The South American Tour

by Annie S. Peck

Chief Points of Interest

Plaza de Armas, Cathedral, Government Palace, Portales, Plaza de la Inquisición, Senate Chamber, Hall of Congress, Market, Exposition Palace, Museum, and Park, Paseo Colon, Botanical Garden, Christóbal Hill. Excursions on Oroya Railway, and to Chorillos.

The monthly magazine, Peru Today, contains a Visitors’ Guide and other valuable information. The weekly paper, The West Coast Leader, is of interest and service.

CALLAO HARBOUR—RECEIVING SECRETARY ROOT

PLAZA DE ARMOS, CATHEDRAL

To be comfortably settled for a few days or weeks is of the first importance. Few will criticise the statement that the hotel par excellence of Lima is the Maury, often called the best on the entire West Coast. A New York club-man whom I met there with his East Indian valet, declared that nowhere else in the world had he found so excellent a table at so moderate a cost. One here meets travelers, distinguished and undistinguished, foreign diplomats, and other resident and transient guests from all quarters of the globe. With its main entrances near the corner of Ucayali and Carabaya streets, the Maury extends through the block to Huallaga. The section at this corner, called the Francia y Ingleterra, the French and English, was formerly a separate establishment. Though now a part of the Maury it preserves its old name, with its own room-clerks, and entrance on Huallaga. At the corner of the Plaza de Armas, the heart of the city, it has many rooms with balconies looking across the Plaza to the Government Palace and Municipal Building, while opposite the front is the side of the great Cathedral. In spite of the proximity of the Cathedral bells, which ring oft and loud, many persons prefer this end of the hotel on account of the pleasant outlook and the better circulation of air. It is, however, quite a walk through the corridors to the dining-rooms at the other end, and some distance to the bathrooms. So the majority prefer the Maury side, where the rooms are more elegantly furnished, the suites have larger parlors, a few have private baths, all have higher prices. The rates including meals are from six soles a day up to twenty, according to accommodations. Coffee and rolls are usually served in the rooms at the hour desired; almuerzo—breakfast, is from eleven to two; dinner from 5.30 to eight. At each of these meals there are half a dozen kinds of soup, several varieties of fish, 15 to 20 hot entrées, 10 or 12 cold dishes, and several vegetables; at breakfast, steak, chops, and eggs in any form, at dinner several roasts, and, most unusual in South American cities, five or six kinds of desserts. Also there is always fruit, at least oranges, bananas, and granadillas somewhat like a pomegranate. At almuerzo, strawberries may usually be had for the asking, though never on the bill of fare, while chirimoias, sometimes called custard apples, may be obtained with a considerable extra charge, this fruit being everywhere the most expensive variety. On the street or at the market they may be purchased for one-third the price at the hotel, from 10 to 40 centavos apiece according to the size. An Englishman once complained that the roast beef and mutton were not such as he had at home, and he didn’t care for the other things, fussed-up dishes; but most persons, like the New Yorker, rejoice in what is provided, at least for a reasonable time, especially if they have come from plateau or desert or from almost anywhere. The señoritas, which are not young ladies but resemble scallops, and the crabs and lobsters, are particularly fine. The Maury has also two or three annexes where rooms may be secured, and meals taken as desired. In the hotel, too, rooms alone may be procured, with meals à la carte in a different dining-room, or elsewhere at one’s option. An excellent orchestra provides music of the best quality; at the Maury from 12 to 2 daily, and at the Exposition Restaurant under the same management, in the Zoological Gardens, from 5.30 to 11.30. A steam laundry is connected with the establishment; of course there are electric lights, as at all hotels, and in all cities of any size throughout the tour. Generally a button will be found near the head of the bed by which the light may be extinguished after retiring.

The Grand Hotel is on Huallaga street in the next block beyond the French and English; similar to the Maury, with good rooms and table at slightly lower prices, and preferred by many. Of cheaper hotels, the Cardinal has a reputation for excellent meals à la carte at moderate prices; this being situated on what is often called the main street, calle de la Union, half a block from the Plaza. The Jardin Estrasburgo, on the Plaza, opposite the Cathedral, is a restaurant of the first order, where meals are regularly served, and ices and refreshments at all hours. A European orchestra provides vocal and instrumental music. Opposite the Palace, under the portales is the Confiserie Marron. Afternoon tea and dinner are accompanied by pictures from a cinematograph, and by orchestral music. All tastes and purses are provided for.

Comfortably settled in a hotel, one will first enjoy a stroll on the Plaza de Armas, the real center of the city, important for its historic associations and for its present activities. For nearly three centuries the capital of Spanish South America and the seat of the Viceroys, Lima is a city the true history of which surpasses romantic legends: a place of wonderful charm to those who tarry long, the home of a courtly, cultivated society of agreeable, hospitable people, though somewhat exclusive withal, as are the social leaders generally in the large South American cities. To be from New York, Chicago, even Boston, is not an open sesame to the homes of Spanish American wealth and culture. However, the passing tourist will have brief time to make acquaintances; the few Peruvians whom he may casually meet are likely to make a favorable impression, except upon those who regard courtesy as a waste of time.

The Plaza de Armas or Plaza Major was selected by Pizarro himself as the center of the city. The site was well chosen in proximity to the fine harbor of Callao, yet somewhat back from the water for safety from the buccaneers who in those days infested the seas. Although at the foot of the great Andes, off-shoots from which come down to the water’s edge, the city is on practically level ground; for the hills about, as in general all along the coast, rise abruptly, like islands, from a flat surface, instead of the whole country being hilly and rolling as on our Atlantic shore. These small detached mountains, which make a pretty and effective background when they are not concealed by fog, are largely responsible for the disagreeable mist which in the winter season makes the climate rather unpleasantly damp and chill.

The chief part of the city is on the left or south bank of the Rimac River, by the side of which runs the Central Railway from Callao up to Oroya; the main station of Lima, Desemparados, being one block from the Plaza. As is customary, a pretty garden with flowers, trees, and shrubbery occupies a large part of the square, which has besides the usual band stand a bronze fountain in the center, no doubt the oldest in America, as it was presented to the city in 1578.

PORTALES AND MUNICIPAL BUILDING

CALLE JUNÍN—INAUGURATION OF PRESIDENT LEGUIA

The great Cathedral, on the southeast side of the Square, built of gray stone with two towers, is the earliest and largest in South America. Although the Spanish invaders manifested little of the spirit of the Christ they professed to worship, they were ardent supporters of what they regarded as the true faith and were eager to establish everywhere the rites of their religion. Thus Francisco Pizarro, the cruel and perfidious conqueror, had no sooner selected the site of the city designed to be his capital, and drawn a plan of the streets and plazas than he himself laid the corner stone of the church, January 18, 1535. The first structure, though five years in building, was naturally of no grand proportions. But Lima soon becoming a metropolitan see with an archbishop, it was deemed fitting to build a great Cathedral. With interruptions and changes of design it was 1625 before the splendid edifice was finished and consecrated. This done the bones of Pizarro were transferred thither, where they still remain. After a little more than a century this building was laid in ruins by the earthquake which in 1746 destroyed Callao; it was then reconstructed on the same site, though with less magnificence than before. The Cathedral has five naves, and ten chapels along the sides. In the Chapel of the Virgin on the left is a celebrated image, a gift from the Emperor Charles V, and under a glass case the remains of the Conqueror Pizarro, though their genuineness is a matter of dispute. The view in the central nave is imposing. The choir, said to be unequaled in America and seen to best advantage only on feast days when the high altar is illuminated, is distinguished by reason of the beautiful carving of the mahogany and cedar; the pulpit also shows handsome chiseling. In front is a Crucifix of ivory presented by Philip II, a valuable work of art. The solid silver altar and candlesticks are noteworthy. The unusually fine organ was made in Belgium. In the Chapel Arcediano, the Archdeacon’s, which was founded in 1600 by Don Juan Velasquez de Obando and dedicated to Santo Goribio and other sainted Limanians, is an original painting by Murillo representing Jesus and Veronica, presented to the church by Señor Luna Pizarro. In the chapel of St. Bartholomew are paintings of a celebrated artist, Mateo Alexio, who visited Lima near the close of the sixteenth century and who is here buried. On a sidewall is the most famous work of a noted artist, Matias Maestro, called the Consecration of the Cathedral, the gift of Señor Ocampo in 1625. In the chapel, La Purissima, of especially rich construction, is the sepulcher of Señor Morcillo with his statue by a distinguished Peruvian sculptor, Señor Baltazar Gavilán. Here too are fine ivory carvings representing the apostles, presented by the Lima theologian, Dr. Feliciano de la Vega, who at his death in 1640 was Archbishop of Mexico. In the passage way connecting the church with the sacristy may be seen on the right a painting of the various saints native to Lima, by Matias Maestro. On the wall of the right gallery of the church, a painting by Lepiani represents Christ in Prayer. In the sacristy are portraits of all the Archbishops, a copy of a Rembrandt, some relics of the Inquisition, and a font of unusual style. By the side of the Cathedral is the residence of the archbishop, never suitably restored, and in its dilapidated condition marring the beauty of the Plaza.

On the northeast side of the Plaza is the historic residence of the Viceroys, now the Government Palace. Of the old colonial building, the scene of many gay and brilliant festivities in the days of great general wealth and viceregal splendor, nothing remains but the chapel with a handsome ceiling and with walls adorned with sixteenth century tiles reminding of Moorish art. No longer used for worship it is a store-house for archives. Around the several patios are suites used as offices of the various departments of government. Here may be found the Minister of Foreign Relations, the Minister of Justice and Education, etc.: also the apartment occupied by the President as his residence and for his offices. In the State dining-room banquets are occasionally given to distinguished guests, as to Secretary Root. During the Sessions of Congress, the President usually entertains at dinner the Members, seriatim, holding an informal reception after the dinner. The present occupant of the Presidential quarters, His Excellency Don Guillermo Billinghurst, a gentleman of English ancestry speaking fluently that language, was installed for a four-year term, not subject to re-election, September 24, 1912.

Although the main entrance to the patio of the palace is guarded by soldiers, an ordinary person is permitted to pass from the Plaza unquestioned. Commonly quiet and peaceful, on a day in May, 1909, there was here a scene of confusion and bloodshed. By a simultaneous attack made at each of the three entrances, the guards were overpowered and many of them slain, the rooms of the President were invaded, his secretary was murdered, and he himself was seized and carried to the street. Surrounded by horsemen he was dragged first one way then another, at length to the Plaza de la Inquisición, where with a revolver at his head demand was made that he should sign an abdication. This, President Leguia with much courage resolutely refused to do. After being two hours in the hands of his enemies he was rescued, safe and sound, by soldiers who, firing upon his captors, succeeded in taking prisoner most of the ringleaders. Two years later they were tried and convicted: but to avert a probable insurrection they were immediately pardoned, when they were welcomed by the populace as heroes instead of the criminals they were. When such men seek to gratify their personal ambition at the cost of their country’s welfare, for which the first requisite is peace and steady constitutional government, if they received severe punishment and reprobation rather than honor, the attempts would cease and stable prosperity would be assured. An interview with the President, if especially desired may perhaps be secured through the United States Minister. His office and residence are in a garden called Quinta Heeren in the block Carmen Alto of the street Junín, which passes the front of the palace. The streets, it should be said, have many names, a different one for each block; but in addition to these local appellations, which are very confusing to strangers, they have names belonging to their entire length, so that the block names may sometimes be dispensed with.

On the northwest corner of the Plaza is the Municipal Building or City Hall, containing the office of the Mayor, in Lima termed the Alcalde. Here in 1906 Secretary Root was received by Mayor Elguera and the Town Council before going to the Palace to pay his respects to the President. The hall and municipal offices are above stairs, the street floor being occupied by shops of various kinds. Half a block from this corner, down the calle de Lima, a continuation of Junín, is the Post Office, where notices are posted of the opening and closing of mails in connection with the arrival and departure of steamers, and of trains to the interior. Postage stamps may be procured on the right and letters registered. On the left, letters are mailed in different slots according to where they are going, hence care should be exercised. After regular closing time double postage will secure the dispatch of letters for an hour or two longer. With fast mails to Panama but once a week, it is important to be in season. There are letter boxes also in the hotels and on the streets, from which collections are made by carriers. The northwest and southwest sides of the Plaza, on which are the portales, are equally interesting in their way. Here are shops of great variety, displaying large assortments of goods, besides venders under the arches with wares spread on the floor. The walks are generally thronged with people, for along here are also clubs and restaurants, the latter already referred to. The Clubs occupy apartments above the portales. The Union, at the corner opposite the French and English Hotel, has a series of handsome rooms where balls and banquets are occasionally given in honor of distinguished strangers and residents.

The streets of Lima are narrow, with the electric cars running so close to the curb that one needs to be rather careful, especially as the sidewalks are narrow also. Fortunately most of the buildings have but one or two stories, though a few of the later erections have three. Apart from the Plaza, the principal street for shopping is the calle de la Union, which passes across the Plaza in front of the Municipal Building. In the first two or three blocks from the Plaza there are drug stores, photographers, jewelry and book stores, shops of millinery and dry goods, etc., as on all the cross streets near. The fruit-sellers with little baskets of strawberries on long poles, the milkmaids perched high on mules or horses with great cans on each side, the ladies in manta, the close fitting black shawl, or the mantilla of lace, or in the latest Parisian modes, the cholos in plainer garb, the soldiers, the policemen ever blowing their whistles, the newsboys and news women, the sellers of lottery tickets, the fine private equipages, carriages and automobiles, and many many other things present variety sufficient to make an aimless stroll of continual interest. A glance into the open doorways away from the busiest streets usually reveals a paved court, sometimes with flowering plants or small trees, mayhap a fountain, and around the court the main rooms of the dwelling. A gem of typical colonial architecture, the old historic dwelling on the calle del Ucayali, a block from the Maury, should by all means be visited. It was the property of the Marquis de Torre Tagle and still belongs to his descendant, Señor Ortis de Ceballos, to whom is due its excellent condition. The massive stone doors, staircase, galleries, barred doors and windows, and the balconies both on the street and around the patio, present fine examples of the carving of that period. These may be examined by all. A wonderful collection of paintings in the possession of the family is not always on view. Inquiry as to the possibility of seeing it may be made by those who are especially interested. This extraordinary assemblage of more than eight hundred paintings of the classic schools contains works of Michael Angelo, Raphael, Titian, Correggio, Leonardo da Vinci, Rubens, Poussin, Velasquez, Murillo, and others.

An important private collection of ancient furniture, carved and inlaid with artistic merit, is the property of Dr. Javier Prado y Ugarteche, Minister of Foreign Relations in the administration of President Leguia, and Dean of the School of Law; another is that of Don Carlos Watson.

For evening entertainment there are several theaters, the Politeama, seating 2000, El Olimpo, smaller, the Chinese, and the New Municipal Theater seating 2000.

If disposed to take a morning stroll, one may walk along Huallaga street past the side of the Cathedral until he comes, after four blocks, to the largest of the four market buildings. This, called the Mercado de la Concepción, occupies a whole square. In the second block from the Plaza on the right hand side is an unpretentious drug store of Estremadoyro where for 5 centavos may be purchased a small envelope of Persian powder, very useful for the fleas. Elsewhere two or three times as much must be paid for the same quantity in less convenient form. At the end of this block is the fine building of the Bank of Peru and London. Other banks of various nationalities of Europe will be observed, but none of the United States. However, the House of W. R. Grace, which will be found by turning to the right at the end of the first block, a little way down on the left, will serve the purpose if one takes a draft on their house, when letters may be sent in their care. Continuing on Huallaga past the Bank of Peru and London, the interior of which is worth looking at, though you have no especial business within, you come to the fine Market with little shops and cafés along the front and sides. Within the large hall is a great display of fruits, flowers, vegetables, meat, butter, eggs, etc.; everything at very reasonable prices except the last two. Flowers may be had for a song, a bunch of roses for 20 centavos, 10 cents; not American Beauties to be sure, but old-fashioned tea roses and others of various colors, fresh and sweet. Tuberoses, mignonette, heliotrope, and other garden flowers are there in profusion. How one would rejoice at such opportunities in any of our cities! Twenty, a hundred such markets are needed in Manhattan alone. Luscious fruit of various kinds is always plentiful, most of it cheap. Two squares beyond the market one would come to what is now called Plaza Raimondi. Facing this is a great building for the Police Quarters, and just before that, one for the Society of Mining Engineers. In this Plaza the numerous Italian residents of Lima have recently erected a monument to the famous Italian engineer, Antonio Raimondi, who for many weary years wandered over the great territory of Peru, investigating its mineral resources, and making topographic observations which he embodied in a series of maps on a very large scale. Though not perfect in every detail, they are remarkably accurate in view of the difficulties under which he labored. One intending to make exploration in the interior should provide himself with Raimondi maps of the sections to be visited, these being on sale at two soles each at the large book stores in Lima. Crossing the Plaza to calle de Junín, the Church and Hospital of Santa Ana are on the right. Turning at Junín to the left, back towards the Plaza de Armas, at the next corner will be found the Casa de Moneda or Mint. This is not always open to the public but may be visited on one or two afternoons of the week, as may be ascertained by inquiry. The gold and silver coins here made are of the finest workmanship and of high-grade metal. The Numismatical Museum of the Mint contains a splendid collection of medals from all parts of the world, as well as copies of all those coined from the time of Independence to the present.

At the next corner on the left is the Church of St. Thomas and beyond that on the cross street is the Prison and the Correctional School for Women. On the following corner of Junín, at the right is the Church of Caridad, Charity, facing the Plaza of the Inquisición. Turning here to the right we find in construction the new building for both Houses of Congress, while keeping straight ahead with the pretty garden on the right we should observe the handsome Doric portico of the building long used as the Senate Chamber, formerly occupied by the Tribunals of the Inquisition, which even on our Western Continent sought to stifle free thought. The Indians, luckily, were excused from its kindly ministrations, the only charity at that time extended to them. The ceiling of fine carved mahogany inspires admiration for its excellent workmanship of native skill. A mahogany table now used for writing the laws of the nation was formerly in service for drawing up the decrees of death. A noticeable feature of this Plaza is an equestrian Statue in bronze of the liberator, Bolívar. Sculptured on the pedestal of white marble are bas-reliefs representing the battles of Junín and of Ayacucho. In spite of the thin atmosphere at a height equal to that of the top of Pike’s Peak, there was severe and gallant fighting on both sides.

One may return from here to the Plaza by calle Junín, or going one block to the right and then to the left may pass the Church and Plaza San Francisco. This imposing building contains in the sacristy a valuable collection of paintings; paneled ceilings with finely carved beams, and floor of blue tiles, in the cloisters; and carved stalls in the gallery. Following the car track to the left one soon returns to the Cathedral and Plaza.

Of the sixty-seven churches in Lima a few merit a visit. The most important are fortunately near the centre of the city. On the corner beyond the Post Office, as one goes from the Plaza, is the Church of Santo Domingo. The roof over the main entrance is spoken of as the richest and most elaborate work of art in Lima. In the floor of the first cloister the blue tilings laid in 1606 are noteworthy. The collection of paintings in the vestry includes a Murillo representing San Antonio, and a portrait of Santa Rosa by Matias Maestro. A celebrated chapel by Fray Martin de Porras contains a valuable collection of paintings by Roman Nicolette of the eighteenth century; fourteen works representing the twelve Apostles, St. Paul, and John the Baptist. Especially notable is a beautiful marble statue of Santa Rosa, standing on a silver pedestal which is studded with jewels. Santa Rosa, Isabel de Oliva, born in Peru in 1556, led a life so remarkable for its saintly purity that she was canonized by Pope Clement X, the only American ever distinguished by such an honor. She became patron saint of the whole of America, the West Indies, and the Philippines, her festival being celebrated August 30. Her remains repose in the church in the altar of Santa Rosa, on the base of which is portrayed in marble the scene of her deathbed. The church contains also a silver altar to Our Lady of the Rosary, a madonna with a rosary of large pearls, and relics of Fray Martin de Porras and others.

At the corner where the Church of St. Domingo is situated one may turn to the left, and after two blocks on the calle de Camaná he will reach the Church of St. Augustín where the stone façade in the baroco style, the choir, and the table of the vestry deserve attention. The organ is called the finest in Lima. The platform of the ancient chapter room, now the chapel of the college, and a painting of St. Augustín are of interest, but the distinguishing ornament of the church is a remarkable statue in wood representing Death, the work of a monk, Baltazar Gavilán, who it is said died from the shock of seeing it during an attack of delirium tremens. Twelve oil portraits on copper of the Disciples, by an unknown artist, are called excellent in drawing, conception, and coloring.

After one block more on Camaná, and then one to the left, the Church of La Merced is reached on the corner of La Union and Ayacucho. This large and fashionable church has a high altar the front of which is silver elaborately worked. There are good carvings on some of the side altars, and paintings of merit in the sacristy. Continuing two blocks along Ayacucho and one to the left, one reaches San Pedro, the church of the Jesuits, also fashionable. The wood carvings of the entrance doorway and of the massive altar are worth seeing, also its burnished gold scroll work, the tiled wainscoting, and the paintings and carvings in the sacristy.

These churches are best seen during the forenoon, as in the afternoon they are often closed. There is an Anglo-American Episcopal Church on the calle de Carabaya in the sixth block from the Maury, Pacae 226, where service is held Sunday mornings at ten, others at varying hours. The chaplain, Rev. Archibald Nicol, lives next door, Pacae 228. At Callao there is another Anglo-American Church, not Episcopal, with services in English at 10.30 a.m. and 8.00 p.m., calle Teatro 25.

At least half a day should be devoted to a visit to the Palace of the Exposition which may be reached by electric car, down the calle de la Union, or by the calle de Abancay three blocks from the Maury in the opposite direction, as well as by carriage. By the former route one passes the Municipal Theater on Union street, and beyond, the square in which the Penitentiary is located. This building is called a model and may be visited by interested persons who procure a permit from the proper official. The next square is a handsome shaded park called the Parque Colon. This contains a monument to President Manuel Candamo, which was unveiled Sept. 8, 1912. On the farther side of the park is a pretty building, the Institute of Hygiene, fitted up with laboratories of the latest pattern for the analysis of water, foods, etc.

In the center of the Plaza where the cars turn is the Monument erected to the famous General San Martin, whose name is honored all over South America as that of Washington in North America, an equally sincere and disinterested patriot, a great general; less happy in his later life, though highly honored after his death. He is here represented proclaiming the independence of Peru. On the column is a winged female symbolizing Glory. This handsome monument was presented to the city by Col. Lorenzo Perez Roca.

PASEO COLÓN AND EXPOSITION PALACE

IN THE MUSEUM, EXPOSITION BUILDING

The Exposition Palace is a large white building where the Chamber of Deputies temporarily meets and the Department of Fomento is housed; with halls where lectures and concerts are occasionally held and grand balls are given. It was the scene of two functions in honor of Secretary Root, the first when he was incorporated into the University of St. Mark as honorary member of the Faculty of Administrative and Political Sciences in the presence of the President of the Republic and other officials of the University and the State. Here, too, was given by the Town Council of Lima a magnificent ball in Mr. Root’s honor, to which 1500 invitations were issued. The elegance of the whole affair, in the decorations, gowns, refreshments, and other particulars was equal to that of similar functions in any part of the world. On the upper floor of the building is the National Historical and Anthropological Museum, open from 2 to 5 p.m. except on Monday. Over the latter section Dr. Max Uhle, a distinguished German scientist and a noted authority on prehistoric Peru, has long presided. The present Director is Emilio Gutierrez de Quintanilla. Dr. Uhle by excavations at Pachacámac and elsewhere greatly enlarged this collection, probably the most valuable in existence in its own specialty. Some of the specimens of pottery are believed to have been produced previous to the Christian Era. The origin of the various articles and their period are indicated on the cases. Exceedingly curious and weird are many of the objects, and even one who has no taste for archæological relics can hardly fail to be interested in the extraordinary, sometimes beautiful, examples of pottery, in the figures of Indians, in the mummies, and other objects. The examples of the strange articles used at the present day by the Indians in the remote montaña region equally impress the observer.

The relics of early colonial days, souvenirs of various battles, of the generals of the War of Independence, will be examined with sympathetic regard by the tourist who has some familiarity with Spanish American history. An Art Gallery with a number of historical paintings, and others of general character occupies one corner of the same floor.

In a smaller building to the northeast is a permanent industrial exhibition which the specialist only will care to study. Between these buildings is the entrance to the Park, for which a fee of 10 centavos is charged. This park of thirty acres is a delightful promenade with shaded walks, palm and other trees, artificial lakes, a kiosk, conservatories with orchids and various other plants; it is also a Zoological Garden. Here and there are cages of animals of various kinds, one a spacious and lofty dwelling for many birds, including a pair of the famous condors, which the tourist is not likely to see on the journey except in captivity. Bears and other animals are in other cages. In 1911 the finest pair of lions that I ever chanced to see, and four lively cubs excited admiration. Within the park at the left of the entrance is an excellent Restaurant kept by the proprietors of the Hotel Maury, a fashionable place to dine. Down beyond the Zoological Garden, on the side where the electrics go to Chorillos, is the Shooting Club of Lima and fields for cricket, tennis, and other sports.

The Avenue on which the Exposition Palace faces is named the 9th of December, but oftener called the Paseo Colon. It is the popular driveway, half a mile long and 150 feet wide, leading to the Plaza Bolognesi. Lined on the side towards the city with handsome modern residences, it has along the center a garden with trees, shrubs, and flowers, on each side of a broad walk. On the occasion of Secretary Root’s visit there were additional arrangements for electric lights, and on the evening after his arrival the Paseo was brilliantly illuminated with these, as well as by a splendid display of fireworks. The Paseo was thronged with people who enthusiastically welcomed their distinguished guest.

The Statue of Columbus on the Paseo must not be overlooked. He is represented as the Discoverer of America, which is personified by the Indian woman kneeling at his side. This was the model for the statue at Colon and was designed by Salvatore Revelli.

The Plaza Bolognesi is a spacious circle, a fine setting for the statue in the center to Col. Bolognesi, who fell at Arica in the war with Chile, June 8, 1880. When asked to surrender he replied, “Not till I have used my last cartridge,” and so fell. The statue represents the hero sinking with a mortal wound, yet still holding the flag of his country. Around the base of the column on which the hero stands are sculptured in marble allegorical scenes.

Six avenues are designed to radiate from this plaza, one, towards the center of the city, called the Central, to be a continuation of the calle de la Union. In the opposite direction extends the Avenue Pierola. On this a car track leads out to the suburb Magdalena, one of the pleasant shore resorts with which Lima is favored. Between this and the Avenue 9th of December is one leading to the Hippodrome. The races, generally held on Sunday afternoon, are attended by large crowds of fashionable and other people. The grandstand belongs to the Jockey Club, which has charge of the races and conducts them according to general custom.

Some distance beyond the Hippodrome is the School of Agriculture and the Sugar Experiment Station, both of these institutions well conducted and doing a valuable work for the promotion of agricultural industry. A great variety of plants is cultivated, and experiments are made with soils of many kinds. Instruction is given to a considerable number of students.

Proceeding from the Exposition Palace in the direction opposite to the Plaza Bolognesi, following the Avenue Grau, one would after a few blocks pass the Italian Hospital on the left, and a little farther reach the School of Arts and Crafts on the right, Escuela de Artes y Oficios, of which Señor Valente is director. Here are taught clay modeling and sculpture, decorative art and composition, the history of art and æsthetics; and models of various works are usually to be seen. A foundry for art bronzes, it is hoped, will soon be added. Of still greater importance are the courses designed to produce honest and capable mechanics, which are well accomplishing their purpose.

In the next block on the left is the large building of the Medical School; the Raimondi Museum on the upper floor, open from eleven to twelve, has sections devoted to Botany, Ethnology, Zoology, etc. In the rear of the building is the Botanical Garden, containing specimens of every tree and plant to be found in Peru. Owing to the varied climates of the country arising from the difference in altitude, a wonderful diversity of productions results. The entrance is adorned with stately palms; gorgeous and beautiful flowers and shrubs will be found within. A pe tree bears a strange fruit, which, bursting open when ripe, shows within a pretty flower with scarlet seeds called the chusia. Cards of admission are obtained at the Medical School.

Continuing along the avenue one passes the large Dos de Mayo Hospital and still farther, on the Avenue of Circumvallation, the Cavalry Barracks and the Arsenal of War.

Other objects of interest are near the center of the city. The National Library is on the calle del Ucayali on the right hand side, at the end of the second block to the left or southeast of the one on which the Maury is situated. One of the first acts after the inauguration of the Republic, previous, indeed, to the final battles of the war, was the creation of the National Library. On the 17th of September, 1822, it was opened to the public with a collection of about 12,000 volumes, many of which were of great value. Unfortunately, while the Chilian army was in occupation of Lima in 1881, this library, then containing 50,000 works, was ruthlessly destroyed, a portion being carried to Chile, and the remainder scattered about the streets or sold at auction by weight. The later restoration of the library was chiefly due to Dr. Ricardo Palma, who remained its Director until 1912. Dr. Palma by diligent effort collected many of the old books and priceless manuscripts; many patriotic Peruvians made contributions; sympathetic nations, Spain, Argentina, Ecuador, the United States, sent gifts. A collection of 5000 volumes was presented by the Smithsonian Institute. In 1884 the library was reopened with 28,000 volumes; it now contains 60,000. Still in its old location, a building earlier occupied by the College of the Caciques, an institution for the education of the descendants of the Inca rulers, a new building is greatly needed and no doubt will soon be provided. Señor Manuel Gonzales is the present director. Among the treasures of the library is an edition of Cervantes’ works called the Argamosilla, printed from silver type.

In the same building on the floor above, are the rooms of the Lima Geographical Society, designed especially to foster geographical study and research in Peru. It has a considerable membership, including the most noted scholars and statesmen of the country; the library contains many valuable works and the leading geographical magazines of the world. The Society of Mining Engineers long had rooms in this building but have recently removed to their new quarters a few blocks away.

STATUE OF BOLIVAR, PLAZA DE LA INQUISICIÓN

PERUVIAN MUMMY, UNIVERSITY OF SAN MARCOS

Turning the corner to the right by the side of the library building one will find at the next corner the Palace of Justice. One block more after a second turn to the right brings one to the calle de Azangaro, the Normal School for Girls occupying a considerable portion of the block on the right. The entrance is near the Church of San Pedro. Four blocks to the left down Azangaro, but fronting on the calle del Inambari, is the University of San Marcos, the oldest in the Western Hemisphere, founded in 1551, almost a century earlier than Harvard. Established under a charter from Emperor Charles V and his mother, Queen Joana, it was at first in the monastery of Santo Domingo and under the charge of that Order. Twenty years later by order of Philip II the University was secularized, and in 1574 it received the designation of San Marcos. In 1576 a building was constructed for its use in the Plaza de la Inquisición. After two centuries in this location it was transferred to its present site, formerly that of the Jesuit college of San Carlos, then united with the University. Dr. Don Luis F. Villarán has been rector of the University since 1905. The University embraces Schools or Departments of Law, Medicine, Theology, Science, Philosophy and Letters, and Administrative and Political Science, in which a high standard of scholarship is maintained; the Medical School, as we have seen, occupies a separate building. The rooms are grouped around several patios. There is an assembly hall with a handsome carved ceiling, and in the museum are curious mummies. A University Review is published monthly. A few years ago a Centro was established, somewhat after the fashion of the Harvard Union. Women are admitted to the University.

The Engineering School is in quite another direction on the calle del Callao, four blocks from the southwest corner of the Plaza de Armas. This, established in 1876, continued under the direction of the Polish engineer, Señor Eduardo Habich, until his death in 1911. The school has complete laboratories, and courses in mining, civil, electric, and mechanical engineering; all of which in a country like Peru are of infinite importance.

The fine large school for boys in a splendid building on Avenue Alfonso Ugarte, the Collegio de Guadalupe, well deserves a visit.

The portion of Lima on the right bank of the river Rimac should not be ignored. Passing from the Plaza by Carabaya street, one comes to the fine new railway station of Desemparados, completed in the fall of 1912. After one block to the left a turn to the right leads one to the bridge across the Rimac, the river recently improved by being enclosed within a suitable channel. So much water is drawn off for irrigation all along its course that little is left in the ancient river bed. To one who wishes to see the life of the common people the walk affords good opportunity, but a drive to the Jardin de los Descalzos, the Garden of the Barefooted Friars, will be generally preferred. The garden extends half a mile or more along a broad avenue. It contains, besides plants and trees, handsome urns, marble benches, and twelve statues representing the Signs of the Zodiac. At the end is a fountain, and beyond, the ancient Church and Convent of the Friars under the shadow of the hill, San Christóbal. A path leads up from this point, but the more usual route is farther east. Returning from the Garden, one may take the first turn to the left, then one to the right past the Bull Ring, seating 8000 spectators and called the largest in the New World. It lies practically in front of the Balta Bridge, a modern structure named for one of the Presidents. The Bull Ring, said to be the second largest in the world, is on Sunday afternoons often thronged with spectators to witness this cruel sport, which will doubtless before many years be discontinued, as already at Buenos Aires and in most other cities of South America. Before returning by the Balta Bridge, the Alameda de Acho on the right hand should be visited. This was once a fashionable promenade and still boasts of large handsome trees, tall poplars forming three roadways.

It would be a pity to ignore the Cerro or Hill of San Christóbal, which rises 900 feet above the city. There is an easy path by which the ascent may be made, but for the benefit of the lame and the lazy an Aerial Tramway has recently been established; the transit requiring 8 or 10 minutes begins at Los Baños del Pueblo near the Alameda de los Descalzos. The summit on a clear day affords a delightful view of the city, the irrigated valley, the hills, the mountains, and the sea, which should well repay the effort of the climb, itself agreeable except to the incorrigibly indolent. More enticing than the view to some, will be the opportunity of visiting the Great Tower for Wireless Telegraphy, which rises 350 feet above the crest of the hill. It is, indeed, a triumph for wireless. Messages across the sea seem not so wonderful: but to send them over mountains and broad plateau, over or through a wall three and a half miles high and 100 miles thick appears marvellous. This wireless station, one of the highest powered in the world, has sent messages not only to Iquitos on the Amazon, 1030 kilometers away, for which purpose it was especially designed, in order to ensure communication between the central government and this important Peruvian commercial outpost, but also to Manaos in Brazil, 2300 kilometers (1435 miles) distant. The great mountain range between the two cities averages 18,000 feet in height, while beyond are dense tropical forests. The construction company did not venture to guarantee the success of an untried service, promising only to build an intermediate station if necessary. The great success of the undertaking renders this superfluous. The station at the other end is Itaya, two miles from Iquitos. The towers are identical, triangular steel structures, each weighing 120 tons. They rest on a concrete base by a steel ball point, insulated by thick glass plates. Each is kept vertical by means of three heavy steel cables at three angles. A power of 10 kilowatts is supplied but 7 only are used. The service was inaugurated June 16, 1912, with suitable ceremonies both at Lima and Iquitos. President Leguia, other officials and citizens to the number of 3000, made the ascent of the Cerro, though the hilltop was not large enough to contain all, the crowd as it were slipping over the edges. After various speeches the President started the machinery. At 5.05 a message of congratulation was sent and at 5.17 the reply was received. Then was unveiled a bronze tablet bearing the inscription in Spanish: “This station was inaugurated in 1912. His Excellency, Augusto B. Leguia, President of the Republic, Dr. José Manuel Garcia, Minister of Fomento, Dr. Edmundo N. de Habich, Director of Fomento, A. E. Tamayo and K. J. Holmvang, engineers in charge of construction. The Telefunken Company, June, 1912.”

A monument which should not be overlooked by the tourist is the Dos de Mayo standing in a circle, and passed by the electric cars to Callao. This monument commemorates the victory of May 2, 1866, when an attack of the Spanish fleet upon Callao was repelled and the Spaniards were finally driven from the Pacific coast. A column of Carrara marble 75 feet high is surmounted by a statue of victory. Around the base are figures representing the countries of Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Chile.

---

CHAPTER X
THE SUBURBS OF LIMA—THE OROYA RAILWAY—CERRO DE PASCO

Chorillos. With sufficient time at one’s disposal a few days may be pleasantly spent in visiting the shore resorts near the capital. The electric cars which pass on the calle de Abancay, the third street southeast from the Maury, are the means of transit to Miraflores, Barranco and Chorillos, all pleasant places of residence, though Chorillos is especially fashionable. The last named, before the Chilian war, was the most frequented summer resort in South America, but after the battle of Chorillos in 1881 it was completely destroyed by the invaders. Rebuilt during the last quarter of a century, it is again beautiful with many charming homes. The town is located 100 feet above the beach of a sheltered cove, which is partly enclosed by a cliff. A promenade along the edge is a fashionable resort for tourists and townspeople, to enjoy the cool breezes, and the sunset in the broad Pacific. Close at hand an eminence of 2000 feet called Morro Solar enhances the beauty of the scene. A shady pathway leads down to the beach, which affords excellent bathing with a moderate surf. The regular population of 3000, greatly increased in the summer, is daily further augmented by those who come for the bathing and the other diversions of a watering place: boating, music, dancing, etc. At the Casino are held many fashionable social affairs; and the Regatta Club gives frequent entertainments when the bay, covered with boats of various descriptions, presents a pretty spectacle. Worthy of a visit is the Military School here located, a fine institution for the education of army officers, and an excellent training school for the Indian soldiers.

Beyond Chorillos the electric cars continue by a tunnel through Morro Solar to La Herradura, another bathing resort. Barranco and Miraflores, nearer to Lima, are almost continuous with Chorillos and are connected by pleasant, shaded driveways. Magdalena, a shore resort still nearer Lima, is reached by a different electric car line.

A very popular resort with a fine new hotel, the Eden, is La Punta, down beyond Callao, whence electric cars, connecting with those from Lima, for five centavos carry passengers to the extremity of the sandy point ever refreshed by cool breezes. Here the Naval School’s excellent new building is located.

Ancon. Twenty-five miles north of Lima, on the opposite side from Chorillos, is Ancon, more especially a health resort, its sandy soil and dry atmosphere making it especially desirable for persons with pulmonary and bronchial affections. There is good bathing, a tennis court, one or two hotels, the Grand said to be comfortable, and many cottages; but it is less attractive than the resorts at the south. It has, however, an allurement peculiarly its own in being renowned as a necropolis of prehistoric treasures. Ancon is reached by a steam railway from the Desamparados station in an hour and a half or so, and the ride gives one a view of the genuine unirrigated desert. The journey may now be pursued to the town of Huacho, about 90 miles farther.

Pachacámac. Persons who are interested in antiquities should make the excursion to Pachacámac, whose ruins are believed to antedate any others in Peru and to go back two or three thousand years. The place is not accessible by rail, carriage, or boat, yet it may be visited in a single day by a vigorous, enterprising person who is able to make suitable arrangements in advance. The site of this ancient sanctuary and city is nearly 25 miles from Lima, in the direction of Chorillos. Thither one should go by the earliest morning car, to be met there by a guide and horses with which to pursue the journey. Dr. Max Uhle made extensive excavations in this region. The ruins are in the Lurin Valley, the loveliest south of Lima, watered by a stream smaller than the Rimac but of constant supply. In the period of the invasion it was the more thickly populated of the two. Wars, and the efforts for the conversion of the natives by religious orders caused the ancient city in the course of the century following the Spanish invasion to become a scene of desolation.

Provisions for a substantial luncheon should be taken in saddle-bags, though fodder for the animals may doubtless be procured at the hacienda near by of Don Vicente Silva. A desert called the Tablada de Lurin is crossed between the Rimac and Lurin valleys. Barren islands are in view on the right with myriads of pelicans and other sea-fowl. The desert sands drift over the ruins, on the north side of the valley, 600 yards from the ocean. A few tillandsia plants show a little green in winter. The hooting owl, the lizard, and a small viper are the only forms of life. The neighboring hills rise 150 to 250 feet above the desert. In the distance two villages with their church spires may be seen, Pachacámac three miles back from the sea on the other side of the river, and Lurin near the coast, a mile and a half from the ruins. To the south beyond is desert; to the east, 45 miles away, the outlying bulwarks of the Andes rise 9000 feet. In an early period the coast for 120 miles from Supe to Huaman was under the sway of Pachacámac. There are extensive remains in many places about, and traces of an ancient road with a wall along the center, one side for the ruler and his retinue, the other for common people, each section 16 feet wide. The place was conquered by the Incas 170 years before the invasion of the Spaniards, when all its wealth of gold had already disappeared. The ancient city, 2½ miles long and 1⅓ broad, included four hills, on one of which in the center of the town the Incas later erected a temple to the Sun. The original sanctuary to the Creator god, not to be confounded with the Sun god of the Incas, stood at the foot of a hill on the north side of the town nearly on a level with the city. The temple which faced the coast to the northwest was 400 feet long and 180 wide with terraced sides leading to a plateau above, 330 by 130 feet. There are rooms supposed to be for the reception of envoys, others for sacrificial purpose. They were gorgeously decorated with frescoes of bird and animal designs, with doors incrusted with coral, turquoise, and crystal. Pilgrims who came a thousand miles with offerings were obliged to fast for twenty days before entering the first court, and a year before ascending to the holier shrine of extraordinary sanctity above. The cemeteries naturally furnished many valuable relics, mummies, bones, and skulls, fragments of cloth, and a great variety of articles. The cemetery connected with this temple was the most crowded, though burial here was reserved for princes and pilgrims who brought rich offerings. Many objects have a strong resemblance to those of Tiahuanaco. A slab of Chavin de Huantar and a richly ornamented poncho at Ancon are of similar style. It is estimated that there were from 60,000 to 80,000 graves here, some in open cemeteries, some in dwellings, besides those in the temple. Most of these were rifled ages ago. This is thought to be a seat of the earliest civilization of the coast, perhaps extending to Ecuador, while the Chimu culture either descended from it or was influenced by it. The city wall was from 11 to 13 feet high and 8 feet thick. There was an inner as well as an outer wall. The streets were 13 to 16 feet wide. There were large detached edifices, resembling ruins at Huatica near Lima, and one group of crowded buildings. The term Pachacámac is of Quichua origin, the earlier name being different, perhaps Irma the same as Wiraqocha. The Sun temple half a mile from the sea is on a terraced rocky height a mile and a quarter in circumference; but it does not compare with the Mexican pyramid Cholula. The rooms may be traced, and the stairway with steps four inches high and one foot four inches wide. A convent for the Sun maidens, accommodating two hundred, fronts the green fields. The cemetery on the southeast terrace of the Sun temple shows that all were women who had been strangled in obvious sacrifice; thus suffered also many children of all ages for the propitiation of their cruel deity.

The Oroya Railway. Whatever else may be omitted from one’s programme of sight-seeing in Peru, a journey over the Oroya road should on no account be missed. Long enjoying the reputation of the highest railway in the world, it affords an opportunity to climb with ease in a few hours to a height as great as that of the summit of Mont Blanc, to behold scenery of wonderful grandeur, and a historic region of remarkable mineral wealth, the second of the three great longitudinal divisions of Peru. Farther on, with a little more trouble, one may most conveniently obtain a glimpse of the third and by far the largest of Peru’s three natural divisions; as yet thinly peopled and little known, but ultimately, perhaps, to prove the richest. The practically rainless coast region from 50 to 100 miles wide, all desert except where irrigated, we have already seen. Next comes the sierra district of mountains and tableland, from one to three hundred miles wide, where, beyond the Coast Range, there is plenty of rain and snow. Varying in height, width, and in the number of parallel mountain chains, the greatest altitude is in the southern and central portions, decreasing north of 7° S. Lat. The lofty snowclad mountains, the multitude of lesser peaks, the lakes, small and large, the countless streams, the delightful valleys, the desolate plateau sometimes called the puna, cut by narrow gorges, present a marvellous variety of scenery, climate, and productions. Here are two-thirds of the inhabitants of the country. The forest region on the eastern slope of the mountains with the lowlands beyond, all called the montaña, is at first wonderfully beautiful with soft, genial climate, though below an altitude of 2000 feet it becomes rather warm, in a few spots unhealthy.

By the Oroya Railroad a great elevation is attained in fewer hours than can be duplicated elsewhere in the world except in balloon or aeroplane. Indeed, the time of the ascent is so brief that some persons suffer from the sudden change in the pressure of the atmosphere. This fact has given rise to alarming representations, on the part of many native and foreign residents, of the danger involved in the journey, so that many tourists are frightened out of the excursion to whom it would be a genuine delight. The truth is that of the thousands who each month go over the road, the majority suffer from soroche, mountain sickness, not at all, or with little and temporary discomfort. A slight headache is common; it may be severe, or accompanied by nausea and vomiting. A few have become dangerously ill and deaths have occurred, as on Pike’s Peak. Two classes of people should not take the risk, those with weak hearts and those who are both stout and full blooded. Persons merely delicate in a general way are less likely to suffer inconvenience than some vigorous athletic persons. One doubtful about his heart should have it examined. Apprehensive persons who would be sure to avoid trouble may get off at Matucana, and a day or two later comfortably pursue the journey. It will be easier for every one to go the day previous to Chosica to spend the night, thus avoiding an unreasonably early start in the morning. Ordinary prudence may suggest that one should be careful not to over-eat the day before, and be very abstemious on the trip, especially as to alcoholic liquors. At the highest points one should move slowly or not at all. A brisk walk may produce dizziness or worse.

The Central Railway of Peru, a standard gauge line, was begun in 1870 by the American financier, Henry Meiggs, and completed to Chicla, 88 miles from Callao, in 1876. On account of the troubles resulting from the Chilian War it did not reach Oroya until 1893. For some years this was the terminus of the road and in one sense is so still, as the natural continuation would be east, over to the montaña country. There are, however, branches in two different directions, north and south; the former, an American line of the same gauge to Cerro de Pasco, the latter, a part of the Central system owned by the Peruvian Corporation, now open to Huancayo and being gradually extended to the southwest, ultimately to reach Cuzco, where it will connect with the Southern Railway managed by the same corporation. Both of the branches are on the line of the Pan American Railway, by which it will some day be possible, perhaps within a decade, certainly in two, to go by rail from New York to Buenos Aires, a wonderful journey through ever changing and delightful scenes. By the time these 250 miles from Huancayo to Cuzco are finished, which should be by 1918, all the southern part from Lima to Buenos Aires will be ready, as Argentina’s portion is now complete and Bolivia’s will be finished soon. The section from Quito to Panama will linger longest. When finished, the road in my opinion will be a far greater bond of union between North and South America than the Panama Canal.

The Oroya Railroad follows the Rimac Valley up to its culminating point, with an occasional detour into a side cañon to gain additional height. It was a man of courage and large ideas who forty years ago planned to climb with the iron horse, instead of the ancient burro and llama, the steep and lofty wall which, rising in its lower points to a height of from 14,000 to 17,000 feet, stretches for 1000 miles along the coast of Peru within 100 miles of the sea. With an average grade of four per cent it was the second road from the Pacific to cross the continental divide, though it still remains to be continued, as Meiggs planned, down to a point open to steam navigation on one of the branches of the Amazon.

Setting out on this trip from Lima, one must rise early, as the train leaves the Desamparados Station at 6.50 a.m., Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. By strenuous insistence the night before, you may be able to have coffee and rolls brought to your room before your departure; but if you fail, a ten minutes’ halt at Chosica at half past eight affords opportunity to repair the omission.

The lower part of the Rimac Valley has an apparently level floor of considerable breadth, with vegetation of a sub-tropical character, irrigation affording an ample water supply. At first banana groves and fields of sugar cane are numerous; patches of Indian corn and alfalfa continue far up the cañon. The view, for a short distance somewhat open among isolated hills, narrows as we enter a genuine valley with steep and ever higher walls, their slopes thickly terraced and bearing remains of ancient highways and villages, evidence of a formerly far greater population than now. After much wandering among the ruins near Chosica, Professor Solon I. Bailey estimated an earlier number of 6000 inhabitants, where now there is one-tenth of that number.

Chosica. This town, at train time a busy place, is growing rapidly since, with several daily trains, it has become a suburb of the capital 25 miles distant. It is especially a winter resort, as, located just beyond the edge of the fog bank or cloud which in that season hangs over the coast, it has plenty of sunshine. It is much patronized by those natives and foreigners who find the chilly dampness from May to October rather trying to their health. The Gran Hotel de la Estacion, close to the station, affording comfortable rooms, is the best place to stay over night. On the opposite side of track and river are many pleasant dwellings in pretty gardens and another hotel, rather a Sanatorium, fitted up with all modern appliances such as sun rooms, electric apparatus for baths, and many other devices to aid the semi-invalid or debilitated to recover his strength. In the season, Chosica is served with three daily trains each way, including an express with parlor car in one hour.

Above Chosica the scenery becomes wilder, the valley narrower. The fall of the Rimac is so rapid as not only to compel many curves and V’s but to make an incursion into a side valley desirable. Thus the road goes half a mile up the Verrugas Gorge which it crosses by the highest bridge on the road, 225 feet, with a length of 575, returning on the other side to the Rimac at a considerably greater elevation. Frequently the floor of the Rimac Cañon has room only for the rushing stream. The road passes high up on the slope, or through one of the sixty-five tunnels. Many times the river is crossed; sixty-seven bridges may be counted. At one point the side walls are so precipitous that it was necessary to lower workmen from the top of the cliff above. Sitting in a swing they cut footholds in the rock preparatory to the beginning of the work. Some of the cliffs are more than a third of a mile in perpendicular height.

Matucana. Whenever the valley broadens out there is a town, as at the breakfast station, Matucana, which at an altitude of 7788 feet affords a meal of several courses at the price of one sol. The hotel furnishes comfortable accommodations for those who think it wiser to take the climb in instalments, or for any with archæological tastes who may like to investigate some ruins a few miles down the valley on an eminence rising from the north side of the river. The excursion may be made from Matucana in a long day on horseback with a good horse and guide, even on foot by one so inclined. The remains are of especial interest on account of a theory that they are relics of a Pygmy City; that the little people once its inhabitants were expelled by ruthless invaders and fled over the mountains into the Amazon basin. Fortifications, house walls, and subterranean chambers still exist, the small size of the rooms, the doorways three feet high, being adduced as evidence in favor of the little people. Others believe the ruins are those of an ordinary ancient fortress.

ON THE OROYA RAILWAY

Beyond Matucana the scenery becomes still grander. The walls above sometimes look dangerous with overhanging rocks, or with boulders half out of a steep earth slope, appearing just ready to roll down. Slides occasionally occur, especially in the rainy season, but accidents are rare; for going up it is easy to make a sudden pause, and coming down a hand-car goes ahead of passenger trains to make sure that the track is clear. Bridges and tunnels are the order of the day, gorges and cliffs, at last, shining mountains. The Gorge of Infernillo (Little Hell), black and deep, you are whisked across in a moment, and from one tunnel into another. Tamboraque, the first small mining town, is really in the Sierra. Rio Blanco and Casapalca farther on are important smelting centers, the last above 13,000 feet. Long before this it has grown cold and wraps are in order, furs perchance not amiss, good woolen underwear desirable. Chicla, a considerable place, reached before Casapalca, is notable for having five parallel tracks one above another, curves, tunnels, and two V’s being required to climb, by three miles of track, 500 feet in a short distance up the valley. At Ticlio there may be a chance for tea. One venturing from the car should here step slowly and carefully if he would avoid a slight ringing in the ears. One not feeling perfectly well is wiser to let some one else bring the tea. A bottle of salts of ammonia should be at hand in case of headache or vertigo, and fresh air may be desirable. A short stop is made just before entering the Galera Tunnel, 4000 feet long. On the right at the entrance of the tunnel is a rounded brown hill top, Monte Meiggs, often without snow though 17,575 feet above the sea. This altitude is confused by many with that of the railroad, about 2000 feet lower; for which the manner of printing the time-table may be responsible. East of the continental divide the fine snow peaks and glaciers are in striking contrast to the bareness in the dry season on the coast side. Beyond the snow mountains, the scenery diminishes in grandeur to Oroya, 12,050 feet, where the train is now due about 3.30. An observation car is greatly to be desired on this ride. If the conductor can be persuaded to let you stand on the rear platform of the last car, this on a regular train is the best position available. An open freight car now affords the finest possible outlook, but most persons will prefer a more comfortable seat with diminished view. From the station Ticlio, altitude 15,665 feet, the highest point on the main road, there is a short branch line to the mining town Morococha, beautifully situated among lakes and glaciers, this branch crossing the divide at 15,865 feet, a trifle higher than Mont Blanc, and absolutely the highest point in the world now reached by rail. The grandeur of the varied scenes on the wonderful Oroya Railway baffles all description and must be seen to be realized in the smallest degree. For those who are unable to devote the two days necessary to enjoy the entire trip, it is sometimes possible to make a Sunday excursion part way up the valley to Rio Blanco, 20 miles above Matucana, returning the same afternoon; much better than nothing, but with a loss of the more splendid scenes above. At Oroya there are two hotels, the Junín and the Grand, with little to choose between them. No luxuries are provided; a fair dinner, a bed, and morning coffee are supplied; but more fortunate are those who have friends at court and are entertained by some of the railway officials. At Oroya one may have his first sight of llamas, the ancient burden bearers of Peru, dignified, graceful animals, when moving with their ordinary slow walk, but not when startled into a run. Be cautious about making free with them, as if they resent your advances they are liable to spit in your face, though they do not look as if they could be so rude.

Those who are making the South American Tour in a leisurely manner, or who have an eye to business, may not pause at Oroya, but changing cars may continue north the same day to Cerro de Pasco, or after a night in Oroya may pursue the railroad journey southward to Huancayo, or may on horseback go over another mountain range, then down, down, to Tarma, La Merced, and the montaña country.

PLAZA, CERRO DE PASCO

NEAR THE SOURCE OF THE AMAZON (MARAÑON)

Cerro de Pasco is reached by a journey of about 90 miles over a generally hilly or rolling country, with few high mountains visible and those afar off. Lake Junín is passed before dark, a resort of ducks and other wild fowl, hence a field of sport for those fond of game. Here, be it remembered, was the next to the last battle of the War of Independence; and the soldiers in those days did not come up in cars either. Indians abound at the stations along the road, Quichuas, differing little from their ancestors of 400 years ago. The town of Cerro is reached about 9.30 p.m., but as a dining car is attached to the train one is well fed at a seasonable hour. The best if not the only hotel in the place is the Universo on the main plaza of the town, to which the stranger will need a guide, as the station is on the outskirts of the old city. The hotel is not much to boast of, but the night I spent there was perfectly comfortable. Again, if one has friends at court among the officials of the Mining Company he is lucky, but naturally they cannot entertain all tourists. The place is of exceptional interest as one of the highest mining camps of any size, and the highest town of any importance in the world. There are at least 8000 people here at an altitude of about 14,300 feet. The Cerro de Pasco Mining Company, composed of half a dozen or more well known American millionaires, has spent it is said towards $30,000,000 in the purchase and development of property here and at Morococha, in building the railway from Oroya, in erecting a large smelting plant nine miles from Cerro with buildings for employees, on coal mines, and on other things essential to a great property. In earlier days these mines were worked for silver, but now copper is the chief production. Recently an average of 400,000 lbs. 98 per cent pure has been turned out from the smelter each month. The privilege of visiting the mines is accorded to few, but all may observe the great open pits resembling quarries, several hundred feet deep, where the surface, undermined years ago by great tunnels and chambers, at last caved in. The titanic forces of nature by some mighty effort here cast upward a wonderful mass of minerals, gold, silver, copper, etc., not in veins, but in chunks. This has been called the richest copper deposit in the world, but others dispute the claim. Vanadium is one of the various minerals found not far away. The town with its many Indians, Peruvians, and Americans is a curious place on this great plateau from 50 to 100 miles wide, a plateau diversified by hills, fringed by distant mountains, and cut by occasional cañons, from which fruit and vegetables are brought for the sustenance of the dwellers above. It is possible to go on by train from Cerro to Goyllarisquisga, 26 miles farther, on the edge of a cañon commanding a fine view of the great mountain, La Viuda, believed by some to exceed Aconcagua in height. A concession has recently been granted by the Peruvian Government to Mr. Alfred McCune, now transferred to the Amazon Pacific Co., to build a railroad from Goyllarisquisga, down to Puca Alpa on the Ucayali River, a point four days from Iquitos. Operations have commenced. An immense amount of rich territory will be opened up by this road, fine grazing and agricultural lands, and rubber country below. Ultimately the town Goyllarisquisga will be connected by rail with Recuay, the entire line from Oroya forming a link in the Pan American railroad. From Cerro or the Smelter, a three days’ horseback ride would bring one to Lake Santa Ana, the source of the Marañon or Amazon. A mile or two below the Smelter is a valuable silver mine and smelter in operation, property of Señor Fernandini.

Huancayo. The trip from Oroya south to Huancayo is through a valley of somewhat lower elevation, hence of more cheerful character. The town of Jauja on this line is considered an excellent place for consumptives, for whom the coast is much too damp. Huancayo, 78 miles from Oroya, is now the terminus, but work has been pushed for 20 miles farther and ere long Ayacucho will be reached, the scene of the final battle, compelling the withdrawal of the Spaniards.

Tarma. The expedition to Tarma and the montaña may attract a few who can spare a week or ten days for this delightful trip. Animals to Tarma may be obtained at Oroya for 5 or 6 soles each. With saddle-bags, no baggage animals are needed. It is well to set out from Oroya by 9 a.m., in order to pass over the cumbre before the afternoon breeze begins to blow and to arrive in good season at Tarma, a pretty town at an altitude of about 10,000 feet. There are two hotels where lodging may be had at modest prices, and at the Umberto horses may be engaged for the ride to La Merced. Luncheon must be taken from Oroya, but beyond Tarma there are places on the road where it may be procured. On the cumbre 2000 feet above Oroya, all is brown and bare, but at the farther edge of the broad pass there is a fine view of distant mountains and valleys. Not far down, green will appear, presently a house or two, a pretty stream, a few calla lilies. From Tarma onward there are plenty of trees, growing as it were of their own accord, a pleasing change from the plateau and the western side. The next day luncheon is at Palca, and before night one should reach Huacapistana, 40 kms., a delightful spot. The third day one has luncheon at San Ramón and spends the night at La Merced, 35 kms., which with an altitude of less than 3000 feet is really in the tropical country. The delights of this journey, the beautiful cañon lined with verdure, is a contrast indeed to the bare sublimity of the other side. The road is excellent except in one place between Oroya and Tarma. There are romantic tunnels, fine suspension bridges, swinging, but that does no harm and may afford a novel experience. This road is now the highway from Lima to the Atlantic by way of Iquitos, and at the moment it is probably the most comfortable route to cross the center of the continent. With good luck the journey from Lima to Iquitos may be made in 16 days, nine of these on horseback from Oroya to Puerto Jessup, one day by canoe to Puerto Bermudez, thence in five or six days by steam launch to Iquitos. At this city of 15,000 people a larger boat may be taken for Pará or New York. But that is another story. By way of Cerro de Pasco and Huánuco, the journey from Lima to Iquitos is ten days. A few hours beyond La Merced is the Perené coffee plantation belonging to the Peruvian Corporation. In this section land is cheap, and with the mercury always in the eighties, one so inclined may be happy, leading the simple life. The Indians about here are fine looking, whiter than many of the Spanish, and are quiet, peaceful people; though others beyond are so fierce that it is unsafe to pass through their territory. Having been ill-treated by white rubber gatherers and some other so-called civilized men, they allow no whites among them.

---

CHAPTER XI
THE SOUTHERN RAILWAY—AREQUIPA

From the charm of the Rimac Valley and the City of the Kings it is difficult to escape, but on a four months’ tour not more than ten days can be spared for this region, fourteen at the outside. To Mollendo, the next place of debarkation, the voyage may be pursued by any one of the three lines of steamers previously mentioned. If a through ticket to this port or to Valparaiso has not been purchased, one may elect to go on one of the Kosmos boats, a very comfortable German Line which in 1911 afforded an especial advantage to tourists with heavy baggage, going up to Bolivia. These boats lie over two weeks at Antofagasta, taking on freight at near by ports; so that leaving one’s heavy baggage on board, one may make the trip from Mollendo to Arequipa, Cuzco, and La Paz, rejoining the same ship at Antofagasta two weeks and three days from the time of going ashore at Mollendo. Persons patronizing any of the three lines from Panama, may by especial arrangement with the purser have their baggage checked through to Valparaiso, to reclaim it at the Custom House there when they arrive.

The express steamers south from Callao arrive at Mollendo on the second morning after sailing. As the daily train for Arequipa leaves at 1.30 p.m. there is ample time to disembark, have the baggage examined, take breakfast, almuerzo, price one sol, at the Hotel Ferrocarril just above the railway station, and perhaps look about a little before going aboard the train. A through ticket, price 40 soles, to La Paz should be purchased, as this saves considerable bother, permits stopping off at Arequipa, and for the trip to Cuzco at Juliaca, and saves a trifle over the local tickets. All hand baggage may be taken into the car without charge, but there is a heavy tariff on trunks or anything that is checked, so much so that two heavy trunks will approximate the cost of one ticket. Most persons will be able to manage with hand luggage only, not forgetting, however, that wraps and warm clothing will be needed on the plateau above.

Mollendo is a busy port, in Peru second to Callao in commerce, though far behind in other ways. It has really no harbor at all, in spite of a small breakwater recently built; the rollers and surf often look a bit awesome and the barrel is frequently called into requisition. Rarely the sea is so rough that passengers are carried on to the next port, whence they may return at their own expense. Seven or eight miles north is an excellent quiet haven, among the best on the Pacific, Matárani, to which there is much talk of transferring the port, especially since most of the business portion of Mollendo was destroyed by fire, April 2, 1912. From the Matárani Bay the railroad journey would be nearly twenty miles shorter and the ascent to the top of the bluffs would have a one per cent lower grade. It is hoped that the transfer will not long be delayed.

The tariff for disembarking at Mollendo is higher than at other ports, four-oared boats being generally used. For one passenger it is S.1; if there are more than three in one boat, 60 ctvs. each: children under twelve, 30 ctvs. Parcels of ordinary size or small trunks are 50 ctvs. each to the mole, and as much more to the station: large trunks 70 ctvs. and 60 more to station. With much baggage for several passengers a bargain for the whole may be made. The boatmen are liable to ask double what it is worth or what they are willing to accept. Peruvians generally pay one-half or one-third as much as strangers.

Mollendo is not an attractive place, between May and November subject to a fine mist or drizzle, and having little sunshine. It is, nevertheless, a health resort, but the most melancholy one it was ever my lot to visit. Yet many persons are benefited by coming from the greater altitudes of Arequipa and La Paz, even though the place be damp and cheerless. With an hour to spare one may stroll around the town or along the beach where the waves are rolling in from Australia or other remote region, or may climb the rocky promontory to watch the high breaking surf.

After leaving the station the train for several miles hugs the sandy shore, then turning away soon begins to climb the bluff, here about 3000 feet high. The face is irregular with steep slopes cut by many cañons. The road winds along up one of these, then on the face of a projecting slope, the car having first one side toward the sea, then the other, and heading in turn towards all points of the compass. At Tambo Station about 1000 feet up, there is a pretty view down into the Tambo Valley, its level floor green with sugar cane and other agricultural products. Women from below stand by the car windows with fruit and other edibles to sell. The ever changing prospect is a continual source of pleasure, especially near the close of the wet season, when the upper half of the slopes is quite green, mostly with bushes of heliotrope all in blossom. At other times there is only sand, not a particle of verdure, but many black sticks, some day to be rejuvenated into glowing life. It is a long and devious way to the edge of the plateau, where a sudden change is experienced. The green if any is left behind, a sandy desert is before, though the dampness, in the winter, continues. The gradual change from the gray mist to the bright desert sunshine if observed is most interesting, and then to look backward upon the gray cloud from which you have emerged. Here, perhaps, you have your first view of an absolute desert; no wells are useful, and for the stations along the track, even for Mollendo itself, water is piped down from near Arequipa, 100 miles distant. The plateau is covered with deep yellow sand and scattering stones, some as black as coal. Here is the desert you have dreamed of: no sage-brush, no blade of grass relieves the burning sand. Not that the sand burns here, but in some sections it is hot indeed. The monotony is relieved by graceful gray sand dunes from three to twenty feet high, crescent-shaped, moving slowly along at the rate of sixty feet a year. In the distance are variegated hills, gray, red, yellow, brown, and white, and the great mountains, El Misti and Chachani, with snow caps varying in dimensions according to the time of the year and the character of the season, Pichu-Pichu, a long range slightly lower. Some of the stations have a glint of green, a small oasis in the desert, others not a sign of verdure. Vitor is quite a little place with a hotel kept by an ancient Belgian, a neat, comfortable little establishment, used as a health resort for persons with weak hearts, for whom Arequipa is too high or Mollendo too damp. It is a starting point for those who would ride across the desert to the Vitor Cañon close by, the Sihuas Cañon beyond, and the Majes Valley still more remote, at the head of which Mt. Coropuna, 21,000 feet, is situated; ascended for the first time, July 16, 1911, by Miss Annie S. Peck and party. A railway is soon to be constructed between Vitor and the Majes Valley, which will open for increased traffic a fine agricultural and mineral section, the products of which are now brought by trains of burros across the desert. A little above Vitor the train enters the hills and presently passes along the edge of the fine Vitor Cañon, the floor of which is 500 or 1000 feet below. Trains of llamas may be seen, ancient ruins, a suburban town, Tingo, then if darkness has not fallen comes an enchanting view of Arequipa on the verdant slope of the great volcano El Misti, with Chachani and Pichu-Pichu also in the background.