1t was done only IN GER
tain hours Of the morning and evening.
The amount OF moisture in the air AZ
fects the straw.
The material Of the Panama hat is
from the leaf Of a palm tree. called the
toquilla- This tree is now cultivated.
It becomes full grown at eighteen months
and will continue to bear for forty years.
The straws are made from the new
leaves cut of just as they are about to
unfold. The leaves are split with needles
or with the finger nail and there is
great choice in the straw.
As to the ordinary hats such as We
have In our country. they are sold here
in Paita for 81 or So apiece. They come
chiefly from Guayaquil which port ex-
ports several hundred dozen of them 5
every month