The Columbus dispatch. (Columbus, Miss.) 19??-1922, 1922-01-29

Of coast land that European blood ant
culture have made themselves mos
strongly felt.
To the east rise the three towering
ranges Of the Andes, their slopes
peaks and intervening valleys anc
platcaus constituting the SIERRA" the
second Of the three great geographic
divisions Of Peru In this lofty region
the Inca civilization held sway with
a maryelously intricate but efficient
governmental machine, before the
Spanish came. Cuzco, the capital OF
the Inca empire was situated ia a fer
tile, protected valley Of the Sierra re.
cion, and remains today one Of the
| important Peruvian towns. It's popu-
/ laion now, however is only 5000
about one-tenth that Of the city when
/ 1t was the Babylon Of the western
| hemisphere.
In the almost inaccessible country to
the northwest Of Cuzco and less than
80 miles distant hidden away among
the mountains, was Machu Picchu, the
secret city where the forerunuers OF
the Incas, almost destroyed by bar
barlanS, nursod their civilization and
culture for centuries before going out
into the valleys and founding their
great empire. This old city. whose
existence had been only a tradition
for hundreds Of years, was discovered
in 1911 ana uncovered In 1912 by ex-
petitions OF the National Geographic
society and Yale university.
The Sierra, or region Of mountains,
valleys and plateaus is stll tho land
Of the heirs Of the Inc0s In this por-
ton Of Peru lives the largest single
element in the population, the civil
lied Indians, descendants Of the lncas.
Though the population of Peru is not
known accurately. IL IS estimated TO
be about 100000. The Indians OF
the Sierra number close to 100000.
Immense Mineral Resources.
In the Peruvian Sierra, too, are the
mining developments Pcru's mineral
resources are almost neNhaustible.
Gold and silver are the minerals ON
which most emphasis was placed by
the Spaniards Fortunes In both were
removed from the country but rich .
deposits remain. I'm recent years cop
per has led other minerals in the value .
of production. The copper mines at .
Cerre de Pasco are among the richest
I'm the world. Almost every mineral
substance known Is believed TO have \
been compounded In natures great
Andean laboratory. The list of prod
ucts from Peruvian mines covers much 4
Of the alphabet from anthony 20
OF great importance are
the petroleum wells of the northern
coast, whose production is next IN
value 10 the couuiry's copper output
To the east OF the Andes, cat on
from the more developed portion OF
The country. lies the third geographical
division, the region known as the
Montana. Pcru's land OF the future
This part of the republic Is made up |
Y the wooded laudward slopes of the
Andes. grassy foothills. and the heavy |
jungles and forests that
prpad out 10 the east for n thousand
niles or more along the broad valley |
y the Amazon and It's tributaries. Be
ause Of the heavy rainfall the growth
Il vegetation IN this part OF Peru IS
clicyed 10 be as heavy as anywhere
lsc in the world Even 40 midday In :
0me Of the forests the light Is no
Fighter than a. twilight ia open
ouutrv. In glade. with dense :
eEetation on an sides, one feels that
p has been dropped down into the
ottom Of deep greenlined pit
The country on tie eastern slopes
2 the Andes and on the foothills be-
Dre the dense forest is reached has
cen settled very srarse'y; but over
thousands n square miles ~ the
lngle the foot n civilized man has
ever trad. A few tribes Of uncivl-
.ed Indians roam through these for
80 depths
Many large rivers rising on the east
-n slopes II the Andes flow atr ors
BE- Montana region 81 Peru. into IRA
d. and finally find their way into he
tmfic 2epO miles away. through the
lightly Amazon. Ocean vessels ascend
.e Amazon 20 Iquifo-. tho metropolis
eastern Peru. nearly -l0 miles uIfn.
Peruvian territory; and by river
af- fhp journey may he continued o.
Hin 201 miles of the Pacific Along
ems ur TIE rivers iu eastern Peru SIRE
ru- af some Importance Witch ars
e ..frn-fs Hf Peruvian r.F'Hsaf5Hr
rn.H anil government ir tl.s OIL.
t..i fr tr#.H re