Industrial and commercial South America

by Annie S. Peck

Cajamarca, bordering on Ecuador, is the first Department at the north, a rather long one, running south back of Piura, Lambayeque, and part of Libertad, which last is also on the south, as in its southern part it extends over the West Cordillera and beyond the Marañon. Cajamarca has that river on the east separating it from Amazonas. Communication with the outside world is poor, the best by way of Pacasmayo. An extension of the railway from this port is hoped for. The highlands favor cattle and sheep breeding; the valleys produce cereals, coffee, and sugar. Of course there are minerals.

Cajamarca, the capital, famed for the seizure and murder of Atahuallpa by Pizarro and the slaughter or dispersion of his army, is an important town and distributing centre, with many industries; leather goods, mining, cotton and woolen cloth, etc.

Huánuco, the next Sierra Department, does not touch Cajamarca. East of Ancash, it has Junín on the south, and Loreto east and north. Traversed by the Central and the East Cordilleras, by the Marañon, Huallaga, and Pachítea Rivers, it has the Ucayali as its eastern boundary. At the northeast corner the Pachítea flows into the Ucayali, both rivers being navigable. The central route from Lima to Iquitos goes down the Pachítea. All kinds of riches are here, but communication is too difficult to make them very valuable at the moment. Quicksilver, coal, iron, and copper are found, gold and silver as a matter of course, agricultural products of great variety.

Huánuco, the capital, with a good climate, is 68 miles from Cerro de Pasco, on the Huallaga River. It is an important place with varied industries including sugar mills.

Junín, south of Huánuco, a very large and rich Department, is east of Ancash and Lima, has Huancavelica south, and Cuzco and Loreto east. It has three important districts, better known than those in the Departments farther north: the mountain knot and range at the west, the plateau, and the montaña section running down to the Ucayali River, which separates it from Loreto. Lake Junín, 36 miles long and 7 wide, altitude 13,322 feet, is the second largest Andean Lake. Near by, occurred the battle of August 6, 1824.

In Junín are the head waters of important rivers: in the northwest corner the lakes which are the source of the Marañon, Santa Ana and others; the Jauja or Mantaro flows south from Lake Junín, uniting with the Apurimac later to form the Ené; the Perené, rising on the montaña side of the mountain far down unites with the Ené to form the Tambo, which soon joins the Urubamba then becoming the Ucayali. The smaller Pichis and Palcazu unite to form the Pachítea of the Department of Huánuco. Junín contains immense mineral wealth; among other mines the famous ones of Cerro de Pasco; large stocks of cattle and more sheep. Cereals, corn, potatoes, and other vegetables and fruits grow in the valleys of the plateau, which has an altitude of 13,000 to 14,000 feet, with a temperature of 22°-65°. In the tropical east are plantations of coca, coffee, cacao, sugar, and fruit.

Cerro de Pasco, the capital, will be referred to later.

Huancavelica, a smaller Department directly south, touches Lima on the west, has Ica west and south, and Ayacucho east. This is a Sierra Department exclusively, all high mountains, plateau, a few alpine lakes, but with several deep cañons in which flow the rivers, at the north the Mantaro. Minerals are the chief wealth. Famous since they were opened in 1566 are the quicksilver mines; but since they were buried years ago by a cave-in not much quicksilver has been extracted till a very recent resumption of activity.

Huancavelica, the capital, is an important mining centre though reached with some difficulty from Huancayo or Ica. Here above 12,000 feet the production of wool might be expected; there are cotton mills also.

Ayacucho, a peculiarly shaped Department twice the size of the preceding, runs to a point on the north between the Mantaro and Apurimac Rivers. It has Huancavelica and Ica on the west, Arequipa on the south and southeast, and Apurimac and Cuzco east. This also is mostly highland, with temperate zone agriculture, cattle and sheep, and with varied mineral riches.