THE BOY TRAVELLERS IN

SOUTH AMERICA

ADVENTURES OF TWO YOUTHS IN A JOURNEY THROUGH

ECUADOR, PERU, BOLIVIA, BRAZIL, PARAGUAY, ARGENTINE REPUBLIC, AND CHILI

WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF PATAGONIA AND TIERRA DEL FUEGO, AND

VOYAGES UPON THE AMAZON AND LA PLATA RIVERS

BY

THOMAS W. KNOX

AUTHOR OF

"THE YOUNG NIMRODS IN NORTH AMERICA" "THE YOUNG NIMRODS AROUND THE WORLD"

"THE BOY TRAVELLERS IN THE FAR EAST: ADVENTURES OF TWO YOUTHS IN

A JOURNEY TO JAPAN AND CHINA—TO SIAM AND JAVA—TO CEYLON AND

INDIA—TO EGYPT AND THE HOLY LAND—TO CENTRAL AFRICA"

"THE VOYAGE OF THE VIVIAN" ETC., ETC.

Illustrated

NEW YORK

HARPER & BROTHERS, FRANKLIN SQUARE

1886

By THOMAS W. KNOX.

THE BOY TRAVELLERS IN THE FAR EAST. Five Volumes. Copiously Illustrated. 8vo, Cloth, $3.00 each. The volumes sold separately. Each volume complete in itself.

THE BOY TRAVELLERS IN SOUTH AMERICA. Adventures of Two Youths in a Journey through Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Argentine Republic, and Chili; with Descriptions of Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego, and Voyages upon the Amazon and La Plata Rivers. Copiously Illustrated. 8vo, Cloth.

THE VOYAGE OF THE "VIVIAN" TO THE NORTH POLE AND BEYOND. Adventures of Two Youths in the Open Polar Sea. Copiously Illustrated. 8vo, Cloth, $2.50.

HUNTING ADVENTURES ON LAND AND SEA. Two Volumes. Copiously Illustrated. 8vo, Cloth, $2.50 each. The volumes sold separately. Each volume complete in itself.

Published by HARPER & BROTHERS, New York.

☞ Any of the above volumes sent by mail, postage prepaid, to any part of the United States or Canada, on receipt of the price.

Copyright, 1885, by Harper & Brothers.—All rights reserved.

PREFACE.

The plan of this volume is almost identically that of "The Boy Travellers in the Far East." Frank Bassett and Fred Bronson, with their accomplished mentor, Doctor Bronson, have traversed the length and breadth of the South American Continent from the Isthmus of Panama to the Strait of Magellan. Twice have they crossed the Andes; they have descended the Madeira and the Amazon rivers; navigated the La Plata and the Paraguay; visited the principal cities of the continent, and studied the manners and customs of the many people whom they encountered on their way. For the information of their friends and schoolmates at home they recorded the results of their travels and observations, and it is the author's pleasure to tell the story of their journey.

The characters of the story are fictitious, but the descriptions of everything coming under the observation of the Boy Travellers, or learned in their wanderings, are intended to be as nearly exact as possible. The author has not relied alone upon his personal knowledge of South America, but has drawn from the narratives of others who preceded or have followed him. It has been his earnest endeavor to present a realistic picture of South America; its lofty mountains, magnificent rivers, luxuriant forests, and fertile pampas, together with the many varieties of people that form its populations; their governments as we find them to-day, and an epitome of their history from ancient times. He earnestly hopes for the same kindly reception by press and public that was accorded to his volumes of a similar nature concerning Asia and Africa.

Many works of travel have been examined in the preparation of this book. Some of these are mentioned in the narrative, but it has not been practicable to refer to all. The author acknowledges his great indebtedness to that prince of travellers, Alexander Von Humboldt, whose graphic description was the first adequate picture of the South American continent ever presented to the world. He is specially indebted to the admirable work of the Hon. E. George Squier, upon "Peru and the Land of the Incas," not alone for information about the country and people, but for several illustrations which have been kindly loaned for this volume. He is also under obligations to the following books: "The Andes and the Amazon," by Professor James Orton; "Brazil and the Brazilians," by J. C. Fletcher and D. P. Kidder; "Life in Brazil," by Thomas Ewbank; "Fifteen Thousand Miles on the Amazon," by Brown and Lidstone; "Brazil, Amazons, and Coast," by H. H. Smith; "Wanderings in Patagonia," by J. Beerbohm; "Across Patagonia," by Lady Florence Dixie; and, "The War between Peru and Chili," by Clements R. Markham. The reports of the surveys and explorations of the various proposed routes for an inter-oceanic canal have supplied important data, and the officers of the company engaged in cutting the Panama Canal have cheerfully answered the author's interrogatories concerning that enterprise.

The publishers have kindly allowed the use of illustrations from their previous publications on South America, in addition to those specially prepared for this work, or obtained from Mr. Squier's "Peru." As a consequence of their courtesy the author has been able to present a "copiously illustrated" book, which is always a delight to the youthful eye.

T. W. K. New York, July, 1885.

CONTENTS

ILLUSTRATIONS.

THE BOY TRAVELLERS

IN

SOUTH AMERICA.

[CHAPTER I.]

FROM NEW YORK TO THE ISTHMUS OF PANAMA.—INCIDENTS OF THE VOYAGE.—OLD TIMES AND THE PRESENT.—ASPINWALL.—A TROPICAL CITY.—THE TEREDO.—ENTRANCE OF THE PANAMA CANAL.

"Is everything ready?"

"Yes," was the reply. "The trunks are packed and strapped, and the carriage will be at the door at ten o'clock."

"That is quite early enough. The steamer leaves the dock at noon, and we can easily be settled on board by eleven o'clock."

"Quite easily," was the response. "And here comes Frank, who has been to see the porter about the heavy baggage."

"It's all arranged," said the latter; "the baggage-wagon will take our trunks, chairs, and other heavy things, and have them ready at the pier, so that we shall have only our satchels and rugs for the carriage."

"An excellent plan," was the reply; "and the next business before us is to go to breakfast."

The conversation recorded above took place not many months ago in the corridor of the Fifth Avenue Hotel, in New York. The parties to the dialogue were Dr. Bronson, his nephew, Fred Bronson, and Frank Bassett, a cousin of Fred. Some of our readers have met this trio of travellers, or, at all events, have read of their wanderings in Asia and Africa. When we last saw them they were on their homeward journey from Zanzibar, after making the ascent of the Nile, visiting the equatorial lakes of the Dark Continent, and reaching the Indian Ocean at Bagamoya. Those who have perused the narrative of the travels of Frank and Fred with the amiable doctor will need no further introduction.[1]

The Doctor and his young friends had planned a journey to South America, and at the time our present story begins they were just starting on their new adventure. With their experience in former travels they realized the wisdom of going to the steamer in ample season to take everything leisurely, and be comfortably settled before the hour of departure.

ON THE SEA AGAIN.

Promptly at the advertised time the steamer left the dock, followed by the cheers of the crowd that had come to witness her departure or say farewell to friends on board. As she moved slowly into the river there were dozens of handkerchiefs fluttering over her rail, and other dozens waving answer from the shore. Steadily the distance between ship and pier increased, and it soon became impossible to distinguish friends from one to the other, even with the aid of glasses. With her engines at half speed the great vessel moved majestically down the channel, passed the Narrows, and entered the lower bay. A fog blowing in from seaward compelled the pilot to order the anchor dropped, and the chain rattled through the hawse-hole with a vehemence that seemed to threaten the safety of the steamer's bows.

THE FOG CLEARING AWAY.

For two hours the fog continued; then it lifted, and the way to the ocean was revealed. Up came the anchor, round went the ponderous screw, the outer bar was passed, the pilot, his pocket filled with letters, the last messages to friends on shore, descended to his boat and was safely deposited on the light-ship at Sandy Hook, and then the steamer took her course for more southern waters.

SANDY HOOK LIGHT-SHIP.

The flag of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company fluttered at the main-truck, and it needed little observation to show that the craft on which our friends had embarked belonged to that famous organization. When the project for visiting South America was first discussed, the Doctor told his young friends that their best plan would be to proceed from New York to Aspinwall by one of the Pacific Mail Steamers. "We will then," said he, "have the whole of the continent before us; we can go down the western coast to any point we choose to visit, or we can travel along the northern and eastern coast, and make our way westward by one of the overland routes, or through the Strait of Magellan. We can ascend the Amazon, or descend it, or we may cross the Andes in the vicinity of Santiago. We will leave our plans incomplete till we reach Panama, and there be guided by circumstances."

As our friends were by no means novices in ocean travel they speedily dropped into the ways of the ship and made acquaintance with the passengers and officers. The passengers were a polyglot collection, numbering some fifty or more, and including about a dozen nationalities. There were Americans, on their way to California or Central America; Englishmen, with similar destinations, or bound for Callao and Valparaiso; Frenchmen, who were interested in the work on the Panama Canal; Peruvians, Chilians, Nicaraguans, and other natives of Central and South America; Germans, commercially engaged in the republics beyond the Equator; besides, as Fred expressed it in his note-book, "several districts to hear from." But in spite of their difference of nationality they were entirely harmonious, and the voyage proved a most agreeable one.

"Things are not now what they were before the overland railways were built," said one of the officers in conversation with Frank; "in those days we carried three or four hundred passengers in the first cabin, and twice or three times as many in the steerage. Now, the travel between the east and west goes by railway, and comparatively few persons make the sea trip between New York and San Francisco. But it's as pleasant as it ever was, and if people would only think they could spare the additional time there would be more of them going by steamer than by rail. There's no more delightful voyage in the world than from Panama to San Francisco. You are in sight of the coast nearly all the way; the ocean is so calm that you might suppose yourself on an inland lake, except on rare occasions; and before you begin to be weary of the trip you are entering the Golden Gate, and making fast to the dock, at your journey's end."

Dr. Bronson confirmed the assertion of this ancient mariner, as he had made the voyage to California in the manner described; "and we used to think," said he, "that we were getting along finely when we went from New York to San Francisco in twenty-three days. Now we can go in a week by the railway, and it is contrary to the American temperament to make the longer journey."

Frank and Fred were agreeably disappointed in the expectation of a storm before reaching the Caribbean Sea. In looking up the accounts of previous travellers they had found an old couplet:

"If the Bermudas let you pass,
You must beware of Hatteras."

They questioned the captain on the subject, and found that the poetical assertion was not without basis, as many a ship sailing on her course had encountered a gale in the neighborhood either of Cape Hatteras or the Bermuda Islands. "But in marine verses, as in every other sort," the captain continued, "you must allow for the poet's license, which often requires a very large margin to include it."

A STRANDED SHIP.

Hatteras and "the vexed Bermoothes" permitted them to pass without a semblance of a gale. They sighted one of the islands of the Bahama group, and there was great excitement on board the steamer when it was discovered that a ship was stranded on the shore. Fred and Frank rushed below to tell the Doctor, and that worthy ran on deck as soon as he could don his hat and coat. The captain scanned with his glass the unfortunate craft, and relieved the general anxiety with the information that she had sent a line to the land, and there was no danger to the lives of her people, whatever might be the risk to the property. "If anybody was in peril," said he, "I would do all I could to save him; but when it comes to a mere question of ship and cargo, none of us care to take any risk, or even go out of our course for a minute. It is a serious matter to stop a great steamer like this, and, besides, it is a peril to her passengers and crew. We will save life always, and the property of our own company, but when it comes to the ships of other people, who would, quite likely, refuse to pay anything for the service without a lawsuit, we mind our own business and keep on our way."

The correctness of his reasoning was apparent to all the listeners, and before the day was over the stranded ship was well-nigh forgotten.

WEIGHING BAGGAGE.

They passed the eastern end of Cuba, and then steered between that island and Jamaica. The sight of the palm-trees that fringed parts of the shores reminded the youths of their journeyings in Ceylon and the Malay Archipelago, and increased their eagerness to be once more in tropical lands. In the Caribbean Sea they renewed their acquaintance with the flying-fishes, that darted from wave to wave, and were sometimes so numerous that hundreds of them could be seen at once. On the seventh day of the voyage the heavy baggage was brought from below and piled on deck, each piece being carefully weighed, and checked off on the purser's books. The Doctor explained to the youths that each passenger was entitled to free transportation of one hundred pounds of baggage across the Isthmus, but all above that amount was subject to an extra charge.

At daybreak the next morning the steamer entered the harbor of Aspinwall and made fast to her dock. The city was named in honor of William H. Aspinwall, of New York, but the French persist in calling it Colon, which was its appellation before the Panama Railway was thought of. It was a place of little consequence until the discovery of gold in California, in 1848, called attention to the necessity for a route of speedy travel between the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of our continent.

Frank and Fred were up early on the morning of their arrival at Aspinwall, and as soon as the gang-plank was out they hurried on shore, accompanied by the Doctor. Tropical verdure greeted their eyes as they looked inland, and the open sheds and slightly built houses told very plainly that they had reached a region where frosts were unknown.

The wharf where the steamer lay was more than a thousand feet in length, and, on inquiry, they learned that it was built on a coral reef, which formed an excellent foundation. "You observe," said Dr. Bronson, "that the piles resting in the water are covered with copper, to resist the teredo, a tropical worm which is very destructive to wood. Perhaps you would like to know something about him.

THE SHIPWORM AND HIS WORK.

"Well," the Doctor continued, "the teredo is better known as the ship-worm, a name he has obtained from his habits of attacking the timber of ships in tropical countries, and also in the warmer parts of the temperate zones. He is a long worm with a boring head; imagine an auger endowed with life, and you have a very good idea of what the teredo is. He enters the wood when young, and keeps on boring all his life; he goes in the direction of the grain of the wood, and only turns aside for hard knots or for a fellow-worm, whose presence he seems to detect by the sound of his work. The teredo attacks wood immersed in salt water, and hence his destructiveness to ships and to the piles that support docks and other marine structures. The timber is perforated and riddled so much that it crumbles to pieces in the course of time, and not a very long time either. Millions of dollars have been lost in consequence of the worm's performance, and not a few human lives. Ships lying in tropical harbors have been ruined by the teredo, and the injury has remained unknown until the vessels went to sea and were lost in the first gale that blew.

"But he has not been without his uses," said the Doctor, with a smile. "It was the teredo that gave Brunel his idea of a machine for tunnelling under the Thames River, and since his time most of the machines for tunnelling in soft earth have been made on the teredo principle. The head of the worm has a series of cutting disks that eat away the wood; Brunel made a gigantic worm with windows in front, and each window was occupied by a man who removed the earth before him and thus made way for the machine to be pushed forward. The progress of Brunel's worm under the bed of the Thames was exactly like that of the teredo in a piece of wood."

THE DONKEY'S DESCENT.

The Doctor delivered his improvised lecture amid the rattle of boxes that were sliding down the sloping gangway from the side of the steamer, as the process of unloading began almost immediately on her arrival. The lecture was suddenly terminated by the inattention of the audience, the antics of a donkey in a portable stall having caught their eyes. The animal did not relish the rapid descent along the gangway, as his progress easily averaged a mile a minute, and the momentum acquired in the slide carried him far out upon the wharf. He reared and plunged as he was going downwards, and in his struggles one of the upper slats of his cage was torn off. But at this point he became discreet, and carried his protests no further than to lift up his voice in its loudest tones.

THE WHARF AT ASPINWALL.

Threading their way through the mass of bales and boxes that covered the wharf, our friends were soon on solid earth at the end of the coral reef already mentioned. Here the tropical forest was visible in all its luxuriance, and not very far away, as the city does not cover a large area, and the trees grow luxuriantly wherever they are not kept down by the hand of man. Dr. Bronson explained to the youths that Aspinwall is built upon the island of Manzanillo, which is about three miles long by a mile in width; the harbor was formerly known as Navy Bay, and is said to have been discovered by Columbus on his third voyage.

In spite of the commercial importance of the place, Aspinwall contains little to interest the ordinary sight-seer. "You observe," said the Doctor, "that everything is designed for use, and not for ornament; the buildings are of a practical character, and many of them are not even intended to be permanent. There are only a few hundred houses in the city, most of them of wood, and very loosely constructed. Some of the buildings of the railway company are of iron or brick, partly as a precaution against fire, and partly to secure immunity from tropical insects and the rapid deterioration of wood in the damp climate of the Isthmus. The canal company has followed the same plan in the construction of its shops and sheds, but as these structures will be of no further use when the canal is completed there is no attempt to make them ornamental. In the ordinary parlance of the tourist, Aspinwall can be 'done' in half an hour."

Following the Doctor's suggestion, they strolled along the street of hotels and shops near the head of the wharf, passed in front of the stone church, the first Protestant edifice ever erected in New Granada, gave a hasty glance at the iron buildings of the Panama Railway, and then returned to the steamer for breakfast. After that meal was concluded they went on shore again, arranged for temporary quarters in one of the hotels, and immediately transferred their baggage to it.

As soon as they were settled at the hotel a carriage was ordered for a drive around the island by the "Paseo Coral," as the encircling road is termed. For much of the way the drive was through, or close upon, the tropical forest, and the youths were more than once reminded of their excursion in Singapore, and the ride in Ceylon from Point de Galle to Colombo. On one side of the island there was a view of the ocean, while on the other the scene included the dense swamp and series of islands lying between them and the mainland, with an occasional glimpse of the mountains that form the dividing ridge between the Atlantic and Pacific. The Doctor's scientific ardor was roused by the numerous shells with which the beach was strewn, and several times he stepped from the carriage to gather specimens for his cabinet of conchology. The youths looked longingly at the bananas and other fruits which grew in abundance, but they heeded the advice of their mentor, and abstained from indulging. Aspinwall is not a healthy place at best, and the dangers of a stay there are greatly increased by an intimate acquaintance with the products of its gardens, when one has freshly arrived from a sea-voyage.

DEPARTURE FOR PANAMA.

On returning from their excursion our friends went to deliver letters to one of the officials connected with the canal company's works, but, not finding him, they went to the railway terminus to witness the departure of the train for Panama. The passengers, mails, express matter, and "fast" freight had been loaded as expeditiously as possible into a train of eight or nine cars, and when all was ready the usual signals were given, and the locomotive moved off with its burden. One of the officers of the steamer had joined our friends, and explained that it was the custom of the company to despatch a special train on the arrival of a steamer, whether from Europe or America, in addition to the regular trains that were sent each way daily. Sometimes five or six trains were sent off in a single day, but such occurrences were unusual.

"In the old times," he continued, "when this was the principal route of travel between New York and San Francisco, the arrival of a steamer made a busy scene. Several hundred passengers were to be transferred, together with a large amount of mail and express matter; the passengers were packed into the cars as closely as possible, and when there was an unusual rush it took two or perhaps three trains to carry them all. In such cases the steerage passengers were sent away ahead of the others, while the cabin passengers and mails followed an hour or two later. Most of the passengers were encumbered with several articles of hand-baggage, together with oranges, bananas, and other fruits bought from the natives that swarmed around the station; you would have thought they were setting out for a journey of a week or more, and provisioning themselves accordingly, instead of a continuous ride of three or four hours over a railway. There was often a contest for places in the carriages, and many an impromptu fight has occurred on the spot where we are so peacefully standing."

Soon after the departure of the train Dr. Bronson and the youths returned to the hotel, where they found the official from the canal company awaiting them. He was accompanied by Mr. Colné, the secretary of the American committee of the company, and after the formalities of introduction were completed the party set out for the Atlantic entrance to the promised waterway from the Caribbean Sea to the Bay of Panama.

The entrance to the canal is on the mainland, just behind the island on which Aspinwall is situated. The island has been enlarged in this direction, and, when the great ditch is completed, Aspinwall will be its Atlantic terminus in much the same way that Suez is the Red Sea terminus of the Suez Canal.

Our friends were surprised at the magnitude of the works of the canal company, as they walked through the miniature city which has sprung up since the work of cutting the waterway was undertaken. There were acres and acres of warehouses and workshops, dwellings for the laborers, and residences of the officers, together with other edifices connected with the enormous enterprise. There was a scene of activity around the machine-shops, where engines and dredges were undergoing repairs, and it was difficult to believe that all this life had been infused into the tropical languor of the Isthmus in the past few years.

NATIVE MARKET, ASPINWALL.

Mr. Colné told the strangers that the new town had received the name of Christopher Columbus, in honor of the great navigator, who was believed to have visited the spot on his third voyage, at the time he discovered the bay in which Aspinwall is situated. "And here," said he, as they reached a row of neat cottages, "is the street called Charles de Lesseps; these houses were made in New York and then brought here and put together, and we have houses at other places of the same character. Most of our dredges were made in the United States, and an American company has taken the contract for a large part of our excavating. Part of the land on which the city is built was reclaimed from the bay by filling in with the earth dredged out for the canal and its approaches. Before we get through with the work we shall have changed the appearance of this part of the coast so that its friends will hardly know it.

"When we came here," he continued, "one of the first things we determined upon was the deepening of the harbor of Aspinwall up to the point where the canal is entered. As soon as the dredges were ready they went to work and made a channel that permits the largest ships to come up to the shore. We might have left it till the end of the enterprise, but it was better to have it done at the outset, as it facilitates the landing of our material."

PREPARING FOR A BOAT EXCURSION.

At the suggestion of Mr. Colné the party entered a boat, and spent a half-hour or more in an excursion around the harbor. While they were being propelled by the strong arms of six negro boatmen from the West Indies, their entertainer told them about the history of the canal enterprise. Frank and Fred listened eagerly to the narration, and the former made notes of its most important points. With the aid of these memoranda we will endeavor to repeat the story.

Note.—This book was written and in the hands of the publishers previous to the burning of Aspinwall by insurgents, in March, 1885.

[CHAPTER II.]

FIRST DAY ON THE ISTHMUS.—THE PANAMA CANAL.—HISTORY OF THE CANAL ENTERPRISE.—PLANS OF BALBOA AND OTHERS.—THE VARIOUS ROUTES PROPOSED.—STRAIN'S SURVEY OF DARIEN.—VISITING THE WORKS AT PANAMA.

"The idea of a waterway across the narrowest part of the American Continent, or, rather, of the isthmus connecting North and South America," said Dr. Bronson, "is almost as old as the discovery of the New World."

BALBOA TAKING POSSESSION OF THE PACIFIC.

"Quite right," replied their host. "In 1513, or twenty-one years after the discovery of America by Columbus, Vasco Nunez de Balboa, having taken possession of the Pacific Ocean, proposed making a passage through the rivers of Darien, but his death shortly afterwards caused the project to be dropped.

"Ten years afterwards, or in 1523, Fernando Cortez had conquered Mexico, and proposed a waterway through the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. He employed Gonzalo Sandoval to make a very careful survey of the route, and continued to urge his proposition after the Emperor Charles V. had removed the government of Mexico from his control. But the emperor was not favorably impressed with the scheme, which contemplated the expenditure of a vast amount of money, and, besides, he was more interested in obtaining a revenue from Mexico than in doing exactly the reverse. The proposal of Cortez was rejected as emphatically as was that of Balboa, but it is a remarkable circumstance that these two routes are the northern and southern extremes of the lines proposed for inter-oceanic canals.

"By reference to a book by a celebrated Portuguese navigator of the sixteenth century, Antonio Galvao, it appears that, up to the year 1550, four routes had been discovered and examined, though none of them had been surveyed with care. Galvao states in his book that a maritime canal can be cut in four different places: First, between the Gulf of Uraba and the Gulf of San Juan; second, through the Isthmus of Panama; third, along the San Juan River, and through Lake Nicaragua; and, fourth, through the Mexican Isthmus. Several explorers were sent to examine these routes, but they encountered many difficulties, and none of them brought back any exact information. So, you perceive, the principal routes for an inter-oceanic canal were known to the geographical world three hundred years ago."

There was a pause to enable Frank and Fred to examine the map which was spread before them, showing the routes which Mr. Colné had mentioned. When the examination was completed their entertainer continued:

"Very little attention was given to the subject for about two hundred years from the time I have mentioned. In the latter part of the eighteenth century the idea was revived again; England thought it would be of great value to her if she could obtain control of a passage from ocean to ocean, and in 1778 she sent an expedition against Nicaragua in order to obtain possession of the country. The enterprise was unsuccessful, and the commander, Lord Nelson, narrowly escaped with his life.

"In 1780 and '81 surveys were made of the Panama and Nicaragua routes, the former by order of King Charles III. of Spain, and the latter by Antonio de Bucareli, Viceroy of Mexico. These were the first technical surveys of the routes, all previous examinations having been made without the aid of engineering instruments, and unaccompanied by calculations as to the amount of earth to be removed, and the probable cost of the work.

"In 1804, Alexander Von Humboldt and Admiral Fitzroy, the former having made a personal examination of the Darien route, declared in its favor. This route has had many adherents, and a large amount of money has been expended in its examination. I will not weary you with the names of all the explorers and engineers who have examined the various Isthmus routes. The catalogue is a long one; many valuable lives have been sacrificed in this work, and the most of those who returned alive were able to present only unsatisfactory reports. The climate was fearfully unhealthy; the natives were either hostile to the enterprise or indifferent, and would rarely give assistance; and though the governments through whose territory the routes lay were generally well disposed, they could not always control their subjects."

"Probably the most thorough explorations," remarked Dr. Bronson, "were those ordered by the government of the United States in 1870. Several ships were fitted out, and the Darien, Nicaragua, Tehuantepec, and Panama routes were examined. Commodore Shufeldt went to the Isthmus of Tehuantepec; Commanders Hatfield and Lull went to Nicaragua, the latter visiting Panama, to complete the exploration of that route. Commander Selfridge and Lieutenant Collins examined the Darien route, and also some of the rivers entering the ocean a little farther to the north. The whole exploration occupied about three years, and the reports are very voluminous. They are more interesting to the engineer than to the general reader, and I did not bring them along as part of my baggage."

"I have read," said Fred, "about the expedition of Lieutenant Strain. Please tell us what route he examined."

RESCUE OF THE SURVIVORS OF STRAIN'S EXPEDITION.

"Strain's expedition was to survey the Darien route," replied the Doctor. "It ended disastrously, as the party lost its way, and also its instruments and provisions, and wandered for many days in a dense forest where the men were obliged to cut their path at nearly every step. More than half the party perished in the wilderness, and Lieutenant Strain died soon after his return to the United States.

STRAIN'S ARRIVAL AT THE COAST.

"The misfortunes of Strain's expedition were due in great measure to information which proved to have been almost entirely false. An English engineer, named Gisborne, had published a book containing a pretended survey of the country, which he claimed to have surveyed; in consequence of this report the governments of England, France, New Granada, and the United States of America sent expeditions, all of which failed disastrously. Strain's was the only one of the number that succeeded in crossing from ocean to ocean, the rest having turned back on account of the many unexpected difficulties, and the hostility of the Indians, who attacked them repeatedly. It turned out that Gisborne had never crossed the Isthmus, and his map of the Darien region was almost wholly imaginary.

"Several companies have been formed at different times," the Doctor continued, "for the construction of a canal from the Atlantic to the Pacific, but the most of them have existed only on paper. The first of these companies was based on Gisborne's imaginary surveys, and was organized in England, with a capital of seventy-five million dollars. Sir Charles Fox and other heavy capitalists were the promoters of this company, and they confidently expected to complete their work before the year 1860. The preliminary operations showed that the canal, if built at all, would cost several times that amount, and the enterprise was abandoned.

"Concessions have also been granted on other routes, but no serious work has been performed; the concessions were limited in the time of commencing and completing the work, and one after another the limit of time expired without anything having been accomplished. The Panama route is the only one on which there has been an attempt to make a canal; the government of the United States has made a treaty with Nicaragua for the construction of a canal through that country, but, up to the present time, the scheme has not gone beyond the surveys and the reports of the engineers."

"We are confident," said Mr. Colné, with a smile, "that our canal from Aspinwall to Panama will be completed, and that large ships will pass through it before the 1st of January, 1890. Indeed, some of our engineers promise it for the New Year of 1889. Thus far the work has progressed quite as fast as we expected at the outset, and if no unforeseen difficulties arise, we shall have the canal completed before 1890."

One of the youths asked how much the canal was likely to cost, and how it would compare with the Suez Canal, which they had visited on their return from the Far East.

"Not to trouble you with details," replied the Doctor, "the estimate of the cost was originally six hundred millions of francs, or one hundred and twenty millions of dollars. Very few enterprises come within the original estimates, and it is probable that not less than thirty millions of dollars, and perhaps another hundred millions, must be added to these figures, and some engineers say three hundred millions will be required. The cost of the Suez Canal was about one hundred millions, and the work at Suez was very light compared with that at Panama."

"I remember," said Fred, "that the Suez Canal is practically a great ditch through a sandy country, with no elevation of more than sixty feet, and but very little rock to be cut away. Nearly half the length of the canal was made by filling up depressions in the desert, which were turned into lakes by allowing the water to run into them. Is there anything of the kind here?"

"Not by any means," was the reply; "the Panama Canal is being cut through a region where the difficulties are enormous by comparison with those at Suez. Instead of a waste of sand, there is a tropical forest for the greater part of the way, and in place of the depressions which were converted into lakes to form part of the Suez Canal, we have a chain of hills which are nearly three hundred feet high at the lowest points. The summit level of the Panama Railway is two hundred and sixty-three feet above the level of tide-water on the Atlantic coast, and the canal must have the enormous depth of three hundred feet, and at some points more than that."

"That is quite correct," replied their host. "It will be the deepest canal cutting in the world when it is completed. On the section of Culebra, in a distance of little more than a mile, we must remove twenty-five million cubic metres of earth and pile it up elsewhere. Fortunately, our work is rendered easy in this respect, as there are many valleys close to the canal where the earth can be disposed of. Do you know how much is represented by twenty-five million cubic metres?"

Fred made a calculation on a slip of paper, roughly converting metres into yards by adding one fifth. Then he reduced the yards into cubic feet, and announced that, with the earth to be removed from the Culebra section of the canal they could build a wall nine feet thick and twenty feet high for a distance of twenty-eight miles, and have a good many car-loads to spare.

VIEW ON THE CHAGRES RIVER.

"This will give you an idea of the work to be performed here," replied Mr. Colné, "and you must remember that it is only one single section of the entire line. Then, too, there are great difficulties in the way on account of the rains, and the sudden overflows of the Chagres River, which crosses the line of the canal. Instead of being a depression to be filled with water, it is liable to pour out at any moment much more water than we want."

BEACH NEAR ASPINWALL.

"The average rainfall of this part of the Isthmus," said Dr. Bronson, "according to the official reports, is over twelve feet. This is not distributed through the year, but is confined to about seven months. During a single rain-storm six and a half inches of water have fallen.

"The consequence is that there are excessive floods in the rivers; the Chagres River, which you see represented on the map as crossing the canal, is, in the dry season, a stream about two hundred and fifty feet wide and two feet deep. During a heavy flood it is fifteen hundred feet wide, and over forty feet deep, and it has been known to rise thirty or forty feet in a few hours. In these floods it brings down trees, rocks, and earth, and sometimes houses, and the sides of hills. In one freshet, an iron tank, that stood seventeen feet above the railway track, was washed away, and on several occasions considerable portions of the road have been destroyed."

IN THE RAINY SEASON.

"We get over that difficulty," said Mr. Colné, "by making a barrage, or dam, across the river, and between two hills, to retain the waters during the freshets, and let them out gradually by lateral sluices. The capacity of the reservoir formed by the dam will be much more than enough to hold all the water coming down in the greatest rise that has ever been known since the railway was completed, in 1855. Mr. De Lesseps says that there are three reservoirs in the world of greater capacity than this: one is at St. Etienne, France; one at La Gillappe, Belgium; and one at Alicante, in Spain. They have stood for three centuries, and are as good and strong as they ever were. Science has improved since the great retaining walls of Alicante were erected, and the dam of the Chagres River will be perfectly safe, and do justice to the science which constructs it."

By this time the boat had reached the line of the breakwater which was being constructed to protect the harbor from the strong "northers" that sometimes blow at Aspinwall, and make anchorage unsafe. The earth dredged from the canal and from the shallow portions of the bay was partly used for forming the ground already mentioned, and partly for constructing the breakwater. For the latter purpose it was piled between walls of rock, and it was expected that the work would be completed long before the canal was ready for use.

A HAND-CAR JOURNEY ON THE PANAMA RAILWAY.

From the breakwater they were taken to the entrance of the channel opened by the dredges for the canal, and the location of the proposed new port was pointed out. Then they proceeded up the great ditch for two or three miles, and landed where the canal and railway were close together. Two hand-cars were standing on the track and evidently waiting for them. The gentleman to whom they had brought the letter was there, and also one of the officials of the railway. At the invitation of the latter, the party was soon distributed on the vehicles, three on one and three on the other. Comfortably seated on the front of the hand-cars, which were propelled by natives in very scanty dress, our friends rolled easily over the level track, in the direction of the high ground, and also of Panama.

Frank and Fred thought they had never taken a more delightful ride. The air was delicious; there was the luxuriant vegetation of the tropics all around them; birds were abundant in the trees; monkeys occasionally chattered above them, or swung from the limbs, as if inviting the strangers to stop and visit their relatives; the speed was just enough for comfort; their vision was unimpeded, and there was no locomotive in front of them to poison the air with fumes of burning coal or shower them with cinders. Then, too, their guide was a cyclopædia of knowledge, as he had been for a long time connected with the railway and was thoroughly conversant with its history.

SURVEYING UNDER DIFFICULTIES.

"It was one of the most difficult roads to build that I ever heard of," said he, "and three times the work was suspended on account of the impossibility of getting enough laborers or bringing forward the necessary material. Everything had to be brought from New York or some other American or European city, as there was no labor worth having to be found on the Isthmus itself. Between Aspinwall and Monkey Hill the engineers had sometimes to wade up to their waists while laying out the line, and after the road was completed the track repeatedly sank down out of sight. It happened several times that two or three hundred feet of road would thus disappear in a single night, and then the whole force of the road was put to work to fill up the cavities. There are some places that were filled two or three times before the road-bed was solid enough to stay. Since the canal company began operations here it has built some new tracks, and occasionally meets with the same trouble, but the old part of the line is all right now.

NATIVE VILLAGE ON THE ISTHMUS.

"There is a good story of how the natives of the country around Gatun had their first view of a locomotive. The track was completed to that point, and a day was set for running an engine over it. People came for long distances; they had heard wonderful stories of the witchcraft of the strangers, and there was great curiosity to know about it. There was an immense crowd, and at the appointed time the locomotive came in sight, puffing vigorously, and emitting clouds of steam and smoke. There was great excitement, which reached the pitch of terror when the creature came into the midst of the crowd, and the whistle was blown. The whole crowd fled to the river, and many of them jumped in, expecting they would be pursued, and possibly devoured.

NATIVE IDEA OF THE LOCOMOTIVE.

"Finding the monster did not follow them, they gathered courage and reassembled, but stood at a safe distance, ready to run again if necessary. They sent forward their priest to examine the animal; he surveyed it carefully, and then informed his followers that it was not an animal, but a machine, in which there was a veritable demon chained, and compelled to work the crank which propelled it. The explanation was sufficient; the good priest knew it was hopeless to attempt to enlighten them on the uses of steam, and found the demon story the shortest way out of the difficulty. It is just possible, though, that he was not versed in natural philosophy, and his explanation may have been the honest result of his observation."

At several points, as they passed along, Fred observed men cutting away the bushes by the roadside, and, in reply to a question, he learned that the growth of the tropical forest was so rapid that men were kept busy all along the route in keeping it down, so that it would not touch the passing trains. "But it is not without its advantages," said their informant; "what it costs to keep down the rapid vegetation is more than compensated by the interlacing of the roots through the road-bed so that it makes a powerful resistance to the water which rushes down the slopes after the heavy rains. Many a serious injury to the road has been prevented by this mass of roots."

THE ESPIRITU SANTO FLOWER.

Their attention was called to flowers that grew in the forest, and the eyes of the youths were constantly occupied with the varieties of trees and plants that they passed in their ride. There were palms and mangroves, canes, ferns, orchids, and creeping, climbing, and hanging plants almost without number. There was hardly a tree without a parasite, and many trees were covered from the base to the topmost limb with foliage that was not their own. In some cases the trees were actually killed by the parasites that clung to them, and reminded our friends of the picture of a deer strangled by a serpent.

Fred asked for the famous product of the Isthmus, a member of the orchid family, Peristera Elata, known as "Flor del Espiritu Santo," or "Flower of the Holy Spirit." It was pointed out to them, and, at the youth's request, they stopped long enough to gather a few specimens.

The youths greatly admired the flower, and when they saw it neither of them wondered at its name nor the reverence with which it is regarded in Central American countries. It has a white blossom resembling the tulip, and in the inside of the blossom is the figure of a dove. It needs no imagination to show the form of the bird; there it rests, with its wings drooping at its sides and its head bent forward so that the bill almost touches the breast; the body of the dove is of a snowy white, while the bill is tipped with red. The flower has a perfume resembling that of the magnolia, and it blooms in the latter part of the summer months.

Frank wanted to send home some of the plants, and was told that he could do so with ease, but the bulbs would not live unless they were procured in May or June, when the stalks had been sufficiently developed to produce the flower. It is said that the early Spanish explorers of the Isthmus bowed before this flower and worshipped it, and the reverence that was then developed has never been lost. Down to quite recently it was very difficult to procure specimens of the Espiritu Santo flower, owing to this reverential feeling, and it is only since the colonization of the Isthmus by Americans that the stranger has been able to obtain all he wants. The flower is now cultivated in hot-houses, and has been transported to other tropical countries, where it is successfully grown.

GATUN STATION.

Fred called attention to several trees resembling some they had seen in Java and Ceylon, and Frank picked out three or four varieties of mahogany which he could recognize. Occasionally there was a clearing devoted to bananas and other fruits, and at Gatun Station, where the road was close to the bank of the Chagres River, several natives offered the fruits for sale. The old village of Gatun was on the opposite shore of the river, and consisted of a group of huts half concealed by the foliage. In the old days of California travel, before the construction of the railway, the inhabitants of Gatun drove a prosperous trade with the gold-seekers; according to one writer, "eggs were sold for twenty-five cents apiece, and the ground-rent for a hammock was two dollars a night."

An excavating machine was in operation not far from the railway, and huge mounds of earth had been thrown up on either side of the line of the canal. Hundreds of laborers were at work, and the scene was, in many respects, a repetition of what they had encountered at Aspinwall, or, rather, at the new city which has risen near it. "This is an American machine," said their guide, as he pointed to the excavator, "and it will interest you to know that the excavators and dredges from New York have proved more satisfactory than those of French construction. They are very effective, and rarely get out of order; the French machines were admirably adapted to the Suez Canal, but the soil here is much harder than that at Suez, and requires a more powerful engine for its removal."

From Gatun the party returned to the canal entrance, and thence to their hotel in Aspinwall. Later they dined with their new friends, and when they retired for the night they felt that they had crowded a good deal of sight-seeing into their first day on the Isthmus.

A TROPICAL HARBOR.

[CHAPTER III.]

OVER THE ISTHMUS.—A PROFITABLE RAILWAY.—ISTHMUS FEVER.—TROPICAL TREES, FLOWERS, AND ANIMALS.—SIGHTS IN PANAMA.—THE CATHEDRAL.—A STROLL ON THE BEACH.—THE PARADISE OF CONCHOLOGISTS.

MAP OF THE PANAMA RAILWAY.

Next morning our friends arranged to leave for Panama by the regular train. Just as they were about starting from the hotel they were met by the manager of the railway, who invited them to occupy the directors' car, which was to be drawn by a special locomotive, and would follow the train an hour or more later. They accepted the invitation, sending their baggage by the train, with the assurance that it would be found at the station at Panama on their arrival. The directors' car afforded superior facilities for seeing the objects of interest along the route, and, besides, they were to be accompanied by the manager, and also by the official who had been of such practical assistance on the previous day.

They were joined by some of the officials connected with the construction of the canal, and altogether the party was a most agreeable one. Dr. Bronson explained to the youths that when the canal company was organized it was deemed advisable to have command of the railway in order to facilitate the work. A controlling interest in the line was bought by the canal company, and it is fair to suppose that the owners of the shares received a good price for their property.

"The Panama Railway has been the most profitable thing of the kind in the world," said the Doctor, "or, at any rate, one of the most profitable I ever heard of. The managers have generally kept their affairs as much as possible to themselves, and would, doubtless, assure you that they had lost money by their investment, which is often the case with men who have a remunerative business of any kind. The local fare over the line between Aspinwall and Panama was established at twenty-five dollars, and remained at that figure for nearly twenty years. Twenty-five dollars for a ride of forty-eight miles, or more than fifty cents a mile! Thousands of passengers were carried over the road every month, and every thousand passengers meant twenty-five thousand dollars to the railway. At one time the steamships were carrying steerage passengers from New York to San Francisco for eighty dollars, including the transit of the Isthmus; the steamship company thus received fifty-five dollars for carrying a passenger five thousand five hundred miles, including his board and lodging for twenty-three days, while the railway company received almost half as much for carrying him forty-eight miles, lodging him four hours in rickety cars, and giving him no board whatever.

CROSSING THE ISTHMUS IN 1849.

"But bygones are bygones," continued the Doctor, "and if any traveller disliked the price of the railway journey he had the privilege of going by the old route. This involved a tedious journey up the Chagres River by bongoes or native boats as far as Gorgona, and a ride thence over the hills and through the mud to Panama. The riding was done on the backs of mules, as there was no wagon-road; travellers were often obliged to pass the night in the open air, as there were very scanty accommodations in the few villages along the road; a week or more was generally consumed in the trip; the prices of everything were exorbitant; and the tourist generally reached the end of his journey feeling very much as if he had been passed through a patent wringing-machine. Not a few fell ill and died on the way, and many a fevered sufferer in California, years afterwards, could trace the beginning of his ills to his exposure on the Isthmus. 'Isthmus fever' became known almost as a distinct malady, and it was often very difficult of cure. It is pretty well forgotten now, thanks to the rapid transit afforded by the railway. Under all the circumstances, the enterprising men who constructed this road deserve every cent they received from it; it has saved thousands of lives to the population of the United States and other countries, and has added materially to the commercial facilities of the world. It was built under many discouragements, and the energy displayed in its construction was worthy of a liberal reward."

A BONGO.

They rolled merrily over the track and in a little while had passed Gatun Station, and the point they visited in their excursion to inspect the work on the canal. They wound among the low hills and along the bank of the Chagres River, catching pretty views here and there, and passing several unimportant stations without stopping. One of the officials pointed out the cottage which was the favorite residence of Mr. John L. Stephens during his connection with the railway, and also a gigantic tree which has long been known as "Stephens's tree." Other objects of interest were indicated, and there was not an idle moment in the whole journey.

BRIDGE ACROSS THE CHAGRES RIVER AT BARBACOAS.

The railway crosses the Chagres River at Barbacoas, where there is a fine bridge, which has withstood the shocks of that capricious stream in a manner that reflects creditably upon its builders. A little beyond Barbacoas they met a train bound eastward, and waited a short time on a siding to enable the locomotive and its burden to get out of the way. The delay gave an opportunity for a brief excursion into the tropical forest, which came close up to the railway, as it does for the greater part of the distance between Aspinwall and Panama.

MEETING A TRAIN.

Frank and Fred were accompanied by one of their new friends, who seemed to be well versed in the botany of the country. The first tree to meet their gaze was a palm, and while they were noting its peculiarities their guide told them there was no place in the world where so many varieties of the palm could be found together as on the Isthmus. "There are," said he, "twenty-one different species of palm-trees; I am informed that three or four more have been found in the vicinity, but I have not seen them. From one of the well-known varieties is extracted the palm-oil of commerce; another produces a sweet sap from which the natives distil a wine they use freely as a beverage; there is the 'sugar palm,' from which sugar is made; the 'sago palm,' which produces sago, but of a quality inferior to that of the Malay Archipelago; the 'ivory palm,' which supplies vegetable ivory; the 'cabbage palm,' whose stalks resemble the cabbage in appearance and taste; and the 'glove palm,' from which bags for holding grain or kindred things are readily obtained. Houses, weapons, domestic utensils, and many other things are made from the leaves, stalks, fruit, bark, or wood of the palm, and the tree is quite as necessary to the existence of the natives of the Isthmus as is the bamboo to the inhabitants of tropical Asia."

THE SINGING HUMMER.

It was impossible to penetrate far into the forest, owing to the network of hanging and creeping plants that blocked the way, and the youths were not long in realizing the difficulties encountered by the surveyor who laid out the line of the railway. Their guide described many of the vegetable growths that were visible, and the number was so great that Frank was fairly bewildered with them. So he called attention to the birds darting among the thick foliage, and asked about the animal kingdom of the country.

THE HUMMING-BIRD AT WORK.

"There are birds, beasts, reptiles, and insects here in great number," was the reply. "There are parrots of several kinds, some of which will learn to talk while others will not; there are toucans, with enormous beaks especially designed for the disposal of fruits; humming-birds of gorgeous hues and hardly bigger than bees; and there are orioles, trogons, tanagers, and other birds whose names are only known locally or in scientific works. There are wild turkeys and grouse among the hills; the latter are shy and not easily taken, and the hunter is always at a disadvantage on account of the thickness of the shrubbery; the tapir abounds in the low ground and marshes near the rivers, and his flesh is not unlike pork in taste and appearance. You have already seen monkeys, and if you could go into the forest a dozen miles from the settlements you might see hundreds of them in a single day. They go in large parties oftentimes, and whenever they make a raid on a banana plantation they destroy in a few hours the labor of a whole season. There is a tradition that in the old days the natives used to serve up monkey flesh to the California emigrants under the name of 'opossum.' The opossum is found here, but he is not easily taken, and a man from the States would have no hesitation in eating its flesh, though he might seriously object to dining on monkey.

THE IGUANA.

"Besides the animals I have mentioned," he continued, "we have the ant-eater, peccary, sloth, deer, cougar, bear, and tiger-cat; the peccary is also known as the 'wild hog,' and is closely allied to the tapir. There is a lizard called the iguana, which is sometimes five or six feet long, and is as delicious as lobster or chicken; its eggs are much prized by the natives, and frequently seen in the markets. Americans who come here are generally chary of eating iguana, because it is a lizard; we have got over this difficulty by naming it 'Panama lobster,' and thus silencing all objections. There's a great deal in a name."

A CENTIPEDE.

The youths admitted the evident truth of the assertion. Suddenly, Frank espied almost under his feet a crab about the size of a half-grown chicken, and asked if it was a "Panama beetle."

A SCORPION.

"Not exactly," replied their guide, with a smile. "It is a land-crab, which is very abundant on the Isthmus, and considered an excellent article of food. It is rapacious, like the crab generally, and comes fearlessly into the presence of man in search of a breakfast. These crabs devour the flesh of animals, and will often reduce a horse or ox to a heap of polished bones in a few hours. It will be well for you to tread carefully on the ground in the vicinity, as you never know when you will encounter a scorpion, tarantula, or centipede, or even a venomous snake. Occasionally we find large serpents of the constrictor species, but they are not as dangerous as the smaller reptiles and insects. The tarantula is a sort of hairy spider, quite pretty to look at, but so venomous that his bite causes death in a few hours. The natives have a belief that if a tarantula simply walks over the flesh without biting there is left a poisonous trail which causes rheumatic and other pains, lasting for years or perhaps for a lifetime. Catch one of these spiders and show it to a group of natives, and they will run shrieking away from you."

EXHIBITING A TARANTULA.

The whistle of the locomotive put an end to the conversation, and recalled the young naturalists to the train. Fred observed a native with one foot bandaged across the toes, and asked what was the matter with him.

"Probably jiggers," was the reply.

"And please tell us what jiggers are?"

"Its native name is chigoe," answered their guide, "and this has been anglicized into 'jigger.' Its scientific name is Pulex penetrans; it is a species of flea which deposits its eggs in the human body, especially under the skin of the foot or the nails of the toes. Its presence is indicated by a slight itching and subsequently by a membranous sac, like the head of a pin. This sac can be removed with a needle or by washing the feet with tobacco juice; if allowed to remain it causes an ulcer, and the victim will quite likely lose his toes. It is necessary to keep close watch to one's feet, and wash them frequently with strong soap or decoction of tobacco."

HILLS NEAR THE RAILWAY.

Natural history gave place to more immediate matters as the train passed one of the points where excavations for the canal were going on. The scene was a repetition of that at Gatun, and needs no special description, but it naturally led to further conversation upon the great enterprise which was intended to unite the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

Fred asked how it happened that a canal through the Isthmus connecting North and South America was being constructed by Frenchmen and with French capital?

MAP SHOWING HOW OCEAN ROUTES ARE SHORTENED BY THE PANAMA CANAL.

"For the very simple reason," the Doctor answered, "that Americans were unwilling to risk their money in the work and the French were ready to do so. The final surveys were made by Lieutenant Bonaparte Wyse of the French navy, and the expense was paid by French capitalists. M. De Lesseps, whose name has become known throughout the world for his energy in making the Suez Canal, caused an international congress to be assembled at Paris in 1879; this congress decided in favor of the present location, and for a canal without locks. Under his leadership the company was formed, and the work is going on as you see it.

"It is quite likely that diplomatic questions will arise concerning the use of the canal by the great nations of the globe; meantime, we need not disturb ourselves about it, but wait patiently for the day when ships will be able to pass from ocean to ocean. To understand the advantages to commerce which will result from the construction of the canal you have only to look at this map and observe the difference between the proposed routes for ships and those which are at present followed."

The Doctor unfolded a map which we give on page 53. While Frank and Fred were glancing at the routes marked upon it, Dr. Bronson read the following array of figures:

"Between England and Sydney they don't save much distance," Fred remarked; "but on all the other routes there is a great difference in the figures. We will all hope for the speedy completion of the canal, and on the opening day we'll fling our hats in the air and cheer as loudly as possible in honor of Ferdinand De Lesseps."

BASALTIC CLIFF.

Meantime the train had left the valley of the Chagres River and was ascending among the hills towards the summit level, two hundred and sixty-eight feet above the ocean. Many of the hills were sharply conical and showed that they were of volcanic origin; high embankments and heavy cuttings followed each other in rapid succession, and at one point the road wound round the side of a hill composed of basaltic crystals about twelve inches in diameter and eight or ten feet long. It was explained that this was one of the few instances in the world where basaltic columns were found in any but upright positions: at Fingal's Cave, in Staffa, the Giant's Causeway, in Ireland, and the Palisades of the Hudson they are upright, but on this hill of the Panama Isthmus they are in all sorts of positions, and indicate very clearly that there has been a great convulsion of nature since their formation.

The Cerro de Los Bucaneros, or "Hill of The Buccaneers," was pointed out. It receives the name from the fact that from its summit the buccaneer, Morgan, had his first view of ancient Panama in 1668, and he encamped at the base of the hill on the night before his attack upon the city.

PANAMA IN THE DISTANCE.

Soon after passing this memorable hill the city of Panama was visible in the distance. Entering the railway station, they came to a halt, and in a few moments Frank and Fred were gazing on the waters breaking on the beach just outside the spacious building. A long pier jutted into the bay at the end of the station; a steamboat was being laden there with freight, intended for one of the large steamers grouped together two or three miles away. Dr. Bronson explained that the bay of Panama is quite shallow for a long way out, and only boats of light draft can come close to shore. The canal company is dredging a channel from the deep parts of the bay up to the shore, which will form an approach to the mouth of the canal, when that work is completed. The tide rises and falls about fifteen feet on the average, varying with the season and the phases of the moon; and consequently a lock will be necessary at Panama to prevent the formation of a current through the canal.

The mouth of the canal is at La Boca, some distance from the railway station. Engineering reasons caused the selection of this spot, as it possessed considerable advantages over the railway terminus. It is the intention of the company to dredge out a large basin near La Boca, where ships can lie in safety while waiting their turn to pass through to the Atlantic Ocean. Until this basin is completed, the anchorage for large ships will be in the vicinity of the islands where the Pacific Mail, and other large companies, have their docks and coaling-stations.

STATION AT PANAMA.

Our friends found their baggage at the station; they had telegraphed for accommodations in the principal hotel of Panama, and the runner of the house was waiting to meet them. Confiding their baggage to his care, they proceeded at once to the establishment; breakfast had been served in the directors' car during the ride from Aspinwall, and consequently they were ready to start at once to look through the city. We are permitted to make the following extract from Frank's note-book:

CATHEDRAL AT PANAMA.

"Panama contains about eleven thousand inhabitants, and is very substantially built of stone. There is nothing particularly attractive about it, but it is quaint and interesting; the houses are built with court-yards, in the Spanish style, and you might easily imagine yourself in a part of Cordova or Cadiz, or even in Madrid. The cathedral is a fine building for this part of the world, though it would not be regarded as of much account in any prominent city of Europe. The bells are old and not very tuneful; they are rung at frequent intervals, beginning at an early hour of the morning, and it is not advisable for a nervous traveller to take lodgings in the immediate vicinity of the venerable building.

"The city is in north latitude 8° 57', and received a royal charter from King Charles I. of Spain, in 1521. 'Panama' is an Indian word which means 'a place abounding in fish;' the old city was about six miles northeast of the present one, which dates from 1670. Old Panama was destroyed in 1668, by Morgan, the buccaneer, and for a long time the present city was known as 'New Panama,' to distinguish it from its predecessor.

RAMPARTS, WITH OLD CANNON.

"The builders of the new city surrounded it with strong walls as a defence against invaders, but these walls have been allowed to go to ruin. They would be of no use against modern artillery, as a few cannon could batter them down in half a dozen hours. In many places, bushes and trees grow among the stones; at one time the inhabitants were allowed to help themselves to building material from the walls, but the practice was not long continued. Originally the walls were from twenty to forty feet high, with battlements and towers at frequent intervals; they cost so much that the Spanish government wrote to the commander of the city, and wished to know 'whether the walls were builded of silver or of gold.' We saw some of the cannon that were sent from Spain for the defence of the walls; they have not been fired for many years, and would probably explode at the first attempt to use them.

"We went along the principal street, looking into the cathedral, which is probably two hundred feet long by a hundred and fifty in width, and is divided in the interior by four rows of massive columns which support the roof. It contains numerous shrines and altars; the floor is of brick, and when we entered it was being swept by half a dozen dark-skinned natives, one of whom offered to show us through the building. We declined the proposal, as there did not appear to be much worth seeing, and our time was limited.

WATER-CARRIER AND NATIVE WOMAN.

"In the plaza or square in front of the cathedral there were little groups of people, a few on horseback, but the most of them on foot. There were a few women whose veils of rich lace showed that they belonged to the upper classes, and others, more numerous, who wore the reboza or mantle of the descendants of the aborigines. There were water-carriers mounted on mules, and on each side of every mule was a couple of kegs of water, with a sprig of grass or a bunch of leaves stuck into the opening on top. Panama has no system of public waterworks, and the inhabitants are supplied from house to house, in the manner of two hundred years ago. The occupation of a water-carrier is said to descend from father to son; nobody gets rich at the business, but it affords a living to a good many people.

"There were many natives riding, or leading mules laden with garden produce from the neighborhood, and also other natives who were their own beasts of burden, and carried baskets or bags on their heads. There were priests in flowing robes and shovel-shaped hats, some hurrying along as if on important business, while others were idling among the people, and evidently enjoying themselves. The cathedral is on the western side of the plaza, and on the southern side is the cabildo or Government House, corresponding to our City Hall. It is a plain building of stone, two stories high, and with wide porticoes or balconies on both stories. Here all the business of the city is conducted.

"On the other side of the square there were several plain-looking buildings, with dwellings on the upper stories and stores below; some of them were old, while others were new, and there were two or three gaps where nothing but ruins was visible. Panama has suffered severely from fires. It was almost entirely destroyed in 1737, but was quickly rebuilt, as its business was then prosperous. In 1784 there was another serious fire, and since 1864 there have been three extensive conflagrations whose traces are still visible. The gaps around the plaza are the result of these later disasters.

GATE OF THE MONKS.

"We crossed the plaza and continued on to the Postiga de las Monas, or 'Gate of the Monks,' which is crowned by a watch-tower, and leads through the ruined wall to the beach. A woman and child were sitting under the shadow of the gateway, and people were coming and going, on foot or in the saddle. When we reached the beach the tide was out and there was a large expanse of coral reef visible; it was alive with crabs, shrimps, cuttle-fishes, and other marine products, and we picked up lots and lots of shells of curious form and color. It is a splendid place for conchologists, and if the sun had not been so hot we would have stayed there an hour or two.

RUINS OF CHURCH OF SAN DOMINGO.

"We came back through the gateway, and met one of our late companions of the train. He took us to see the ruins of the Church of San Domingo, which was built soon after the founding of the city, and burned more than a hundred years ago. In its time, it was the finest church in Panama, and was said to possess a great store of silver and gold images and other treasures.

REMARKABLE ARCHWAY.

"Dr. Bronson was anxious to see a remarkable arch which was said to exist in the ruins of the church, and our friend offered to point it out. We passed among the walls, which were thickly overgrown with vines and bushes, and finally came to the archway. It is forty feet long, and has a perpendicular radius at the keystone of only two feet; it is made of brick, and is said to be a wonderful piece of work. Our friend said he had never heard of anything like it, and that many architects passing through Panama in the last twenty years had seen and admired it.

"Some of the bells of the church were lying where they fell at the time of the fire, and others were hung upon timbers a few feet from the ground, where they could be rung as in the olden time. Our guide told us an interesting story about the way these bells were made and given to the church.

"Soon after Panama was founded, the Queen of Spain invited the ladies of her court to come and bring whatever money they could afford, for the founding of the Church of San Domingo. She gathered a large amount, which was used for building the church. When the time came to prepare the bells, people of all classes were invited to make donations, and witness the operation of casting. They came in great crowds; the queen threw in handfuls of gold, the ladies and gentlemen of the court did likewise; the poor contributed silver or copper, and so the amount of metal in the crucibles increased. Then the queen threw in the golden ornaments that she wore; her ladies did the same; the excitement became great; rings, bracelets, and other valuables—many of them precious relics or family heirlooms—were contributed to the pious work, and thus the bells for the church in the New World were made. Their tone was said to be of the purest, and they are held in great reverence by the priests who have them in charge. High prices have been offered for these bells, but invariably refused."

RUINED CHURCH.

[CHAPTER IV.]

"THE PLACE OF FISH."—AN EXCURSION TO OLD PANAMA.—VISITING A HERMIT.—DRINKING CHICHI.—RUINS OF THE CITY.—MORGAN THE BUCCANEER.—HIS HISTORY AND EXPLOITS.—HOW HE CAPTURED PANAMA.

VIEW FROM THE RAMPARTS OF PANAMA.

From the ruins of the church the youths and their companions strolled to the ramparts of the city, where they watched the sunset gilding the distant hilltops and lighting up the waters of the beautiful Bay of Panama. The wall is here enlarged into a wide promenade, which overlooks a level space containing the arsenal, the military barracks, and the prisons of the city government. The Esplanade is the favorite lounging-place of the people at the close of the day, and our friends had an excellent opportunity to study the local dress and manners. Nobody appeared to be in a hurry, and there was a tendency to divide into groups and couples, very much as in other lands and under other skies. Some sauntered slowly up and down the promenade, while others leaned over the parapet, or reclined on the grass which covered a considerable part of the Esplanade. Ships and steamers were anchored in the distance, while the foreground of the bay was dotted with native boats, which seemed to be drifting aimlessly in the gentle breeze. Altogether, the picture was delightful, and long to be remembered.

On the next morning our friends were up early for an excursion to Old Panama, which we have already mentioned. As we drew on Frank's note-book for the modern city, we will rely upon Fred for our information about the ancient one.

"We had a delightful ride on horseback," said Fred; "leaving Panama by the northwestern gate, which brought us to the fish-market on the beach. To judge by what we saw, Panama is justly named 'a place of fish,' as there seemed to be a supply three times as large as could possibly be wanted for the use of the inhabitants. There were Spanish mackerel, oysters, bonito, and a good many other fishes, and all of the very best quality, with the possible exception of the oysters. We asked if these oysters were the ones from which pearls are obtained, and they told us the pearl-fisheries were about a hundred miles down the bay, and the oysters not at all like those sold in the market. There was formerly a fine revenue from the pearl-fisheries, but the beds are practically exhausted, and of late years very little attention has been given to the business.

ON THE NORTHEASTERN BEACH.

"From the market we galloped along the beach for a couple of miles, and then turned inland. We came out to the shore again, after winding among rocks and thick foliage, and followed along the bay till we reached the ancient city.

"Everything is in the most complete ruin; what was left by Morgan has been vigorously attacked by the tooth of time. And I remark, by the way, that the tooth of time is much more effective in its work in the tropics than in the colder north, where the vegetation is less rapid and aggressive. Walls and towers are so overgrown with mosses and creepers that, in many instances, the structures are completely hidden from sight, and their positions are only indicated by their shape. Seeds carried by the birds, or wafted by the winds, fall into crevices between the stones; they are warmed into life by the temperature, and nourished by the moisture that prevails at all seasons of the year. They grow and flourish in spite of the inconveniences of their position, and after a time they force the stones apart, and the structure is weakened, and hastened to its overthrow.

"Everywhere in Old Panama you can see evidences of this great force of nature. Much of the stonework of the city has been thrown down by the roots of the trees and plants, and in several places we saw stones of great weight resting entirely upon the roots of the trees that had lifted them up. Evidently the city was built to last, and it is a sad commentary upon the work of its founders that it was so soon destroyed. The walls were massive, and the stones carefully cut. The old Spaniards came to America to plant colonies, and make a permanent home, if we may judge by the way they constructed this important city, which was intended to command the commerce of the Pacific seas.

WATCH-TOWER OF SAN JEROME.

"One of the most interesting relics of Old Panama is the watch-tower of San Jerome, which is said to have been built only six years before the city's capture and destruction. It is a square tower, and we estimated its height to be about eighty feet; it is covered with mosses and vines, and there are trees and bushes growing on its top. The staircase on the inside has been thrown down by the roots of the trees, as far as we could judge from the position of the stones, though it may have been destroyed by the famous buccaneer. The whole of the inside space was full of roots, and we could not have climbed to the top even if the stairs had remained.

"The tower was intended as a signal-station, from which vessels approaching Panama could be descried, and tradition says a light was burned there at night. It is now the only visible part of the old city as you look from the beach or from a boat on the water; everything else is covered up with the tropical forest, which has been undisturbed for two hundred years. The only way to see the ruins is by clambering through the mass of vegetation; we did so, and were thoroughly wearied with our exertions, though amply repaid for them.

"Not the least interesting part of the sights were the fantastic shapes which the trees and vines had taken; in some places the trees were on the tops of walls thirty or forty feet high, and had thrown down roots on each side reaching into the ground. At every crevice in the walls little twigs were thrown off to hold the roots in place, and it almost seemed as though these vegetable growths had been endowed with human intelligence. Two or three times we were deceived by the appearance of the roots, and mistook them for snakes. Even when assured of their harmless character, Frank paused and deliberated before moving nearer, and I'm free to confess that I followed his example.

A HERMIT AT HOME.

"We were accompanied on our excursion by a gentleman who lives in Panama, but had not been in the old city for two or three years. He said the place had two or three inhabitants, or, rather, there were that number of negroes who lived there, and acted as guides to visitors. With some difficulty he found the hut of one of them, and luckily for us its owner was at home. His only clothing was a strip of cloth around the waist and a pair of sandals on his feet, and the entire furniture of the place would have been dear at ten dollars. He had a few baskets and earthen jars, an old hammock, a rough bench to sleep on, an iron pot for cooking purposes, and a pair of rollers for crushing sugar-cane. He had a small patch of sugar-cane, another of bananas; the bay supplied him with fish, the beach afforded plenty of oysters, shrimps, and mussels, and the money obtained from visitors was enough for buying his tobacco and a few other trifles which made up the sum of his necessities, and were procured in a semi-annual trip to Panama. He declared that he was perfectly satisfied with his way of life, and as he had been there for twenty years and more, I have no doubt he spoke the truth.

"A prince in his palace could not have been more polite than was this dark-skinned hermit. He had no chairs to offer, but asked us to sit down on his bench; we accepted the invitation, and after handing us a gourd of water, which we found very refreshing, he put on his hat in order to be more fully dressed. Then, with true Spanish politeness, he told us that the house and all it contained were ours, but we couldn't see that we should have been much richer if we had taken him and his belongings at his word. We rested perhaps a quarter of an hour, talking with him about his solitary life, and then asked him to guide us through the old city.

"'Sí, Señores,' he replied, touching his hat in a most dignified manner, 'but would we drink some chichi before starting.'

MAKING CHICHI.

"Chichi is the juice of the sugar-cane, and is a favorite beverage in this region; of course we consented, and he immediately picked up his machete (hatchet) and went out. In a little while he returned with an armful of sugar-cane, which he proceeded to pass through the rollers, after first bruising the canes with a mallet to make the work of crushing easier. Our Panama friend took one end of the machine, and got himself into quite a perspiration before the job was finished; I fancy he did not relish it, but our entertainer did not seem to mind it in the least. The machine was a rude construction, and not to be compared with the polished rollers that are to be found in sugar-manufactories on a large scale, but it was entirely adequate to the wants of our sable host.

BRIDGE AT OLD PANAMA.

"We drank the chichi, which was most refreshing, and then were shown through what is left of the city. Here and there we found portions of paved streets, and it was only by following the lines of the streets that we were able to get around at all. Then there were two or three groves with very little undergrowth, which are thought to have been public squares; evidently they were not paved, but macadamized, and trodden so hard that the undergrowth has obtained no hold, though the trees have not been so easily restrained. Our guide showed us a bridge over a stream in the southern part of the city; it is called the Punta de Embarcadero, and is said to have been the point where boats came to discharge or receive their cargoes, and the stream it crosses is about thirty feet wide. It is full only at high tide, and is more an arm of the sea than a flowing river. The bridge is of hewn stone, and was constructed with a single arch.

"When we had finished our wanderings among the ruins we went back to the hut, drank some more chichi, then mounted our horses, and returned to modern Panama by the way we went. We were thoroughly tired, but we voted unanimously that the day was well spent."

The excursion to Old Panama naturally roused the curiosity of the youths to know something of Morgan the buccaneer, and his exploits. The readers of this narrative may have a similar interest in the events of two hundred years ago, and we will briefly give them.

The rumors of the abundance of gold in the New World, which reached Spain after the discovery of America by Columbus, led to the conquest and settlement of the islands of the West Indies, and also of the mainland for a considerable distance north and south of the Isthmus. Within the fifty years following the first voyage of Columbus many colonies were planted, forts were built, soldiers were brought out in great numbers, and many ships laden with treasure were sent home from the New World. The stories grew with each repetition, and in a little while it was currently believed that there was sufficient gold in the cities of Mexico, Peru, and the other countries of South and Central America to enrich the entire population of Europe.

SLAUGHTER OF PRIESTS BY BUCCANEERS.

The Spanish conquerors were relentlessly cruel, and subjected the rulers and people of the conquered countries to all manner of tortures, in order to obtain their gold. The rumors of the vast treasures of the New World passed beyond Spain and reached England and France. Piracy was fashionable in those times, and it was not long after the Spanish treasure-ships began to traverse the ocean that the waters of the Caribbean Sea were thronged with piratical craft. Their crews were known as buccaneers, freebooters, pirates, or sea-robbers, and one name is as good as another. We will follow the example of the old historians and call them buccaneers, out of respect for their descendants, who dislike the word "pirate."

PIRATES' RENDEZVOUS.

They had plenty of hiding-places among the islands and along the coast of the mainland, and their numbers increased so rapidly that they formed colonies, tilled the soil, and in many cases established something like local government, though it was not always very orderly. In some of their colonies the more peaceably inclined buccaneers lived on shore, raised crops, hunted for wild cattle or other game, and not infrequently they brought their families from the Old World or found wives among the natives. The rest of the community roved the seas in search of plunder, returning occasionally to the colony to refit their vessels, and deliver their proper share to the settlers on land, from whom provisions were obtained.

Sometimes prisoners were brought to the colonies and kept as slaves, but this was not the general practice, as it was not altogether safe; an escaping slave might reveal the rendezvous of the buccaneers, and, in spite of the greatest vigilance, escape was possible. Consequently, it was the custom to release prisoners on payment of a heavy ransom, or to sell them to be carried into slavery, where they could do no harm to their captors. If they could not be disposed of in either of these ways, or made useful in some manner, they were generally put to death. Sometimes a chief released his prisoners unconditionally, and without obtaining anything for them, but such action was not favorably received by his followers, as they considered it a loss of property and an indication of weakness totally inappropriate to his proper character. Human life was held at little value in those days, not only by freebooters, but by kings and princes in all parts of the world.

After all, there was little difference between the buccaneers, or pirates, and the people against whom their exploits were directed. Cortez, Balboa, Pizarro, and other leaders in the Spanish conquest of the New World were simply the heads of legitimate marauding expeditions, directed against the inhabitants of the countries they invaded. The buccaneers endeavored to rob these legalized marauders; they stole what had been already stolen, and their thievery was directed against thieves. They adopted the same practices of torture and cruelties that had been used to extort gold from the rulers and people of the conquered countries; the buccaneers felt that the condemnation of their practices was unjust, and their sensibilities were wounded when they saw that the conquerors of the New World were sustained and honored by their king, whose treasury was enriched by their plunderings.

BUCCANEERS EMBARKING ON AN EXPEDITION.

Sometimes there was a period of war between Spain and England, and then the king of the latter country would give commission to a well-known buccaneer, and exalt him to the dignity of a privateer. He was to fit out an expedition at his own expense, enlist his own men, and do pretty much as he pleased; in return for the royal protection he was to give a certain part of his gains into the king's treasury; though quite often this condition was not exacted, since the destruction of the enemy's commerce was considered a sufficient compensation for his commission. This was the character of Morgan's enterprise against Panama.

Morgan had obtained an excellent reputation as a buccaneer; he had captured several cities, murdered many people, often under circumstances of great cruelty, and had been almost universally successful in his expeditions. Priests, women, and children were indiscriminately slaughtered along with his other prisoners, when they could not find a market as slaves; and the stories of his barbarities would fill a volume. At one time he had two thousand men and a fleet of thirty-seven ships under his command. His piracies were directed against the Spaniards; the English looked upon his performances with a kindly eye; and when he organized his expedition which ended with the capture of Panama the governor of Jamaica ordered an English ship of thirty-six guns to assist him, and gave him authority to act in English interest. There was a French ship in the harbor of Jamaica, also carrying thirty-six guns, which Morgan desired; and he soon found reason enough, to his mind, for her capture.

A short time before, this French ship had stopped an English vessel at sea and taken provisions from her without paying for them. Morgan made this a pretext for seizing her; accordingly, he invited her officers on board the English ship and there made them prisoners. Then he seized their craft, but, unfortunately for his plans, she blew up a few hours afterwards and was totally destroyed. It was not known how the accident occurred, but Morgan said it was caused by the French prisoners, who set the ship on fire.

MORGAN'S RECEPTION AT CHAGRES.

The fleet sailed away a week after this incident and proceeded to capture Maracaibo, Saint Catherine's, and one or two other places, before proceeding to Panama. From Saint Catherine's Morgan sent four ships to capture the fort at the mouth of the Chagres River; the expedition was successful, and when Morgan arrived and saw the English flag flying over the fort he fired all his cannon in honor of the victory. When he landed he was carried into the fort on the shoulders of his fellows amid many demonstrations of delight.

An old nursery song has it that "Taffy was a Welshman, Taffy was a thief." Substitute "Morgan" for "Taffy" and the description is exact, as the hero of this story was born in Wales. Many of his followers were from that country or from other parts of the British Isles, and his second, who captured the fort at Chagres, was Captain Brodely, an officer of English birth.

Morgan repaired the fort, gave it a garrison of five hundred men, left a hundred and fifty to take care of the ships, and with twelve hundred men started across the Isthmus for Panama. They ascended the Chagres River in boats as far as they could go, and then marched overland through the forest. All the boats but one were sent back; a guard remained with this single boat, with orders never to leave it for a moment.

The journey to Panama was a terrible one, and showed the power of the commander over his men. They had expected to find plenty of provisions in the country, and consequently did not burden themselves with any on their departure from Chagres. At the first landing-place they found the people had fled, leaving nothing behind them, and this was the case at nearly every other point. For three entire days the men were without food, and many of them wanted to turn back; partly by persuasion and partly by threats Morgan kept them together, though they were so much reduced that they were forced to eat some leather sacks found at an abandoned plantation on the way.

MORGAN'S MEN DINING ON LEATHER.

The manner of preparing this food is interesting, but it is to be hoped none of our readers will ever be obliged to put it in practice. Some of the men devoured the leather raw, cutting it into small pieces, and swallowing it with water. Others, more fastidious, cut it into strips, moistened it with water, and then rubbed it between two stones until it was flexible. Then they scraped off the hair with their knives and broiled the strips over the fire. When the leather was thoroughly done it was cut into small pieces and washed down with water. After this frugal meal the men fasted two days, till they reached a plantation where they found a storehouse full of corn. All order and discipline were lost until the fellows had eaten all they wanted and loaded themselves with as much as they could carry. When they were assembled again they cheered their commander, and shouted "To Panama!"

DEATH OF THE INDIAN CHIEF.

Their plenty did not last long, as they soon encountered a small force of Indians who had been sent out to intercept them. The men threw away their loads of corn and prepared to fight. The battle was a short one, as the Indians were overpowered by the superior weapons of the buccaneers, though the latter lost several of their number. The chief of the Indians fought bravely, and thrust a spear through one of his assailants before they succeeded in conquering him.

They were starving again, but as they came near Panama they found a herd of cattle, which supplied excellent material for food. Here Morgan ordered a halt till the men were fed, and their strength was restored; the camp was full of joy at the prospect of a speedy termination of their sufferings, and on the next morning the attack was ordered; the invaders had seen the city from the "Hill of the Buccaneers," and were now in front of it.

MOVING THROUGH THE FOREST.

Morgan captured some Indians, and forced them to act as guides, under the penalty, often exacted in war, of being shot if they gave false information. Morgan had ordered the march to be taken directly to the city, but his guides told him the road was lined with artillery, and the whole Spanish force was concentrated there. Satisfied that the information was correct, he turned into the forest, and endeavored to move to the right without being discovered. The Spanish commander found out what the buccaneers were doing; he could not move his artillery, but he marched his soldiers, and drew them up on the open plain in front of the position for which his assailants were aiming.

CAPTURE OF OLD PANAMA BY MORGAN. (Fac-simile of an old print.)

When the invaders came in view of the plain they found three thousand soldiers ready to meet them, while their own number was little over a thousand. They were disheartened with the prospect, but Morgan told them it would be certain death in the wilderness to turn back, while a well-fought battle would give them the city with all its riches. Thus doubly induced, they determined to fight; the battle was begun by the buccaneers, and, certainly to the surprise of the Spaniards, it resulted in the dispersal of the defenders, and the possession of the city by Morgan and his followers, within three hours after firing the first shot.

The buccaneers plundered the churches and the houses of the merchants, and they tortured many of the priests, and other inhabitants, to compel them to tell where their treasures were concealed. In anticipation of disaster, much of the treasure of the churches, and also of the wealthiest merchants, had been sent on board a ship which sailed for Spain a few hours after the surrender of the city. It might have been captured with ease, but a party which Morgan had sent to intercept any departing vessel did not do their duty, and so the richest of all the prizes slipped through their hands.

Morgan and his party remained in Panama for three weeks, and then returned to Chagres. Before leaving they burned the city, and carried away six hundred prisoners, and one hundred and seventy-five beasts of burden laden with plunder. The division of the spoils was made at Chagres; it amounted to only two hundred dollars apiece, very much to the disappointment of the men. Morgan was openly accused of keeping very much more than belonged to him; the accusations became so serious as to threaten open revolt; and Morgan secretly embarked for Jamaica, and sailed away, with two ships besides his own.

He reached Jamaica in safety, and as the war between England and Spain was then over, his occupation as a legal freebooter was at an end. His services were promptly recognized by the British government, and he was appointed a marine commissary, and knighted by King Charles II. It is to be hoped that he led a less disreputable life as Sir Henry Morgan than when he was simply known as Morgan the buccaneer.

THE LUCKY ARROW.

A curious incident is narrated by Morgan's biographer in the account of the capture of Chagres. The fort was surrounded by a palisade which the assailants repeatedly tried to set on fire, but each time failed. Just as they were about to give up the attack and retire, an arrow from the fort passed completely through the body of one of their number and protruded from his breast. The man was mad with pain; he seized the arrow and pulled it through, then wrapped it with cotton, rammed it into his gun, and fired it back again at the fort. The powder ignited the cotton, and this in turn set fire to the leaves with which the fort was thatched. The Spaniards were so busy in beating back their assailants that they did not discover the fire until too late to stop it. The flames spread to a barrel of powder, which blew a great hole in the side of the fort, and made an entrance for the buccaneers; meantime they took advantage of the confusion to open the palisade, and soon had the fort in their possession.

[CHAPTER V.]

FROM PANAMA TO GUAYAQUIL.—VASCO NUNEZ DE BALBOA.—HIS ADVENTURES AND DEATH.—SCENES IN GUAYAQUIL.—FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH SOUTH AMERICAN EARTHQUAKES.

BAY OF PANAMA, FROM THE SOUTHEASTERN RAMPART.

Our friends spent another day in Panama, devoting part of the time to arrangements for their departure, and the rest to strolling around the city, and taking a short sail on the bay. They visited the island where the Pacific Mail Steamship Company has its coaling-station, and its wharves for receiving and discharging freight, and saw the docks where ships needing repairs can be accommodated. Fred made the following notes concerning the steamship connections from Panama:

"There are two American lines of steamers running northward to California, and to Mexican and Central American ports, and there are English, French, German, Chilian, and Peruvian lines reaching to all the ports of the west coast of South America. The most important of all these lines are the Pacific Mail (American), running northward, and the Pacific Steam Navigation Company (English), running to the south. When the Isthmus route was the favorite way of travel between the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the United States there were sometimes two or three American lines between Panama and California, but at present there is only one.

"There was formerly a line between Panama and Australia, but it was discontinued long ago, and a line from here to the Sandwich Islands, Japan, and China has been talked of, but never established. When the Panama Canal is completed it is probable that the business of this port will be greatly increased, and the number of daily arrivals and departures will far exceed those of the most active times of the 'rush' for California."

Dr. Bronson and the youths left the hotel about two o'clock in the afternoon, and proceeded to the dock whence the tender was to carry them to their steamer. The ships of the Pacific Steam Navigation Company run in connection with the Royal Mail Line from England to Aspinwall; the arrival of the English steamer at Aspinwall had been announced by telegraph, and the train with the passengers and mails was due in Panama about half-past two. While they were seated on the tender, and engaged in studying the beautiful panorama of the bay, the whistle of the locomotive was heard, and soon the train rolled into the station, and its burden was transferred to the boat. The passage to the steamer was quickly made, and by four o'clock the great craft was on her southerly course.

COAST SCENE BELOW PANAMA.

As our friends leaned over the rail, Dr. Bronson gave the youths some reminiscences of the old days of California travel.

"On the voyage from New York to Aspinwall," said he, "passengers became pretty well acquainted with each other; and it generally happened that there were some practical jokers among them, who indulged in tricks for creating amusement. One of the standing jokes of the departure from Panama was, to create alarm among those who were making the voyage for the first time, by spreading a report that they had embarked on the wrong steamer, and were being carried to Callao."

"How could they do that?" Fred inquired.

"By looking at the map, you will see that the Bay of Panama is enclosed between the mainland and the Peninsula of Azuero, the latter extending to the southward about seventy-five miles; consequently a steamer going to California must proceed in that direction, until she can turn the point of the peninsula. Most of the novices were not aware of this; the rumor was started, and, if incredulous, they were told to look at the compass and be convinced. The compass corroborated the assertion of the jokers, and many a traveller was seriously disturbed in mind until the joke was explained."

"He was probably more careful in his study of geography after that experience," Frank remarked.

"Sometimes," continued the Doctor, "the California steamers sailed at the same time as the ships of the English line for South America, and occasionally there was an international race as long as their courses were nearly the same. The routes diverge very soon, so that the races were brief, but, with a large number of passengers on board of each steamer, there would be great excitement while the competition lasted, and much money was wagered on the result. On one occasion, owing to the carelessness of somebody, one steamer ran into another, but no serious damage was done; at another time a steamer hugged the shore too closely in order to shorten her running distance and get an advantage over her rival. These accidents called attention to the racing, and the managers of the different companies issued a very stringent order against any more trials of speed. I have not heard of a repetition of these affairs for a good many years, and there is rarely any opportunity for rivalry, if we may judge by the time-tables of the various lines running from Panama. When steamers are to leave on the same day there is generally an hour or two between their departures, and the later one does not attempt to over-haul her predecessor."

CAVE NEAR LIMON RIVER.

As the great ship moved steadily through the blue water of the Bay of Panama our young friends regarded with close attention the beautiful panorama that passed before their eyes. The land was on both sides of their course, the peninsula on the right, and the mainland of South America on the left; the horizon to the eastward was filled with the chain of the Cordilleras, which increase in height farther to the south, and form the lofty line of the Andes. One of the passengers who was familiar with the coast indicated to our friends the Gulf of San Blas, and other indentations which have come into prominence during the discussions about an inter-oceanic canal, and a good deal of geographical knowledge was imbibed in the first few hours of the voyage.

The Bay of Panama is about one hundred and ten miles long, and its width at the mouth is a little more than that distance. The course of the steamer carried her away from the peninsula, and before they had been long under way the latter was only dimly visible. It vanished with the sun, and by the following morning was far behind them. The placid waters of the Pacific Ocean filled the horizon, south, north, and west, but the mountains on the east were in full view. Smoke issuing from some of these mountains showed that they were volcanic, and the youths readily understood that they were approaching the region of eruptions and earthquakes.

VASCO NUNEZ DE BALBOA.

Guayaquil, in Ecuador, was the first stopping-place of the steamer, four days from Panama. Frank suggested that it was a good time to refresh their memories, or add to their knowledge, of the history of this part of the world; Fred agreed with him, and thought they would do well to begin with Vasco Nunez de Balboa, the discoverer of the Pacific Ocean. The Doctor gave his approval, and the principal part of the second day at sea was devoted to that enterprising explorer. While Frank read from Balboa's biography, Fred took notes of the most important parts of the story, which were as follows:

"Vasco Nunez de Balboa was a Spanish nobleman, who dissipated his fortune, and ran away from home to avoid imprisonment for debt. He was born in 1475, and sailed for the New World soon after the return of Columbus from his fourth voyage.

"In 1510, Martin Fernandez De Enciso sailed for the colony of Carthagena, which had been established a few years earlier. He found in its harbor a brigantine which contained the remnants of a colony established farther down the coast, but abandoned in consequence of the hostility of the natives and the difficulty of procuring food. The leader of this party was Francisco Pizarro, whose name is known to every reader of South American history, in connection with the conquest of Peru.

BALBOA CARRIED ON SHIPBOARD.

"After a short delay in Carthagena, Enciso sailed for St. Sebastian, accompanied by Pizarro's brigantine. An hour or two before the vessel was to leave port some men brought a cask on board, and it was lowered into the hold with the rest of the provisions. When the ship was fairly out at sea the end of the cask was pushed out, and, instead of edibles for the crew, there appeared the form and figure of a man!

BALBOA MAKES HIS APPEARANCE.

"The man was Balboa, who had been living in Carthagena. He had so loaded himself with debts in his new home that his creditors were about to arrest him and he was closely watched to prevent his running away. He determined to sail with Enciso, and caused himself to be headed up in a cask and carried on board in the manner described."

Frank and Fred had a hearty laugh over this part of the story. One of them asked the Doctor if this mode of travel was in fashion at the present time.

"Not often," was the reply, "but it is sometimes practised by those who wish to do exactly like Balboa, escape from their creditors. I have known of a man being carried on board a steamer at New York in a large trunk, which was ostensibly the baggage of his wife, and there have been instances of criminals escaping from prison by being shut up in boxes and carried out as merchandise.

"In the days of slavery the friends of freedom used to assist slaves to escape from bondage in a variety of ways. One of the favorite modes for a fugitive to cross the line from south to north was to be shut up in a box and sent as a freight or express package. I once knew a negro in Philadelphia who was sent in this way from Richmond to the Quaker City; he was about thirty hours on the way, and almost dead from suffocation when his prison was opened. Though his conveyance was conspicuously labelled, 'This side up with care!' he was twice left standing on his head for two or three hours. His name was Henry Brown; in memory of his adventures, and to distinguish him from other Henry Browns, he was ever afterwards known as Henry Box Brown.

"And now let us return to Balboa," said the Doctor. The hint was sufficient, and the narrative was resumed.

"Enciso was angry at the deception practised by Balboa in securing passage as a stowaway, but soon had reason to be glad he had such a bold adventurer on his ship. At first he threatened to leave Balboa on a desert island, but when the latter offered his services and promised to be a good soldier the leader relented. Expeditions like those of the Spaniards are not made up of the best materials of society, and events afterwards proved that Balboa was more than the average adventurer of the sixteenth century.

"On the way to St. Sebastian Enciso's ship ran upon the rocks and was lost, with all its cargo, only the crew escaping to the brigantine of Pizarro. Enciso did not know where to go; and while he was pondering upon the best course to pursue Balboa came before him and said he knew of an Indian village on the bank of a river called Darien; the country near the village was fertile, and the natives had plenty of gold.

VILLAGE ON A RIVER OF DARIEN.

"Enciso sailed for the village, which he captured with ease, and compelled the inhabitants to deliver up fifty thousand dollars' worth of gold ornaments. He established a colony there, and forbade any one to traffic with the natives for gold, under penalty of death. This arbitrary order was opposed by Balboa, who remembered the threat to leave him on a desert island; as the followers of Enciso were quite as covetous as their leader, the prohibition was easily made the basis of a revolt.

"Balboa managed matters so well that Enciso was forced to leave for Spain, while the former became governor, with absolute authority over all the colony. He immediately sent Pizarro to explore a neighboring province, but the expedition was unsuccessful; Pizarro was driven back by the Indians, who attacked him in great force. Balboa then headed an expedition in person, and while sailing along the coast he picked up two Spaniards in the dress of natives. They were deserters from another colony, and had been living with Careta, the chief of the province of Coyba; they had been kindly treated by this chief, but promptly offered to pilot Balboa to his village, which was said to contain great quantities of the precious metal desired by the Spaniards.

"Balboa accepted their offer and started for Careta's capital, accompanied by the deserters and one hundred and fifty soldiers. Careta received him kindly, and after a short stay Balboa pretended to leave. In the night he attacked the village and made prisoners of the chief, together with his family, and many of his people. Careta made peace with the Spaniards by giving up a large amount of gold, and offering the hand of his daughter in marriage to Balboa. The historians say she had much influence over Balboa, and on one occasion saved his life.

BALBOA AND THE INDIAN PRINCESS.

"Balboa promised to help Careta against his enemies, and in compliance with his promise he took eighty men and went on an expedition against Ponca, who was an enemy of Careta, and, what was more to the point with Balboa, was said to have a great amount of treasure. Ponca was attacked and his village was burned, but the victors obtained very little gold. Then they went to the neighboring province of Comagre, whose chief was friendly with Careta, and received them kindly. The chief came out to meet the strangers and escort them to the village, where he gave them food and comfortable lodgings, and did everything he could to make their stay agreeable.

"The people at this village were the most advanced in civilization that the Spaniards had thus far found in America. The chief's palace was a frame building, four hundred and fifty feet long and two hundred and forty wide, and it was divided into numerous apartments for the chief and his family and officers. Underneath it there was a cellar for storing provisions, and in one part of the building was a mausoleum, where the bodies of the chief's ancestors were preserved. Balboa examined this mausoleum, and found that the bodies were first dried by fire, to prevent decay, and then wrapped in great quantities of cloths which were interwoven with threads of gold. Pearls and pieces of gold were fastened around the wrappings, and then the bundles were hung against the walls of the room.

"It did not take long for the Spanish avarice to show itself, and to meet it the eldest son of the chief brought four thousand ounces of gold, which was distributed among the men, after a fifth of the whole had been reserved for the crown. During the division a quarrel arose between two of the men, about the weight of two pieces of gold.

QUARREL FOR THE GOLD.

"They drew their swords and were about to fight, when the young chief seized the scales and dashed their contents to the ground.

"'Why do you quarrel about such trash as this?' said he. 'If you come here for gold, go beyond those mountains, where there is a great sea on which sail vessels like your own. The streams that flow into it are filled with gold; the people who live on its coast eat and drink from vessels of gold.'"

Balboa was present at this incident; he had not interfered in the quarrel, but when the chief spoke he became interested. He talked long and earnestly with the chief, who represented the dangers and difficulties of the way, but offered to show it to the adventurer, if he was determined to go there.

"Balboa returned to the colony at Darien to make preparations for an expedition to discover the great sea beyond the mountains, and obtain the gold of the people along its coast. He sent to Spain for the men he required for the journey, but after he had waited long and anxiously a ship arrived with news that his enemy Enciso had obtained a favorable hearing before the king, and was coming back to assume command, while Balboa was to be sent to Spain to answer a charge of treason.

"He determined to make a bold stroke, and called for volunteers to accompany him on the expedition, as he could not expect the men he had asked for from the king. One hundred and ninety men volunteered, and on the 1st of September, 1513, he sailed with a brigantine and ten canoes. He reached the dominions of his father-in-law, Careta, near the modern village of Careto, about twenty miles from the mouth of the Caledonia River, on the route taken by Lieutenant Strain.

MARCHING THROUGH THE FOREST.

"Here the inland march began. The men toiled over rocks and among the thick undergrowth, and suffered from sickness and hunger and from the opposition of the Indians. They could not find the young chief who had offered to guide them over the mountains, but they captured some of the Indians and forced them to show the way. At one village the chief called out his men to attack the strangers, but they were quickly dispersed by the guns of the Spaniards. The Indians had never heard the report of fire-arms, and were paralyzed at what they believed to be thunder and lightning in human hands.

"Beyond this village was a mountain, from whose top the guide assured Balboa the great ocean was visible. Halting a day for the benefit of his sick and wounded, he pushed on till he reached the foot of the mountain, and stood there with his faithful followers. There they rested until another morning; he ordered every man to be ready to move at daybreak and then he lay down to sleep. His example was followed by his men; they slept, but he did not, as his mind was too full of what the morrow might disclose to allow of slumber.

"At the first sign of day he roused his men, and prepared for the march. The sick and wounded were left in the camp, and with sixty-seven followers he pushed forward. It was nearly noon when they emerged from the forest, and stood at the foot of the stony peak from which the guide said the sea was visible. Here Balboa ordered his men to remain till he had reached the summit; he wished that his eyes should be the first to look upon the great ocean, of whose existence he still had lingering doubts.

DISCOVERY OF THE PACIFIC.

"He reached the summit, and there, spread before him and filling the horizon, were the blue waters of the Pacific. Balboa gazed for several minutes, in the enthusiasm of his discovery, and then beckoned for his followers to join him.

"The men dashed forward, Pizarro among them, and soon were at the side of their chief. One of the party was a priest, and as they came to a halt he began to chant Te Deum Laudamus! The chant was taken up by the whole band of adventurers, and as soon as it was ended they proceeded to build a mound of stones on which they erected a cross, in honor of the discovery.

"Balboa then descended the mountain to the shores of the Pacific, where he took possession of the waters in the name of his king. He attempted to explore the country, but travelled only a short distance along the coast; passing through many hardships, he returned to Darien, whence he despatched a ship to Spain, bearing the news of his discovery, and the royal share of the gold he had taken.

CUTTING TIMBER FOR THE SHIPS.

"Already a new governor had been appointed, and shortly after Balboa's messenger had sailed the governor arrived. Balboa was tried on the old charges, and acquitted, and he then started to carry out his intention of exploring the Pacific. Crossing the mountains, he built vessels on the banks of the Valsa River, visited the Pearl Islands in Panama Bay, and explored parts of the coast. It was reported that he intended to establish a colony on the Pacific Ocean, and set up in opposition to the newly appointed Governor of Darien—or, rather, independently of him.

DEATH OF BALBOA.

"The governor summoned Balboa to Darien to meet him in friendly consultation, and the latter went, in spite of the advice of his comrades, who suspected that official's intentions. The governor arrested him on a charge of treason, and went through the form of a trial, which resulted in Balboa's conviction and condemnation to death. When he was led forth to execution a crier preceded him, proclaiming him a traitor to the crown. 'It is false!' exclaimed Balboa with great indignation; 'I have sought to serve my king with truth and loyalty, and no such crime as treason has ever entered my mind.'

"Balboa was only forty-one years of age when he perished, the victim of the same jealousy and hatred which caused Columbus to be carried in chains to the prison where he died. There is no doubt that his career was marked by many acts of cruelty, but nothing in his history indicates other than the most devoted loyalty to his sovereign and to the country of his birth."

The study of the history of Balboa was followed by a careful inspection of the map of the Darien Isthmus, in the effort to determine the identity of the mountain from which the Pacific Ocean was first seen by the eyes of a European. The Doctor told the youths that the mountain had not been identified, but was thought to lie between the rivers which Strain attempted to follow in his explorations for a canal. All the peaks in this region are difficult of access, and few of them have been ascended by white men.

The steamer reached Guayaquil on the morning of the fourth day from Panama. Our friends secured a boat for themselves and their baggage, and went on shore immediately; it was their intention to spend a fortnight in Ecuador, and then take steamer again to Callao.

At the landing-place they were beset by beggars, pedlers, guides, and donkey-owners, all desirous of receiving tokens of remembrance in the shape of money, selling articles of use or uselessness, or otherwise rendering real or imaginary services. All were shaken off in a little while, with the exception of the most prepossessing of the guides, who was engaged to take them to the hotel and show them around the city.

A rickety carriage was obtained, but, as it showed signs of weakness, it was exchanged at the hotel for one of a more substantial character. The streets and the buildings that lined them greatly resembled those of Panama, and indicated that the builders of both were of the same nationality. The cathedral was visited, but there was nothing remarkable in its appearance, and a very brief examination sufficed.

Frank said the most interesting part of the city was the river which ran through it; it is called the Guayaquil, and also the Guayas; its name has been given to the city, which is really "Santiago di Guayaquil." All the provisions for the city are brought in canoes and on balsas or rafts, and every morning the river is almost covered with these crafts. They were laden with all sorts of things produced in the country—bananas, plantains, pineapples, cocoanuts, guavas, melons, oranges, zapotes, mangoes, and kindred fruits that grow in the tropics, and there was also a goodly array of tropical vegetables. Poultry-dealers were numerous, and the fowls with which their cages were filled kept up a vigorous cackling; there were fish of many varieties, some of them quite new to our young friends, who regarded them with much interest. In their eagerness to get about the boatmen frequently ran their craft against those of their neighbors, but there was the utmost good-nature, with one or two exceptions. Probably the people find it does not pay to quarrel where the climate is so warm, and the effort of getting into a passion is too much for every-day life.

CATHEDRAL OF GUAYAQUIL.

The city has a population of twenty-five or thirty thousand, and is a little more than two degrees south of the equator, consequently it is very hot, and quite unhealthy, in spite of the sanitary precautions that have been taken by its authorities. The Bay, or Gulf, of Guayaquil has a tide of about twenty feet, so that any accumulation of impurities is prevented by the great flow of water in and out of the channel every day. It has one of the best harbors on the west coast of South America, and would have a considerable commerce were it not that the prosperity of the country is restricted by earthquakes.

STREET SCENE AND RUINS.

Our friends found that some of the streets were narrow and crooked, but the most of them were comparatively straight, and crossed at right angles. They drove past the principal buildings, the governor's residence, City Hall, and several churches, and then into the suburbs, where they saw some pretty gardens full of tropical flowers.

As the forenoon advanced the heat increased, and they returned to breakfast at their hotel. The table was set on the veranda, which afforded a fine view of the lofty peaks of the Andes. The manager of the establishment was a stout and dreamy Spaniard, who went to sleep if his attention was not wanted for a minute, but waked immediately when he was spoken to. The waiter was of aboriginal descent, and seemed to have copied the habits of his master in the matter of deliberation, as he paused after each step, as though uncertain about the next.

They had a breakfast of tortillas, or Spanish griddle-cakes, a chicken broiled over the coals, which were still adhering in places, and an omelette in which various peppery things were very apparent to the palate.

When they were nearing the end of their repast, and just as Fred was helping himself to more of the omelette, there was a trembling of the floor that brought the youths out of their chairs and caused the Doctor to assume an upright position. The movement lasted perhaps a quarter of a minute, and then ceased.

"Take your seats again," said Dr. Bronson, "and finish your breakfast. We are in the land of the earthquake, and this is an every-day occurrence."

He suited the action to his word, and sat down. The youths followed his example, and a moment's reflection told them that they ought not to be disturbed by such a trifling shake at the very beginning of their South American experience.

IN THE LAND OF THE EARTHQUAKE.

[CHAPTER VI.]

THE PARADISE OF EARTHQUAKES.—FROM GUAYAQUIL TO QUITO.—A RIDE OVER THE MOUNTAINS.—ALL CLIMATES UNITED IN ONE.—THE PLAINS OF ECUADOR.—CHIMBORAZO AND COTOPAXI.

THE CENTRAL PART OR ECUADOR.

The incident of the breakfast naturally drew their attention to the earthquakes that frequently shake the mountainous parts of South America, and render life and property more uncertain than in regions which are not subject to these disturbances.

"Ecuador may be considered the paradise of the earthquake," said the Doctor, "though it is not much ahead of Peru and Chili in that respect. To give a list of the earthquakes that have destroyed life and property in this country since it first became known to the Spaniards would be to recite a long series of dates; Guayaquil has been shaken up a great many times, but it has suffered less than the capital. Here, at the sea-coast, we are somewhat removed from the centre of the disturbance, but by no means out of its reach."

"We will hope," said Fred, "that the violent earthquakes will postpone themselves until our departure."

Dr. Bronson and Frank emphatically approved Fred's suggestion, and the Doctor proceeded with his comments.

"The central portion of Ecuador," said he, "is at an elevation of several thousand feet, and contains many active volcanoes. The valleys in which are the cities and cultivated part of the country are rarely less than 6000 feet above the level of the sea, and some of them rise to 10,000 or 12,000. The highest of the mountains is Chimborazo, 21,422 feet high; it was for a long time supposed to be the highest mountain of America, but modern surveys have shown that it has several superiors. It is the sixth in elevation of the chain of the Andes, and these in turn are surpassed, in the Old World, by several of the Himalayas. The best known of the active volcanoes is Cotopaxi, nearly 19,000 feet high, but there are others that rival it in destructive energy.

"We shall have opportunity to study these volcanoes quite nearly," continued the Doctor, "as we go to Quito and the region around it. There does not appear to be any danger of an eruption at present, and if we allow our minds to be constantly filled with dread of a catastrophe we shall not enjoy the journey. So we'll let the earthquakes take care of themselves, as they generally do."

In the afternoon they arranged for the storage of such baggage as they did not wish to take with them. Trunks were left behind, and the whole trio was reduced to light marching order, in accordance with their custom when making the excursions of which we have read in "The Boy Travellers in the Far East." Toilet bags, with a small stock of underclothing, an extra suit of clothes for a change in case of being drenched with rain, and overcoats, rugs, wraps, and blankets, for the cold weather at great elevations, comprised the equipment for the journey to Quito.

Travellers must carry their own bedding and provisions while journeying in the interior of Ecuador, and, in fact, in most of the South American countries. This was the custom adopted by the old Spaniards, and customs change here very slowly. Hotels are scarce, and the lodging-houses along the road give little more than a roof for shelter, and sometimes not even that. If a man ventures to travel without carrying his own supplies he will often go hungry; but, on the other hand, he may be sure of the most uniform kindness from the people of the country. They will give him the best they have, but very often they have literally nothing to offer.

LAS BODEGAS, GUAYAS RIVER.

The Guayas is navigable by small steamers from Guayaquil to Bodegas, a distance of seventy miles. Our friends took passage upon one of the steamers plying on the river, and were safely landed at Bodegas after a pleasant run of eight or nine hours. Frank recorded in his note-book that the river is not a swift one, and flows through a flat country in which there is not much of interest beyond the vegetation. "The banks," said he, "are lined with groves of bananas and plantains; the fruit of these trees forms an important article of food with the inhabitants, and it is no wonder they are not disposed to hard labor when they can supply themselves without it.

"The banana can be eaten raw, but the raw plantain is considered unhealthy. Both plantains and bananas are cooked in a variety of ways, baked, boiled, fried, or roasted; they can be formed into a paste after cooking, and then dried, and in this condition the article can be kept for a long time. Humboldt estimated that four thousand pounds of bananas can be produced in the same area as thirty-three pounds of wheat or ninety-nine pounds of potatoes. They are cultivated with very little labor, and there is nothing which the soil produces that gives so great an amount of food from a given area of land. If a man will live only on bananas he can take things very easily.

A HOUSE IN THE TROPICS.

"In addition to the banana and plantain forests we saw many plantations where coffee and cacao are grown, and some of them were of great extent. Then there were orange and lemon groves, fields of pineapples, mango and bread-fruit trees, and great numbers of cocoa palms. There were many canoes and balsas on the river; the balsas are nothing but rafts made of the trunks of the balsa trees. Half a dozen logs are lashed together with withes and cords, and braced with cross-pieces of wood so that there is no danger of separation. On the top of the raft a flooring of bamboos or split palms is laid, and on this flooring they build a hut in which the people live, often for weeks at a time.

CACAO.

"Some of these balsas are larger than others, in consequence of the logs being longer and more numerous. The huts on the larger rafts contain several rooms, and are equipped with conveniences for living quite equal to those of huts on shore. There are places for cooking, coops for fowls, pens for pigs, and nooks among the rafters where edibles can be stored, out of the reach of the four-footed inhabitants. A whole family will live comfortably on a balsa, and few of them are destitute of pets in the shape of monkeys and parrots. Some of the rafts carried such an abundance of monkeys and parrots that it was not easy to say if they were not the possessors of the establishment, carrying the men, women, and children to a market in Guayaquil. The monkeys and children appeared on the most familiar terms, and as the latter were unencumbered with clothing they were not to be readily distinguished from their tailed associates.

"Balsa wood is as light as cork, and remains a long time in the water without any tendency to absorption. The balsa raft was in use long before the visit of the Spaniards, and the craft we have seen are probably identical with those that met the eyes of Pizarro at the time of the conquest.

"Occasionally we saw monkeys among the trees on the shore, but they evidently did not like the steamer, and were careful to keep at a respectful distance. There were birds of brilliant plumage, but we did not hear a song from one of them; a gentleman who was our fellow-passenger says that most of the birds of this part of the world have no knowledge of music. There were plenty of alligators lying on the banks; we took several shots at them, but soon desisted, as we bagged no game, while the alligators seemed to enjoy the sport and the waste of our ammunition. Many of them were lying with their mouths open, waiting for the flies to settle in their throats; when they judged that a sufficient number had assembled they suddenly closed their jaws, swallowed the flies that were caught, and set themselves for more. They make splendid fly-traps, and Fred suggests that they should be introduced into New York and other cities to take the place of the many patent machines that are now in use for catching flies."

Down to quite recently the route from Bodegas to Quito was simply a mule path; a wagon road has been completed for a part of the way, and is ultimately intended to reach the capital. A railway is projected from Guayaquil to Quito, but for the present the mule path must be the reliance of travellers. A wagon was obtained, for carrying our friends and their baggage to the end of the road which traverses the level country up to the foot of the mountains. It was a rickety affair, but served its purpose, which is all that can be expected of a wagon under ordinary circumstances.

At the end of the road our friends were deposited in a village which is chiefly inhabited by arrieros, or muleteers, and their families, together with a sprinkling of other natives more or less interested in the traffic passing between the capital and the seaport. The arrieros are a very important part of the mountain population of Ecuador, as there is no travel or transportation away from the rivers and wagon roads without them.

ARRIERO AND TRAVELLER.

Fred made the following note concerning the arrieros, and the journey towards Quito:

"The business is entirely in the hands of the natives or the half-breeds, as no genuine Spaniard would consider it high enough for his dignity. Some of the arrieros possess many mules, but the most of them have but half a dozen, or perhaps ten or twelve, and travel personally with their trains. The peons, or servants of the arrieros, are likewise of the native race, and accustomed all their lives to hardship and toil. Their wants are few, as they live on food that can be easily transported; their general outfit for the road is a cotton shirt and trousers, a straw hat, and a poncho, or blanket with a hole in the centre, through which the head is thrust. This poncho is striped with gay colors, and is very often quite attractive to the eye. Each arriero or peon carries his own food, which usually consists of a few red peppers, a bag of parched corn, and another of barley meal. With this slender nourishment they pass their lives on the rough roads among the mountains, and immediately on arriving from one hard journey they are ready for another.

IN HOLIDAY COSTUME.

"We were surrounded by half a dozen arrieros at once, and there was no difficulty in making a bargain, as several trains had just arrived from the mountains, and were anxious to return. We engaged five mules, three for ourselves, and two for our baggage; the owners endeavored to convince us that another animal was needed for the baggage, but as we had less than three hundred pounds of it altogether, we were not to be convinced. Our arriero promised to be ready to start early the next morning, but it was nearly noon before we got away. We tried to hurry him, but it was of no use; he was anxious enough before making the bargain, but now that it was settled, and competition was out of the way, his anxiety had ceased.

"The baggage was piled on the mules that were to carry it, and when all was ready we mounted our saddle animals. They were not very prepossessing in appearance, and looked as though the mountain journey would be too much for them, but they were the best in the train, and we concluded to be content with the situation. Mules are considered better than horses for this sort of work, as they are surer in their footing, and will venture in places where a horse refuses to go. Bulls and donkeys are also used here for carrying burdens along the mountain roads, but they are not equal to mules.

A PACK-TRAIN UNDER WAY.

"We filed out of the village, accompanied by several travellers who were going in the same direction, so that altogether we formed a long cavalcade. As we ascended the hills the road became very rough, and frequently the path was blocked by trains going in the opposite direction. In spite of all the good-nature that the arrieros displayed towards each other, there were several serious detentions; we found the donkeys more obstinate about holding the track to themselves than the other animals, though none of the latter were to be praised for their courtesy.

"Some of the trains we met were laden with coffee and cacao on its way to the seaport, while others carried potatoes, barley, pease, fowls, and other produce intended for consumption in the country. The people were, without an exception, civil and obliging, but they could not always induce their beasts to follow their example. Many of the men were accompanied by their wives and daughters, but whether the latter were going for a pleasure-trip or formed a part of the working force I am unable to say.

"The road increased in roughness as we advanced; properly speaking, it was not a road, but simply a track worn in the rocks by the feet of the animals that had travelled there for hundreds of years, and by the water that sweeps down in torrents during the rainy season. In some places the way was a sort of rocky staircase, and our mules placed their feet in steps which had been worn to a depth of five or six inches. It was often so steep that if we had not leaned well forward we should have been in danger of a backward somersault, and the consequences of such a fall, especially if the man should carry his mule with him, are fearful to think of.

"Accidents are frequent here, and the great wonder is that there are no more of them. Fortunately, we did not meet any of the descending trains in the most dangerous spots, where the path wound around precipices or through narrow defiles; there are many places where it does not seem possible for two animals to pass in safety, and I can well understand that there is a foundation for stories about men engaging in fights for the right of way. The unprogressiveness of the Spanish people in Ecuador is shown by their being content to get along with this kind of road between their seaport and their capital city during three centuries!

"Night came upon us while we were climbing the hills, and as it is very dangerous to travel after dark, we halted where there were a couple of rude huts, not sufficient for sheltering our party. The arrieros and their peons slept outside with their animals, while the travellers were made as comfortable as their blankets would permit on the floor of the huts. There was the solid earth to sleep on, and we were relieved from monotony by the presence of innumerable fleas. In the morning, each of us felt sure he had been bitten at least three thousand times, and Fred thought he could count not less than four thousand distinct and well-defined bites. Fleas are even cheaper than bananas to cultivate and much more abundant to the acre; it is certain they are not destructive to life, for if they were there would be no living thing in Ecuador.

"Before going to bed we supped from some of our provisions, aided by a dish of stewed potatoes prepared by the owner of the hut where we slept. A favorite dish among the mountaineers is potato stew or soup, which is known as locro; sometimes it is prepared plain, while at others it contains chicken, beef, or any other obtainable meat. The presence of meat adds materially to the dish for European palates, and when well prepared a dinner of locro is not to be despised.

"Our surroundings were not conducive to late sleeping, and we were off soon after daybreak. The morning was very cold, but as the sun ascended in the heavens the air grew warmer, and we ceased shivering. In a little while we reached the summit of a ridge several thousand feet above the level of the sea, and had a magnificent view.

A MOUNTAIN CASCADE.

"There was a mist when we started, but it rolled away when we came to the top of the sierra; on one side we had the lofty mountains far above us, and on the other the country dropped away at our feet till it was lost in the distant shore of the Pacific. The great snowy peak of Chimborazo was in full view, and we longed to ascend to its summit and look out upon the wide stretch of land it commands. One traveller says the view from its top would embrace an area of fully ten thousand square miles, and I can readily believe him. Nobody has yet been there, and the name of the man who first ascends it is destined to be remembered.

BARON VON HUMBOLDT IN 1802.

"Humboldt and his companions endeavored, in 1802, to ascend to the top of Chimborazo, but were obliged to stop short when they had yet two thousand and more feet above them.

"They were stopped by an immense chasm that stretched across the line they were ascending, and by the inconveniences that are generally experienced at high altitudes. Blood spurted from their eyes and lips, and they breathed with great difficulty. According to barometrical observations, Humboldt was within 2138 feet of the summit when he turned back.

"Boussingault and Hall have since ascended to within 1729 feet of the top of the giant mountain, by taking a route different from that followed by Humboldt. They experienced the same difficulties in breathing and in the rush of blood to the lips and eyes; both of them were enfeebled for some time after making the journey, and their experiences were altogether such as to deter any but the hardiest of men from attempting the ascent of Chimborazo.

"But though we cannot climb to the top of this kingly mountain, we may look at it as much as we please, and very beautiful it is in the contemplation. It is a sharp cone, sharper and more pointed than Fusiyama or Etna, sharper even than Tacoma or Ranier in our own country, and sharper again than magnificent Avatcha, the great landmark of Kamtchatka. Its summit is covered with perpetual snow; it stands within less than two degrees of the equator, and the palm groves of the tropics are spread almost at its feet. Eternal winter wraps its head, but eternal summer smiles below. Standing where Humboldt stood, all the seasons of the year and all climates of the globe may be passed in review.

"But I'm stopping you on the sierra while telling you about Chimborazo. Well, the mules have had a chance to breathe, and we'll move on.

"From the top of the sierra we descended the slope to the valley of the Chimbo; the road is steep, and in many places slippery, and more than once we thought we would not get down without a serious accident. Here and there our mules put their feet together, and slid with a velocity that made our hair rise under our hats, and our teeth shut closely together; we shall hereafter have more respect for the intelligence of the mule than we ever had before. One of the baggage mules tumbled, and was pitched together in a heap, but he gathered himself together, and rose again as though nothing had happened.

"We passed many places that reminded us of the northern states of our own country; the valley is elevated eight or nine thousand feet above the sea, and the climate is quite unlike that of the region around Guayaquil. Wheat, barley, potatoes, and turnips are cultivated, instead of the tropical products which we saw along the banks of the Guayas; at a little distance the dwellings of the people have a substantial appearance, but a closer acquaintance shows that they are built of mud and are anything but attractive on the inside.

NATIVE HUTS NEAR QUARANDA.

"We stopped for the night at Guaranda, which is on the west bank of the Chimbo River, and is said to be a healthy place of residence throughout the year. It has a population of about two thousand, but there is hardly a decent house in the place. The buildings are low huts of adobe, or sun-dried bricks; the streets are made lower in the centre than at the sides, and when the rains fall there is no danger that the foundations of the houses will be damaged by water.

"Dr. Bronson said that we were in the centre of the region which produces the celebrated Chinchona, or Peruvian bark, which has such a great reputation in curing fevers. It takes its name from the Countess of Chinchon, who was cured of intermittent fever by its use at Lima, about the middle of the seventeenth century. It was then taken to Europe, and the knowledge of it was spread through the civilized world."

"Quinine is produced from this bark, is it not?" Frank inquired, when Fred read the note quoted above.

"Yes," replied the latter, "quinine is an alkaloid, made from Peruvian bark, and was discovered in 1820. There are several other alkaloids in the bark, but none are as important as the one you have just mentioned. Any doctor can tell you of its qualities, and a great many people who are not doctors are familiar with its uses.

"No traveller will venture into a malarious region without a good supply of quinine, and in some countries it is almost as important to have it as to be provided with food."

Having answered Frank's interrogatory, Fred continued with his observations upon the trees that produce the valuable bark.

"There are no less than twenty-one varieties of trees producing the bark from which quinine is made," said Fred, "but some of the most valuable of them are extinct, owing to the reckless way in which they have been stripped. The trees grow on the slopes of the Andes, in Peru, Ecuador, and other countries; they have been successfully transplanted to India, Java, Algeria, and the United States; and the future supply of quinine for a feverish world will probably come from other countries than South America.

"The cascarilleros, or bark-collectors, are obliged to go far into the forests in search of trees, and they suffer many hardships and privations in pursuing their industry. The best of the trees have been destroyed; we asked if we could see one, and were told we must make a journey of several days to do so, as none now grow in the neighborhood of Guaranda. A gentleman who lives in Quito told us he had seen a chinchona tree sixty feet high, and six feet in circumference; it yielded two thousand pounds of green bark, or about one thousand pounds when dry. Another tree that he saw gave three thousand dollars' worth of quinine; but such trees are rare.

AMONG THE LAVA BEDS.

"We left Guaranda very early in the morning," Fred continued, "and when we jumped into our saddles we could hardly see where they were. There is a ridge to cross, after getting out of the valley of the Chimbo, which it is desirable to pass in the forenoon, as the wind blows violently there after the sun has passed the meridian, though it is quiet enough in the morning. We crossed the ridge, with the great mountain rising before us, and then descended to another valley to the city of Ambato, which has nothing in particular to recommend it.

VIEW OF COTOPAXI.

"To describe the dreary road from here to Quito would be tedious reading. It passes through a region of volcanic origin, where the rocks are piled everywhere in great confusion, vegetation is restricted, and the miserable villages of the natives are repulsive in every aspect. It winds over hills and ridges, or through valleys and along the banks of streams; it rises in some places ten or twelve thousand feet above the sea-level, and nowhere is it less than eight thousand feet in elevation. The latter part of the journey is over a wagon road, passing in full view of the volcano of Cotopaxi, and crossing a ridge that suddenly brings us in sight of the capital city, nestling at the foot of Pichincha, the volcano which more than once has threatened to ingulf it in total ruin.

VIEW OF QUITO AND THE VOLCANO OF PICHINCHA.

"The country improves as we approach Quito. There are farms in great number, and the fertile slopes of the hills appear to be well cultivated. Before we reach the ridge which reveals it, we traverse a valley that might be made far more productive than it is, and when we come to the banks of the Machangara, the river that flows past Quito, we can hardly realize that we are nearly two miles up in the air. But it is really so, as the elevation of the city is little less than ten thousand feet; and people afflicted with pulmonary complaints would do well to stay away from it."

INCA GATEWAY AND FORTRESS IN THE ANDES.

[CHAPTER VII.]

DESCRIPTION OF QUITO.—VISIT TO THE VOLCANO OF PICHINCHA.—THE DEEPEST CRATER IN THE WORLD.—ROUTE OVER THE ANDES TO THE AMAZON.—RETURN TO THE COAST.

CROSSING THE MOUNTAINS.

The journey from Bodegas to Quito had exhausted the strength of our friends, and they were quite willing to rest in the hotel during the first evening of their stay in the capital. The time was improved by a study of the history of the city, and when they started out the next morning they were well stocked with information.

"Nobody now living can tell how old Quito is," said the Doctor; "it was founded many centuries ago by the Quitas or Quichas, and its early history is buried in obscurity. According to some traditions it is nearly two thousand years old. It is positively known to have existed about 1000 a.d., when it was captured by the Cara nation, who were more civilized than the Quitas.

"About the year 1475 it was conquered by Peru, and was made the capital; it retained that honor until captured by Pizarro in his famous conquest, and the glory of Atahnalpa, then its ruler, was extinguished forever. If you wish to know in detail of the romantic history and tragic fate of Atahualpa, the son of Huayna-Capac, you can find it in Prescott's 'Conquest of Peru.'"

"I remember, in my school history," said Fred, "it was said that Atahualpa was imprisoned by Pizarro, and offered to fill with gold the room where he was confined, on condition of receiving his liberty. He filled the room as agreed, but was afterwards put to death by order of Pizarro."

A STREET IN QUITO.

"The story does not rest on very good authority," said the Doctor; "but the conduct reported of Pizarro is quite in keeping with the character of the Spanish conquerors of the New World. Pizarro's biographer says he was guilty of the greatest cruelties and perfidies in the acquisition of gold, but he distributed it freely among his followers, and spent most of the vast treasures obtained from the Incas in the erection of public buildings and other improvements for the general benefit. That he was a brave man is shown by the fact that the conquest of Peru was undertaken, and successfully accomplished, with a force of three vessels, one hundred and eighty men, and twenty-seven horses."

"And all this country was captured with such a mere 'handful of men!'" exclaimed Frank.

"Yes," replied Dr. Bronson, "that was the force with which Pizarro left Panama, though it was afterwards increased by the arrival of recruits. Pizarro received a royal commission from the King of Spain, with a title of nobility. His descendants may now be found at Truxillo, in Spain, and they point with pride to their great ancestor, whose education was so neglected that he was unable to read or write.

PALACIO DE GOBIERNO (GOVERNMENT HOUSE), QUITO.

"Quito was a more magnificent city under the Incas of Peru than it has ever been since the Spanish conquest. The extent of its population is not known, but it was certainly larger than to-day. The palace of Atahualpa was one of the finest in South America, and its roof is said to have been covered with gold. All the gold of the city was seized by the Spaniards, and the palace was destroyed. A convent now occupies its site, and we will look at its gloomy walls to-morrow. The magnificent Temple of the Sun is reduced to a few stones which mark the spot where it stood."

With a running conversation concerning the history of Ecuador the evening went on until it was time to go to bed. All retired early, and were up betimes to inspect the wonderful city they had toiled so hard to see.

"We are not in the highest city of the globe," said Fred in his note-book, "but we are two thousand feet farther above the sea than is the Hospice of St. Bernard, the most elevated spot in Europe which is inhabited all the year round. According to our barometers, and those of other travellers, we are 9520 feet above the beach of the Pacific Ocean at its nearest point, or only 1040 feet less than two miles.

"Cooking is performed under difficulties, as water boils at 194° Fahrenheit; potatoes, beans, and similar things require much longer time for cooking than in the lowlands, and somebody says it is an excellent provision of nature that the potatoes are small. Frank suggests that when a traveller among mountains has no thermometer or barometer he can ascertain his elevation by observing how long it takes to boil a potato of a given size.

WATER-CARRIERS.

"We started out of the hotel escorted by a guide who was to show us the sights of Quito. The streets are not crowded, and nobody seems to be in a hurry; there are many beggars, and some of them were very persistent, as is generally the case with beggars all over the world when strangers come within their reach. The water-carriers seem to form quite a class, and we were forcibly reminded of the same professionals of Cairo. There was this difference, however, that the latter transport their merchandise in skins, while those of Quito carry enormous jars on their shoulders or backs. They fill these jars at the public fountains, and then start off at a slow trot to supply the houses that employ them. We met a great many monks and priests, whose calling could be recognized at a considerable distance by their peculiar robes and the enormous hats which covered their heads. Quito is eminently a city of priests, and is liberally provided with churches and convents for its population of forty or fifty thousand.

PRIESTS AND MONKS.

"Donkeys and mules are the beasts of burden, and occasionally some of them brushed against us with their loads, that projected far on each side. But they do not have a monopoly of the carrying trade, as we saw a good many Indians laden with baskets of vegetables and fruit from the neighboring country, and they appear to be as strong as the donkeys, if we may judge by their great loads. Many of these porters are women, and in some instances we saw men, without burdens, walking by the side of women carrying baskets large enough to be a load for two persons. Evidently the aborigines of Ecuador are no believers in the exemption of women from hard work.

"There is probably little resemblance between the Quito of to-day and that of Atahualpa and the Spanish conquest. The city had suffered much from earthquakes, and was partially destroyed by fire; the Spanish conquerors founded a new Quito in 1534, and laid out the streets on lines of their own, and, since their advent, the earthquakes have again shaken it to its foundations. There were severe and destructive shocks in 1797 and 1859, and another in 1868. In the one last mentioned many lives were lost, numerous buildings were thrown down, and, according to the official report, every house in the city was so shaken and weakened that not one was fit to live in. Half a dozen churches, the government buildings, and the archbishop's palace were wholly or partially demolished, such of them as were not thrown down being so weakened as to render their removal necessary.

"In almost every street there are piles of ruins, and it is a wonder people will continue to live here with the effects of the earthquake so constantly before them. Nearly all the houses are of but a single story, and the most ambitious of the edifices rarely exceeds two stories. Most of the streets are narrow and have channels in the centre, through which streams of water flow during and after a rain. We observed a great variety in the costumes of the people, and were told that every district had its distinct way of coloring its garments, so that its inhabitants could be distinguished from others. Occasionally we saw people with hardly any clothing whatever; but the absence of wardrobe was made up by a free use of paint. The natives thus decorated were from the eastern slopes of the Andes, but they did not appear to be numerous.

"The common houses have no fireplaces or chimneys; fires are built almost anywhere on the earthern floor, and the smoke is allowed to get out the best way it can. Even in our hotel the kitchen is little more than a dark hole, where the pots and kettles are so indiscriminately assembled that the cooks are liable to mix things up fearfully, while preparing a meal. Neatness is not fashionable, and there is no country in the world where the appetite would suffer more discouragement than here by a revelation of the culinary mysteries.

"Our guide called attention to the distinction among the men on the streets, some of them wearing cloaks and others ponchos. No gentleman would wear a poncho in public any more than a Frenchman of the middle or upper classes would don a blouse for a promenade. The poncho is far the more picturesque of the two garments, and I am inclined to think its wearers are more comfortable than the genteel part of the population. Ladies wear the panuelon, which corresponds to the Spanish mantilla, and they eschew hats and bonnets altogether. The only head-covering beyond the hair is a lace veil or a fold of the panuelon; but its use is by no means obligatory. It is said that when the daughter of an American minister-resident wore a bonnet in the cathedral on the Sunday following her arrival, she was criticised as severely as she would be for wearing a masculine 'stove-pipe' in a New York church.

"A gentleman who has lived here for some time says there are about eight thousand people of Spanish origin in Quito, ten or twelve thousand Indians of pure blood, and perhaps twenty thousand cholos or mixed races. Then there are a few foreigners and negroes, and other few who cannot be readily classified. The whites are the aristocracy or ruling race, and, owing to the numerous revolutions which have reduced the male population, women outnumber the men. For a white man to work would be degrading, and many a gentleman will not hesitate to beg for a dinner or a cup of coffee, though he would scorn to earn the money to pay for it. The poverty-stricken hidalgo of Spain is no more proud of his lineage than is the Spanish-descended resident of Quito, who wraps his tattered cloak around him, and comforts himself with reflections upon the past glories of his family.

LAUNDRESSES OF QUITO.

"In the course of our wanderings we came to the bank of the river which flows past Quito. It is an insignificant stream, ordinarily, but swells to a torrent at certain seasons of the year, when the rains fall in the neighboring mountains. Laundresses were at work at their trade, and from the way the linen of Quito is washed, it is certain to need frequent renewal. The garments are dipped in the river, and then spread on the rocks, where they are pounded with mallets or bowlders until the desired condition of cleanliness is attained. It reminded us of the way the Bengalee dhobies at Madras washed our clothing, and accounts for the large importation of cotton goods into Ecuador in proportion to the population.

"While we were passing a potato-field Dr. Bronson reminded us that we might consider ourselves near the birthplace of an intimate friend.

"We tried to think what friend of ours was born in Quito, but could not remember any. We said so to the Doctor, and he then explained that the one he referred to was the potato.

"'Certainly,' exclaimed Frank, 'I remember, now you mention it, that the potato was found at Quito by the Spaniards and taken by them to Europe early in the sixteenth century. From Spain it was carried to Germany, France, Belgium, and Italy, and last of all to Ireland, where it was introduced by Sir Walter Raleigh on his estate near Cork.'

"'You are quite right,' said the Doctor. 'The so-called "Irish potato" is really a native of South America.'

"'The descendant is worthier than the parent,' Frank remarked, as he pointed to the potato-field we were passing. 'The potato of Ireland and of the United States is much larger and finer than that of Ecuador. Cultivation in a foreign land has done a great deal for this vegetable.'

"We both agreed with him, as we had already remarked the diminutive size of the potatoes of Quito. The same comment applies to the cherries, pears, peaches, strawberries, and tomatoes, which do not seem to enjoy the climate, but there are other fruits and vegetables that get along better. The finest fruit here is the chirimoya; its name comes from chiri (cold), and moya (seed). It grows in Peru and other parts of South America as well as in Ecuador; the fruit often reaches a weight of sixteen pounds, and has a thick green skin enclosing a snow-white pulp, in which about seventy black seeds are imbedded. Professor Orton says its taste is a happy admixture of sweetness and acidity; Hamke calls it 'a masterwork of nature;' and another traveller describes it as 'a spiritualized strawberry.' We have tried to find a description of it, but must fall back upon that of our predecessors. Dr. Holmes says all the pens in the world cannot tell how the birds sing and the lilacs swell; no more can we give in words a satisfactory account of this prince among fruits.

BALCONY VIEW OF THE ANDES.

"But all the time, during our walk through and around Quito, we find ourselves every few minutes fixing our eyes on the great peaks of the Andes and Cordilleras that rise around us. We are in the centre of the most volcanic region of the globe; there are fifty-one volcanoes in the chain of the Andes, and out of this number no less than twenty surround the valley where Quito stands. Three of the twenty are active, five are dormant, and twelve are extinct; they are all in a space two hundred miles long and thirty wide, and in addition to these volcanoes there are many other peaks not strictly volcanic. There are twenty-two mountains whose tops are covered with perpetual snow, and fifty that are each more than ten thousand feet high. Do you wonder that while looking at the city our thoughts are drawn towards the mountains in whose midst it is built?"

In the evening our friends arranged to visit the summit of Pichincha, the volcano which towers above Quito, and is easily reached. Mules can be ridden to the very edge of the crater, but there are not a dozen gentlemen of Quito who have ever made the journey to it; they are intending to do so at some future time, and this future never comes. Apart from the guides, it is probable that the mountain has been ascended more frequently by strangers than by native-born residents of the city.

Our party started from Quito in the afternoon, accompanied by two guides, and rode to a Jesuit monastery in the valley of Lloa, where they passed the night. Rising at daybreak the next morning, they rode through the forest which surrounds the mountain, up to the timber line, twelve thousand feet above the sea; the path was intricate and very difficult, as it was frequently blocked by fallen trees and obstructed by huge stones, which it was necessary to pass around. From the timber line they passed into a belt of stunted bushes, and then reached the point where vegetation ceases.

Here it was less laborious travelling, but by no means easy. By nine in the forenoon they were at the foot of the cone, where they left the mules in the care of one of the guides and finished the ascent on foot.

THE CRATER OF PICHINCHA.

Frank and Fred were of different opinions; the former declared the cone easier of ascent than that of Vesuvius, while the latter thought it was not. But they agreed that there was less of it than of the cone of Vesuvius, and therefore it was preferable; it was little more than two hundred feet high, and covered with sand and cinders at an incline of about thirty-five degrees. They had many slips and falls, but nothing of consequence; Frank was a few feet in advance of Fred when they reached the edge of the crater, and both gave a loud hurrah by way of encouragement to the Doctor, who was lagging behind.

They wanted to descend into the crater, but the guide refused to accompany them, and the Doctor counselled prudence, as the crater of Pichincha is the deepest in the world, and the descent is dangerous. Humboldt pronounced it inaccessible, from its great depth and precipitous descent, but since his time it has been explored. The first who ventured there were Garcia Moreno and Sebastian Wisse, in 1844; and next after them was Professor Orton, in 1867. The latter says he was obliged to use the greatest caution, and a single misstep would have sent him tumbling to the bottom of the abyss. At times he was almost paralyzed with fear, and felt that death was staring him in the face.

"To give you an idea of the crater of Pichincha," said the Doctor, as they stood on its edge and watched the clouds of smoke and steam curling upwards, "let me give you some figures. This crater is 2500 feet deep; that of Kilauea, in the Sandwich Islands, is 600; Orizaba is 500; Etna is 300; and Hecla 100. Professor Orton says Vesuvius is a portable furnace by comparison with this crater, which is a mile wide and half a mile deep. We are standing nearly 16,000 feet above the level of the sea, 5000 feet higher than Etna, almost four times the height of Vesuvius, and five times that of Stromboli, the 'lighthouse of the Mediterranean.'"

"I cannot do better," said Fred, afterwards, in describing the view from the summit of Pichincha, "than quote the words of Professor Orton in 'The Andes and the Amazon.' Here they are:

"'Below us are the smouldering fires, which may any moment spring forth into a conflagration; around us are the black, ragged cliffs—fit boundary for this gateway to the infernal regions. They look as if they had just been dragged up from the central furnace of the earth. Life seems to have fled in terror from the vicinity; even lichens, the children of the bare rocks, refuse to clothe the scathed and beetling crags. For some moments, made mute by the dreadful sight, we stood like statues on the rim of the mighty caldron, with our eyes riveted on the abyss below, lost in contemplating that which cannot be described.

EL ALTAR, VOLCANO, ECUADOR.

"'The panorama from this lofty summit is more pleasing, but equally sublime. Towards the rising sun is the long range of the Eastern Cordilleras, hiding from our view the great valley of the Amazon. To right and left are the peaks of another procession of august mountains, from Cotocachi to Chimborazo. We are surrounded by the great patriarchs of the Andes, and their speaker, Cotopaxi, ever and anon sends his muttering voice over the land. The view westward is like looking down from a balloon. Those parallel ridges of the mountain chain, dropping one behind the other, are the gigantic staircase by which the ice-crowned Chimborazo steps down to the sea. A white sea of clouds covers the peaceful Pacific, and the lower parts of the coast. But the vapory ocean, curling into the ravines, beautifully represents little coves and bays, leaving islands and promontories like a true ocean on a broken shore. We seem raised above the earth, which lies like an opened map below us; we can look down on the upper surface of the clouds, and, were it night, down too upon the lightnings.'"

After an hour had been passed in contemplation of the awful crater, and the grand view from the summit of the mountain, the Doctor suggested that it was time to descend. Finding a place where the cinders were unbroken from top to bottom of the cone the youths slid quickly downward, as they had done at Vesuvius, years before. They were followed by the Doctor, and then the trio sat down to a dinner, which had been left in care of the guide who remained with the mules. It was seasoned with the best of sauces, hunger, which had been developed by the exertions of the morning, and the pauses in the progress of the meal were brief indeed.

Dinner over, they mounted, and returned by the road which they followed in the ascent. Evening found them again in Quito, and in the wretched posada which is the only hotel of the capital of Ecuador.

During the evening conversation naturally turned to volcanoes and earthquakes; one writer has said facetiously that earthquakes are the principal productions of Ecuador, and he certainly is not far out of the way. Most of the South American earthquakes appear to have their origin in Ecuador, as the shocks are generally felt there first, and with the greatest severity. The great disturbance of 1868 was an exceptional occurrence, as it had its commencement in Peru, on the 13th of August, causing great loss of life and destruction of property. The shock in Ecuador was three days later; it was more fatal to life than in Peru, but less destructive to property. The Peruvian earthquake occurred in the afternoon, and was preceded by premonitory shocks, while the Ecuadorian one was in the night, and gave no warning of its approach.

"According to the accounts," said the Doctor, "the first shock of the earthquake in Quito was felt a little after midnight on the 16th of August, another at four in the morning, and two others in the course of the day. One, in the afternoon, was accompanied by a shower of rain and hail, which fell with great violence; there had been a similar shower on the afternoon of the 15th. It was noticeable that for two months before the earthquakes there were serious disturbances of the atmosphere, and a catarrhal fever had prevailed, which swept off thousands of people. The whole country was in mourning for those who had died of the pestilence, when the earthquake came, to cause additional sorrow.

"The amount of the destruction in Quito has been mentioned already. The earthquake was more severe in the northern provinces of Ecuador, where the ground sank, cliffs were thrown down, lakes appeared, great chasms opened in the earth, and the whole face of the country was changed. The province of Imbaburu, which was the most fertile and productive in the republic, as well as the most populous and prosperous, suffered more than any other. It contained several towns and small cities, and the rural districts were in an excellent state of cultivation for this part of the world. The earthquake totally destroyed several of these places, as it came in the night, when most of the inhabitants were asleep in their houses. Two towns in the canton of Catuchi were completely wiped out of existence, and no sign was left to show where they stood. Not five per cent. of the people escaped with their lives!

VIEW OF IBARRA, ECUADOR.

"In another town seven tenths of the inhabitants were killed by the falling of the buildings, and the sinking of the earth into a great chasm, which opened beneath the place. The city of Ibarra, the capital of the province, was beautifully situated in the centre of a fertile plain; it was surrounded by orchards, gardens, and fields, so that the place only became visible on a very near approach, or from the distant hills. It had a population of about ten thousand, though generally estimated at a higher figure. Nearly one half of its inhabitants lost their lives in the earthquake, and it was said that hardly a dozen houses remained standing after the shocks were ended.

"The subject is an unpleasant one," continued the Doctor, after a pause. "Let us turn to something else.

"To-morrow we will prepare for our return to the coast. The guide has been trying to persuade me to go over the Andes to the head-waters of the Amazon, whence we can descend to the Atlantic. I have told him our plans would not permit our doing so, but he desires to talk further on the subject. Let us call him, and hear what he has to say; at any rate, we can learn something about the country to the east of us."

Francisco, the guide, was waiting in the court-yard of the hotel, and came promptly when told that he was wanted. He was an intelligent native of a village near Quito, and had been several times over the mountains, between the capital and the Napo River, one of the tributaries of the Amazon. He spoke Spanish fluently, and told his story without a moment's hesitation. We will render it into English, and give it as it was remembered by our friends.

"The journey from here to the Napo will take about fifteen days," said Francisco, "and down the Napo to where the steamers come on the Maranon, or Upper Amazon, will take fifteen or twenty more. You will need to carry the most of your provisions, as game cannot be relied on, and the people are scattered, and have very little to sell. Professor Orton had three persons in his party, the same number that you have, and he calculated his provisions so closely, that when he reached the first village on the Maranon he had just enough left for one grand farewell dinner."

Fred asked what the Professor carried in the way of provisions. Francisco drew from his pocket a faded and crumpled paper, and read as follows:

"One hundred pounds each of flour and crackers; ninety pounds of sugar; fifty pounds each of rice and dried beef; thirty each of corn-meal, pea-flour, and chocolate; fifty of mashka (roasted barley-meal); ten each of salt, lard, and ham; one hundred and seventy eggs; and one or two pounds each of tea, maté, soda, and cream of tartar. They bought eggs, chickens, rice, syrup, and other things from the Indians, whenever they had the opportunity, and when they reached the river they occasionally obtained fish, game, and turtles' eggs.

NAPO INDIAN PORTER.

"All these things were sealed up in tin cans," continued the guide; "partly as a precaution against injury from the dampness of the climate, and partly to save them from theft by the Indian porters. The atmosphere of the Napo is like a steam bath, and keeps everything wet, and the Indians have a fondness for helping themselves when they have a chance. You can't get along without the Indians, as they are your only porters. From here to the foot of the mountains you can go on horseback, but the rest of the way to the Napo you must travel on foot, and the Indians carry your baggage."

DESCENDING THE NAPO.

This announcement caused a shake of the head on the part of the trio of listeners, and it became very evident that they were not inclined to make the journey from Quito to the Amazon in that way.

MOUNTAIN PASS IN THE ANDES.

"You will cross the Andes at an elevation of fifteen thousand feet," said Francisco, not noticing the sign of disapproval; "and, therefore, must carry thick clothing to shield you from the cold, and rubber ponchos to keep off the rain in the day and spread on the ground at night as a foundation for your beds. You want two suits of clothes; one to wear in the daytime, and the other to put on dry at night. When you go into camp you must remove the suit you have worn since morning, as it will generally be wet through by the rain, or by fording streams and passing through marshy ground."

"How many pairs of boots will be wanted for each of us?" inquired Fred. "It seems to me there will be a fearful destruction of foot-gear."

"Yes," replied the guide, "but your American boots will not answer for the journey. Buy plenty of alpargates, or native sandals made from the fibre of the aloe plant, and be sure and have enough of them, as a pair will not last more than two days. They are better than boots, as they do not keep the feet uncomfortably warm, and no leather boots can keep out the moisture through which you will constantly travel.

"Then you want a stock of lienzo, or cotton cloth, which is the currency of the Indians, just as it is of the wild people of Africa. Then add knives, fish-hooks, thread, beads, looking-glasses, and some other trifles, and you will have an outfit for the trip. Of course you will suit yourselves about guns, pistols, cooking utensils, scientific apparatus, and the like, and remember to have no package weighing more than seventy-five pounds, which is the load of an Indian porter. Professor Orton had thirteen horses to carry himself and party as far as the horses could go, and from there to the Napo he had twenty Indian porters, which is probably what you would need. The whole expense for horses and porters will be about one hundred and fifty dollars; at Napo you will hire canoes to descend the river, and the hardships of your journey will be over.

RAPIDS IN A MOUNTAIN STREAM OF SOUTH AMERICA.

"There are many rapids in the Napo River, and the voyage will be an exciting one; the rapids look very dangerous, but the Indians are excellent boatmen, and, if you let them alone, they will carry you safely along with the current. At Pebas, on the Maranon, it may be necessary to wait a few days for a steamboat, as the navigation is not regular, but you can be reasonably sure of no further trouble on your way down the Maranon and Amazon to the Atlantic."

The Doctor thanked Francisco for his information, and told him they would think the subject over, and have a further talk with him the next morning.

When he appeared again before them Dr. Bronson reiterated his previous assertion, that they could not change their plans, but the guide was rewarded for his information by a present of money that put him immediately in good-humor. He assisted them in their preparations for the return to the coast, and accompanied them as far as Guaranda, where new animals were engaged to Bodegas.

We will now seat our friends on the enchanted carpet of the Arabian Nights' Entertainment, and with the swiftness of thought place them on board a steamer leaving Guayaquil for Callao.

[CHAPTER VIII.]

FROM GUAYAQUIL TO CALLAO.—LANDING AT PAITA.—THE SITE OF OLD CALLAO.—ARRIVAL AT LIMA.—SIGHTS OF THE PERUVIAN CAPITAL.—GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE CITY AND ITS INHABITANTS.

Paita, in Peru, was the first stopping-place of the steamer, but the delay was only for a few hours, and our friends had no opportunity for a lengthened visit to the shore. But they voted unanimously that they had seen all that was worth seeing, as the place contained very few attractions.

WATER-CARRIER AND DONKEYS.

Paita is on a bay affording good anchorage for ships; it is the seaport of the city of Piura, which lies at the foot of the mountains, on the other side of the desert of Sechura. There is no sign of vegetation in and around Paita, and the water which supplies the wants of the residents is brought from a point thirty miles inland. Formerly it was transported on the backs of donkeys, but recently a pipe has been laid for the entire distance, and the inhabitants are no longer dependent upon the vagaries of the long-eared animal for their aqueous supply.

DESERT SCENE.

As soon as the steamer dropped her anchor the Doctor and the youths went on shore. They landed at an iron pier in front of a beach of gray sand, where there was a single street of houses, mostly very frail in construction. Some of the shops and dwellings were solidly built, but the majority were of a sort of basket-work covered with plastered mud, presenting many impromptu loop-holes through which the occupants could gaze on the outer world. Back of the town is a cliff of volcanic stone, rising rather steeply; Frank and Fred climbed to the top of the cliff, while the Doctor remained in conversation with one of the English residents. The youths could hardly say if they had been repaid for their exertions, as they saw only the distant range of mountains beyond the desert, which was said to be about fifty miles across. The desert was of the same color as the beach and the cliffs behind it, and the landscape of Paita may be set down as monotonous.

"Whether you are repaid or not," said the Doctor, when they returned, "may be an open question, but you have had a view of Peru, and certainly that is worth something."

"I hope the rest of Peru is different from what we have just seen," replied Frank, with a laugh.

"You have had a fair sample of it here," answered the Doctor. "From this point to the southern boundary of Peru there is little else than a strip of desert between the Andes and the sea. In some parts of it rain never falls, and the whole expanse is barren of vegetation. Here and there rivers come down to the ocean, but none of them are large, and the majority are dry for the greater part of the year. The Guayas, which we ascended from Guayaquil to Bodegas, is the largest river on the whole Pacific coast of South America."

"I understand," said Fred, "that the strip between the mountains and the ocean on the western side of South America is very narrow, and therefore the rivers cannot be large; but how does it happen that there is so little rain, and, in some places, none at all?"

"I will endeavor to explain it," replied Dr. Bronson, "and in doing so will call your attention to the fertile regions of the Amazon, Orinoco, and La Plata, on the eastern side of the Andes, in contrast with the arid desert on the west. The tropical winds from the Atlantic Ocean are laden with moisture; they blow with great regularity from east to west, and thus sweep over the country drained by the rivers I have mentioned. Rain is frequent and copious all through that region; it varies with the seasons of the year, but is always sufficient to keep the channels of the streams well filled.

"The rains continue up to the foot of the Andes and along their eastern slopes. The mountains condense the moisture from the warm winds, and up to the very crest of the dividing ridge there is an abundance of rain. But by the time the winds have crossed the Andes all the water they carried has been wrung from them, and when they reach the Pacific slope they have no more to give out. Thus it happens that the eastern slopes of the Andes and the great plains intervening to the Atlantic have an abundance of water, while there is little or none at all for the west.

A WOLF EMIGRATING.

"There is a part of Peru and Bolivia where rain never falls," continued the Doctor. "It is known as the 'Despoblado' or 'The Uninhabited,' in consequence of the severity of its climate, and the great difficulty of existing there. In the language of a once-famous statesman of America, it is 'so poor that a wolf couldn't make a decent living there.'"

"Does this condition of dryness extend all along the western coast to the end of the continent?" one of the youths inquired.

"No," was the reply. "As we go south through Chili we encounter more moisture in the climate, and on reaching Patagonia we find the western slopes of the Andes drenched by frequent rains, and the tops of the mountains almost constantly covered with clouds. This condition is due to the trade-winds, which blow from the south Pacific Ocean to the land; the plains east of the Andes in Patagonia are comparatively dry, and swept by cold winds from the snow-tipped summits of the mountains. Remember, we are south of the equator, and the farther south we go the more cold do we find."

In conversations like this, and in the examination of books relating to Peru and other parts of South America, the time passed during the voyage from Paita to Callao. Frank was busy with Prescott's "Conquest of Peru," while Fred carefully conned the pages of "Peru, or Travel and Exploration in the Land of the Incas," by Hon. E. G. Squier. Frank declared that the work of Prescott "read like a romance," while Fred was equally enthusiastic over the book which claimed his attention. It is quite likely that they will rely upon these volumes for much of their information concerning the antiquities of Peru, and the story of its occupation by the Spanish conquerors.

The steamer kept far out to sea, and very little of the coast between Paita and Callao was visible. Finally, on a misty morning, her head was turned towards the land; passing a high, rocky island on the right, and leaving a low shore on the left, she entered the harbor of Callao, and dropped anchor among a miscellaneous assemblage of steamers and sailing-ships, bearing the flags of at least a dozen foreign nations, together with a liberal array of Peruvian and Chilian craft. The Doctor explained that there is generally a mist hanging over the harbor of Callao in the morning, owing to the condensation of the tropical moisture by the cold current of air sweeping northward from the Antarctic regions. The ships at anchor were revealed through this mist, and so were the towers of the castle that commands the harbor and the town at its base. Beyond the shore was a line of hills backed against the snowy mountains in the distance. The shore formed a pleasing contrast to the one they left at Paita, as it was covered with trees, and indicated a break in the desert that the Doctor had described.

The steamer was immediately surrounded by boats, and the boatmen hailed the passengers in a perfect polyglot of languages; they endeavored to make bargains previous to the arrival of the captain of the port, without whose authority the ship could not hold communication with the shore. That official took his time, and made everybody impatient; he was visiting a steamer that had just arrived from the south, and was not disposed to hurry.

Frank and Fred relieved the monotony of waiting by studying the outlines of the shore, taking note of the heterogeneous array of boatmen, listening to their appeals for patronage, and attempting a sketch of the fort which defended the city and harbor. But their artistic efforts were so frequently interrupted that the sketches were unsatisfactory, and we are not permitted to reproduce them.

"The harbor of Callao is nothing to boast of," said the Doctor, "but it is better than most others on the Pacific coast. The prevailing winds are from the south and southwest, and protection is afforded from those winds by the island of San Lorenzo and the tongue of land where Old Callao stood."

"Why was the city moved from its former position?" Fred asked. "What was the difference between Old Callao and the present one?"

"It was an earthquake that moved it," replied Dr. Bronson. "Callao was submerged, with all its inhabitants, in 1746, and when the water is calm you can row over it in a boat, and see the ruins down below you. At half-past ten o'clock one night the sea receded to a great distance, and then rolled back with such violence as to sweep the town and its fortifications out of existence. Five thousand persons perished; nineteen ships were foundered, and four others, including a Spanish man-of-war, were carried far up on the land. Modern Callao had a narrow escape from a similar fate in 1825 and again in 1868, and at any moment it is liable to be engulfed like its predecessor."

SHIPS IN A FOG.

The captain of the port came, and then the passengers were at liberty to land. The landing-place is at the side of a mole which protects the harbor on its northern side from the swell of the Pacific. Frank and Fred were surprised to see large piles of grain in the open air, together with other merchandise, but their wonder ceased when they were told that it never rains at Callao, the only moisture being from the mists and fogs already mentioned. The absence of rain renders the place unhealthy, as the drainage is not good, and the heat is great. Frank thought Callao was an excellent rival to Cologne in the way of bad odors, and both the youths were disinclined to make a prolonged stay.

The party went immediately to the railway station, followed by porters with their baggage, and in less than half an hour were on their way to Lima, six miles distant. There is nothing worth seeing in Callao, which has a population of some twenty-five or thirty thousand, and is important only from a commercial point of view. The railway skirts the shore for a short distance, then passes through a suburb of the town, and ascends an acclivity of about five hundred feet, which lies between the ocean and the capital city. For nearly the whole distance it is close to the Camino Real or Royal Road, the old route established by the Spaniards to connect Lima with its seaport. The train toiled slowly up the incline, and accomplished the journey in little less than half an hour. This travelling would be considered slow in other countries, but it is satisfactory to the inhabitants, as nobody in Lima ever thinks of hurrying.

A GARDEN ON THE RIMAC.

Much of the country between Callao and Lima is under cultivation, by means of irrigating canals brought from the Rimac River. The Rimac dwindles to a small brook in the dry season, but in the period of rains it swells into quite a river, and furnishes more water than is needed. In the absence of rain it is the sole reliance for the gardens and fields around Lima; it is as necessary to this region as is the Nile to Lower Egypt. Without the Rimac, Lima would dry up and disappear; with it the city stands in a surrounding of luxuriant gardens and smiling fields.

A CLAIMANT FOR THE SIDEWALK.

The baggage was intrusted to an employé of the hotel, who had been telegraphed for, and met our friends at the station; guided by a servant from the same establishment, they walked the short distance intervening between the station and their lodging-place, narrowly escaping collisions with troops of laden donkeys, that rushed along the streets as though they possessed the sole right of occupation. They seemed to prefer the sidewalks to the middle of the street, probably because the latter was less smooth than the sidewalks, and their drivers didn't care where they went as long as they kept moving in the right direction. Few carriages were visible, and these few were not attractive in appearance.

For a description of Lima we will quote from Frank's letter to his mother, which was sent by the next steamer northward from Callao:

"Here we are, in the 'City of the Kings,' as it was named by Pizarro. According to the histories, it was on the 6th of January, 1535, Old Style, that the Spanish conqueror designated it as the capital of his dominions. That day happened to be the festival of the Magi, or Three Wise Men of the East, who came to Bethlehem to adore the Saviour; in old chronicles they are styled 'The Three Kings,' and hence Pizarro called his capital Ciudad de los Reyes, or 'City of the Kings.' Charles V. designated the arms of the city to be three golden crowns on a blue field, with a rayed star to indicate the Star of Bethlehem, which guided the kings. The name Lima is a modification or adaptation of the native word Rimac, which formerly belonged to the plain or valley where the city is built, and is still borne by the river which supplies it with water.

VIEW OF LIMA FROM THE STEPS OF THE CATHEDRAL.

"In many respects Lima is one of the most interesting cities of South America; certainly we have found it full of attractions, and have not had an idle minute since our arrival. We have been trying to imagine what it must have been when surrounded by the walls which the Spaniards built at great expense. These walls have proved useless in modern times; they have been completely destroyed, and the space they occupied is converted into promenades, or laid out in gardens or building-lots. The walls enclosed an area about three miles long by one and a half broad, on the left bank of the Rimac; they were twenty feet thick, and somewhat more in height, and were made of adobes, the favorite building-material of this part of the world. The city is about ten miles in circumference, but a large part of its area is laid out in gardens and public squares, so that the whole is by no means occupied.

LIMA AND THE SURROUNDING COUNTRY.

"I send you a map of Lima and the surrounding country, which will give you an excellent idea of its position. Unhappily for Peru, much of the beautiful region around its capital was laid waste by the invading army during the late war between Chili and Peru; Chili was completely victorious, and also unmerciful, and in the battle which decided the fate of Lima many of the country-houses and villages in the neighborhood were burned. This was the sad lot of Chorillos, the Long Branch or Coney Island of Lima, and also of Miraflores, which lies between Chorillos and the great city.

"There is a railway from Chorillos to Lima, passing through Miraflores; the invading army landed at Chorillos, and marched along the line of railway to Lima. They destroyed nearly everything on the route, and were only prevented from burning and plundering the city by the energy of the British minister and other members of the diplomatic corps, backed by the English and French admirals, with their ships of war in the harbor of Callao.

"So much for the horrors of war, which this country will long remember. The population of Lima is variously placed at from one hundred thousand to one hundred and twenty thousand; there are about fifteen thousand foreigners and six thousand priests among them, so that you cannot go far on the streets without meeting either a foreigner or a priest. In all the cities we have ever seen there does not appear to be a more mixed lot of inhabitants than here; Constantinople and Cairo are not more kaleidoscopic than Lima, and I think the American city is somewhat ahead of them.

"There are English, French, German, Spanish, Belgian, and North American residents here; there are Chinese and Negroes, white, black, yellow, and all other complexions among the natives of the country, besides, as Fred says, 'several wards to hear from.' Professor Orton says there are at least twenty-five varieties of people in Lima; the upper classes are educated and polite, while the lowest of the population are among the most dangerous in the world. During the night before the occupation of Lima by the Chilian army the dangerous class had possession of the city for some hours, and committed many depredations. The foreigners organized a temporary police, and stopped the disorder; if they had not done so the whole city would have been plundered.

WEARING THE "SAYA Y MANTO."

"We used to read in our school-books that the ladies of Lima covered their faces with the saya y manto, or veil, when out walking, so that only one eye could be seen. We saw a few veils worn in this way, and the Doctor said the wearers were probably old, and not pretty; the most of the ladies have dropped the old fashion, and permit their faces to be seen, using the veil only as a covering for the top of the head. I enclose a photograph of a lady of Lima to-day, and a sketch which shows the old style of wearing the saya y manto.

A LADY OF LIMA.

"We spent the first evening of our visit in strolling through the Plaza Mayor, or Great Square, which covers nine acres of ground, and listening to a band of music which played several national and other airs. There is a bronze fountain in the centre of the square, and a garden around the fountain where tropical plants and trees seemed to flourish. The cathedral is on one side of the square; it is a fine building, and its corner-stone was laid by Pizarro twelve days after the city was founded. Our guide took us from the cathedral to an alley leading from the south side of the square, and pointed out the house where the great conqueror was assassinated. 'But he killed three of his assailants before they could overpower him,' said the guide, proudly, as if in reverence of the memory of Pizarro. We thought he might claim to be a descendant of one of the Spanish conquerors, and make his noble blood an excuse for demanding increased pay for his services, but he did not.

INTERIOR COURT, LIMA.

"The government palace fronts on the plaza, and the rest of the space surrounding the square is occupied by shops, principally filled with European goods; American products may be seen here, but not as often as we wished to find them. In two of the shops we observed that the weighing was done on Fairbanks' Scales, and our guide said the same apparatus could be found all through Lima, and elsewhere in Peru. Of the agricultural machinery used in Peru the greater part is said to be of American manufacture.

BRIDGE OVER THE RIMAC, LIMA.

"One of the sights of Lima is the stone bridge over the Rimac; it was built by the old Spaniards, and has stood bravely against all the earthquakes that have shaken the city for the last three centuries. The bridge is five hundred and thirty feet long, and rests on stone arches; at the entrance there is a splendid arch bearing the inscription 'Dios y La Patria' ('God and Country'). We walked over the bridge, and from its parapet looked upon the river, which was not over two feet deep in its principal channel, while a large part of its bed was bare. The Rimac resembles the Manzanares at Madrid, and some of the foreign residents say the bottom has to be sprinkled at times to keep it from flying away. When the rain falls in the mountains the Rimac swells to a considerable stream, and rushes along with great violence.

"Speaking of the stone bridge reminds me that the founders of the city used stone for the construction of the public buildings, and their example has been followed to some extent in modern times. But the common buildings are of adobe, which does very well in a climate where there is so little rain, and lasts a long time. The roofs are nearly all flat; it never snows here, and it never rains more than a few drops at a time. Consequently the chief use of a roof is to exclude the sun. The temperature ranges from 60° to 88°, stoves and other heating apparatus are unknown, and the only fires are for cooking purposes. From November to March the weather is dry and delightful, but from March to November it is damp and unhealthy, owing to the continuous fogs that roll in from the ocean.

"But in spite of its even climate the deaths exceed the births in Lima, and if the city were not constantly recruited from other parts of the country and the world it would be depopulated. I am told that the mortality among infants is three times as great as in London or New York. It is attributed to the dampness of the climate for a part of the year, and the bad drainage consequent upon the absence of rain. Regions where rain never falls may be pleasant for those who do not like umbrellas and rubber clothing, but there are disadvantages which more than outweigh the comforts.

"The buildings cover a large area, and are nearly always constructed with central court-yards. They are rarely of more than two stories, and the roofs would be of little use in Boston or New York. The roofs are generally of a single thickness of boards, or of poles covered with matting, supporting a layer of sand or ashes, to absorb the moisture of the fogs. A summer shower such as we are familiar with on the banks of the Hudson or Connecticut would soak the whole of Lima so that hardly a house would be inhabitable.

ONE USE FOR CHICKENS.

"We were roused early in the morning by the crowing of chickens above our heads, and on looking around to find the cause of the disturbance we found that the roofs of the houses in Lima are the favorite places for keeping poultry. The flat surface and the absence of rain adapt the roof to this purpose, and the people are evidently too lazy to maintain their fowls elsewhere. You would think chickens might be cheap, when there are such facilities for rearing them; but they are not, and the same is the case with beef, mutton, and other animal food. A good many of the chickens are kept for fighting purposes, and not to be eaten; cock-fights are a common amusement among the people, and a great deal of money changes hands at one of these performances.

"We had a pleasant walk through the central market, which is in a large building covering an entire square; or, rather, built around the square with a court in the centre.

"On the sides of the square there are stalls for the larger dealers; the galleries and the open space in the centre are occupied by women who sit beside the articles they have to sell, and keep up a perpetual conversation with each other, like market-women all over the world. Lying only 12° south of the equator, Lima has a tropical climate; with the outlying range of the Andes sixty miles away, she is within a short railway ride of a temperate region. The result is that you can find in the market the vegetable products of two zones; those of the torrid, from the neighborhood of Lima, and those of the temperate, from the mountains.

"Here are tomatoes, green corn, cucumbers, radishes, parsnips, and other growths of New England or New York, side by side with oranges, peaches, chirimoyas, grapes, mangoes, and other tropical things whose names are not familiar to you. Flowers are in great abundance, and roses are everywhere grown in the gardens. You see them in great variety and profusion, and it is claimed for Lima that she can show more kinds of roses than any other city in the world. There are vases of growing flowers in nearly all the court-yards and on the balconies, and the women of all classes use the flowers for decorating their hair. At one time there was almost a craze for the cultivation of roses, and many a man spent a large part of his income in the experiment.

"We cannot say much for the cookery of Lima, if we are to judge by what we have seen. The hotel is managed by a Frenchman; his table is mainly French, but he has adopted some of the native dishes and customs. One article that may be called the national dish of Peru is a part of his bill of fare, and known as puchero. I have obtained the recipe for it, and here it is:

"'Have a kettle according to the size of your puchero; put in this kettle a large piece of beef or mutton, some cabbage, sweet potatoes, salt pork, sausage-meat, pigs' feet, yucas, bananas, quinces, pease, and rice, with spices, salt, and plenty of red pepper for seasoning. Add sufficient water, and stew the whole gently for five or six hours; then serve in a tureen or deep dish.'

"Puchero is patterned somewhat after the olla podrida of Spain, the chowder of New England, and the bouillabiasse of southern France, but it has more ingredients and more flavors than all of them; I cannot say I dislike it, but could get along better if they would make it with less red pepper. They seem to think that the more pepper they put in the better; our taste has become hardened to hot things in our experience with Oriental curries and African stews, but it is not yet quite up to the mark with these Spanish American preparations.

LADIES OF LIMA AT HOME.

"Another stew, simpler than puchero, is called chupe; it is a favorite dish for breakfast, but not often served at dinner. The lower classes are fond of picantes, compounded of meat, fish, crabs, meal, potatoes, bananas, and red peppers, mixed with the juice of bitter oranges, and stewed with water. We have tasted of this wonderful mixture, but could not get to the second spoonful in consequence of the fiery nature of the peppers. Fred says they use a pound of peppers to a pound of all the other ingredients, water included, and I can believe it. Swallowing a torchlight procession would be preferable to a dinner of picantes. Around the landing-place at Callao we saw women, with little braziers of charcoal, ladling out the steaming picantes to the idlers and laborers of the port, and we are told it is their only article of food. In the poorer parts of Lima there is a picanteria every few yards, and each establishment has its patrons among the porters, water-carriers, and negro laborers of the neighborhood. The many varieties of picantes have distinct names, but all are flavored with red pepper in abundance.

PERUVIAN INFANTRY AND CAVALRY.

"There was formerly a custom in Peru, on occasions of formality, for the host and hostess to eat by themselves, beforehand, and take nothing during the progress of the ceremonious meal. They sat at opposite ends of the table, and were supposed to be attending to the wants of their guests. The same custom prevails in some parts of Russia, but is passing away there as it is here.

"Another bit of table etiquette formerly prevailing in Peru, and not yet entirely unknown, was to select some delicate morsel from the dish before you, and hand it on your fork to a lady of the party. She would return the compliment, and sometimes it was made rather surprising to the stranger when she took the morsel in her fingers, and placed it in the mouth of the one who had paid her the compliment. I am told that this latter part of the ceremonial, based on the correctness of the adage that fingers were made before forks, was confined to the interior provinces, and was not fashionable in Lima."

A PASSAGE OF POLITENESS.

[CHAPTER IX.]

EQUESTRIANS AND THEIR COSTUMES.—LADIES OF LIMA.—EXCURSIONS AMONG RUINS.—PACHACAMAC, A HOLY CITY.—THE ANCIENT PERUVIANS.—ORIGIN OF THE INCA GOVERNMENT.

A PERUVIAN CAVALIER.

Horseback riding is a fashionable amusement in Lima, to judge by the number of mounted men that are seen in the streets and in the surrounding country. Our friends learned, somewhat to their disappointment, that it has declined a good deal in the past twenty years, and the gentlemen of Lima are now less renowned than formerly for their equestrianism. Still, there are many excellent riders in Lima, and occasionally one can be seen dressed in the costume that was once universally worn by the Peruvian cavaliers. The fashions of Paris have been adopted by society people in Lima, and the picturesqueness of the old style of dress is fast disappearing.

Lima contains many professional horse-breakers, and they are among the best of their class. Peruvian horses are easily instructed, and many of them perform surprising tricks; one of their feats is to turn around rapidly on the hind-legs when going at full gallop, and another is to jump over a wall, and immediately back again, with their riders on their backs. It is said that an English circus company once came to Lima, but the proprietor and performers were disgusted, and made haste to leave the country, when they found there were many horsemen in the city who could fully equal all the equestrian feats of the ring.

HORSE-BREAKERS AT WORK.

One of the performances of the horse-breakers is to make a horse jump to the top of a broad wall, and describe a segment of a circle while standing on his hind-feet, and holding his fore-feet over the edge of the wall. He will do this repeatedly, and thus convince the spectator that it was not accidental.

Fred made the following note of the costume of the Peruvian cavalier, uncontaminated by foreign influences:

"He wears a poncho, smaller than that of the country muleteer, and more gaudy in its appearance; it is a fringed shawl reaching to the hips when the wearer is standing upright, and just covering the knees when he is in the saddle. A hole in the centre admits the head, and the shawl hangs gracefully over the shoulders of its wearer; it is more convenient than a jacket, or any other riding-garment, as it leaves the arms perfectly free to move in any direction, and there are no buttons to get loose.

"The colors of the poncho are as varied as the tastes of the owners. Sometimes they are pure white, without any ornamentation, but much oftener they are richly embroidered, or made in varieties of stripes, embracing all the colors of the rainbow. The trousers are close-fitting; they have a stripe on the outside of the leg, and are held by a strap beneath the foot. No horseman would consider himself properly equipped without a pair of enormous spurs, the rowels standing out three or four inches from the heel, and the spurs containing altogether fully a pound of silver. A broad-brimmed hat and a riding-whip complete the cavalier's costume, and he is rarely without a cigar between his lips. In mounting, he generally scorns to put his feet in the stirrups, but springs on the horse without their aid. The stirrups are huge blocks of wood, shielded with fully a square foot of leather. The saddle and other trappings of the horse are richly ornamented with silver, and sometimes with gold, and occasionally the bridle, head-gear, and crupper are made of silver rings linked closely together."

The decline of Peruvian horsemanship was shown in the late war between Chili and Peru. The Chilian cavalry was admirably managed, and in several battles it performed a large share of the work; the cavalrymen were well mounted, and understood their business thoroughly, while the Peruvians were inefficiently drilled, and their horses were far inferior to those of the Chilians. One of the mounted detachments of the Peruvian army was surprised and captured during the advance upon Lima, and the whole available force of cavalry for the defence of the capital did not exceed six hundred men.

NATIVE WOMEN OF LIMA.

Frank and Fred were quick to remark the difference between the feminine part of the population descended from the Spanish conquerors, and those whose ancestry were the native possessors of the land. The complexion was as distinctive as the dress; the Spanish race is fair in feature, while the women of Peruvian descent have a tinge of copper or bronze in their faces. The latter wear short skirts, and leave the hair uncovered by a veil; sometimes the hair is braided in long tresses, and it is frequently topped with a hat of almost gigantic proportions. Many of these native women are excellent riders; they use the ordinary saddle of the cavalier instead of the side-saddle of more northern lands, and wear the Peruvian spur.

Our friends passed a fortnight in Lima very pleasantly, making excursions in the neighborhood, and trying the baths at Chorillos, where the fashionable population goes for its seaside sports. Two days were devoted to a visit to Pachacamac, which is in the valley of the Lurin River, about twenty miles south of Lima, and overlooking the sea. What they saw and did is best told in Fred's account of the journey.

"We went from Chorillos," said Fred, "and had a ride that was not particularly pleasant, over the dusty road leading to the seaport of Pisco, farther down the coast. Between Chorillos and the valley of the Lurin is a stretch of desert, and the sun beat pitilessly on our heads as we toiled along. Reaching the valley, we turned up the banks of the stream, and a short ride near its welcome waters brought us to the place we sought.

RUINS OF PACHACAMAC.

"Pachacamac is a famous spot in Peru, or, rather, it was so in ancient times. Its ruins cover a considerable space along a line of hills on the edge of the desert. The sand has drifted over some of the buildings and completely buried them, and we were forcibly reminded of the ruins at Thebes, and other places in Egypt, not forgetting the grand temples that stood near the pyramids of Gizeh.

HEAD OF PERUVIAN STATUE.

"Pachacamac was the sacred city of the inhabitants of this part of the coast before they were conquered by the Incas; their chief divinity, whose name is preserved in the city, had his shrine here, and when the Incas conquered the place they built a Temple of the Sun, and a House of the Virgins of the Sun, quite near the shrine of Pachacamac. It was their object to destroy the worship of the old divinity by building a grander temple to the new, but they were not altogether successful. There was an enormous amount of gold and silver used in the construction and adornment of the temples; the Spaniards took away twenty-seven cargas of gold (a carga weighs sixty-two and a half pounds), and sixteen thousand ounces of silver, but they were unable to discover the place where four hundred cargas of these metals had been concealed just previous to their arrival.

"We had quite a scramble among the ruins, as the walls are considerably broken, and the footing is often very insecure. We visited the shrine of Pachacamac, or, rather, the temple which contained it, and then went to the temple near it, erected by the Incas. The first is called 'El Castillo,' or The Temple, and the other is known as Mamacuna. The temple is on a hill, or headland, five hundred feet above the ocean, and the front of it extends down to the shore. It has been considerably shaken by the earthquakes, of which there must have been many since the time of its erection, and the wonder is that it is so well preserved.

TERRACED SPACE ON A HILL-TOP.

"There was evidently a wall around the base of the hill; the slope of the hill was formed into terraces, and its upper part is supported by a terrace thirty-two feet high. In the centre of this upper part was the shrine of the deity, enclosed in a sanctuary which had a door of gold set with precious stones. But if the outside was beautiful, the inside was the reverse, as the Spaniards found only an idol of wood there, together with a flat stone where the priests performed their sacrifices. The old historians say that only the priests were allowed to go inside the sanctuary; when the Spaniards arrived there was no objection to their entering, as it was believed the deity would strike them dead for their sacrilege. The fact that they were not harmed, but proceeded without hesitation to plunder the place of its wealth, was a serious shock to the faith of these confiding natives.

"Mr. Squier's book contains an excellent description of the place, and we sat down on the top of the hill and read his account of his visit to Pachacamac. He says that in ancient times it was the Mecca of South America, and pilgrims came here from all parts of the country to worship at the shrine of the divinity who was called 'The Creator of the World.' So great was the reverence in which it was held, that these pilgrims were allowed to pass unharmed through tribes and people with whom their own might be at war; the sacredness of their mission was an ample protection.

PERUVIAN MUMMIES.

"The natural result of this pilgrimage was that there was a large town around the temple, and in course of time many thousands of people died here, and were buried on the consecrated spot. The whole ground, for many acres around the temple, seems to have been one vast cemetery; the soil is dry, and contains a good deal of nitre, which possesses excellent preservative qualities. There are thousands and thousands of what are generally called mummies now lying in this soil, where they have lain for centuries; they were not submitted to any mummifying process, like the bodies of the ancient Egyptians, but are preserved by the action of the salts of the earth and the aridity of the atmosphere.

"Some men who came with us from a sugar plantation in the valley offered to find a grave, and reveal its contents. We assented, and they selected a spot, and began to dig.

"We had a suspicion that they had dug in the same place before, and the grave they discovered had been opened many times previously for the benefit of visitors like ourselves. We remember that the same trick is practised in Egypt, especially at the temple in the neighborhood of the Great Pyramids, and saw no reason why it should not be adopted here. With this belief we had less compunction at disturbing the resting-place of the dead than we might have had otherwise.

SEPULCHRAL TOWER.

"The men dug four or five feet through the dry soil, and then came to a flat stone which they uncovered with great pretence of not knowing how large it was. It was about three feet square, and, perhaps, four inches thick, so that two of them had no difficulty in turning it over. Under the stone was a cavity measuring a trifle over a yard each way, and containing two bundles that had little resemblance to the human form. These were lifted out so that we might examine them; the outside wrappings were removed from one of them, and we then found that they covered a human figure, doubled so that the hands were clasped around the knees, and the head rested upon them. Our guide said this is invariably the position in which the mummies are found, and they are generally contained in a wrapping of coarse matting made of rushes, and bound with ropes or cords of the same material.

GOLDEN VASE FOUND IN A TOMB.

"It was the custom of the ancient Peruvians to bury with their dead the implements to which they were accustomed in life, and this may be taken to indicate their belief in a resurrection. Household utensils, combs, needles, wallets, spindles for spinning, knives, fishing-hooks and lines, spools of thread, knitting-needles, toilet articles, spoons, pottery, and many other things are found here, and the same is the case in excavations in other parts of Peru. We discovered only a few pieces of pottery and two knives of copper, and then we left the grave to be re-filled, or treated according to the taste of the inhabitants of the place.

"The character of the wrappings, and the articles found in the graves, indicate the condition in life of the occupants of this Peruvian cemetery. Mr. Squier says the burial-place at Pachacamac contains three series of graves one above the other, indicating that the spot was for a very long while dedicated to sepulture. He opened one of the second series of tombs, which evidently belonged to a family in middle circumstances, neither rich nor poor.

"The bodies were all wrapped as I have described, but underneath the covering of coarse rushes were many yards of fine cloth, similar to that which the Egyptians placed around their mummies. The tomb contained the bodies of a man, his wife, and two children; the play-things of the children were buried with them, and between the feet of the girl was a dried parrot, which was doubtless her pet. Near the bodies were several pieces of pottery, and every pot contained something. One was filled with maize or corn, another with ground-nuts, and the rest with edibles of different kinds. The collection of pots and pans was quite interesting, and revealed some of the domestic ways of the people.

SILVER VASE.

"You will naturally ask how long these bodies have been lying here where we find them.

"The question is easier asked than answered. Unfortunately for us, the Peruvians had no system of writing, like the ancient Egyptians, and therefore there are no records by which we can learn their history. To get at the antiquity of the people we must judge by the traditions that have come down to us and by the effect of time upon the monuments they have left. This enables us to guess at the date of the construction of their temples, and it is proper to remark that the guesses of archæologists who have studied the subject have been very far apart.

PERUVIAN IDOL.

"The government of the Incas, which the Spaniards found and destroyed, is supposed to have existed not less than five hundred years, though some writers give it twice or three times that duration. When the Spaniards came here they found nearly all of what is now Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, and a part of Chili united under one form of government, under three great tribes or families: the Aymaraes, the Chinchas, and the Huancas. The first of these, the Aymaraes, was the ruling race, and from it came the Incas or emperors. They occupied the high lands of Peru and Bolivia, and were said to have been more advanced in civilization than either of the others; the Chinchas dwelt mostly along the coast, while the Huancas were scattered through the mountain region between the Aymaraes and the Chinchas.

PERUVIAN COPPER KNIVES.

"Gradually the Aymaraes conquered the other great tribes, and their system of conquest and colonization is an interesting study.

"The tradition is that the tutelary divinity, the sun, sent his own children to instruct and govern the people, who were at war with each other, and had sunk into a condition of barbarism. These children of the sun were Manco Capac and his sister and wife, Mama Oello; they appeared first on an island in Lake Titicaca, and the island was ever afterwards regarded as holy. There are many temples around the lake and on the island to which they descended from heaven; we shall have more to say about these temples at another time.

RUINS ON TITICACA ISLAND.

"From Lake Titicaca, Manco Capac travelled northward, carrying a golden staff; during his travels his staff sank into the ground at a certain spot, and there he founded the city of Cuzco. Manco Capac was the first of a long line of powerful kings, who gradually subdued the surrounding people and replaced the old religions with the worship of the sun. They built magnificent temples, forts, and palaces, and the ruins of these works, as they are seen to-day, excite the admiration of every traveller.

PART OF TEMPLE OF THE SUN, CUZCO.

"To appreciate the wisdom of the Incas, let us consider their manner of ruling a conquered province.

"From Cuzco, the capital, there were roads leading to the four cardinal points, and the city was divided into four quarters, which were respectively named, 'North,' 'South,' 'East,' and 'West.' When their armies had reduced a nation or a province, they brought the idols of the conquered people to Cuzco, and treated them with every mark of respect. Then they summoned the chiefs and their families to the capital, where they showed them every kindness and distinction. When these chiefs had been thoroughly instructed concerning the power of the Inca and the spirit of his government, they were sent to their homes, and very often they were restored to their official positions as representatives of the government of Cuzco.

OUTER WALL OF FORTRESS OF CUZCO.

"In the conquered region the taxes were reduced, the poor were cared for, and the language of the empire was taught to the children. They were instructed in the religion of the Incas in place of their own, but always with the greatest respect for the old form of worship.

STONES IN THE WALL OF CUZCO.

"To make sure that there would be no rebellion of the conquered people a colony of eight or ten thousand Aymaraes was sent there to live, while a similar number of the subjugated nation was brought to the towns whence these colonists were taken. Both of the transferred colonies were given great advantages; they had many privileges of exemption from taxation, received large grants of land, and were made to feel in every way that the transfer had been for their benefit. But while the Inca government was liberal it was severe; it was the iron hand under the velvet glove, and when its kindness was refused or the conquered people rebelled they were made to understand, in the most practical manner, that disobedience and rebellion were useless.

PART OF WALL OF FORTRESS.

"The four great divisions of the empire were each governed by a viceroy, appointed by the central power at Cuzco; the inhabitants were divided into groups of ten thousand, under a native chief and an Inca governor, acting together, and these were again subdivided into groups of one thousand, one hundred, and ten, each having an official who was responsible to the one above him. Every man received an allotment of land for the support of himself and family, children were obliged to follow the occupations of their fathers, no one could change his residence without permission, idleness was severely punished, robbers were put to death, those who sinned against religion or the majesty of the Inca were burned or buried alive with their families, while their houses were destroyed and their fields devastated. When a province rebelled all the men and boys in it were put to death, and the remainder of the population was scattered.

PERUVIAN VASES.

"There; I've given you quite a lecture on the ancient Peruvians, and hope you've not found it dull. Of course I realize that a large part of our enthusiasm on the subject comes from our having seen the monuments of this wonderful people, and read and heard of the way they built their nation and extended its power."

"'History repeats itself,'" said Dr. Bronson, as our young friend read the account we have just quoted. "In the descent of the children of the sun we have a repetition of the story of divine origin which has existed in many countries and lands since the beginning of governments. Manco Capac bears an exceedingly close resemblance to the Egyptian Osiris, the Chinese Fohi, the Hindoo Buddha, and the Scandinavian Odin. The same idea is preserved to-day in the 'divine right of kings,' which is so often quoted, and in which millions of people have implicit faith."

"History is repeated, too, in another way," said Frank. "The system of colonization and government under the Incas reminds me of what we saw in Java, the most successful European colony in the eastern hemisphere. The government of the people by their own chiefs, supervised by an official of the ruling power, the punishment of idleness, and the distribution of land so that everybody can earn a living for himself and family, might almost have been borrowed from the ancient Peruvians by the Dutch possessors of Java and the islands of the Malay Archipelago."

"It is not very likely the Dutch troubled themselves about ancient Peru," replied the Doctor; "they probably formed their system to suit the character of the people they were to govern; and when we remember the natural shrewdness with which their nation is credited we need not wonder that they established such an excellent government. It has its features of severity, like that of the Incas, but it has been decidedly beneficial to the subject race."

"Is the tradition correct that the people were sunk in barbarism when Manco Capac came on earth?" Frank inquired.

ORNAMENTS OF PERUVIAN WALLS.

"It is a pleasant fiction," replied the Doctor, "invented by the Incas as an excuse for their subjugation of the neighboring provinces and kingdoms. The evidences are that some of the finest monuments of Peru are older than the Inca empire, and several of the conquered nations were well advanced in civilization, and understood many useful arts and occupations. Manco Capac began with Cuzco, and then with the country a few leagues around it; his rule and that of his descendants was gradually extended until, at the coming of the Spaniards, it embraced forty degrees of latitude and a population of ten millions of people. Since the Spanish conquest the native population has diminished, and there are now little over four millions of inhabitants in the old dominions of the Incas."

ANCIENT PALACE AT HUANCO.

Our friends passed the night at a sugar plantation about two miles from the ruins of Pachacamac, and returned the next day to Lima. There is now only a small village where once was a large city; the inhabitants are employed on the sugar plantations and in the cultivation of their gardens, which are watered by careful irrigation from the Lurin River. The village was burned by the Chilians during the late war, and the traces of their devastations will long remain. The inhabitants fled for safety, and some of them never found their way back again to their birth-places.

DOORWAY CUT THROUGH A SINGLE STONE.

Pachacamac does not contain the only ruins in the neighborhood of Lima. At Magdalena, not far from the railway between Callao and the capital, is an extensive ruin which was in good condition at the time of the Spanish conquest; the material has been taken for building purposes, so that the spot is hardly worth visiting at present. The temple contained an idol known as Rimac, whose name is preserved in the river. The idol used to speak, after the manner of the oracles of the Egyptian and Greek temples, and in exactly the same way; a priest was concealed in the statue, which was hollow, and thus the confiding populace was deceived. The deceptions of paganism were as well known in the New World as in the Old.

CENTRAL FIGURE OVER DOORWAY.

There are ruins near Chorillos which have also undergone demolition for the sake of their brick and stone, and in the valley of the River Chillon, ten miles northwest of Lima, is a fortification enclosing a hill about five hundred feet high. There is a wall at the base of the hill, another about half-way up, and a third around a level space at the top, where there is a watch-tower, with several ruined buildings. The upper wall is fourteen feet high and made of stones set in tough mortar. As the ancient Peruvians had no knowledge of gunpowder, a fortress of this sort was an excellent protection for a garrison.

Following up the valley of the Rimac, twelve or fifteen miles from Lima we come to a side valley which contains the ruins of Cajamarquilla. It was a city about three miles square, laid out into streets and blocks and containing many massive walls which the earthquakes have not been able to destroy. The history of this city is not even known in tradition, and the natives shake their heads when inquiry is made concerning it. The ruins were there when the Spaniards came to Peru.

The buildings of this American Baalbec were extensive and connected by narrow passages and subterranean vaults, that seem to have been used for storage purposes. The doorways were low and curiously shaped, and there are no signs of windows in the houses.

Frank and Fred desired to visit the place, but as it was said to be the haunt of robbers, and not particularly safe, the idea of an excursion was abandoned. Mr. Squier had an encounter with a noted robber while inspecting these ruins, but a display of his commission from the government of the United States secured the good-will of the brigand, and the stranger was saved from harm.

[CHAPTER X.]

RAILWAYS OVER THE ANDES.—FROM LIMA TO MOLLENDO, AREQUIPA, AND LAKE TITICACA.—THE CHINCHA ISLANDS AND THE SODA DESERTS.—UP THE ANDES BY STEAM.—IN A RAILWAY CARRIAGE FOURTEEN THOUSAND FEET ABOVE THE SEA.

Within the last twenty years Peru has made earnest efforts to connect her inland cities with the Pacific Ocean by means of railways. There are several private lines, the oldest being the short one connecting Lima with Callao; it was completed in 1851, and has paid handsomely to its projectors. Of the lines built by government there are seven in all; five of them are finished and the remainder are in course of construction (or suspension), with considerable uncertainty as to the date of their completion.

One of the unfinished lines, the Oroya Railway, starts from Callao, and is intended to connect that seaport with the silver mines of Cerro de Pasco, by a branch from Oroya, and to extend to Fort San Ramon, or Mairo, where it will connect with steamboats on the Amazon. It was undertaken by an American contractor under government guarantee; it has cost many millions of dollars, and many other millions will be required before the locomotive can make the journey from Callao to Mairo and Cerro de Pasco.

At the time our friends were in Lima the work was suspended, and Dr. Bronson learned, in answer to his inquiries, that the terminus was at an insignificant town among the mountains. Trains did not run regularly, as there was no business to pay the expenses of running them; the government was waiting for the country to recover from the effects of the war before proceeding with the work.

One day there was an opportunity to make an excursion to the terminus, about ninety miles from Lima, and the Doctor at once arranged for the trip. They were to leave the capital about nine in the morning, spend the night at the terminus, and return early the next day. The programme was carried out to the satisfaction of the wandering trio, as we shall see by referring to Fred's note-book.

DEEP CUTTING ON A RAILWAY.

"We ascended the valley of the Rimac," said Fred, "and in the first forty-six miles gained an elevation of five thousand feet. We had only two carriages in the train, but the locomotive puffed and tugged as though it was drawing three or four times that number. At every mile of our advance the route became more and more intricate; we passed through narrow gorges and along the brink of fearful precipices, and time and time again we seemed to be in danger of toppling over and falling into the abysses below. We were reminded of the passage of the Sierra Nevadas by the Central Pacific Railway, in our own country, and of the line between Colombo and Kandy, in Ceylon.

"The engineering difficulties here are greater than on either of the routes I have mentioned, and greater than anything we have seen in the European Alps. The Oroya line is certainly one of the railway wonders of the world, and every visitor to Lima should make a point of seeing this enormous work. It is doubtful if the government will ever find it profitable, owing to the great cost of construction and the expense of running the trains.

"Here are a few figures about this railway. I take some of them from Professor Orton's book,'The Andes and Amazon,' and others have been given me by the conductor who accompanies us.

"Eighty-seven miles of the road had been finished when the war between Chili and Peru caused a suspension of work. There are sixty-three tunnels, with an aggregate length of twenty-one thousand feet, and there are thirty bridges of iron or stone. Some of the bridges are of French or English manufacture, and others, considered the best, were made in America. The Verrugas bridge spans a chasm five hundred and eighty feet wide, and rests on three piers of hollow columns of wrought iron. It was made at Phenixville, Pennsylvania, at a cost of $63,000; the middle pier is two hundred and fifty-two feet high and fifty feet square at its base, and the deflection of the bridge is five-eighths of an inch.

"The sharpest curve of the road is 395 feet radius, and the maximum grade is four per cent. While the work was going on they used two hundred and fifty tons of powder every month for blasting the rock! The tunnel to carry the line through the Andes is at an elevation of 15,645 feet above the sea, the highest railway tunnel in the world, and some say the highest point where a piston-rod is moved by steam.

AMONG THE FOOT-HILLS.

"To describe our ride would be to give a long succession of exclamations of wonder, admiration, and enthusiasm, with an occasional sigh of relief when dangerous points were passed without accident. It is quite possible that our cheeks may have paled at times and flushed at others, but of course we could not admit anything of the sort. We were glad when the terminus was reached, and the sensation of the journey was over.

"We crawled slowly upward on our eastward way and found it exciting enough; what shall I say of the return ride, when we had the downward grade to take us along, and the only use of the steam in the locomotive was to hold us back? The brakes were screwed tightly down, and so great is the pressure upon them that their shoes must be renewed at the end of every second round trip from Callao and back again. In four hours from the terminus we were on the shores of the Pacific, and at the end of a journey we shall long remember."

Two weeks from the time our friends landed at Callao they embarked on the southern-bound steamer from that port, having taken their tickets for Mollendo.

GUANO ISLANDS.

The first landing was at Pisco, about one hundred miles south of Callao, and connected by a short line of railway with the cotton regions of Iça. As they approached the port they passed the Chincha Islands, which have become famous as the place whence millions of tons of guano have been brought to Europe and America. Frank and Fred wished to know something about the guano trade, and the Doctor kindly informed them.

SEA-BIRDS AT HOME.

"The guano was deposited here," said Dr. Bronson, "by the sea-birds, and the accumulations have been going on for thousands of years. No rain falls here, and consequently there was no water to wash the substance away. Mixed with the deposits of the birds were their decomposed bodies and eggs, and the bodies of seals; the seals climb to the highest places on the rocks when they are about to die, and as they were very abundant here, it is safe to say that millions of them have died on the Chincha Islands. Guano is of great value as a manure; the ancient Peruvians were well aware of its qualities, and by the laws of the Incas everybody was forbidden, under pain of death, to land on the islands during the breeding season, and the same penalty was affixed to killing the birds at any time.

"The guano deposits were first made known to Europe in 1804," the Doctor continued, "through a description by Baron von Humboldt. He said the islands were covered to a depth of fifty or sixty feet with pure guano; the long ages that had been consumed in the accumulation may be understood when he says that during the three centuries since the coming of the Spaniards the growth had been only a small fraction of an inch!"

"Was it brought to Europe in Humboldt's time?" one of the youths inquired.

"No," was the reply; "the first shipment was made in 1840, and consisted of twenty barrels, which were taken to Liverpool. It was tried on a farm near that city, and resulted so favorably that large orders were immediately sent for more. In the following year several cargoes were sent from the islands, and from that time the trade increased rapidly. Farmers in Europe and America learned the value of guano in making a wonderful increase of the producing power of their fields, and the demand for it became general.

"From 1851 to 1860 nearly three million tons were shipped from the Chincha Islands, and between 1853 and 1872 it is estimated that eight millions tons were sent away. In that year the Chincha Islands were practically exhausted. The Peruvians had acted as though they were to last forever as a source of revenue, and the discovery of the great value of the deposits may be considered the cause of the present bankruptcy of the country. They had abolished the taxes and relied upon the Chincha Islands for all money needed by government, including the immense sums expended in the construction of railways. They appointed agents in London and New York for the sale of the guano, and as long as the business was prosperous, a great many men grew rich out of the transactions.

"As the Chincha Islands gave out other deposits were worked, some on the Lobos Islands, others on the Guanape Islands, and others in Tarapaca, but none of them are as rich or extensive as was the original source of supply."

The youths looked carefully at the islands with their glasses as the steamer proceeded on her course. Dr. Bronson called their attention to a solitary ship that was lying close to the cliff of one of the islands, and said that in the days of the prosperity of the guano trade there were sometimes a hundred ships receiving cargoes or waiting their turns to be laden.

"You observe," said he, "that the sides of the islands are quite bold, and in some places precipitous; ships used to lie close to the shore and receive their cargoes through long chutes or spouts through which the guano was poured from the top of the cliff. The air was full of guano dust, and the men engaged in the work suffered greatly from the dust entering the throat and lungs. Ammonia (hartshorn) is an important ingredient of guano; imagine yourselves breathing an atmosphere heavily charged with ammonia, and you can realize the disagreeable features of working on a guano island.

SCENE ON A COOLIE SHIP.

"Convicts were employed here, and also coolies from China; the horrors of the coolie trade with Peru have never been fully told, and the narration would be most sickening. Thousands of the coolies threw themselves into the sea to escape the terrible life on these islands; other thousands died here as a result of their toil, and the number was only kept up by frequent arrivals of ships from Macao, the seat of the coolie trade in China."

"There are three islands," said Fred, "but they do not seem to be large ones. I should judge that the most northerly is the largest, and it is not more than half a mile long by a third in width."

"You have estimated very well," was the reply. "The northern island is called Chincha, and gives the name to the group, and it is about the length and width you mention. The other two are smaller, but are of the same formation as Chincha, a bright red granite composed of red feldspar, white quartz, and a little mica. The group is evidently of volcanic origin, and perhaps it may one day disappear beneath the waves as other volcanic islands have done.

"Guano can only accumulate where there is no rain," continued their mentor, "and there is another source of wealth here that comes from the rainless district."

"What is that?"

"It is the nitrate of soda," answered the Doctor, "which comes from several desert regions in the southern part of Peru, chiefly in the province of Tarapaca, which has been annexed to Chili since the war, and is Peruvian territory no longer. It has many uses in industrial arts, and is largely employed as a fertilizer; the deposits have been worked since 1830, and the chief points of export are Iquique and Pisagua. In twenty years from 1830 the exports were 240,000 tons, and in 1875 no less than 326,000 tons were exported. In 1877 there were 253 ships that cleared from Iquique alone with cargoes of nitrates. Several of the railways constructed by the Peruvian government, or on private account, were built partly or wholly for the transportation of this article."

The steamer stopped very briefly at Pisco, and there was not time to go on shore. From Pisco to Mollendo they were almost constantly in sight of the coast, and sometimes hugging it closely; the mountains of the western cordillera of the Andes filled the eastern horizon, and occasionally the snowy peaks of the great central chain were visible. The principal chain of mountains in South America is called the Andes, and sometimes the Nevadas (white), to distinguish it from the cordillera (cor-de-yer-ra), by which the lateral and lower chains, generally parallel to the Andes, are designated. Sierra (from the Spanish word for saw) is a spur, or irregular line, of mountains stretching from the Andes to the cordillera, or pushing out from the latter into the flat Parama, or desert.

ON THE EDGE OF THE DESERT.

Mollendo is the ocean terminus of the railway to Arequipa and Lake Titicaca, the present destination of the boy travellers and their elder companion. The town is on the edge of the desert, and the harbor is an open roadstead, like most of the ports of the western coast. An old captain sarcastically remarked, "the harbor of Mollendo is entered as soon as the ship turns Cape Horn." The town is supplied with water by an iron pipe eighty-five miles long, which starts from near Arequipa, and is capable of discharging 430,000 gallons of water every twenty-four hours. Enormous tanks have been constructed, to maintain a supply for several days, in case of accident to the aqueduct, and these tanks are the principal sights of the place.

The surf was breaking on the rocky shore, and our friends had a narrow escape from a drenching in going from the ship to the land. Fortunately they arrived in the morning, about an hour before the time for the departure of the train for Arequipa, and had not long to wait.

The railway followed the coast for a short distance, and then turned northeastwardly, and began climbing the hills which formed the outward barrier of the lofty Andes. Up and onward zigzagged the train, through the barren hills that lead to the desert of Islay, and then out upon the dusty stretch of the desert, which it crossed in a line whose directness was in marked contrast to its tortuous course among the hills. At regular intervals there were tanks which supply the locomotives with water; they are fed from the aqueduct already mentioned, and wherever they have leaked, and moistened the dust, the grass grows luxuriantly. It is sixty miles across the desert; before the railway was constructed the journey was made on the backs of donkeys, and it was customary to cross it in the night, in consequence of the great heat and glare when the sun is shining.

Frank copied into his note-book the following account of a traveller who crossed the desert from the coast to Arequipa, which he failed to reach before sunrise:

"About five o'clock a clear whiteness appeared in the sky, the stars paled their lustre, and the day began to break. Soon a ruddy orange tint spread over the soil of the pampa, now become firm and compact. In a few minutes the disk of the sun appeared above the horizon; and as we marched full in the front of the god of day, we found ourselves in the midst of a luminous torrent, which so dazzled and incommoded us that to escape from this new torture we doubled ourselves up like hedgehogs. This anomalous and inconvenient posture rendered us unjust to the claims of the rising sun. Instead of welcoming his appearance we were inclined to wish he had remained out of sight, and it was not till eight o'clock that the sun, now high above the horizon, permitted us to raise our heads."

INDIANS OF AREQUIPA.

"We did not suffer any of this inconvenience," said Frank, in his description of the journey, "as we were protected by the carriages, and could take any position we liked. When the sun passed the meridian we could look ahead without receiving the glare in our eyes; it was a great relief when we saw the peaks of the snow-clad mountains, and in a little while the eastern horizon was filled with them. Back of Arequipa was the lofty summit of Misti, one of the grandest of the South American volcanoes, then came Chichani, with its precipitous sides, and beyond it, farther to the north, was Coropuno.

AREQUIPA, AND THE VOLCANO OF MISTI.