The old and the new Peru

by Marie Robinson Wright

SUBMARINE BLASTING OFF MOLLENDO.

From Lima southward, the coast valleys resemble those of Southern California, though no idea of their beauty and fertility is to be gained from a view of the coast line, which here stretches along in the same monotonous series of sandhills and barren cliffs that mark its length all the way from Guayaquil to Valparaiso, with only a few green spots, as at Callao and Arica, to brighten its sombre aspect. Travellers find it hard to believe that abundance and fertility belong to a region apparently so little favored, but, to be convinced, it is necessary only to disembark at one of the ports in the vicinity of these valleys and to make a half-hour’s trip into the interior by railway. At some of the ports, the green vineyards and gardens run so close to the shore that only a narrow strip of sand lies between. This desert strip once crossed, the scene is changed completely, and nature appears radiant and smiling in the midst of winding streams and verdant fields.

The vineyards of Peru are still in the early stages of development, though wine-growing has been an industry of the country for centuries, the first cuttings having been introduced as early as 1557 by Carabantes, when experiments were made in viticulture in several districts of the coast. The valleys and hillsides of Ica and Moquegua were found to be especially adapted for this industry, though the vineyards of Lima, Arequipa and Tacna also yield good harvests. Wine-growing has received more attention within recent years than formerly, and the results are apparent in the increased quantity and improved quality of the production. In the Department of Ica, the most promising vineyards are located in the vicinity of the capital and in the campiña around Chincha Alta, near the port of Tambo de Mora, about a hundred miles south of Callao.

MOQUEGUA, A WINE-GROWING CENTRE OF THE SOUTHERN COAST REGION.

Ica was formerly a province of the Department of Lima, and was made independent in 1855, being raised to the dignity of a department in 1868. It comprises the three provinces of Ica, Pisco, and Chincha, all of which border on the Pacific Ocean and are almost entirely within the coast zone, with the exception of the province of Ica, that extends to the region of the sierra on the border of Ayacucho and Huancavelica. This department, like all the others of the coast, has a large area of uncultivated land which is irrigable and should be immensely productive. Four rivers cross the department,—the Chincha, Pisco, Ica and Grande,—each receiving a number of tributaries, with a water supply sufficient to fertilize all their valleys, if scientifically controlled and utilized. The ancient inhabitants knew how to irrigate these lands, and the ruins of their aqueducts may still be seen in various districts. On the Pisco River, about thirty miles from its mouth, a waterfall occurs, which could easily supply a hundred thousand horse-power for engineering purposes. A few miles from the city of Ica, the capital of the department, are situated the lakes of Huacachina and Cachiche, famous for their therapeutic properties. Huacachina is a favorite resort for invalids, the mild climate and picturesque locality contributing to make it popular, while the curative effects of its waters, strongly impregnated with iodine, are remarkable. The city of Ica, having a population of about ten thousand, lies in the centre of a large and fertile valley and in the midst of flourishing vineyards and cotton plantations.

The cultivated area of the Ica valley is estimated at forty thousand acres, of which one-fifth is covered with vineyards. The wine-growing district extends along the valley from Huamani, about twenty miles north of the capital, to Ocucaje, thirty miles to the south. Ica is the paradise of the farmer of small means, there being few large haciendas in the valley, with the exception of those of Ocucaje, comprising six thousand acres, and Macacona, with about four thousand acres. Many vineyards cover no more than about ten or fifteen acres, and, as a rule, the haciendas comprise only from one hundred to two hundred acres. Each hacienda has its vineyard, though, at the same time, a part of the land is devoted to the cultivation of cotton, maize, and tropical fruits, such as chirimoyas (custard apples), mangoes, plantains, melons, paltas (alligator pears), and figs; on these plantations are also cultivated vegetables of various kinds,—squash, camotes (a kind of potato), yucca, cucumbers, etc.,—and on the uplands grow alfalfa, aji (a kind of pepper), and wheat.

THE LANDING PIER OF THE PORT OF PISCO.