/ ,'

/ /

*^^

v--'*^ ;■

i'Sf^^k

'^*.-':.

W'A'

:<^^

TRAVELS

IN TROPTCAL LANDS.

C'AL'A'i IN ri;IM|i.\ll.

IN TROPICAL LAN])S:

TRcccnt travels

TO THE SOURCES OF T H K AMAZON, THE WEST
INDIAN ISLANDS, AND CE^ LOX.

ARTHTR SIXCLAIll

(KKI-Li)\V (IK TIIK UOYAL lOLuXlAL ISSilTlTE,
MKMl-.KK OK TIIF AllKIMiKKX !• 11 1 I. n S O P III C A I, SOCIKTV. KTC).

■ I'aUiiiit-: ami >(.• >liall lu'.-ir "lial In- lu'lifhl
III otlKT laiiils, wliL'i-u lie was (Iniiiii il I" f;i>."

Hiiriiii.

ai;ki;1)i:i:n : d. \\a i.uk a son :

KDiNr.rKcii : .ii>ii\ mi;n/iks .v o).-.

LONDON: ^I.M1'KIN, M\i;s|IAI,L, \ «'•>.;

(K V I.o N : A. .M. .<i .1. i' H KO TSON.

lS!t;'>.

TO Till; liKAK >Il■;MllK^ OK

Dr. William Alexander,

Km: Til 1 K r\-SEVEN VKAKS

THK w A i; M \Ni) sTKADKAsr ruii;\i>

OK THK ATTHOK.

203

PREFATORY NOTE.

To tlu' I'eruvian Corporation's Representative, who so admii-
abl}' plays a very important and difficult part in Lima, I
have to express gratitude for kindness, especially in obtaining
facilities for the exploration of regions hitherto but little
known.

To my fellow-travellers, Messrs. A. Ross and P. D. U.
Clark, whose urbanity and resourcefulne.ss smoothed many a
difficulty during an arduous journey through the upper
valleys of the Amazon, my best acknowledgments are due.
The keen enthusiasm for economic botany evinced b\' Mr.
Clark proved very helpful, and in the following pages the
result of our researches is duly dealt with.

In tlie West Indies I was indebted to His Excellency
the CJovernor of Grenada, and also to Mr. Hart, the Superin-
tendent of the Botanical Gardens, Trinidad, for much courtesy
and valuable information.

For the more recent facts and figures relative to Ceylon, I
owe thanks to the encyclopaedic editor of the ('cylon Observer,
the stanchest friend I ever made in tropical lands.

ARTliril SIXCLAIH.

Mkadiiwhank,
AuKKKKKN, Jnnnaii/, Is'.l.'i.

CONTENTS.

PriEFATOitV NoTK,

Map .Showing Route,
Peru —

En Route,

t'anaina,

(Crossing the Coidilleras,

Amongst the Chunchos,

On the Perene, .

Cerio de Pasco, .

Hiianaco, .

The Return Jouiney,

Lima,

The Bull Fight,

The Chinese Immigrants,

Altitudes of Stations Visited,

Flora, ....

TiiK Wkst Indian Islands —

The Bahamas, .

Jamaicti, ....

Ti iiiiilad, ....

(irenada, ....
Ceylon —

En Route, ....

Red Sea Romances, .

Colombo, ....

The Coffee Kra in Ceylon,

The Tea Era,

Life in Ceylon, .

Story of British (.)ceu|)}ition.

The Planters— Typical Failures,

The Story of Davie Haeket,
Indkx, ......

H.VGK.

iii.

between pages (i &

9
19

28
33
51
64
67
74
82
90
104
1U5

ll!i
Ii'l

I2r)

144

US
I4!l

ir.3

lli7
171
I7.S
177
177
It)!

IN TEOPICAL LANDS.

PERU.

There are three routes uvailable from Eui'ope to Peru — the most
diiect, after crossing the Atlantic, heing up the Amazon ; the most
comfortable, by the Straits of Magellan ; and the quickest, via the
Isthmus of Panama. To save time, let us choose the last. One
advantage of this route is, that it gives us a peep, in passing, at the
islands of Barbadoes and Jamaica — the two oldest and most valualile
of our West Indian possessions. Baibadoes is only 166 square miles
in extent, but every acre is cultivated, chiefly in sugar-cane, and, al-
together, the best cultivated little tropical colony I have come across.
It is densely populated, chiefly by negroes, who look much happier
and better oft" than the " pooi- whites." The English language oidy
is spoken — spoken with a terrific fluency and an unmistakable Irish
brogue. b'eaders of Carlyle's "Cromwell" will not be at a loss to
account for this, remembering how Oliver sent so many of his
refractory Irishmen there. "Terrible Protector!" exclaims the
Sage, " can take your estate, your head off if he likes. He dislikes
sheddiiig blood, ])ut is very apt to Barbadoes an uiu'uly man ; has
sent, and sends up in hundreds to Barbadoes, so that we have made
an active Aerb of it — Barbadoes you."

Again, ill one of the Protector's characteristic ej)i-<tles, we read
that 1,000 Irish girls were sent, "and as to the rogue and vagabond
species in Scotland, we can help you at any time to a few hundreds
of these " An Irish fellow-passenger, hearing his own language so
well accented, enquired of a Barliadoes negro working at Jamaica,
'■ How long have you been here?" "Noine yeai.s," was the reply.
"Be jabbers," said my friend, "if you 've got black like that in noitie
years, it's high time I were oft" home again.''

Jamaica has a magniftcent harbour, from which superb views of
the grand old i'liic iiiomitaiMs arc to l>c seen. Kingston, the capital.

IN TBOPICAL LANDS.

PERU.

There are three routes jivailable from Europe to Peru — the most
direct, after crossing the Atlantic, ))eing up the Amazon ; the most
comfortable, by the Straits of Magellan ; and the quickest, via the
Isthmus of Panama. To save time, let us choose the last. One
advantage of this route is, that it gives us a peep, in passing, at the
islands of Barbadoes and Jamaica — the two oldest and most valual)le
of our West Indian possessions. Barbadoes is only 106 square miles
in extent, but every acre is cultivated, chiefly in sugar-cane, and, al-
together, the best cultivated little tropical colony I have come across.
It is densely })opulated, chiefly hy negroes, who look much hap[)ier
and better oflT than the " poor whites." The English language only
is spoken — spoken with a terrific fluency and an unmistakable Irish
brogue. K'eaders of Carlyle's "Cromwell" will not be at a loss to
account for this, remembering how Oliver sent so many of his
refractory liishmen there. "Terrible Protector!" exclaims the
Sage, " can take yoiu' estate, your head oft" if he likes. He dislikes
.shedding blood, but is very apt to Barbadoes an unruly man ; has
sent, and sends up in hundreds to Barbadoes, so that we have made
an active verb of it — -Barbadoes you."

Again, in one of the Protector's characteristic epistles, we read
that 1,000 Irish girls were sent, "and as tt) the rogue and vagabond
species in Scotland, we can help you at any time to a few hundreds
of these " An Irish fellow-passenger, hearing his own language so
well accented, eiujuired of a Baibadoes negro working at Jamaica,
" How loTig have you been here?' " Xoine years," was the reply.
" Be jabbers,"' said my friend, " if you 've got black like that in noine
years, it 's high time I were oft" home again.'"

Jamaica has a magnificttit li;ub<iiu-, fiuin w ln\li superb views of
the grand old IMur inouMtains aic to lie seen. Kingston, the capital,

8 Travels in Tropiccl f.<iii<U.

is spread out on the rich tl;it land lying between ; sweltering under
a blazing sun, from which even the latighing negro is glad to take
shelter below the umbrageous trees. The climate and vegetation
strikingly remiml (uir of Ceylon, but alas! the abandoned hillsides
testify to the greater labour difficulties of the poor plantei- heie. A
few days more and we heave in sight of tiie Isthmus of Panama.
Generally speaking, the first land seen is Porto Bella in the Gulf of
Darien, which reminds us of a chapter in Scottish history we would
fain forget if we could. Here, about 200 years ago, some of the very
cream of our countrymen Avere landed and sacrificed to the contemj)-
tililc jealousies of our neighbours. Terrible was the loss to so poor
a country, and heroic was the struggle, but it was of no avail against
such fearful odds, and, now, the only really useful lesson we can learn
from the disaster is, tliat even Scotchmen are not equal to maiuial
labour in the tropics; and, whatever inducements selfish individuals
or soulless companies may hold out, it may be accepted as a general
rule that Europeans are unfitted for field labour in purely tropical
temperatures. It may be all very well for overseers, who live in
luxurious bungalows, and view their fields from under the shade of
ample umbrellas, but it means death to the exposed pick-and-shovel
man. No ; Europeans, or men from temperate regions, do not
readily acclimatise to the tropics, and for that matter, as far as my
experience goes, the same rule holds good in the vegetable kingdom ;
for, although neaily all our most cherished plants come to u» from
neai- the equator, we cannot, as a rule, induce our native trees to
take root theie.

Colon, our first landing port, apart from its luxurious vegetation,
is a very wi-etched spot. It is only in a Spanish Kepublic that the
existence of such a })estiferoTis place is possible. It is not merely the
disic])utable api)earance of its degenerate people, nor the frequent
squabbles dignified by the name of levolutions we have to fear, but
the ever pi-esent filth, Avhich is much more dangerous to life. For-
tunately, a fire has recently Ijurned down and purified a large portion
of the town of Colon, rendering it, for a time, less, dangerous to
sojournei's. A statue to Columbus stands at the entranc(( of that
now abandoned project — the canal. Poor Lesseps ! would that he
had been content with his success at Suez ! This gigantic failure
— a failure so tremendous that the very ruins may be said to be
stupendous — must, for many years to come, form a melancholy sub-
ject of comment as passengers ride along the margin of the unsightly

I ^ I'M'M. i.i;i mil \:\ I 111, w A\ --Ihl,
I'ANA.MA AMj III AVAl^l II,.

The Panama Railiuay. 9

ditcli. What a sad sacrifice of human life and carefully accumulated
wealth this unfinished ditch and surrounding debris represent !
There is little hope of the work ever bein^ finished by Frenchmen
now; indeed, we are told that, by agreement, the Columbian Kepublic
can next year lay claim to the works as they stand, and mean to do so.

The railway on which we cross the Isthmus belon<TS to an
American company, and Jonathan knows well how to make the most
of it. No such exorbitant charges would be tolerated in any
civilised country, and beyond the mere cost of ticket and transport
of baggage the amount of palm-oil one has to expend on officials in
order to get along at all is simply iniquitous. " Ah ! " says Jonathan,
"but you little know how costly this railway has been. Every
sleeper it rests upon cost a life." As if those who paid down those lives
or suffered through it got the profit ! It takes about four hours to get
over the 45 miles of comparatively flat land dividing the Pacific and
Atlantic Oceans, and such is the condition of the first-class American
carriages that a shower of rain renders the use of an umbrella
absolutely necessary, even while seated in them.

The outlook from the carriage windows is not exactly inviting.
Deserted villages, palatial bungalows abandoned, jjonderous machines
rusting among the malarious jungle, flit past in slow succession,
while at the various stations a few poor ghostly whites and hundreds
of dark and hungry-looking old canal labourers scramble to make a
penny out of the sympathetic passengers. The luxuriant vegetation
is the only relief to the eye, and it is impossible to believe that these
beautiful shrubs, trees, and creepers could not be turned to some
useful purpose. There is not an acre of real cultivation ; we simply
pass between living walls of natural greenery. The beautiful
banana leaf, the graceful bamboo, and curious mangrove, the glossy
mangoe tree and feathery palms, all mixed up with ferns, orchids,
and creeping flowers of every possible form and hue, display a truly
tropical scene. By those who have never left a temperate region,
the astonishing variety of plants near to the Equator can scarcely be
realised.

A more beautiful situation for a city than that of Panama would
be difficult to find in the world. The noble and ever tranquil bay is
dotted over with the most excpiisitely arranged islands, from one to a
hundred and fifty acres in extent, and closely clotheil with evergreen
trees, glossy shrubs, and flowering creepers, down to the water's
edge. The little hills around the city are covered with rich and

I ( I Travels in Tropical Lands.

varied vegetal ion, wliilr I he valleys teem with giant trees, amongst
the most useful and l)eautiful in the vegetable kingdom.

Of the city itself I have little to say. There is the usual plethora
of Roman Catholic churches and American bars, while Lesseps
has added one substantial l)uilding in the shape of a handsome
range of now, alas ! tenantless offices. But the streets are atrociously
rough, and the sanitary condition indescribal)ly bad. This, I feel
sure, has more to do with the uidiealthiness of the place than any-
thing else. The climate is humid and warm, but so are many places
in India and elsewhere in the tropics ; and it would be absurd to
suppose that a mere strip of land lying between the Pacific and the
Atlantic would continue to be specially unhealthy if cleared, drained,
and cultivated like any other civilised country. As it is at present,
the cemetei-ies tell their own sad tale — an ample acreage, but filled
to overflowing. On the one hand, as w^e drive along into the sub-
urbs, lie the remains of the common herd, little wooden crosses
being deemed sufficient to mark their resting-place. On the other
side, a smaller enclosure evidently contains mould of a more select
kind, the marble and Aberdeen granite headstones testifying to the
goodness, greatness, or prowess of the departed.

Historically, Panama is chiefly interesting to us as the quondam
headquarters of the Spaniards during the years they were spying
out with envious eyes that great land of promise, Peru. 'Twas
from here, 360 years ago, that the bastard, but ambitious, swineherd
Pizarro set sail with his cruel and greedy adventurers. Let us
follow him, afar off as it is. We can imagine with Avhat impatience
the months and years were spent in sailing to and fro while recon-
noitring his prey ; but it seems ridiculous to either credit or
altogether blame Pizarro for the so-called conquest of Peru : a man
who could not read a line in his own mother tongue, whose signature
was a clumsy cross, whose only redeeming quality was a certain
amount of animal courage, was not the man to carry out great
schemes. The inception, indeed, was that of a priest who furnished
the funds for the expedition, and the real instigator of the treacherous
mui-der of the too confiding Inca monarch was the wily monk who
accompanied the gang of butchers. The har(lshi])s, too, and terrific
temj)est3 encountered in the Pacific must have been rather over-
rated by Prescott, as the Pacific does not so frequently belie its
name as that eminent historian would lead us to suppose. My own
experience, at least, during several voyages at the same season of the

Panat)ia to Guayaquil. 1 1

year as Pizarro sailed, was in seas the very reverse of tempestuous :
the temperature was simply perfection, the air a positive luxury to
breathe after the moist atmosphere of the Caribbean Sea, while old
salts whom I consulted on the subject declared that this had been
their general experience during the past thirty years. Pizarro took
six weeks to accomplish the distance we covered comfortably in one
afternoon, namely, to Point Pinas, where he turned into the river
Biru, which some suppose to be the origin of the name Feni. After
sailing up this stream for a few miles he came to anchor, and pro-
ceeded to explore the surrounding swamps. There we must leave
him for a time. Pity it was he ever came out of them !

Peru in Pizarro's time, the magnificent, prosperous, and wisely-
governed laud of the ancient Inca, extended along the coast for
3,000 miles, including what is now Columbia, Ecuador, Chili, and
Bolivia. Since then it has been considerably curtailed, divided,
and subdivided into little Republics, each more corrupt than its
neighbour.

Now-a-days our fii'st port of call from Panama is Guayatjuil, the
commercial capital of Ecuador, sixty miles inland, beautifull}' situated
on the Guay, the finest river flowing into the Pacific. The island of
Puna, at the entrance, may be noted as the frequent rendezvous of
Pizarro and his crew. Ecuador is a rich and lovely country, owned,
however, by one of the rottenest little Kepublics in South America,
and this is saying a great deal.

The descendants of Europeans living near the Ecjuator seem to
degenerate more rapidly and thoroughly than they do at a safe dis-
tance. The descendant of the Spaniard here is a very different type
from the Chilian, for instance, Avho, with all his faults, is a brave,
active, and industrious man. I would recommend the traveller who
wishes to retain a pleasant recollection of Guayaquil not to land,
the city looks so veiy much better from a distance. But the country
around is a vegetable paradise, such as Britain, with all her tropical
colonies, can scarcely lay claim to, supplying spontaneously the very
finest varieties of tropical products and fruits, such as cocoa, coftee,
pineapple, plantain, and chirimoya, &c., the latter beyond all com-
parison the most delicious fruit I ever tasted, so unlike anything
else that it cannot well be described. Mr. Clements Markham, the
illustrious traveller, sjjeaks of it as "spiritualised strawberries," but
I do not know that this description conveys very much. The tree,
usually about 15 to 20 feet high, is a native of Peru, and belongs to

1-2 Travels in Tropical Lands.

the natural order called Anonad, extensively represented in India
and Ceylon l)y a relative known as the Sour sop, a rather refreshing
fruit in a hot climate, but coarse compared with this "master work
of nature."

Of commercial products cocoa is the chief, and yet there cannot
be said to be any cultivation. " At wliat distance apart do you plant
your cacoa trees ? '"' I asked an old planter 1 chanced to meet.
" IMant ! " he repeated reflectively ; " why, the donkeys plant all
our cacoa." " The donkeys ! " I exclaimed, with unfeigned surprise.
" Yes, yes," he hastened to explain, " the human-being-like animal
you English call donkeys." It dawned upon me that the man meant
"monkeys." And it turned out that, being fond of the fruit, they
occasionally made inroads upon the ripe cocoa, which they carried
to a distance, enjoying the luscious pulp, but dropping the seeds,
and thus extending the plantation.

In scenery 1 do not know that we have anything, in what we
(all our old world, to ((uite compare with the bold surroundings of
the Guay. What can we show equal to Chiml)orazo, when the
curtain of mist is obligingly withdrawn, exhibiting a perfect
])yramid, al)Out 21,000 feet in height, with its foundation in ever-
lasting summer, and its pure white summit in eternal Avinter, or
the still l)older and more rua2;ed Peruvian Andes to the south, like
"mountains })iled on mountains to the skies?" The first impres-
sions such scenes have upon ordinary mortals are so overwhelming,
that the most, or the least, we can do is to calmly sit down and
exclaim, with the Turk^ — " God is great."

From Guayaquil, Payta, our next [loi't of call, and first introduc-
ti(jn to modern F*eru, is reached in one day, and never was a more
complete transformation seen. Last night we were sailing down a
noble river, lined on either side by banks of the densest vegetation ;
to-day not a particle of vegetable life is to be seen as far as the eye
can reach. From Aden to India the transition is equally remark-
able, but that takes a week to accomplish ; here, in a few hours, the
scene changes from moist luxuriance to an arid waste, from a damp,
relaxing climate to a dry bracing air, from dark chocolate soil to
light driven sand. "And this is a fair sample of what you will see
foi- the next 2,000 miles along this forsaken coast," says our ship
cajjtain.

The fact is, we have passed the dividing line which separates the
rainy from the rainless locality, and let me say at once I prefer the

Payta : Rainless Localities. \:\

latter. Kefreshing as the rain-drops are to the thirst}' soil and
flagj^ing plants, and taught as we long have been to look upon the
gentle rains as blessings falling upon the just and unjust alike, still,
it is not only found possible to live and enjoy good health in an
absolutely rainless country, but the soil can ))e i-endered even more
productive, as will be seen by and by, where the agriculturist does
not directly depend ui)on these fitful supplies of moisture from the
clouds.

It is, })erhaps, not strictly correct to speak of Payta as an
absolutely rainless district, as occasionally they do get the tail-end of
a shower here "about once in nine years," said the local weather
clerk, and then there is a rush of vegetation marvellous to look upon,
plants growing where seeds were never known to be cast, and par-
ticularly one was described to me belonging to the cucumber family,
but containing a sponge and soap ! — a formidable rival to Pears — of
which the inhabitants here stand much in need. But the most
valuable plant of the interior of this locality — for nothing is to be
seen on the coast — is doubtless the perennial cotton-tree, a very
superior variety, surpassing anything of the kind growing in North
America. No doubt with ordinary industry and judicious irriga-
tion the cultivation of this valuable product might be greatly
extended.

The next port of call to which 1 would like to introduce tlie
reader is Salaverry, about 300 miles south from Payta, and, as seen
from the sea, an ec^ually bleak and altogether unitrolected coast. To
land here without being drenched is next to inipossil)le. The poor
ricketty place itself is chiefly notorious for the iiiquisitiveness of the
not overworked custom house officials, who will examine the toe of
every stocking, and even peer into the tins of Swiss milk, {nirchased
perchance at Payta, and will charge duty thereon. And while 30U
haggle over the exorbitant demands, ten to one you lose the only
daily train by which you hoped to reach Truxillo. It is better
l)erhaps, under the circumstances, to calmly submit to a little
extortion than run the risk of being left in the lurch in such a place.

Truxillo lies about nine miles inland, was founded in 1535 by,
and named after the l)irthplace of, Pizarro. The city is a sort of
third-rate Lima, cont;uning about 15,000 inhal)itants, many great
and garish-looking churches, and a few more or less empty hotels,
all slowly falling into decay. On the roughly paved streets we now
and again meet a decaying sample of the dignitied Spaniard : while

14 Travels in Tropical Lands.

the only busy man in the place, the Chinese cook, to wit, comes to
his door for a breath of fresh air, or to look for a fresh customer.
In the Plaza — which corresponds to our public square — young Peru
may be seen loafing against the rail of the little central garden,
smoking cigarettes, and looking languidly at the few brilliant crotons,
Poinsettia, and Vincas which surround the fountain.

The priests, like great black beetles, creep stealthily along in
twos and threes, entering or emerging from the always open churches,
from which we can hear what is intended for sweet seductive notes
of music. But we must push on. A run of 20 miles brings us to
the centre of one of the most flourishing groups of sugar estates in
Peru. The Casa Granda estate, which I specially visited, is an
admirably managed property of some thousands of acres ; more
luxuriant cane, or cane richer in saccharine juice, could scarcely be
found, and yet this is an absolutely rainless district. Men live and
die here without having once seen a shower of rain, and wonder to
hear of the haphazard agriculturists of other lands, who simply plant
or sow their seeds and wait for the fitful clouds to water them.
Here the chief work and art of cultivation consists in applying
water when absolutely necessary, and withdrawing it the moment it
would prove injurious ; and, unquestionably, a richer cane is raised
by this means than is possiljle in the rainy region of the tro})ics.
The labour here is exclusively Chinese, experts at this particular
work, and I doubt if equally good results could be obtained by any
other class of labourers. The maturing of the cane is so managed
that there is a daily supply sufficient to produce 500 cwts. of the
finest sugar. The machinery is of the most modern description, and
the whole works and yards are thoroughly lighted up by electricity,
There are several other equally well-managed estates in the same
valley, and the cultivation might well be indefinitely extended for
hundreds of miles. It is merely a question of capital and suitable
la])Our. l>ut we must now resume our voyage for about 100 miles
further along the coast, our next port of call being Chimbote, at the
mouth of the i-iver Santa, the largest Peruvian river on the western
side of the Andes. This was the furthest point reached by Pizarro
on his first memorable voyage of discovery. He was satisfied with
what he had seen, that the country was not only worth the conquest,
but rich beyonil liis w ildcst dreams, and from here he was induced
to return to tell the story of his adventures to his avaricious masters.
I>ut, however prosperous the district of Santa may have then been.

Chimhote : Inca Remains : C'allao.

it is now a poor, abandoned place, and yet, with such an am[)lc
supply of water, it might vie with the richest spots on the coast of
Peru in productiveness.

As it is, it is chiefly interesting to the antiquarian. The remains
of Inca roads rival anything the Komans ever built in Britain, and
there are also the marvellous aqueducts, and more paiticularly the
hauchas, or mounds, scattered over the country at irregular intervals.
When opened these hauchas prove to be burial-places ; and beside
the bones curious pottery is often found, chiefly water l)ottles, of
which I secured a number of s})ecimens. The chief enterprise of the
place consists
in despoiling
the graves of
the ancient In-
cas. The bay
of Chimbote it-
self is remark-
able as the best
sheltered bay
on the coast of
Peru, protected
by a semi-circle
of rocky islands
which, though
here lacking

the vegetation which adorns the islands around the Bay of Panama,
supply the means of vegttation to many an unfertile spot on the
earth's surface. 8ea-lions, which .startled us with their roar as we
were coming ashore, and myriads of seals, frequent these islands,
daily basking in the sun. It is their refuse, and not the refuse of
birds, as generally supposed, that forms the bulk of Peruvian guano.

We make no further calls till we reach Callao, tlie cliief com-
mercial port of Peru, where, however, in the most uncommercial-like
way we were kept waiting two hours for the caj^tain of the port,
who was supposed to be at a cock fight. Our own dignified old

W ATEl; BOTTLKS

English salt is a Christian gentleman

and not a swearing man.

but

as he nervously paced the bridge he looked so uncommonly like a
man whom an "aith" would relieve that I wuuld not have ventured
near him had he not beckoned on me. " You are now leaving us,"
he brusquely said, "and will be coming in contact with Pt'iiiviim

IG Travels in Tropical Lavds.

officials ; my advice is, never believe one word they say, even
supposing they should swear to it on a cartload of Bibles." A
warning, I regret to remark, which proved not altogether unnecessary.

Callao has no special interest for us, with its (juays and wharf.-,
ugly warehouses, and polyglot population ; it is like any otlier seaport
town, and as Lima is only seven miles distant we prefer to pass on
at once.

And now, Avhen in the capital, I am afraid I shall disappoint you,
for I am not fond of cities; my heart longs always for the quiet country
beyond. A simple man, my tastes lie among the simple people on
the mountains, or in culling the common weeds by the wayside. I
cannot, therefore, enter here into any detailed description of Lima,
which at one time, we are told, was considered the gem of South
America, and though now somewhat sullied, is still beautiful ;
picturesquely situated, with a climate aluiost perfect, the sun rarely
scorching, and the rains never bedraggling the inhabitants.

The two chief characteristics of the city are perhaps its mag-
nificent churches, more than seventy in number, and its great l)ull
ring, Fla.~a de Acho, where over ten thousand weekly witness and
applaud the cowardly slaughter of poor helpless animals. From the
churches we might, perhaps, with advantage take one little lesson,
they are always open from 4 a.m. till 10 or 11 p.m., while here, in
Scotland, we build, liy a supreme effort, substantial kirks and then
lock them uj) for 312 days in the year. Foreigners laugh at
this, and I do think there are few greater absurdities to be seen
in any other part of the world.

The population of Lima may be about 130,000, but no one knows
exactly, as they have not succeeded in taking a census for many
years. The last attempt showed something like eight ladies to
every man, and the ladies are as famous for their beauty and energy
as the men are for their feebleness. The marriages seem only to
iiunil)er about S.") per ainuun, or less than 1 per 1,000, not a very
})rospei'ous sign.

Now for the hills. By rail to Chicla, 87 miles, thence on mule-
l>ack. This railway, it will be remembered, is, without any excejition,
the highest in the world, and the engineering the most audacious.
"We know of no difficulties," the consulting engineer said to me;
" we would hang the mils from balloons if necessary ! "

When rather more than half-way to Chicla we reach Matucana
station, at an altitude uf 7,788 feet above sea level, and here we

Matucann : Farnillar Friend-^.

resulred to sto}) for two days in order to get accustomed to tlie
rarified air. But we were uot idle. Procuring mules, we proceeded to
ascend the surrounding mountains. Matucana may be described as
a village of 250 inhabitants, situated at the bottom of a basin only a
few hundred yards wide, but widening out to 50 miles at the uppei'
rim, which is covered with snow. The hills rise at an angle of from
45 degrees to 75 degrees, and the so-called roads are really a terror
to think of. In the distance the mountains of Peru, or the Andes, look
as bleak and barren as Aden, and most globe trotters who take a passing
glimpse at them .say they are so : but such is not the case. I have not
yet seen an acre upon which the botanist might not revel, and but for
the fact that I had to watch with constant dread the feet of my mule,
I have never spent a more intensely interesting afternoon than I did
during this memorable ride. Up, up, we went, zig-zagging on paths
often not more than IS inches wide, and sloping over chasms that
made one blind to look down. Speak o' "loupin' owre a linn " ! here
is a chance for any lovesick Duncan I

But, oh 1 the flowers, the sweet flowers 1 who could pass these
unheeded ? So many old friends, too, in all the glory of their own
native home, to welcome us, and indicate the altitude more correctly
than any of our aneroids. First comes the heliotrope, scenting the

HKLITKlil'UM I'F.RIVIAM M.

air with its massive blue clusters.

AliEllATlM.

So diflerent from the straggling

e.Kotic in Britain or the leafy, lanky, plant in India. This grows in
the greatest perfection and profusion to about 8,000 feet above sea
level ; then come miles of l»right yellow calceolarias, intermixeil so
prettily with biiliiant led and blue salvias, every vacancy apparently

Travels in Tropical Lands.

filled up with lovely little lobelias, curious cupheas, and creeping
solanums, while our old enemy in India, the agcratum, everywhere
intruded its white thrummy head. Suddenly all is changed, and
hundreds of acres of the most beautiful blue lupine covers the
ground; this grows up to 14,000 feet, and then gives way for the

CUPHEA PLATYCENTRA.

«?^;aM»'

LOBELIA ERINUS.

anemone, sedum, and dandelion, which dispute with the snow the
limit of 15,000. We were contented, however, on this occasion to
reach about 13,000 feet, and, "sair forfochen " as we were, eagerly
accepted the invitation of a Cholo Indian to enter his hut ; and here
let me say that my ignorant prejudices against the Indian changed

LII'INS.

STOCK.

at once as I looked u})on this evidently happy and most hospitable
family. The best they had was placed before us, and one sweet
lassie, seeing we weie fond of flowers, disappeared into a tidy little
garden ;ni(l brought us such bouquets as I had rarely seen. Imagine

Crossing the Cordilleras.

real red roses, stock, fuchsias, sweet peas, gladiola, &c., mixed with
sprigs of fennel ! I could not help contrasting this delightful recep-
tion with what I had sometimes seen amongst more pretentious
l^eople.

We next halted at Chicla : altitude, 12,215 feet above sea level.
A dreary enough spot, where passengers not infrequently get their
first experience of sorroche, or mountain sickness, caused by the rarified
air, the disagreeable symptoms being headache, vomiting, and bleeding
at the ears and nose, the only cure being a greater atmospheric
presssure. Horses and mules from the low country frecjuently drop
down dead here from failure of the heart's action.

Leaving Chicla, the real tug of war begins ; the crest of the Cordil-
leras has to be encountered and crossed. A wretched road, made worse
by the debris from the railway, which, for the first fifteen miles, we
saw being constructed still far above us, the navvies hung over the

clifts by ropes, looking like venturesome apes.

Higher and still

higher goes this extraordinary zig-zagging railway, boring into the
bowels of the mountains and emerging again at least a dozen times
before it takes its final plunge for the eastern side of the Andes.
Meanwhile, we continue our scramble to the top of the ridge, 17,000
feet above sea level. I have no desire to magnify the difficulties
and dangers of this tedious ride. The great (piestion is — What do
we see when we get there ? This I cannot Avell magnify. It is not
a case of merely going up one side of a range, like the Grampians,
and down the other, but there is now
before us a tableland as far as the best
eyes can reach and ten times further,
with its hills and dales, lochs and
rivers, more than equal in extent to
Great Britain itself, at an average
height of al)out l."^,000 feet above sea
level.

Viewing this plateau from here, we
have spread out before us a region un-
like anything we have ever before seen,
far above the rest of the world, upon the
cares and troubles of which it looks
down with calm, if cold, indifterence, sharing none of its alarms, aiul
seldom indeed disturbed by the insane political broils of the lower
regions. The clear sky above, the occasional clouds chasing cacii

«^'^'

SALVIA AUGENTKA.

:^0 TntveU in Tropical LancU

other up from tlie vulley of the Amazon, only to be dissipated on
the snowy peaks which they cannot possibly pass, above all the
glorious sun, so welcome a benefactor here, that we can no longer
marvel that it was the great object of worship by the Inca. And all
this bleak but most interesting region has to be traversed before
beginning our descent into the promised land beyond, the real basin
of the great Amazon, for which we are now bound, a region which
even the Inca in the plenitude of his power never subdued, and, Ave
are assured, no living Peruvian has penetrated. It would be tedious
were I to describe too minutely the ride of the next few days
over the great grassy puna. Here is the home of the gentle llama,
a sort of link between the camel and the sheep, the wool of which is
so much appreciated ; the paco also, which supplies the world with
alpaca ; and their more timid relative, the vicuna, with wool still
more valuable. Here and thei^e we come upon the remains of roads
and crumbling ruins, indicating a civilisation which may date back
thousands of years, even before the advent of the Inca.

Of human inhabitants there are now comparatively few, but
such as there are, are interesting specimens of sturdy little High-
landers. The women, particularly, are admirable examples of a
hardy, industrious race. No finer female peasantry in the world,
I should say. The chief town of this region is Tarma, about
200 miles inland, altitude 9,800 feet, poi)ulation about 8,000. We
stayed for some days here, greatly enjoying its splendid climate— a
paradise for consum{)tive patients. Excellent wheat and barley are
grown here. This is also the home of the potato, it having been
cultivated here as carefully as it now is in Europe, perhaps hundreds
of years before America was discovered by Europeans. " Papa "
they are still called, being the old Inca name of the tuber ; and the
(piality is fully ec^ual to the best we have produced here ; more-
over, they have some varieties better than any of ours, one of which
I hope to introduce to Scotland.

It was in the end of Jul}', 1891, that one fine morning (every
morning is hue here), we managed to nuister our retinue,
and make a fair start for the famous low country. The peculiar
vegetation on the steep iiioiiiilain slopes — more grotesque than
beautiful— betokens a comparatively dry climate all the year round.
Such expanses of gigantic cacti and broad-leaved agave we had not
before seen, and prior to the age of mineral dyes, fortunes might
have been made hero in cocliiiioal ; as they still might l)e, by

Acohamha : Deserted Villages.

OO.NX'ULVLLVS.

.•uiy enterprising agriculturist who would devote his attention
to fibres.

The resplendent flowers of the cacti were just closing as the
morning sunbeams fell across their brilliant petals, and we, too,
were soon reminded that we were in the tropics, and were glad to hug
closely the little belt of trees which shaded the lower side of the
Avinding path.

Here a watercourse carries grate-
ful moisture to the Alfalfa (Lucerne)
fields below. The banks of this
little watercourse are a delightful
study. 1 can scarcely express the
pleasure I had in recognising so
many old familiar friends. The
trees were chiefly alder and buddlea ;
the former, our " ain arn," the latter,
with its silvery leaf, a well-known
native of 1 eru. Here also are veri-
table bourtree bushes ; there a line
of the beautiful Peruvian willow named after the illustrious Hum-
boldt. Nor can we pass without recognition the sweet little flowers
that clothe the margin of the rippling stream. The yellow calceo-
laria, ever ready to assert its nativity, blended with the blue salvia
and ageratums, various vincas, passion flowers, solanum, and thun-
bergias, all so familiar and all so much at home here, gave a peculiar
charm to this morning's ride.

We halted for breakfast at Acobamba, only
six miles from Tarma, from which we had been
I'ather late in starting. Acobamba is a beauti-
fully situated but decaying hamlet, with about
1,500 rather seedy-looking inhabitants, where nut
loner a"0 there had been more than double that
luiniber; and evidently destined before long to
become another deserted " Sweet Auburn," of
wliiili this grand Sjtanish colony furnishes so
many sad examples. Here already

" Half the bu.siness of destruction '.s done."
Every second house is in luins, and what had doulitloss once been
trimly kept gardens,

" .AihI still wlifii' many a ijai(lt.n IIhwit •rrows wild, "

CAXNA.

•>•>

Travels in Tropical Lands.

a
as

re now scenes of desolation. Mot without its interest, however, and
s one curious in such matters, I accomi)lished the feat of scrambling
through tho straggling fence " unprofitably gay," and I dare confess
explored the wild spot with more real pleasure than I would look
upon well-clipped bushes. Beneath a jungle of real red roses were
violets scenting the morning air, and many other exotics as far from
home as myself, including the gaudy geranium, southernwood, and
costmary — bachelors' buttons —

" The f?olden rod, and tansy running high,
That o'er the fence top smiles on passers by."

How tliey came there is a question we leave to others. Buxom
women squat under the trees, industriously weaving, on the most
primitive of looms, the cloth of which their husbands' jjonchos and
trousers are made, while their lords, such as they are, may be seen
loafing in crowds round the drinking bars on the Plaza. The tipple
here is apjiropriately called "chicha," made from fermented maize,
and similar to the ale from which raw grain whisky is distilled. By
no means a very deadly poison, " for," said our host, " these people
live to a great age, 110 to 120 years being not unusual "—but then I
daresay there is no Dr. Cramond* in Acobamba.

The padre, we are told, not unfrequently joins his flock in their
drunken orgies ; indeed, the so-called Church festivals seem to have
degenerated into blasphemous ribaldry, enough to make one shudder.
It is the boast of the proud Spaniard that he has at least given the
l^eruvians a language and a religion. The language may be all right,
liut we cannot congratulate them upon their religion, and who will
dare to say that it would not have been better for them had they
still been speaking their native quichiui, and reverently saluting the
"lorious rising sun as they wended their way to work in their well-
tilled fields as in the olden time when industry formed part of their
religion.

I have perhaps lingered rather longer over Acobamba than the
reader could have wished, l)ut it is the last remnant of a decaying
village I shall at present have to notice, for with the exception of a
half-deserted hamlet called Palca, a few miles further on, we see
little more of the homes of the mountain Cholos during our present
journey. The gorge, along Avhich our road threads its way, now
izradually narrows, a gurgling little torrent runs at the bottom, and

* A famous detector of would-be centenarians in the North.

Huacajyistana : Chanchamayo.

the presence of half-hardy httle shrubs, groAviiig without irrigation,
shows that the tail end of many a tropical shower must now reach
this limit. Amongst the native plants here, may l)e noted the
beautiful trailing rubus and the moimina : the bark of the root of
this plant is used for soap, and the Peruvian ladies archly ascribe the
beauty of their hair to the use of it. Amongst other plants there are
many brilliant billbergias, nightshades, &c. We were now 30 miles
from Tarma. The ravine gets narrower and more dismal looking,
and, as the sun has already sunk behind the mountains, we decided
to halt for the night at a })lace called Huacapistana, where there is
a very miserable
hovel in which be-
nighted travellers
are invited to rest ;
but such were the
surroundings, and so
strange were the bed-
fellows, that of that
weary night I have
.still leather more than
a hazy recollection
of lying watching mv
companion trying to
sleep with a loaded
revolver in his hand.
But nothing hap-
pened, and next
morning we were oM'
betimes. Steeper ami

steeper became the cuffke pl.xint.

descent. \\'e preferred " shanks mare " to the already tired
mules. Narrower and narrower became the gorge until it
culminated in two "tall cliffs which lift their awful form"
many hundred feet high, leaving only room for the now
raging river, and a very narrow path between. Once
through this, the valley opens out, and the vegetation assumes
a more luxuriant a.spect. Our aneroids indicate an altitude
of 2,600 feet, and the moist steamy heat tells us that we are
trul}' in the tropics. The district is called Ciianchamayo, where
for 20 years a number of Frenchmen and Italians have been trying

24 Travels in Tropical Lands.

their hand at cofiee, indigo, and sugar-cane growing, it nuist he
confessed, witli very indiffeieiit success, though, certes,

" If vain their toil,

Tliey ought to blame the culture, not the soil."

Hut these men have been sent out without much jn-evious training.
" That is a splendid specimen of cinchona," we said to a planter,
])oiuting to a tree near his Inuigalow. " Cinchona!" he exclaimed,
in real amazement, "I have been 15 years here, and never knew
I had been cutting down and bttrning cinchona trees." In Chancha-
mayo we learned that the Convent of 8an Luis, on the borders of the
Chunoho country, was about 25 miles distant. We had letters of
introduction to the chief priest there, and after resting a day in the
house of a hospitaljle Frenchman, eagerly pushed onwards. The
trip was now getting decidedly interesting; the scenery and vegeta-
tion improved as we proceeded, while the prospect of meeting real
Fi-anciscan monks was by no means distasteful ; for although I have no
gi'eat leaning towards the Spanish priesthood, still I honestly tried
to go forward unprejudiced, thinking oidy of the monks of old,
and the good they did in their day. But this convent was a
revelation to us. We had never seen anything quite .so filthy and
suspicious looking before, and would have gladly escaped within an
hour ; indeed, did so, and began erecting our tent at a safe distance ;
l)ut were im])lored not to insult the reverend fathers by refusing to
accept their hospitality, an infliction which we now- bore patiently
for several days. We Avere introduced to a lumiber of Chunchos,
Miserable specimens they were, and more familiar than pleasant,
who had left their country for their country's good. Just as a
herd of elephants in Ceylon occasionally expel the incorrigible
rogues, so the Chunchos, it seems, have their outcasts, male and
female, who make a pailey-ground of this Convent — fit converts to
this specious mockery. After sundry, rather meaningless, postpone-
ments, we at length got a start. In Peru every good work is to be
<lone to-morrow : " manafia " is in ever^'body's mouth on all
occasions. I often wonder what the degenerate Spaniard will do
wlien there is no longer a "manafia." Two priests who professed
to know the country volunteered to accompany us. The start was
made on a Saturday morning, and as the padres pretended that they
were pre})ared to hold service in a village next day, we flattered
ourselves that we would still have another Sunday in something like
civilization; btit we have not yet seen the village, much less the service!

Untrustivorthy Guidefi. 25

Peruriaiis are not famous as travellers. As a rule, they know
very little of their country. They have their Geographical Society,
forsooth ! and possess maps, more or less inaccurate, compiled by
industrious foreigners ; but the richest portion of the interior is
})ractically a terra incognito to them. " Have you ever been to the
interior V I asked a leading authority in Lima. "No, my dear sir,"
■was the naive reply ; "I never but once rode twenty miles, and that
only because the Chilians were at my back."

But the worst weakness of the Hispano-Peruvian race is their
utter inability to tell truthfully the little they do know. David
said in his haste that all men were liars, but had he lived at present
in Peru, he might — as the Scotch minister put it — say the same, very
deliberately. The common people are born and bred to it, but their
lies are clumsy, palpable, and comparatively harmless. With the
priests and privileged classes, however, it becomes a studied art.
"We must dissimulate," said the chief priest of the convent, and I
will give him the credit for consistency in this ; for during the three
Aveeks I had the opportunity of studying this great economist of
truth, I never once knew him utter a word that could be relied upon.
And yet we must own to the weakness of being over and over again
misled by the arch-deceivers. Forgetful of all warnings we went on
trusting that by some accident they might prove truthful to us.
Such were the guides with which we entered the great Trans-Andean
forest after crossing the Pucartambo rivei". We were a goodly com-
pany to start with, consisting of seven Europeans, as many Cholos,
and a .score of mules. The shade of the gigantic trees seemed
grateful at hrst ; like pas.sing from the hot blazing noonday to
the cool dim gloaming. But the road was a villainous rut at a
gradient of about one in three, a width of about eighteen inches, and
knee deep in something like liquid glue. Before we had gone five
miles one-half the cavalcade had come to grief, and it was some
weeks ere we saw our pack mules again; indeed, 1 l)elieve some of
them lie there still. We soon found out that the padres knew as
little about the path as we did ourselves, and the upshot was we
were benighted. Shortly after six o'clock we were overtaken in
iidvy darkness, yet we plodded on, bespattered with mud, tii-ed,
bitten, and blistered by various insects. Whole boxes of matches
were burned in enabling us to scramble over logs or avoid the
deepest swamps. At last there was a slight opening in the forest,
and the ruins of an nld thatched shed were discovered, witii one end
3

26 Travels in Tropical Lands.

of a broken beam still resting upon an upright post, sufficient to
shelter us from the heavy dews. It turned out to be the tomb of
some old Inca chief whose bones have lain there for over 350 years,
and there, on the damp earth, we lay down beside them, just as we
were. Our dinner consisted of a few sardines, which we ate, I shall
not say greedily, for I felt tired and sulky, keeping a suspicious eye
upon the Jesuit priests. We had resolved before leaving home that
we would never move on Sunday, but when next day dawned we
saw the absurdity of sitting in that old damp sepulchre longer than
we could help.

We were told, by the way, that the Ijones we were handling
were the bones of Athawalpa, so treacherously murdered by Pizarro ;
but in Peru, of course, every such tale must be taken cum grano salis,
and in this case the remains turned out to be those of a pretender
who died about 1740. A start was again made without much regard
to toilet, and we rode for a few hours, till the path the Government of
Peru had prepared for us came abruptly to an end, and we were not
sorry. This })ath, which we had the pleasure of wading along for some
20 miles at a gradient of one in three up and down, is looked upon as a
great piece of engineering for a Peruvian, and so delighted were the
authorities in Lima with the achievement that they actually bestowed
upon the engineer-in-chief the degree and title of Doctor. 1 have in
other countries travelled in tracks traced and made by elephants, and
had reason to admire their gradients and marvel at the topographical
knowledge displayed, but anything so perfectly idiotic as this atro-
cious trail I had never before been doomed to follow so far. It was a
relief to leave it and cut our own way through the jungle, or follow
occasionally the paths of the Chunchos who come hither for salt.
The Cerro de Sal, or mountain of salt, lies a few miles to the west,
])rovidcntially placied here for the benefit of the poor natives who
come from many hundi-eds of miles around. The supply is said to
be practically inexhaustible, and as to its savour and purity I can
well vouch, having for months used it as it was quarried out of the
hill. Soon after leaving the Peruvians' path we found ourselves
upon an extensive paj mi al, or patena, as Ave call it in Ceylon, where
the great forest abruptly and completely ceases, and we have instead
a grassy sward, it may be from a few acres up to a few thousand
acres. Here there are al)out 500 acres, and our

' ' Scottish fa iries never trod
A greener nor a softer sod."

A Glorious View. 27

But our chief delight was in the glorious view. 1 shall never forget
that calm, bright Sunday afternoon when we looked out for the first
time on the great interminable forests of the upper valleys of the
Amazon. Right in front of us as we stood Avith our faces to the
east were evergreen hills of various altitudes, all richly clad, and
undulating down towards the great plains of Brazil. We were
standing at a height of 4,600 feet, but, even in that clear atmosjjhere,
could see but a comparatively short distance ; still it showed better
than any words can convey the extent and richness of this vast
reserve, and the absurdity of the cry that the world is getting over-
crowded. Whj^, we have only as yet been nibbling at the outside
borders, and are now trying to peep over the walls of the great
garden itself. The extent of this unbroken forest is probably
greater than ouv whole Indian Emj)ire. "From Plymouth to
Peterhead," said Mr. Stanley, in describing the extent of forest he
came across in Africa ; but here is a forest stretching as far as from
Plymouth to Timbuctoo, with a few hundred miles to spare ! In
estimating this I adopt the figures of that very reliable authority,
Alfred Russell Wallace, who travelled in the lower portions of this
forest for some three years, and whose definitions of the upper
Peruvian boundaries I can confirm. Behind us tower the snow-
caj)ped Cordilleras, from which the ever watchful condor swoops
down in search of prey— and woe to the unwary traveller who may
be found sleeping or exhausted on these distant and dismal moun-
tain passes ; but our immediate surroundings are mild and peaceful
to a degree. The faint buzzing of bees, the subdued chirping of
finely feathered birds, the flutter of brilliant butterflies, are the
only commotion in the air, itself the perfection of summer tempera-
ture. What a glorious spot in Avhich to form a <|uiet, comfortable
home ! Quiet it certaiidy would be — lonely it might seem to those
accustomed to town life : but healthy it could scarcely fail to be at
this altitude, where the climate seems similar to that of the liest
parts of Great Britain — say Braemar in August. Imagine this all
the year round, every montli seedtime and every month harvest.
What crops of vegetables and fiuit niight not be produced in such a
climate and in such a soil I Had })()or old Malthus only been per-
mitted to look upon a country like this, so rich, and yet so tenant-
less, his pessimistic fears of the ijopulatioji outgrowing the means of
sustenance would have (piickly vanished.

Right below we could see the Iviver I'erene wending its way to

26 Travels in Tropical Lands.

swell the mighty Amazon, and our object now was to get down to
this tributary. Unfortunately, we had lingered rather too long over
this view, and it was four o'clock ere we felt inclined to move.
Better for us had we pitched our camp there for the night, but we
were induced once more, against our better judgment, to believe the
padre, who declared he could in two hours take us to the house of
one King Chokery, a Chuncho chief. " I know the way," he said,
as he mounted his mule, but scarcely had he gone a hundred yards
when the so-called way became impassable, each step being
a droj) of five to six feet. For a time we dragged the
poor animals after us, but ultimately had to leave them behind,
plunging into the forest again just as it was getting dusk. We were
now down to about 2,000 feet above sea level. The air was very
steamy and the vegetation most luxuriant, but we were past the
stage of studying botany. Tantalised by thorny creepers, like the
"wait a bit" of Ceylon, tripped up by gnarled roots, rising again
only to have our hats knocked off by an overhanging branch —
elegant fern trees and beautiful palms may be there, but we are in no
mood to admire. We now come to a newly-burned clearing,
intended for yucca, as we afterwards learned. It is not by any
means the first clearing we had scrambled through, but this had been
so badly lopped that the fire had only succeeded in burning the
leaves and blackening the branches. To scramble through such a
confused mass in daylight tries the best of tempers. You can
imagine what it Avas for tired men in the dark.

Ashamed to think how we had again been befooled by the
dissembling priest, we plodded on, shouting till we were all hoarse,
and listening only to the echo from the opposite ridge. Still
we knew, if we kept on descending, we must, sooner or later, come
tcj the river. But our strength and patience were getting sadly
exhausted, and every five minutes we had to sit down to breathe ;
the perspiration pouring from us in little streams.

The night was calm, and a death-like silence reigned all around,
not even a jaguar growled, not a monkey chattered, Init we could
now hear the distant murmur of the water, and. Oh, curamba I a
human voice at length answered our call. Nearer and nearer we
drew to the spot, and at length, through an opening in the jungle,
saw the swinging of a fire stick. A few minutes more and half our
troubles were forgotten in shaking hands with the owner of the
welcome voice. This gentleman turned out to be the King's

King Ghokery.

medical adviser. I do not
know if he had taken his
M.D., but the learned
doctor had at least one
European word which he
used to crood etiect—
"Amigo ! Amigo !" he
said, as he shook hands
with us. It turned out
the King was prostrate
with fever.

The palace was simply
a thatched roof sui)ported
by a few jungle trees, and
on a raised bench in the
centre of the only a})art-
iiient lay His Majesty,
groaning. Our chief priest
cautiously approached, un-
buckled his flask, a sort

Tin; ylKK.N.

KING CHOKKIIY.

of bladder he always
carried Avell ])rimed with
rum — the only spiritual
matter he dealt in. The
tube attached to this he
placed in the royal mouth,
into which he injected a
lilieral sui)ply of the spirit,
whicli for the moment had
the desired effect. The
King, lifting his head, in-
ilicated that we might be
]iermitted to lie down on
tlie earthen ffoor at his
feet, and there we lay,
supperless and saturated
with perspiration, till next
morning. 1 arose, I need
.scarcely .siy, but little
refreshed. Hut then the

oO Travels in Troijical Lands.

surroundings were so intensely interesting that I soon forgot
my aching limbs as I gazed upon the marvellously beautiful
vegetation. ^Ve were within a hundred yards of the liver
I'erene, and after a bath in its clear tepid water I felt
fit to tackle the manioca roots upon which we breakfasted.
Our immediate surroundings in the palace were, however,
very filthy, and the curiosity displayed l)y the royal family
became rather inconvenient as they grew more familiar. They
had never, for instance, before seen human beings with anything
in the shape of beards, and seemed greatly amused as they
came to rather closely handle us. The Queen, by the way,
seriously suggested that 1 would be much improved by being well
tatooed, and actually proposed carrying the operation into effect
herself — a decoration, however, which to her great disajjpointment
I, being a modest man, protested against.

For day after day^ we had to remain the involuntar3' guests of
this curious household. Our object was to get down the river, and
we had to await the recovery of the King before labour could
be commanded, and balsas (rafts) made. But the time was
not altogether wasted, for we made daily excursions into the
forest, with increasing interest and admiration. Never had I
seen such a variety of plants. It is one of the characteristics
of tropical vegetation that plants of the same family are less
sociable, as it were, than in the cooler regions of the world.
In North America, for instance, the same dark green pine
covers thousands nf square miles, and in Australia the dingy
eucalypti and myrtle monopolise half the ground ; or, nearer home,
that most sociable of all plants, our heather, still covers a very
large extent of our country. There is nothing of that kind in
the purely tropical regions ; and here, in the U{)per tributaries of the
Amazon, the variety is almost incredible, for scarcely two plants of the
same family can ])e seen growing side by side. Diversity is the rule,
natui-e delighting both in variety and conti'ast : one tree upright as
an areca palm, another sloping over a chasm ; one with bark smooth
as ivory, the next prickly as " acacia horrida." Exceptions there
are, .and one might be seen in most river banks, viz. — the balso
wood (ochroina piscaioria), as if providentially placed there for the
natives, who invariably use its remarkably light wood for their rafts,
'i'he ochroma has a cotton-like fruit whicli miuht be used foi' stuffinar
beds, &c.

Tt'opival Vegetatioi). 81

The graceful ivory palm (p/u/felepha^), may also be seen in
small groups, indicating the very richest spots of soil. Near
to this may be found a solitary cacao {thcdhnuna), WO to 40
inches in circumference, and rising to the mature height of 50
feet.

Coffee, of course, is not found wild here, but at intervals we came
upon gigantic .specimens of the cinchona, both calisayaand succirubra,
6 feet in circumference. Tlie walnut of Peru, an undescribed species
of Juglans, is frequently seen in the Perene Valley, growing to a
height oF 60 to 70 feet. Satinwood there is also, but not the satin-
wood of Ceylon (rhloro.^ri/lon) ; for though the wood looks similar,
the family (ebenacea) is in no way related to our Ceylon tree. The
indigenous coca, as an undergrowth, we rarely came across, except in
semi-cultivated patches. Gigantic cottons, the screw pine {catiudovia)
— from which the famous Panama hat is made — the grand scarlet
rtowering erythrina, and another tall and brilliant yellow-flowering
tree— probably the laburiumi of Peru — add much to the beauty of
the scene. Many other leguminous plants we also noted, particularly
calliandra and clitoria.

Innumerable orchids, mosses, and ferns, sufficiently indicated the
humid nature of the climate. Probably the chief distinguishing
feature in Peruvian vegetation is that it is an essentially flowering and
fruit-bearing vegetation, rather than the excessively leaf-producing,
which so distinguishes the luxuriant greenery in Panama, the West
Indies, and Ceylon. Peru, undoubtedly, [jossesses a richer soil, and
a climate more favourable to fruit bearing ; while, compared with
the massiveness and grandeur of the Trans-Andean forest monarchs,
the jungle trees of India and Ceylon are somewhat ditiiiinitive. A
few plants we missed ; the beautiful and useful yellow bamboo is not
there, nor are the palmyra, talipot, and cocoanut palms. The jak
and bread fruit trees might also be introduced with great advantage.
The cultivated grasses of the East, the Guinea and Mauritius grass,
are here already, l)ut as a nutritious fodder they cannot be compared
with the "Alfalfa."

There cannot be said to be any cultivation here, but we can see
by the well-beaten footpaths leading to them that certain plants are
more highly prized than otlieis, and coca {eri/thivxi/lon) is one of the
chief favourites. Around little patches of this plant the jungh^
is occasionally cleared away, and tlie coca leaves are carefully
harvested.

32 Travels in Tropiad Lands.

Coca, from which the invaUiable drug, cocaine, is obtained, is a
native of this locality. It is a plant not unlike the Chinese tea,
thouij;h scarcely so sturdy in habit, growing to a height of from four
to five feet, with bright green leaves and white blossoms, followed l)y
reddish berries. The leaves are plucked when well matured, dried
in the sun, and simply packed in bundles for use or export. Pro-
bably tea might be treated in the same way and all its real virtues
conserved in the natural vessels of the leaf till drawn out in the tea-
pot. The fermenting and elaborate manipulation introduced by
Chinamen is of doul^tful utility. Of the sustaining power of coca
there can be no possible doubt ; the Chunchos seem not only to exist,
but to thrive, upon this stimulant, often travelling for days with very
little, if anything else, to sustain them. Unquestionably it is much
superior and less liable to abuse than the tobacco, betel, or opium of
other nations. The Chuncho is never seen without his wallet con-
taining a stock of dried leaves, a pot of prepared lime, or the ashes
of the (juinua plant, and he makes a halt about once an hour to
replenish his capacious mouth. The flavour is bitter and somewhat
nauseating at first, but the taste is soon acquired, and, if not exactly
palatable, the benefit under fatiguing journeys is very palpable.
Cold tea is nowhere, and the best of wines worthless in comparison
■with this pure unfermented heaven-sent reviver.

The chief food of the Chuncho when at home is, however, the
yucca (jatroha manihot), the cassava of the East, which also
obtains a certain amount of care and protection, in this case
almost amounting to semi-cultivation. The plant may be
freely grown from cuttings the thickness of one's finger,
stuck obliquely into the ground. In about nine months
the roots, the only edible part, are fit for use. They look
like huge kidney potatoes, or roots of the dahlia, and taste when
boiled something between a waxy })otato and a stringy yam.
Roasted they are better. Still, one wearies even of roasted
yucca ; for weeks I had no other solid food, morning, noon, nor
night, and, though duly thankful for these mercies, I have no craving
for another course of yuccas. AVith the Chunchos, as I have said,
they form the chief food. Fish is the favourite accompaniment,
though they do not despise a slice of wild turkey when obtainable,
which is but seldom. Black monkey and white maggots are deli-
cacies set before the king.

They have no regular meal hours, but eat like cattle, whenever

i|:(lil|iS (i.N TIIK ]!ANKS ill-' T||K I'KI: KM;.

'II: iJAi.sA (I.N I III: ij.i,i..m:.

Doum the River. .'i:3

they have a mind to. That is to say, if food is at hand, if not, there
is always the coca.

The papaw (carica) is here one of the most abundant of indi-
genous fruit trees. The eastern world has been indebted to Peru
for many good things, arul the best variety of papaw is one of them.
The pleasant, melon-like fruit is not only very agreeable and diges-
tible in itself, but it has the property of helping the digestion of
other foods, particularly Hesh meats, with which it may come in
contact. Even the leaves rolled round tough beef is said to tender
it, and the most ancient fowl hung up in this tree for a night will
become like chicken. The juice is used by the Spanish ladies as a
cosmetic. But the most valuable product of this prolific tree is
fibrine, so beneficial to the dyspeptic. One peculiarity is that its
male and its female fiowers grow on separate plants, and tlie tree is
thus called jnijHU/a, or inmnai, according to sex.

After a weary wait of eight days the royal patient began to show
signs of recovery, his subjects coming in crowds to call upon him,
bringing presents, generally large white maggots, about three inches
long, which the King greedily ate.

On such occasions it was curious to note how, on the approach of
visitors, the ladies disappeared, just as ladies sometimes do nearer
home, reappearing again in all the dignity of the warpaint of their
tribe. The preliminaries seemed soon over, and, hunkering down in'
a circle, the social chat over the latest sensation at once had full
play. No doubt ive formed the chief topic, and, judging from the
loud laughter of the company, were evidently looked upon as harm-
less lunatics, frequent allusion being made to bunches of flowers and
weeds we had gathered, which caused much merriment.

King Chokery at length gave orders for balsas to be made, and
trees were at once cut down and fixed together by pins of palm
wood. The balsa, or raft, consisted of seven logs, about 2i inches in
circumference, rather roughly pegged together, but suthciently
buoyant to support three of our party on each. Seven of these rafts
carried our company of twenty ; the King accompanied us, and as he
himself liad never been forty miles down the rivei', it was an
interesting voyage of discovery to all concerned.

We started in single file, I electing to sit in the prow of the
foremost balsa. It was a glorious morning, and as we glided onward
at the late of four miles an hour, through ever changing, but always
enchanting, scenery, the eft'ect was indescribably exhilarating.

34 Travels in Trojncal Lands.

Every nerve seemed stretclied to the highest pitch of enjoyment ;
the eyes, glancing from scene to scene, took in more impressions
than the mental powers could take note of. Such a wealth of
vegetation seems to mock at the idea of a few poor puny planters
ever making any impression upon it. The leafy monarchs may
indeed he cut down, but who is to keep that interminable under-
growth in check. Beautiful as these creei)ers are as tliey hang in
festoons from the lofty trees, they almost bid defiance to the progress
of explorers, and a path cut, which in other countries would remain
open for years, would here close up in a few weeks. Such seems
the ine.xhaustible fertility of the soil, and such the forcing nature of
the climate, that there is a mixture of awe in our admiration. In
every other country we know, the more fertile the soil, the more
friendly it is to man ; but here, its excessive fertility has led it to be
looked upon as an enemy to his progress. But, as an old planter, I
do not despair of its fertility being yet turned to good account. If
we could only tap the labour supply of India and China, where there
are millions to spare, and conduct the stream hither, the result, if
well directed, would bring a wealth of supplies, such as the world
has not before been blessed with.

Turning a bend in the river we are struck by what seems the
ivy-clad ruins of an ancient castle ; but it turns out to be onlj^ an
aged tree clad from top to bottom with verdant creepers, its huge
horizontal arms supporting a perfect screen of living trellis-work
below, while ferns, lycopods, and rare orchids, beautiful in hue as
they are grotescjue in form, grow upright from the damp decaying
bark. The original tree itself is so hidden that it is hardly recog-
iiisable, but from its curious buttresses we suppose it to be a ficus.
Kight behind, on the steep bank, stands a lovely scarlet erythriiiii,
40 to 50 feet in height, in full flower ; while, 100 yards to the right,
a still taller tree, with bright yellow blossoms, stood out con-
spicuously — evidently a very near relative of our own laburnum.
To the left is a grou}) of palms, near to whicli we can see a grand,
specimen of the cinchona tree, and another of the cacao. One of the
noblest trees in this forest is the walnut, a variety new to us.

The whole scene is one of surpassing beauty, but it nuist be
remembered that from the river we see it to the greatest advantage.
The leafy boughs naturally bend to the light and lean lovingly over
the water, while flowers can only bloom in the blight sunshin(\
Nothing could be more dismal than to scramble Ijeneath the daik

Amongst the Chunchoi^. 3'>

forest, and the further one penetrates the more monotonous it gets.
Scarcely a tiower or a bird is to be seen there ; all such life is at the
top. Not even the snakes will cross your path, for they too are
children of the sun. It is like living in a dark cellar and longing to
get out into the cheerful light again.

Merrily our rafts glide down the river. Here and there we have
a few yards of rocky rai)ids, requiring careful navigation, but beyond
an occasional ducking nothing of importance happens to us. Natives,
armed with bows and arrows, creep from below the trees and look
at us Avith evident wonder and some susi)icion, but ofter no active
hostility ; or we suddenly come upon them as they are shooting
their arrows into a passing fish. Our jHu/rc here astonished the
natives by throwing in a charge of dynamite, the result of which
Avas five or six dozen fine fish on the surface within a minute. This
diabolical and unsportsmanlike mode of fishing is, I am sorry to say,
daily practised by these Convent fathers. There was a tremendous
scrimmage in the water after the dead fish, and by the time it was
over the sun was sinking behind the trees. Moreover, heavy rain
set in, causing us to seek such shelter as was obtainable.

We followed the Chunchos into the jungle by tortuous paths for
about a mile ere we came to a hut ; but before being permitted to
enter, we were first led to witness their prowess as marksmen, the
target being a banana tree at about 40 yards distant, which was
.soon bristling with arrows. Sufficiently impressed with this, we
were allowed to enter a hut, iil)Out 10 by 20 feet, into which we all
(about 30 in number) were huddled for the night, and, after drink-
ing a little Liebig's E.xtract, tried to sleep, but without success.
We lay on the floor like sardines in a box, our liosts crowding on to
a rude bench in front watching our every movement. The house
was so narrow that my head lay right below the eaves, which con-
tinued to drip all night. Sleep was an impossibility. The Ciuuichos
drank their abominable masato, and soon became uproarious, evi-
dently cracking their favoui'ite jokes, judging fioin the screaming
lausrhter. This was varied li\- an idiotic wav iliuwc .uhI in other
respects their deportment was even more objectionaljle. We are
apt to imagine that man in a perfectly natural state must be a very
delightful and interesting creature. On the contrary, my experience
is that no other animal is less lovable or more repulsive in its habits
than a thoroughly untamed man or woman. These Chundios, or
"Camyjas," are evidently the remnant of a very barbarous and low

30 Travels in Tropical Lauda.

caste race of untameable savages, recognising no laws, and killing
each other with as little compunction as we kill our rodents. On
the night before we passed down the river, a woman and two
children were tumbled off a raft and diowned. It seemed the
standing joke of the day, and no one more enjoyed it than the
woman's husband, who danced with fiendish glee the whole night
through, encouraged by the screaming laughtei' of the native ladies.
If loud laughter, by the way, l)e a healthy and happy sign, the
Chunchos are to be envied. My experience of mankind, however,
is that he who laughs loudest and is most easily moved to tears is not
always the man to he most trusted. 1 was not sorry to sec the sun rise
next morning, and did not linger long over our early breakfast,
which consisted of tea and yucca, the latter like badly-boiled
potatoes.

Once more on the river we were all alive with excitement.
Several tributaries fall in ; one, the Ipuki, equal to the Don in
volume, adds palpably to the depth and force of Perene, upon which
we are now carried at the rate of about 5 miles an hour. Denser
and denser became the forest, now no longer relieved by patches of
grassy land. Such perfect lands for coffee and cocoa cheered the
hearts of old planters, while such unheard-of varieties of orchids,
ferns, gloxinias, begonias, and caladiums, were enough to drive a
botanist frantic.

The question here naturally arises. Why has this rich country
been allowed to remain, from the creation to the present day, in a
wild and desolate condition ? — a country capable of supplying
many millions of inhabitants with not only the necessities of life,
l3ut also all the luxuries the most fastidious a})petites could desire.
When Avc see so many less favoured countries crowded and cultivated
to the utmost, it does seem strange to see this magnificent land left
to a few Chunchos, who are really little better than the monkeys
that gi'in on the branches above them. Practically, it is no mans land,
for it has never been taken possession of, the present nomadic tribes
recognising no laws, no government, no God.

In every other country we know men have succeeded in subject-
ing the productive powers of nature to his sway ; and is there no
liupe that such will yet be the case with the valleys of the Amazon ?
Are men always to despair of utilising this marvellous vegetation,
and to be for ever overwhelmed by the excessive bounties of nature ?
Surely the time has come, or will soon come, when this, the richest

CAT'l'I.KVA A.MKTllSTlKil.dSSA.
Caiiiiiioii III! III! /'iiiiijxi lli'iiiiiisii. I'crii.

The Rapids : Mutiny. 37

portion of the globe, will no longer be entirely left to nature and
the few wandering tribes who are so utterly incapable of making any
proper use of it.

We had landed for luncheon under a far-spreading rubber tree,
and so refreshing was the shade and inviting the scene that we fain
would have pitched our camp there for the night in order to
thoroughly explore the locality, but our guides, who were fast
becoming insufferable nuisances, urged us onwards, stating that
the cascades were still a long day's journey off and that we ought to
push on for a few hours more, so as to reach them before next night.
So again w^e started, but had scarcely moved 300 yards when I, still in
the i^row of the first balsa, began to feel we were gliding along
rather faster than Avas pleasant, and distinctly heard a not very
distant roar like muffled thunder. All at once it dawned upon us
that we Avere uncomfortably near the rapids, and the greatest possible
exertion was required to beach our rafts. 1 never jumped on the
banks of a river with a greater feeling of relief. We had now time to
take a leisurely view of the rapids. Though not more than four or
five feet of a fall in any one place, a succession of these was sufficient
to obstruct further navigation, though lasting onl\- for a few miles,
probably under ten. Our aneroids told us we were now 1,050 feet
above sea level, and as the water has quite 3,000 miles yet to run
before reaching the Atlantic, the average fall is not great "\^'e
would now have naturallv wished to Avork our Avay down to the
Atlantic, by far the easiest and most natural outlet, but we were
under orders to visit other tributaries of the Amazon 200 miles to
the north, so we had reluctantly to wend our way back. We slept
that night rather comfortably under a tree, but before going to rest
I shot a large snake whirli hung from a branch above us, and the
only one we saw during oiu- sojourn. Next morning we arose more
refreshed than usual, explored the country a little, finding the vege-
tation now gradually assuming a low-country type, took some photos
of the rapids, and then prepaied to start on our return voyage. A\'e
found, however, that something like a mutiny Avas breAving in the
camp. The priests declared that the rum was done, and that it Avas
ridiculous to think that men could live in this country Avithout
drink. The King grumbled because the jam Avas finished, while the
C'hunchos struck work for no earthly reason at all. For a time Ave
moved aAA-ay slowly and sullenly, chieHy by walking along the
margin of the river, for about two miles, when matters came to a

oS Travels in Tropical Lands.

deadlock. Tlic cliief priest disappeared, and we never saw him
more, the reverend Inother slyly followed, stealing the few bottles
of spirits we had carefully laid aside in case of sickness. Our own
servants also vanished, we knew not M'hy nor where ; and just as the
shades of evening were closing in we could see by the lurid light of
a log fire, suspicious movements in the surrounding jungle. The
natives, in short, were gathering in force, each armed with a bow
and a bundle of arrows. They peered at us from behind trees,
and a])i)arently awaited a signal. It was a trying moment, and
the })robabilities were against our escape. .Still, the uppermost
feelings in our minds seemed to be that the actions of even those
creatures are under the control of a greater Power than a Chuncho
chief or a pseudo priest, and that practically we were in no more
danger than we might be comfortably sleeping at home.

Meanwhile, Ave hugged our rifles and revolvers, collected our
cartridges, and continued rubbing oui' weapons. It was at this
moment that one of our party burst forth with " 0, gin I were whar
Gaudie rins " which he rendered with much i)athos. Shortly after-
wards we observed our Chuncho visitors l)eing served with drink by
an old crone Avhose vocation was evidently to prepare the stimulating
beverage. The drink was followed by a dance, and again the old
crone appeared with the big pumpkin bottle, and drink and dance
alternated till the hilarious company seemed to forget and ignore
our very existence. This went on "till daylight did appeal*.'" We
had, of course, never shut an eye, and did not feel very brilliant,
but considered ourselves fortunate in being alive enough to coax a
few of the soberest of the gang to help us up the river with our
rafts. !!y dint of great exertions we succeeded in getting about six
miles onwards before breakfast, overtaking the truant padre, No. 2,
who, having drunk a whole bottle of brandy, fell asleep over it. It
would be tedious to tell of oui- struggles for the next few days and
nights ; suffice it to say we once again i-eached the King's hut in
safety, which, after such roughing as we had gone thiougli, seemed
a palace indeed.

We parted from the lojal family in the most amicable of
terms, presenting them with souvenirs of our visit in the .sha})e of
l)eads, mirrors, hatchets, and a gun. King Chokery — or, as the
Peruvians ])refei' to call him — " KindnKiuiii," is ])y no means a very
l)0werful potentate ; his followers are not inmierous, nor very
energetic. A nomadic race, the Cam])a.<5, or ("hunchos, are here

The Chuncho. 39

to-day and fifty miles off to-morrow ; of iiicdiuiu lieight, fairlv
muscular build, and dark hrown colour. They are usually found
in groups of two or three families, living under the shelter of palm
leaves. They chiefly feed on fish, at the catching of which — witli
rude wooden hooks — they are very expert. They also appreciate
the yucca when obtainable, Avhile white grub, ants, and even lice
are great delicacies. When travelling, the coca is an absolute
necessity. Their language is an extraordinary jargon, intelligible
oidy to a few, a totally different language cropping u]) every forty
or fifty miles. This probably prevents anything in the shape of
extensive combination, either for good or evil. They are wholly
unacquainted with agriculture. But though jNlarkham speaks of
these Chunchos as " untameable savages, barbarously cruel, showin-'-
the greatest hostility to the advance of civilisation " — and, locally,
we were told they had already mas.sacred and eaten several European
planters— and though we are bound to say that their reception of us
was not particularly gracious, yet they showed no active hostility, and
we shall ever take a kindly interest in watching their future fate.

Poor Chuncho ! the time seems to be approaching when, in vulgar
parlance, you must take a back seat ; Init it must ])e acknowledged
you have had a long lease of those magnificent lands, and done very
little with them. Whatever may be the value of the unearned
increment, you have no claim for permanent improvements. The
world, indeed, has been made neither ])etter nor richer by your
existence, and now the space you occupy— or rather wander in — to
so little purpose, is reqiu"red, and the wealth of vegetation too long
allowed to rnn to waste, must be turned to some useful account.
The world was probal)ly very young when you first found your way
into this war-m valley, but you have failed to " dress it and keep
it," and the fiat has gone forth. You must make way for others.
Albeit, this is not a case of dispossessing. In no sense can those
\agrant tribes be called possessors of the soil. Creatures in a state
of such abjectness, who do not evince the slightest desire to improve
their own condition, could not, under any cii<'umstances, be expected
to ever render the pampas of the Amazon fit for civili.scd man.
Still, it is devoutly to be ho})e(l that the i-ough and ready way
British pioneers too often take to civilise such aborigines will l)e
avoided in this case ; and who knows but even the Chuncho may in
the course of time learn the arts of civilised life .? Anything that
would stinudate such dormant intellects into an appreciation of the

■lO Tntvels in Troj)ical Lands.

value of their surrouiidings, would be an improvement on their
present condition.

In slioit, this Itrautiful valley of the Perenc has now become the
l)roperty of a British Corporation, the concession having been duly
ratified by the Peruvian Goverimient, and an-angements are in
progress for est;d)lishing a planting colony upon a scale never before
attem])ted in Peru.

This land, as selected and conceded, extends to 1,250,000 acres,
sufficient to grow the world's present requirements in coflFee, cocoa,
coca, chinchona, rubber, sarsaparilla, and vanilla, &c., for all of which
both soil and climate are admirably adapted. Here Avill be a favour-
able opening for many a trained Indian planter, and many a restive
youth in England and Scotland will here find elbow-room of the
most interesting and lucrative description, helping, I hope, to solve
to many an anxious father the problem " what to do with our
boys."

It would be unwise to under-estimate the hardships, discomforts,
and even dangers to Avhich such pioneers Avill be exposed, though these
are of a nature which must daily diminish as the colony gets
established.

The outlet, the want of which has hitherto prevented the
profitable development of this region, will soon be supplied l)y rail
to the Pacific, while roads to the nearest navigable port on the ri^er
Avill give two strings to the bow. Danger from the native Chuncho
will not be formidal)le once a colony of a few' thousand are settled,
and it is to be hoped the Government of Peru will rise to the
occasion by giving every possilile facility, encouragement, and
protection to the planters and intending settlers. This, w^e may be
assvu'ed, will come in time. The fii'st and greatest difficulty will
l)e the obtaining of a supply of suitable labour. Euro[)ean labour
has never been found, and never will be found, suitable for jmrely
tropical agriculture. Yet, Peru, though situated wholly within the
tropics, offers a unique choice of climates, there being thousands of
square miles on the higher table lands and highland Aalleys where
settlers from any c()nceival)le country might find a congenial home,
and prol)ably add materially to the length of their days.

The Perene valley, however, for a tropical climate, seems
remarkably healthy ; there is little or no malaria, few mosquitoes,
while leeches — the great pest of Ceylon — are unknown. " May the
Imly mother forbid ! " prayed the priest, when we enquired as to the

Tlw Perene : Climate and Fertility. 41

existence of leeches in the forests. There is an abundant supply of
the purest water, flowing freshly from the snow-topped mountains,
almost within sight. On the hanks of the Perene we nightly slept
in the open air, and drank almost hi)nrly of its waters unfiltered ; a
thing we could not with impunity \eiiture to do in any other ti'opical
countiv I know. Ajjart from the purity of the water, the evenness
of temperature seems here to l)e the chief secret of immunity from
sickness. Paradoxical as it sounds, in most hot countries it is the
cold that Jdlls. The along-shore winds of India and chilling evening
l)reezes in Australia are more to he feared than Red Sea heat or
Panama steam.

There are, unfortunately, no meteorological records to consult in
this country : no barometers in the Perene valley ; no rain gauge
ever known in the planting district of Chanchamayo. A pro})rietor
in the latter valley, of wh<nn I made the relative inquiries, laughed

for full five minutes, and then exclaimed, " 0, L d ! tiie idea of

asking such a question ! " So that there is no other means of
estimating the aACi'age temperature or rainfall than liy a minute
stud}' of the flora and vegetation ; and to this alone I was indebted
for such facts as I personally gathered regarding the climate.
Amongst the travellers who have previously visited this j)art of the
world, and ha^■e written of its wealth and capa])ilities, perhaps none is
more reliable than Professor Orton, the intrepid American, wiio foi-
years made the eastern slopes of the Andes a special study, crossing
and I'ecrossing the Cordilleras several times — alas ! leaving his bones
near Titicaca at last. Mr. Orton ne\er, it seems, A'isited the Perenr
vallev, biu liis general description of the country a])plies with
special htness to this locality, and is all the more valuable coming,
as it does, from an independent scientist, whose palpable object, like
that of our own A. K. \^^lllace, was to ascertain and publish only
the unvarnished truth.

" Peru," says Orton, " has immense capabilities. She is the
France of the South American continent. All the fruits and grains
of the earth here find a cougeni.d and fertile soil. With the great
Pacific on her left, and the navigable sources of the Amazon on her
riirht ; with mountains of mineral wealth untouched ; with hi<rhland
salleys, like the o\erhanging gardens of Babylon for beauty ; and
with plains ami reclainiable pampas which might ecpial Egypt in
fertility, she i.s, potentially, one of the richest countries on the
globe."

42 TraceLs iii Tropical Lands.

No other rouiitiv c;iii tuniisli G,000 miles of contiinKju.s iiiteni.il
iiiivig;itii)n foi- lurge vessels. For 2,000 miles from its mouth, the
muin stream has not less than seven fathoms of water, and not a
fall interrupts navigation for 2,600 miles. It is impossible to avoid
disking the question what is to become of this great region — this
grand system of inland navigation — these thousand and one products
of nature 1 The wealth of an empire is yearly lost in these bound-
less forests. These rich lesources, lying almost at our very doors,
must soon api)eal to that restless spirit of enterpi'ise whieli, not
content with its past triumphs, longs for new conquests and a wider
field of exercise. One looks forward to the dazzlintc future of this
great valley, " when the ships of all nations will ci'owd the network
of rivers." Specifically, the description of the Pei-ene \alley may
be briefly summed up as a richly-wooded region, situated on the
eastern slo})es of the Cordilleras, in latitude 11'' 5', longitude 75° W.
It belongs properly to the great \alley of the Amazon, and we name
it after the princi])al river by which it is watered.

The Perene is formed by the junction of the Chanchamayo and
Pucartamba rivei's, from which point it may be said to l>e navigable
for 50 miles, when the navigation becomes obstructed by a few miles
of rapids, after which all is reported to l)e plain sailing to the
Atlantic. For 50 miles the Perene Hows in an easterly direction, till it
meets with the Ene and becomes the Tambo. Still flowing eastward
for 60 miles more, and then turning suddenly to the north, it meets
with the Ui'abamba on its way from Cuzco, and the two unite into
the mighty Ucayali, now na\igable for large steamei's for 700 miles,
which in its tui'ii unites with the still mightier Marafion, to form
the greatest river on the glol)e.

Leaving the Perene, we now wend our way once moie up to the
great plateau, halting for a few days in passing through the planting
<listrict of Chanchamayo, without ha\iiig occasion to modify our
minds as to the system of tropical agriculture, by which the poor but
kindly colony of Frenchmen here make a precarious living. Some
<if them had at first ti'ied the cultivation of indigo, with the I'esult only
of introducing a troublesome weed — no one there knowing how to
])re])are the product for the mai-ket.

Coffee was next tried, and the plant seems to have thri\en as it
seldom thrives in the East, even with greater care ; but inasmuch
as there were no rcjads ui)on which to carry the crops away, this
•enterprise also collapsed, oidy a few scattered patches now remaining

Rwfii-maklng : Shocking Scenes. 43

to show the capal)ilities of the soil ;ind climate. Sugar-cane now
absorbs the nnclivided attention of the planter, and all the available
labour force is concentrated upon this one pioduct. In this case
there is a local market, the demand, indeed, exceeding the present
possibilities of supply. Unfortunately the demand is for nim, not
for sugar. Not an ounce of sugar is made, and the alcohol distilled
direct from the juice is of the very vilest desciiption. The presence
of hundreds of purchasers— amongst whom I observed a local i)adre
— waiting to buy the stuff hot from the still, is one of the most
saddening sights I have seen. Notliing could be more shocking,
except it be the muster three times a day of all the field lal)oui'ers
to receive their allowance. Men and boA'S — often mere children —
greedily gulp down the atrocious liquid, and go off again to work
in a blazing sun, with the thermometer over 100°. So rare is it for
any Cholo labourer to refuse his glass of alcohol, that the onh'
exception on a large estate was pointed out to me, and I at once had
him photographed as a curiosity. One can hardly conceive that any
employer should so systematically demoralise his lab(jur supply. Yet
such is the common practice here, and such is the demand for drink
by outsiders, that a dozen distilleries are unable to meet it. Seeing,
liowevei-, that the vice is really fostered by the priests, it is less to
be wondered at that the ])]atitcr has not the moral coiu'age to set
his face against it ; but that this should be the only enterprise ex-
isting on the borders of the great Pampa Hcrmosa, from -which we
hope so much, is surely greatly to be deplored.

I was glad to escape from these somewhat depressing surround-
ings, albeit the scenery is very fine, almost equal to anything in
that surpassingly beautiful isle wher-e " every prospect pleases."
Here the straight and stately trees show a greater immunity from
tearing winds, the pure air is less humid, while the am])le waters of
the river rolling down the valley so cool, clear, and sparkling, form a
sti'iking contrast to the muddy Mahavillaganga ; and though here
no graceful bamboos liend oxer the stream, nor gigantic spikes of
talipot tower a1)0ve the suiiounding greenery, theie are still many
l>rilliantly flowering trees and |)illars of gorgeous creepers which are
as yet strangers to Ceylon. What a ])aradise for millions of the human
race these regions might l»ecome if— and there is more than usual
\irtue in this if — they could but attain to a uise aiul stable (jovernment.
Homes might be foimed here such as few tro])ical lands could boast
of. As it is, there is an aii- of comfort and plenty about the tidy

44 Travels in Tropical Landa.

liltle ljiui2;alows of tliesc French colonists wliicli I have not found
elsewhere in Peru, while the produce of their vei^etable gardens
Avould put to shame many of the beef-eating planters of India and
Ceylon.

Amongst the most vigorous of indigenous ti-ees — as I have
already noted^ — is the cinchona ; and although much has been made
of the achievement of the German botanist Justus Karl Hasskai-1,
who was the first to introduce this valuable medicinal ])lant to the
eastern world, there is no one Avho now sees how widely and pro-
fusely the several varieties are distributed over this vast expanse,
can entertain the remotest fear of the product becoming scarce oi-
exhausted. Give but roads, labour, and political Cjuiet, and these
regions would supply enough of cinchona, coffee, and cocoa to sweep
the Mrs. Malaprop of Java out of the market — l)room and all !

We now contmued, and greatly enjoyed, the ride upwards into
the bracing air of the mcKuitain zone, and on the second day reache*!
the village of Acobamba — altitude about 9,000 feet above sea level,
and a tempei'ature as near ])erfection as I ever experienced. One
is not surprised to learn that the only doctor in this locality is
unable to gain a living, and tliat in order to keep him alive at all,
the authorities make him an allowance from the tax on spirits.
Barring accidents, one can scarcely imagine the necessity for a
functionary of the soi-t in such a delightful climate.

Our road now di\erged to the right, our destination l>eing the
source of the Huallaga, another important tri1)utary of the Amazon.
The road proved a very good one for Peru, and lay through some
of the most interesting portions of the Sierra, at an average height
of 12^000 to 1;5,000 feet above sea level, rising gradually through
fruitful though narrow valleys, in which the usual fruits, flowers,
and vegetables of temperate regions are abundant. The peach
particularly ga\ e great promise, while both ajiple and ])ear wei-e
also I'ich in blossom. But the indigenous forest trees are now few
and far between. The Eucalypti of Austi'alia seem to take most
kindly to this climate and soil, and there seems no reason why large
tracts of the Sierra sliould not be clothed in hea\v forest.

This Sieri'a extends to an average of about 100 miles in width,
by fully GOO in length, and, although the climate in the more
sheltered valleys is chai'ming, on the higliei' lidges we experienced
very violent storms.

After travelling for about fifteen miles we halted for breakfast at

Tlte CJiolo and the Inca. 45

a place e-alled Palcomayo. Here the native Cholos may l»c seen at
their l»est, living a very priniiti\ e, but fairly industrious life, plough-
ing their fields somewhat after the manner of the Singalese, and in
the same way treading out the grain by the feet of the unmuzzled
<»x. The crops are chieHy barley and maize, the latter, notwith-
standing the altitude of 10,000 feet, bearing heavy crops of large and
well-ripened cobs. Soon aftei' leaving Palcomayo, howevei', the
Sieri-a becomes more and more bleak. Still, the soil is a rich, black
loam lying upon a bed of conglomei'ate, and we gaze with wonder
upon the gigantic remains of many a " hanging garden " that
prol)ably had been highly cultivated 1,000 years before Columbus
was born. The water, too, is there in abundance, bursting forth in
marvellous springs fi-om the mountain sides, enough to drive a
dozen mill-wheels or irrigate many thousaiids of acres : but the plod-
ding Inca husbandman is no more, and his poor, impiovidcnt
successor has been drawn away by his Spanish masters to other
fields of enterprise — chiefly silver mining.

Tn days of old, the wise Inca monarch dug onlj- as much silver and
gold as were absolutely necessary for immediate use, and then closed
the mines till a further supply was required. On no account was the
cultivation of the land neglected. The Inca kings by example and
precept ever declared agriculture to be, as AVashington has since
expressed it, "tlie most useful and most nol)le employment of man."
Neglect this, and under any circumstances, a couiitiy becomes poor
and the people deteriorate. The gold and silver, guano and nitrates
shipped from this country may have eniiched many others, but to the
working Peruvian it means, and means oidy, deterioration and ruin.
" I'roiul .swells the tides with loads of freighted ore," &c., kc.

As we ascend higher the veidure gets jioorer, the climate
ilecidedly colder, and the air uncomfortably light for all wlio have
not been born and bred on the Sierra. We seem suddenly to have
become asthmatic, and our mules too gasp for brcatli. Xt length
we reach a talileland. Foi- many miles on cither >itlc and ahead as
far as the eye can re;ich, stretches a green sward, Hat as a bowling green,
upon which lai'ge flocks of prettily spotted sheep and dimiruitive cattle
graze, while tailless pigs of the most degenerate type disport in the
mossy swamps.

Occasionally a timorous herd-la.ssie will hide her head as we pa.s.s,
but she will never omit to mutter the courteous " buenos dias," oi-
" buenos noches,"' as the case niav be; und e\'ei'\' now and ai^ain we

46 Travels in Tropical Lands.

meet herds of (li)iikcys, mules, and llamas, trudging along with jjacks of
ore or provisions. These are usually di-iven l>y women, while the hus-
bands walk unconcernedly behind — or if there he a spare donkey, the
man is sni'c to be seated upon it, for women in this part of tlie world do
all the laliorious work, and, it must be confessed, look all the fitter for
it. AVherever we met a wife .md husband walking she invariablv
le(l the way and carried all tlie Imrdcns, at the same time spinning
yarn to clothe the miserable creature who toddles ])ehind her. The
secret of the better physique of the females here is probably that
they live a more active life and diink less rum. Even the soldiers,
such as they are, requiie women to carry their arms, and if it ever
comes to be a war between the sexes in Peru, I know Avhich side I
shall be prepared to back. 1 one day witnessed a single combat,
and took due note that the wife here unquestionably justifies hei-
title to the "better half."'

A bitterly cold wind was driving a keen shower of hail in our
faces as Ave entered the township of Junin just as it was getting
dark. The length of day in Peru varies but little, daylight lasts
from 6 to G all the year round, Avith \ery little twilight.

Junin, though giving the name to an important department, is
itself a very poor, dreary, and comfortless place. Situated in an
open plain, without the ghost of a bush or tree within sight, not
even potatoes will groAv nor oats ripen, for the altitude is noA\-
13,300 feet above sea level, and one oidy wonders how a township
came to be hei-e at all. The few hundred shivering inhabitants
seem to do little beyond sitting looking at the portal of the grand
cemetery — apparently the oidy cheerful prospect for them — and the
passport even to this is jealously guarded by a fat priest, the only
Avell-to-do man in the place. We looked abotxt for a hotel, but
found all such institutions had been shut uj) during the Avar Avith
Chili, and were not yet reo{)ened. At length Ave Avere fortunate enough
to find a jiartially occtipied shed of tAA'o apartments, one being
tenanted by an invalid nursing a gun-shot avoiuuI, the other con-
taining a table and three rather ricketty beds — for Avood is very
scarce here and iron very dear. Vie gladly took possession of this
shelter, and ultimately discovering a hole in the Avail, evidently
meant for a fireplace, we succeeded in obtaining some turf and dried
dung, and, by dint of great perseverance, managed to light a tire.
We had not much wind to spare, Imt each took his turn at bloAving.
The smoke, hoAvever, could get no vent at all, and after a time it

Junin : Inliosp'duMc Region. 47

became uncomfortably thick, the incense from the dried cow-dung
being particularly pungent and objectionable. Still, it was prefer-
able to .star\'ing, and we bore it heroically. We got a Chola woman
to manufacture some sort of soup, upon which, in the absence of
anything better, we contentedly dined. This "soi)a'' is the national
dish of Peru, an indescril)able compound, varying very much accord-
ing to locality or altitude, but remorselessly administered to travellers
everywhere and at every meal, morning, noon, and night, some-
times as a prelude to something more substantial, but frequently it
is the beginning and the end. On the sea coast and in Lima this
"sopa" is a fairly palatable dish, always hot, and usually rich in
meat and vegetables, but as we go up country it gradually gets
thinner and cooler, till, on the Sierra, it is simply tei)id water with a
few lumps of badly boiled potato or yucca floating in it. After
})urtaking of this we tried to comfort ourselves with some good
Ceylon tea, but even this was a failure, for at 13,:?00 feet water
boils at much too low a temperature to make good tea. We no^\'
went through the ceremony of going to bed, but it pi'oved a some-
what tedious night, and when moi-ning at length came it brought
the report that the ])aths were quite obliterated by snow, in con-
sequence of which we could not [)roceed. It was not a cheering
prospect, the entertainment in Junin for man or beast being of the
scantiest. By 10 o'clock, however, the sun shone out in all his
tropical glory, aiul in ;i few minutes melted the mantle of snow which
had so completely enveloped the country. Nevertheless, as one of
our party was indisposed, wc were ul)liged to postpone our onward
movement for a day. ^Meanwhile 1 went out, kodak in hand, to
take such stolen peeps of the nati\es as their superstitious fears
would permit, but the women would have none of it, bolting into
their houses, while the men stood stolidly around the always numer-
ous diinking bars, evidently wondering what new species of inter-
lopers we were. The buildings — never very su])stantial — -were all
more or less dilapidated. "The Chilians did it," was the invaiiablo
response to all en<iuiries on the subject, and this, with something
between a shrug and a shudder, showed how thoroughly cowed the
poor creatures have been. Anything more desolate than the sur-
roundings of Junin could not be conceived. A vast treeless plain,
bounded on two sides by tlic summits of the snow cl.id Cordillci-as,
rising still 10,000 feet above us, l>ut in tlie distance, and sparkling
in the morning sun, looking like .i scries of alab.tstcr palaces, huge

48 Trdvels in Tropical Lands.

su.^.-xr loaves, or pillars of salt. Ikit the turf under foot was green
and inviting, so I sauntered out a few miles in search of
anything in the shape of plants. Tliese Avere not numerous,
but always interesting and curious. The Hrst to attract my
attention was our old friend the dandelion — the veritable
kuntodo7i taraxacum, there is no doubt about it; but in adapt-
ing itself to this cold, breezy climate it has become literally
stemless, the Howers growing so close to the root that they
could only be got at by digging them up carefully with
the point of a knife. I also found a few sedums, one anemone,
and a mimulus, all hugging as closely as they could to the ground.
But the most curious plant in this region is a cactus growing in the
shape of a moun<l, a foot or a foot and a half high, of a greyish
yellow colour, and at a little distance looking exactly like a crouch-
ing sheep or deer. These little mounds are formed of dwarf cactaceaj,
the leaves of which lie close to each other, showing their grevish
spines ovei- all tlie surface, giving the plant the appearance of being
covered with I'ough wool ; the Howers are found hidden amongst
these spines, never rising above them, and so striking is the re-
semblance to a crouching animal that we were more than once
deceived by it.

Our next day's journey proved moie interesting, travelling as we
<lid along the margin of the lake of Junin — otherwise known as
Chinchay-Cocha — about 80 miles in circumference, and, with the
•exception of Titicaca, the largest lake in South America. Its height
above the sea is 13,150 feet.

This is historic ground in which the Peruvians take some pride,
jind yonder stands the monument to commemorate their })rowess,
the decisive struggle to cast oft' the yoke of Spain having been
fought out here T)y the help of the highlanders, who have least
profited by the so-called indei)endence. Poor Cholo ! to him the
Spanish (Jovernment may have been oppressive, but the more
unstable Kepublic has proved his ruin.

The battle of Junin had not been a very stupendous aftair, as
decisive battles go, but it seems to have been enough to satisfy the
royalists. The engagement is graphically described by a trust-
worthy eye-witness, Mr. James Thom})son, a native of Edinbiu'gh,
who had for some time resided in Peru as agent for the British
and Foreign Bible Societv. He wrote home to his fiiends as
follows : —

Tin' HatiU' of Junin. 4l>

" Having touched upon this subject of the Spanish cause here, I
cannot forbear mentioning to you the singular interposition of
Trovidence on behalf of the cause of liberty in this quarter. On ilic
Gth of August, 1824, the two armies came in sight of each other at
a place called Junin, between Pasco and Tarma. The consequence
was that a battle took place between the cavalry of the two parties.
There were 1,200 of the Spaniaids, and 800 of the patriots. The
concussion was tremendous, as they came \ip to each other at full
gallop. In a quarter of an hour upwards of 400 men lay dead upon
the field, more than three-fourths of whom were royalists. All this
havoc and slaughter was caused l)y the lance and sword, principally
by the foimer. Not a shot of any desciiption was fired. In a short
time victory began visibly to declare for the Spaniards, and the
general at the head of the patriot cavalry was made prisoner. At
this critical moment, by some scarcely explained movement, the
Spaniards got somehow into disorder, and began to give May. This
was followed up by the jjatriots, and in a very short time they
obtained a complete victory. The whole of the Spanish arm\' was,
in consequence of this defeat, struck with a panic, and by forced
marches endeavoured to get out of the way of the enemy as fast as
possible. Bolivar immediately advanced, and the Spaniards con-
tinued to flee before him with all speed. On the 22nd August, only
fifteen days after the battle, the advance guard of the patriot army
entered Guamanga. Five of the finest provinces of Peru thus fell
into their hands in the short period of about a fortnight. The
Spanish army has been sadly reduced and dispirited l)y their lapid
retreat, and the army of Boli\ar has increased in numbers and in
strength. I consider this to be a deadly blow to the Spanish cause
in this quarter of the world, fiom which 1 think and hope it will
never recover. With this cause will terminate, I trust, the reign of
oppression and violence, of ignorance and fanaticism, in Peiu. by
which it has been borne down for these three hundred year.<. So
})erish all tyi"a?niy and ignoi-ance from the earth."'

Sanguine aspiration.?, unfortunately never lealised, for tyranny
under loyalty l)ecame doubly tyrannical under the iicpublic. And
it is curious to note tli.it. uiidt r ilic nld regime, Mr. Thompson must
have had far greater facilities for promoting the cause he had so naich
at heart than would be possible at the pi-esentday. Pi'()l)ably the priests
were less sensitive and more liber;d in their views duiiiig the stage of

50 Travels in Tropical Lands.

transition than they are now disposed to be. Mr. Thompson seems
to have been permitted to 0])en a school in Lima, on the Madras or
Lancasterian system, which he taught for several years.

In the afternoon we reached a hamlet called Carhumayo, a village
of a few hundred inhabitants, all apparently steeped in poverty and
clothed in rags, a characteristic of this portion of the Sierra. We
had to force oui- wwy through a howling, staggering, gesticulating
crowd, who surrounded a few rather less tipsy dancers — the only
really rational-like men of the lot being the fifers, fiddlers, and
drummers, if I except the Padre, who, on this occasion, it is but
right to say, seemed quite sober. We soon learned that this was
one of their saints' days — ^even the chief of saint days — the Santa
Rosa ft'te, the grandest of all the year. But, when one makes
minute enquiries as to how these poor Cholos usually occu})y their
time, it is found that from one year's end to another they are chiefly
employed in what they have been taught to look upon as "religious
ordinances," into which they enter, it must be confessed, with more
than ordinary' spirit and enthusiasm. The saints' days are very
numerous, and no sooner is the excitement and headaches of one fete
over than preparations are begun for the next. These preliminaries
consist in brewing or buying a cask of fire-water and making collec-
tions of all the available food. Let any casual traveller offer to purchase
a pig, he is at once told it is " St. Peter's pig," or to buy poultry, and h(;
hears they are reserved for the "Holy Mother." Church festivals, in
short, are the great businessof their lives, bydue attention to which they
earn, at least, what is called Christian bui'iai. The marvel is where
the money comes from, Proljably the sale of cattle or a few weeks'
earnings from the mines is sufficient.

Notwithstanding the noise, we s})ent a in'ght here in tolerable
comfort. The altitude, however, being 13,300 feet, we required all
the wi'aps and blankets Ave could gather. The frost was keen at
night, and the average temperature of the day did not seem to
exceed oF. On the following day we continued for a time riding
along the margin of the lake towards Cerro de Pasco. The lake
literally SAvarmed with geese which seem seldom distui-1)ed. W'c
had a little practice with our revolvers — the only firearms we had
with us — but did not succeed in bagging any game.

Our path now gradually led us away from the lake, and the
gradients became steeper. Here, too, a ti'ack to the right was
pointed out as leading to the Hauncabamba, where an attempt has

Cerro de Fasco : Silver Mining. 51

been made, with partial success, to form a German colon}-. About
forty years ago some HOO Germans were induced to form a settle-
ment here, and the fact that a considerable number still remain to
tight against bad roads and cruelly heavy taxes, speaks vohmies for
the soil and the climate. We afterwards met several of these colonists,
who looked the picture of healthy, hardy sons of toil, though as full
of grievances as — but not more so than — the average British farmer.

The altitude was now rapidly getting higher and the temperature
correspondingly lower. Terrific showers of hail obliged us now and
again to turn our backs to the storm. When within a few miles of
Cerro, we stopped to examine sundry little works where the silver
ore was being treated with the rudest possible appliances. Broken
up like road metal, it seems to be brought to the works in bags, and
first ground to powder 1)y huge circular stones moving in a trough,
very much like the process by which our grandfathers crushed the
furze for winter fodder. The powder is then mixed with salt and
toasted in an oven, after which it is moistened with water and
mixed witii quicksilver. The mass is after this trodden out by the
feet of mules — a cold, tedious, and laborious process. It is then cast
into a cistern and a stream of water is turned upon it, when the
amalgam sinks to the bottom, while the mud runs ott'. The amalgam
is next hung uj) in bags, through which the ([uicksilver oozes out.
leaving a residue of pure silver.

We at length reached the famous silver city of Cerro de Pasco, the
liighest inhabited town in the woi'ld, and one of the oldest, richest,
and most renowned silver-mining centres in South America. What
Broken Hill is to Australia, and Zeehan promised to l)e to Tasmania,
Cerro de Pasco has for centuries been to Peru. The township,
which contains about 9,000 inhabitants, is situated on the eastern
slope of the Andes, amidst surroundings as filthy and forbidding as
it is j)Ossibl(' foi' any place to occupy. We threaded our way
through the disreputable-looking ciowd to what they were pleased
to call Hotel del I'niverso. We had already seen and experienced
some rather comfortless quarteis during our travels, but anything so
unutterably filthy as these premises we had never come across.
The i)assages reminded us of a neglected poultry run in wet wefither,
liut wln'ti we entered the bedroom we could only stand speechless
with dismay, wishing ourselves back in the wilds of Pereuf. To
sleep there was impossiV)le, but we had a good coal lire and spent
the niicht in sitting o\ei- it as best we could.

52 TniveLs la Tropical Lands.

In the morning we bethought oui-selves of presenting our
credentials to tlie Sub-Prefect of the disti-ict. Now the Sub-Prefect
is a veiy important personage in Peru, contriving, amidst the most
s(|ualid poverty to erect and furnish a house, the very gorgeousness
of which is expected to strike awe amongst the peoi)le. It was into
one of these spacious drawing-rooms we were ushered, and as we stood
upon the rich Brussels carpet and gazed at the gilded mirrors, garish
})apering, .nid somewhat suggestive pictures, we heard the approach
of this born prince of officialdom. Politeness is a poor word to
a])ply to the deportment of this stately dignitary. Our language is
not rich enough to convey anything like an adequate idea of our
reception, for surely the Hispano-Peruvian Prefect excels all others
ill oiitward courtesy. There may not be much sincerity, and
<;ertain]y there is much sameness in it, as we had already learned
the beautiful blarney by heart. "My house, such as it is, my
family, my servants, &c., are all at your honour's service," Avas
iin ariably the greeting we got, and hitherto, as expected, the stereo-
typed thanks had been our only response ; but in this extreme case we
resolved to accept the house, which we did, and at once took up our
uhode in this grand reception-room for a couple of days, no doubt to
the chagrin of our pompous host, of whom, however, we saw but
little more during our stay. We rarely left the one room, finding
the adjoining compartments and conveniences did not bear a critical
examination, and the climate is such that there is little pleasure in
taking an excursion around this highland township. In the morn-
ing all is usually buried in snow, by 10 o'clock the people wade
amongst slush, and by afternoon the dust is blowing. At this
height above the sea-level (14,518 feet) few can live save those who
urc lioni and hred on the Sierra, even donkeys frequently di'op down
from failui'e of the heart's action, while it is a curious fact that cats
cannot exist many hours after arrival — a few scramMes up the walls
and they fall back to mew no more !

The silver-mining industry, as at jjresent cirrietl on here, con-
sists in working u]) the tailings left by the old Spanish miners.
From these about 8 marks per cajon, oi', say, 'lloz. silver {)er ton,
aie being extracted. This, it will be obsei\ ed, is a \ cry poor return
compared with Australian mining, wheie tiie average is from 40 to
120oz. ])er ton ; but with proi>er mining and modern appliances
there can l)e no doultt tliat the yield here would l)e very much
greater. The prevailing rock is conglomerate, the silver occurring

Tlie Source of f/ip Ilxndhuhi. o'-\

in the native state, also as mixed with pyrites and oxides, forming
what are known as pacos and colorados. A large quantity of
mercury is used in treating the ore, so wastefully indeed that two
[)ounds of mercury are lost for every poimd of silver extracted.
Fortunately, there are mines of (piicksilver within easy distance.
During the hist 250 years the yield of these mines has been valued
at something like £83,000,000, but before they can again be worked
on anything like an adequate scale an extensive system of drainage
will be absolutely necessary. With this, and the extension of the
rail from Oroya, Cerro de Pasco might still rival in liches all the
Broken Hills and Zeehans in the world.

On the morning of the third day we left Cerro do Pasco without
regret. The snow had fallen heavily during the night, and the
sti'eets lay several inches deep as we cantered out of town. The
wind was as cold as the bitterest east winds of Edinburgh. The
2)oor mules shivered from head to foot, while the rarified air caused
us to feel as if suffering from a bad attack of asthma.

About a mile out we observed the first little patch of green we
had seen for several days, and, riding over to examine it, found a
tiny well with a clear little stream trickling away from it ; just starting
on its way to the Atlantic, a distance of about 4,000 miles. This is the
source of the Huallaga, or, as some geogra})hers say, the real source
of the Amazon. The Huallaga is at least one of the chief tributaries
of the king of rivers, and our immediate object was now to follow this
streamlet until it became a mighty Hood, upon whose bosom steamers
of considerable magnitude may safely float. We purposely travelled
along its course, watching with interest its gradual development,
till at about three miles fiom its source the rivulet is tit to drive
some powerful waterwheels. Siher mines are still dotted about on
every side, and the ore is being (piarried as it has been for centuries,
and treated in the primitive style which I have described.

By and by other little " bur nies " from the snow-capped ridges
above come gurgling down the raxines to join the infant Huallaga.
At Chiquirin, Malanchaco, and Huariaca consideraltle volumes are
added, which, with the mining process, agitate its limpid wateis and
convert them into something like the consistency of pea .soup.
Presentlv a little vegetation begins to line the baidcs of the
stream. Specially interesting is it to note the hixuriant patches
of that prince of vegetables, the potato, growing in its oM'n native
home, atid to think uhat a marvellous inHiienee this little plant has

54 Travels in Tropical Lands.

had upon the world since first it found its w;iy to Europe, so late as
the seventeenth century, where it was at first so little appreciated
that Fredei'ick the Great, we are told, had to compel his people to
"ive it a fair trial. Scotchmen refused to eat a tuber not mentioned
in Scripture, whih; "The Complete Gardener," published in 1719,
■contemptuously declares that " this tidier is of less value as a food
than horse radish or scorzonera"! And yet what a power it had
become by 1846, when its partial failure led to the complete over-
throw of the old Protection party, its Aery sickness bringing more
blessings to the British nation than the vigorous growth of any othei-
<ingle plant ! Now, from the Orkney Islands to distant Tasmania, it
is the one universal favourite ; i^robably mankind would rather give
up any plant in the vegetable kingdom than the potato. It is
interesting, also, to learn that in this its native locality the potato
blight has never been so much as heard of. The productive power
^jf the potato here is not more than in Britain, but the quality is veiy
fine, the favourite variety throughout Peru being the Papa amariUa,
or yellow potato. It is said, howevei', that this beautiful tuber loses
its distinctive characteristic on being trans})lanted to Europe. This,
however, I hope to test definitely in a few months.*

Jrracacha is another fa\ourite vegetable here, and next to the
potato is amongst the most common. Though seldom seen in Europe,
it would, if cultivated, prove a very valuable addition to our garden
products. The Arracaclm esculenta is a herliaceous perennial resembling
the parsnip in appearance, but the roots are larger and of much better
<[uality than our hardier old friend. I doubt, however, if the Arra-
■cacha could stand a British winter, though in sub-tropical climates it
wotild prove a great acrpiisition. Already it has been introduced into
<Jeylon, and ma}' be seen nourishing from Hackgalla to Badulla.

Another excellent little tuber common here is the Oca-quina
{Ulbicns tuherosus), an article of food extensively cultivated all
;dong the cooler slopes of the Andes, and much esteemed by the
hill ])('ople. The Aji, also, is a universal favourite ; indeed, as
universal as is the use of salt. There are several varieties grown,
but Capdcitiii annuus and Baccafinn are amongst the most connnon ;
both natives of India, but no Indian a})preciates his chili more than
the Peruvian does his aji. The remarkable thing is that though

* Cultiviited at ( 'iilts, near Aberdeen. Tlie iiuality of tlic tuber i.-^ found
to be c[uite as good as it is in its native I'eru, but the distinctive yellow
<;olour is somewhat paler.

A Beautiful Garden.

it readily blisters when laid on the outside skin, it seems to have
Tio disastrous effect on the digestive organs.

We are now getting beyond the limits of the regular mining dis-
tricts, and the country begins to assume a more cultivated appearance,
though the tields are still in patches and very steep, ^^'hen about fifteen
miles out of Cerro, we accepted a Spanish proj^rietor's invitation to
breakfast, but it proved a cruel kindness as it took us six miles
out of our way and over a most dangerous path, so that it was night
before we reached Huariaca, our first resting-place. Huariaca is a
fairly thriving village on the banks of the Huallaga — here growti into
a mountain torrent difficult to cross. We are now 24 miles in a
<lirect line from Cerro de Pasco and 5,000 feet lower dow)i, .so that
the air gets sensibly warmer and more genial. There are the usual
country stores, two flour mills, and a decently clean little hotel, in
which we resolve to take shelter for the night. Next day we made
sundry little excursions in the neighbourhood, particularly })aying
our respects to a Av^ll-to-do Spanish family, whose prettily-kept
garden had attracted our attention on nearing the village. AVe
were kindly received and leisurely shown through every corner of
the garden, with all its favourite little bowers in which the ladies
sip their evening coffee. Such delicious coffee ! and such charming-
faces ! Whatever else Peru can produce, there can be no mistake
about its coffee nor its handsome women. The aroma of the
former, and the fine licpiid black eyes of the lattei', seemed to me as
near perfection as anything of the kind I had ever come across : and
the setting of the picture here was everything the eye could desire,
the clematis twining overhead^ the perpettial roses blushing in the
t)ackground, or half hiding beneath
the rich trusses of the FacJiiui cori/in-
hijfi/iv, a well-known native of this
locality, together with the abutilon
and many other marvellously pretty
mallow-worts. Lower down we note,
amongst other native beauties, the
jister-like barnadesia and many bril-
liant shades of tropaiolum, so com-
mon in Britain under the strangely
t'rroneotis name of nasturtium. The
beautifully varigated lupine, known
to florists as CndckshanJdi, is also trop.k<ilum.

*'•«

Travels in Tropical Lavds.

rAI,ANliI!INIA.

at home here ; and I note another
native, culled in othei' portions of
the world to which it has been carried,
the "Cape gooseberry," though it
is not a gooseberry, neither is it a
native of the Cape. The Fhi/salis
Peruviana is rather a poor substitute
for that prince of small fruits, the
yellow gooseberry, as grown to per-
fection in Scotland and Tasmania,
but it has been thought worth intro-
ducinsf into the most distant corners
of the earth. It is to be seen grow-
ing so luxuriantly on the hills around Nuwara Eliya, Ceylon, that

many imagine it to be indigenous.

I find it also common in different

parts of Australasia, while H. U.

Forbes specially mentions having

found it on the Cocos, Keeling

Islands. The phi/salis is a solanu/i),

and is called the "Cape gooseberry,"

l)ecause its insipid fruit is partially

enveloped in a cape, or hood ! The

tree tomato {ajphomandra) is a much

more useful native of this locality.

Amouiist the garden weeds, or those

plants which apparently grow against calckolakia.

the wishes of the gardener, I noted
canna, or Indian shot, calandrinia,
ageratums, calceolaria, convolvulus, ox-
alis, and portulaca, and many l)eauti-
ful cree})ing solanums well worth a
place on any greenhouse trellis. The
larger trees that shelter us, are, how-
ever, chiefly foreigners, the eucalypti
predominating, and thriving here as
freely as in New South Whiles.
Amongst vegetables I found the arti-
choke in great perfection, and admired
it so much that the thoughtful lady

rK.TlNIA.

A Fatal Cave.

sent me ;i dish for diniu'i-, .'iccompaiiitd liy the perfection of sauce
made by her own dainty hands. Before leaving this interesting-
spot we were shown a curious warm spring of very clear water
which runs into a natural stone bath, daily used by the family.
The temperature of the water, which has a somewhat sul})hureous
taste, is 90^ while the aii- is about 60°. But the strangest spot in
these grounds was pointed
out to us in the centre of
a paddock, where there is
a small cavity, not more
than three feet deep,
which at times emits
such a poisonous gas that,
report says, no bird or
beast can live near it. Kats
running across this hole oxalis.

are said to drop down dead ; the snake that pursues them to share the
same fate ; while birds Hying above it drop down and tiy no more.
I would not have given much heed to this storv, but there lay the
birds, snakes, and rats where they fell : and although on stepping
into the cavity I could perceive nothing unusual in the exhalation,
the fact remains that the place seems well known in the district as fatal
to birds, vermin, and all creeping creatures who come across it.

One of the most remarkable and
amusing scenes we witnessed during
our pilgrimage in Peru was enacted
during our stay at Huariaca, interest-
ing chieHy as a relic of the past, and
only to l»e seen in perfection where
Spaniards of the old school still vege-
tate. Customs are still in vogue here
that (late back prior to the day of
Cervantes — having .survi\e(l all his
ridicule — serving to show how the
interior of TVru is governed, and to
what ilegree of civilisation it has attained.

The moiiiing was still early when we were suddenly awakened

by the tramp of horses, the clank of armour, and the stoimy voices

of military minions. It seemed as if at least the Chilians, or .some

foes equally formidal)le, had taken possession of the village, and

^'"■~ i-^rNi*;

PORTULAC.\.

,58 TmveU in Tropical Lunh.

were denuding it of everything removable. The screams of energetic
femules and the loud expostulations of sluggish men were met only by
stern demands in the name of some higher powers. Horses and
mules, it a))i)eared, were chiefly in request, and every animal of the
kind fit to carry a l)i})ed was seized smis cereinome. There was pooi'
old Juan Kodriguez, who had contrived to boirow a horse to yoke
with his own — ^for the annual rains are at hand, and the chacra ought
to be ploughed — but all must now be pressed into the service. The
sturdy good wife returning from Cerro de Pasco with provender,
riding astride her well-worn mule, is also waylaid and dismounted.
Pack ponies l)y the dozen — sores and maggots and all — are ruthlessly
seized upon, saddled, and made to prick up their ears in military
array. No miserable clodhopper would continue to cultivate his
fields on such an occasion as this, while yarn and distaff' must be
flung aside, for it would be treason to tend to any such menial duties
when government and military officials claim homage. Our own
rather tired mules lay in the hostelry stables, dreaming as little as
their masters of the honour intended for them. The discovery was
no sooner made than they were pounced upon, and our saddles about
to be appropi'iated, without the trifling foi'mality of asking. But
hei'e was a slight hitch in the proceedings. Our interpreter,
backed up by the hotelkeeper, Avho had an interest in us, managed
to make another story heard. These horses and mules, they declared
with due emphasis, belonged to English Commissioners, who Avere
armed with letters from the President. At first this was pooh-
poohed, but reiteration gradually took effect, and it at length
dawned upon the officers in command that meanwhile it was not
worth risking a war with Great Britain ! ^\ e had thus the privilege
of being neutral spectators of a scene in every way worthy of Spain
in the fifteenth and Peru in the nineteenth centuiy.

First came the magnificent outriders, on ])rancing steeds, bedecked
in biilliantly coloured fringes. The gallant soldiers themselves, if
rather encumbered wdth the awkwardly dangling swords, had each
a si)lendid pair of massive spurs, which they used with masterly
skill, the horses dancing in the morning sun with delight — or agony,
1 am not certain which, l)Ut the effect was all the same very grand.

Anon came the hero of the hour, supported on the right by a
lady armour bearer. Swollen with importance, and reeking with
pride and perspiration, our hero, it must be admitted, looked some-
what weighed down with the responsibilities of the occasion, or, it

A Ponipoiis Peruvian Ojjicial. 59

may be, fagged by tlie festivities of the past iiiglit. Closely on the
heels of the chieftains horse followed a cavalcade which, for fantastic
variety, baffles any little powers of description I possess. We simply
looked on with awe and astonishment, but the only sul)stantial
impi-ession left was a cloud of dust, which wondering eyes followed
for some miles.

But let me hasten to explain the object of this gorgeous and
costly display. Be it known, unromantic Briton I that a portion
of the public footpath through the district being in danger of slipping
away, a deviation had been resolved upon by the Government
in Lima, and that the personage you have just been introduced to is
none other than the accredited agent of the Peruvian Government —
the deputy sub-prefect, to wit — bound upon the important mission
of reporting on these works. Shades of poor General Wade ! com-
pared with this, what a prosy proceeding was yours ! And what a
miserably humdrum country our Land o' Cakes is, where such a
piece of woi'k would be undertaken and completed without the
trumpets being so much as heard in the adjoining parish ! A hardish
bargain with a petty contractor, and our work is done. Or, in India,
a canganie and a few coolies would be told oft' to accomplish the J(j]j.
Here display invariably costs ten times the amotuil of the actual
work done !

When public works are conducted in Peru upon such principles
as these, it will naturally occur to many to ask how that most
marvellous feat of engineering, the trans-Andean railway, is being
accomplished — for it is probably the most ditticult piece of road-
making ever before attempted, surpassing the wonderful works of
the Licas as much as their commendable industry exceeded that of
the Spaniards who succeeded them. Let it be remembered, how-
ever, that these stupendous railway works ha\e l»een built entirely
l)y British and American enterprise.

^ext morning wc continued our course eastward, still trending
along the banks of the now lapid river, the narrow [)ath running as
near as possible to the l^ottom of the ravine, which is merel\' a
yawning gap in the great mountain range, the walls of which rise
almost perpendicularly to a height of G,000 to 8,000 feet, with here
and there little shelves of rich soil industriously cultivated by the
hardy hill tribes, who occasionally roll down big lioulders, to the
terror and no small danger of passengers below.

It was down this trail tint the Peruvian army was chased by the

60 Travels in Tropical Lands.

Chilians a few years aijo. " Strategic " move, it was called, and the
stratagem led tiiem to Hee for fifty miles, and hide in the forests till
the Chilians retired in disgust to sack and plunder the poor villages
on the mountain plateaux, all of which lie in luins to this day.
Surely never had an aimy a better chance of annihilating an enemy
than the Peruvians lost on this occasion. There followed miles of
Chilians in single file ; yondei' are thousands of Inmlders the slightest
touch to which would hurl them down thousands of feet, hopelessly
crushing all below. Had this Johiuiy Cope of Peru only told oil' a
few hundred of the Avomen Avho carried the baggage, the Avork might
have been a/ai^ accompli, l>ut, as it was, the poor Peru\i;ui was too
much cowed for anything except fleeing before the enemy.

A weary and not very interesting journey of sixteen miles from
Huariaca brought us to an hacienda, where a little agriculture was
being attempted under great diflficulties, the steepness of the land
being such that the fields can only 1)e ascended by experts born
and bred to such climl)ing, and even then not without extreme
danger. The soil is very black, rich, and friable, and, when it gets
sufficient moisture, yields enormously.

We halted here for breakfast, observing that the interior of the
house was hung round Avith black cloth, and that the two sonsy
Chola girls Avho received us Avere also in mourning, and Avore a veiy
sombre expression. On inquiry, Ave learned that they Avere indeed
orphans, the mother having died some time ago, Avhile the father, alas!
had been only last Aveek killed by a stone rolling doAvn the hill. He
saw one stone moving, and jumped aside to avoid it, only to be killed by
another Avhich he did not observe. We felt very much for the poor
lonely girls, many miles from any neighbours, and regretted that
our command of Spanish Avas too limited to enable us to giAe proper
expression to our synipathies ; but such comfort as Ave could gi\e
Avas given freely, and Ave lightened our bag of a goodly number of
soles ere Ave parted.

For the next fifteen miles the road, such as it is, continues steep
and very dangerous ; [)recipitous cliffs above, perpendicular rocks
below, a roaring torrent at the bottom of the gorge, on the margin
of which Ave could see croAvds of gold-seekers Avashing out the mud.

The most common plants here are some very curious and very
pretty varieties of TiUviidsia— cpi})hytes groAving on rocks, agave or
cacti indiscriminately — some Avith spiked leaves and others curled
curiously backward, all leaden grey or silvery in colour, here and

Ambo : An Interesting Localitij. Gl

there throwing out splendid Hower spikes of ditiereiit hues. Some,
like the Usiienides, hang like a veil or beard of extraordinary length,
and when moved hy the wind wave to and fro like gigantic silver
tresses. The varieties most common here are evidently Argeiitea,
Beciirvata, and Usneoules. We first came across these plants at
Matucana, on the west side of the Andes, and 7,788 feet above sea
level, and now while nearing Ambo, at exactly the same altitude on
the eastern side of the mountain range, we meet once again with
our eccentric floral friends. Still we note a peculiar .ibsence of
large forest trees, difficult to account for, in soil so rich and in a
temperature now approaching the truly tropical. The scanty rain-
fall by no means explains it, as Ave can see the P^ucalypti, wherever
introduced, growing in great luxuriance, even without irrigation.
With irrigation, the vegetation is simply marvellous.

The ravine now begins to o])en out into something like a valley,
Avith little plots of Hat land by the river .side, on Avhich we observe
coffee and sugar-cane thriving vigorously. The aneroid tells us we
have descended to an altitude of 7,-")00 feet above sea level, and the
thermometer at sunset stands at 70°, so that in two days we have
travelled from i)erpetual Avinter into eA'erlasting summer. In no
other part of the Avorld have I seen coffee yielding such crops at
this altitude. In Ceylon, foi- instance, it ceased to give profitable
returns at 5,500 feet, i.e., 2,000 feet loAver doAvn than here.

Ambo, our destination for the day, is a considerable village,
Avith tAvo hotels, a church, and several Avell-stocked stores, prettily
situated on the margin of the river, at a spot Avhere several passable
l)ridle paths branch off into the surrounding valleys. I had a great
<lesire to spend a Aveek in exploring a locality so intensely interesting
as this, my ambition being rather to leisuiely observe and correctly
note than merely to beat the record in travelling ; but the fates were
against me, and I shall never cease to regret I did not see more of
Ambo. Next morning Ave Avere off by daylight, having been warned
to avoid as much as possible the hot, dusty Avinds which invariably
begin to bloAv in these valleys by mid-day.

We had now a good, broad, and almost level road on which to
ride, lined on either side by a beautiful a\ enue of mixed vegetation,
prominent amongst Avhich the Plucalyptus vies Avith the loftiest
jioplars in towering above the indigenous trees. But if this district
is indebted to Australia for some of its tallest trees, Australia in its
tiun is indel>ted to Peru, and particularly to this locality, for one of

Trai'iels in Tropical Lands.

the very lo\ cliest trees which adorn the gardens, parks, and streets
of Victoria and New South Wales. The i)epper tree {Sclnnus moJle)^
with its pretty pink pendant chisters of pungent seeds, graceful
habit, and rich foliage, is here at home, and wherever we get a pee|>
of the now less rugged scenery, there it is in the foregi-ound — one
of the handsomest plants in the vegetable kingdom. Magnificent
specimens of Agave, Cereus, ^'^^chmca, etc., form the undergrowth,
while goi'geous Howers of Tacsonia, Thuidteigias, Yernonica, Vei--
bena, and Lobelia decorate the ditches. This Agave is of consider-
able economic value, as producing the " .Sisal Hemp " of commerce.
The plant is abundant here and evidently indigenous.

LOBELIA.

The \alley gradually broadens out as we proceed, and may now
be said to measure from two to three miles in width. Wherever
iirigation is applied, we have large paddocks of thiiving sugar-cane
or plots of very ])ioductive coffee intermi.xed with most tempting fruit
trees. We find oranges in great abundance, Papaya in perfection, the
stately Avocada })ear tree loaded with its eminently luscious and
Avholesome fruit, so greatly prized on exery breakfast table in Peru,

The Cldrvnioya.

fJH

iind so greatly superior to the Avocada, f)i- Alligator pear, as grown
in Ceylon or India. Vines laden Avith rich clusters of grapes now
hang over rickety trellises, while the Granadilla creeps ovci' the
mud walls with much sui)erHuous luxuriance.

But of all the indigenous fruits of this locality, commend me to
the Chirinioya. Indeed, for exquisite flavour, I know of no fruit in
the vegetable world to be compared Avith it. I had already made
the acquaintance of this "master-work of Nature" in Guayaquil
and Lima, and had quoted the curious description of Markham —
" spiritualised strawberry " ! But here, in its native home, it seems
to me the chirinioya would suffer l>y corapari.son with any other
fruit. It is an incomparal^le natural custard, as far beyond the
clumsy cunnirie: of cook or confectioner as thr lilv is beyond the art
of a manufacture!'. The tree is a compact, laurel-like evergreen of
moderate size, from 18 to 20
feet in height, l)elonging to
the natural order Anonads,
which gives us the custard
a[)ple, the .sour sop, and
sweet sop — all rather refresh-
in<: in their wav, though
they cannot be compared
with the Anona Chiriiuot/o.
This fi'uit usually weighs
from two to three pounds.
Green, heart-shaped, and
covered with kn(j])s, .scales, and l>laek marks, the external a|)i)eaianee
is anything but attractive ; but take off the tough skin, and there is
reyealed a snow-white juicy fruit which, for richness and delicacy of
flavour, stands uiiri\,ille(l. iJeadily pro})agated fidiii seed, the tree
has already been introduced into Jamaica, 8t. Helena, and Ceylon, and
might ea.sily be made a valualde addition to the fruits of any part of
the tropics where the lainfall is not too heavy. It must always be
remembered that this, and indeed almost any other fruit, attains
perfection only in compaiatively dry climates. Cocoa is an excej)-
tion, delighting as it does in a moist climate. Iluanaeo, the Ultimo
Tlivle of Peruvian civilisation, has at least the credit of supjilying the
world with the chirinioya. Visitors to Kew will see this fruit
beautifully and faithfully figured amongst Miss Noith's piiinting.s.

Heie we are still in :i decidedly dr\- climate, as we can see 1)V the

\ KKHKNA.

<)4 T I'll I'd fi ill Tropical Lands.

prevailing vegetation— the Cereus, with its magnificent crimson
flowers ; and the Agave, with majestic spikes rising to a height of
20 to 30 feet, displaying a })erfect ])yramid of brilliant fiowers.

The township of lluanaco itself is a curious mixture of the nuvel
and anti(]ue, situated on the banks of the Huallaga, its narrow,
roughly - pa^ed streets converging towards the invariable j)lazu.
Around, we have the dingy churches, the dilapidated government
buildings, shoddy sh()])s, and some third-i-ate hotels. We were
fortunate enough to select a hotel which had been opened so
recently that dirt had not had time to accumulate. The proud
proprietor welcomed us A\ith a few words of English, expressing
his delight at being honoured by the patronage of the "English
Commis.sioners." There seems a tradition that once before a be-
nighted Briton found his way into this township, but, added our
host, " it was many years ago." Here we made our headquarters
for the next few days, making daily excursions into the surrounding
country, an amphitheatre of somewhat bare-looking hills, the scanty,
though interesting, verdure upon which indicates a very deficient rain-
fall. With irrigation, however, the haciendas yield crops of coftee
and sugar cane, ecpial to the best I ever saw. The redeeming
feature of Huanaco is its garden-plots. Wild and neglected though
they be— like the cottagers' of Glenburnie, withal— still they are
beautiful and remarkably productive, both tropical and sub -tropical
fruits and fiowers in great perfection and profusion. But all require
irrigation, which is supplied in the most ])erfunctory manner by the
poor, lazy, i)riest-ridden inhabitants of this Sleepy Hollow.

If any man really wishes to escape from civilisation, to hide
himself in a hole where a few thou.sand primitive l>eings may l)e
.said to exist without any communication with the outside or inside
world, let him try this UUiimi Thuh of Pcru\ian townshii)s. Here no
stage-coach comes lumbering from neighl)ouriiig towns; they have
not arrived at this stage of high ])ressure as yet. Xo wheeled traffic
of any description — not even a cycle fiend — (listuil)s the meditations
of the foot passenger, no newspaper, no tell-tale wires to overtake or
intercept the runaway, no screaming engines to l)reak the slumbei's
of a peaceful peo])le, who, nevertheless, are, for all practical purposes,
kept sufficiently awake by the brass band of a little corps of tatterdc;-
malions, yclept the National Guard.

Here, as elsewhere in Peru, comely woman is the real worker.
The onlv tiling that seems beyond her is the gai'den, and this —

THE NATKi.NAI, lilAKI) (I'KKl ).

-ssASf ij

^ "i^.^^a

TIIK r;il>ii.i> iii<:iii.ANj>Ki: ash ins iii:ri'i:K iiAi.

Huanaeo : Mr. I'^jy. 05

begging her pardon — is pretty much the same all over the world.
She can taste and share the fruit, we know, ])ut as to garden cultiva-
tion, she is of little more use than a hen. She am cull a pretty
Hower, but in all my experience 1 never came across a woman who
could water a i)lant. It was the man who was told oti" to "dress it
and, keep it," and where lie neglects this first of duties that country
is on the down grade. Xo matter how many churches he builds or
padres he feeds, no mattei- what his prowess in the hunting, battle,
or football field, if he neglects to till and [)lant it is a poor look-out
foi' posterity. All the churches in Peru or Australia ai-e a ])Oor
substitute for neglected fields.

Here the poor, ragged, and besotted men lazily hang around the
rustic l)ars, drinking their favourite rhicha, while the priests may
frequently be found in the inner rooms of the hotel sipping jj^sw or
rum. No wonder though the morals of the i)lace are .said to be of
the lowest and loosest description. One can only wonder what is
to be the future of such a Icjcality.

While staying in Huanaeo Ave had a visit from a rejiresentative
member of the Cxerman colony of planters now settled at Pozuzo, a
locality some oO miles distant (lat. 10° S., 75° E.). This com-
nuinicative gentleman, whose name was Mr. Egg, described the
})rogre.ss of the colony in anything but glowing terms — albeit the
climate, soil, and productiveness seemed everything that could be
desired. This colony, Alemana, was formed 40 years ago by
omigi-ants from the Fatherland, GOO in munber, who, after being
decimated in crossing the Andes and undergoing unhearil-of priva-
tions, finally settled down at the junction of the Pozuzo and
Hauncabamba rivers to cidtivate cofl'ee, cocoa, tobacco, maize, an<l
rice. Ninety families still remain, and, on the whole, seem to be
fairly contented and well off — more fortunate than oui- countrymen
who tried to settle in Central America. It speaks volumes for the
climate in such a latitude that so many remain to tell the story of
their early struggles ; the altitude, however, lieing 4,000 feet, the
climate is comparatively cool and pleasant. IJrought up in the
jungle, as they have been, the younger generation have no e.\pen.sive
tastes, which is in itself equivalent to a large inconif. The
jxreatcst drawbacks seem to be tlu' want of roads, niaikets, and
schools, while there is .something cruelly oppressive in the c.v
tortionate demands of the tax-gathei'er, who pounces upon tlie
])rodnce as it ])asses through Huanaeo and ( 'erro i\,- I'ascn. 'I'm the

66 Travel^ in Trojncal L(nuh.

poor haid-workiiii;- colonist tlierc must l)e something peculiarly
(liscoui'.igiiig ill thus being compelled to conti'ibute to a lazy, corrupt,
iind eftete government. Living literally without protection, with no
roads, and but few comforts, these ])lucky i)lanters, labouring like
negroes in a tropical climate, have a harder lot than any agricultural
l.ilioui'ei- ill the British Isles, and no class of men that could now be
imported would sulmiit to it.

Altogether, the gist of the interview we had with this intelli-
gent German only tended to confirm our opinion that any further
attempt to introdiice European labour for tropical agriculture is an
absurdity.

Three such experiments have already been made in Peru.
Germany, France, and Italy have in their turn been indented u])on,
and all ])ioved failures, and until the Peruvian has been taught to
be less selti.sh and less squeamish as to the introduction of Asiatics,
there is not much hope for the future of his country.

The Spaniard himself was at best Imt a wretched colonist, and
his descendant in Peru would be an intolerable l>ully if he could get
out with it. A characteristic illustration of this I find in a little
work imblislied in Lima in 1891 for the avowed purpose of
encouraging immigration, in which, however, the spiiit of the proiul
Spaniard crops out thus : —

"The only means," says this sage, " l»y which a man can make
his will felt in dealing with the common herd is foice. This is the
explanation why the only persons who are well served among us are
the piefectural and ecclesiastical authorities, who can respectively
call to their aid the force of the barracks and the fears of hell. It
is only in the presence of the Prefect and of the priest that a clod-
hopper conducts himself in the way an inferioi' ought always to do."

It is curious hoAv, even in oi;r most palpable blunders, history
has a knack of repeating itself. After the repeated failures to
acclimatise luiropean laboiu'ers to the tropics, it seems strange to
hear of another attempt being made to encourage English working
men to settle in the upper valleys of the Amazon !

So recently as 1872-76, during the benign reign of Don Manuel
Pardo— the most enlightened President Peru has yet seen — a society
was formed called the " European Immigration Society," divided
into five branches, for the purpose of establishing, on a grand scale,
European colonies in Peru, \iz. : —

Immigration Scliemea. 6T

1. — (ireat Britain and Ireland.
2. — France, Belgium, and Switzerland.
3. — Cilennany, Austria, and Holland.
4. — Sweden, Norway, and Deinnark.
.J. — Ital}", Spain, and Portugal.

The result of thi.s mugnificent scheme was an influx variously esti-
mated at from 850 to 3,000, chiefly Italians, who were located on
the banks of the Kio Chanchamayo, on lands wrested from the
Chuncho chiefs, and which, with the little township of La Merced,
1 have already noticed.

In addition to grants of land, these colonists were siij)plied with
agricidtural inn)lements and sufficient money allowances to maintain
them up to the time of their fir.st harvest. For their protection
they were provided with firearms and a detachment of the National
Guard from Tarma. The net outcome, apart from the (lerman
colony, however, seems to be the settlement of half a score of
families, who make a somewhat precarious living l)y the manufacture
of luni.

The fact is, the Italian Go\ernment stepped in and i)Ut a sto])
to the emigration liy laiblishing a circular denouncing the scheme,
and descrilting Peru as " a coiintr}^ in w'hich there was no work, the
land nrid, living dear, and destitute of the means of communica-
tion. '

To which an utiicial ^^cribe in Lima ie])lied : — " (.^Hiile true, there
is no woik because there is no one to w^ork ; the land is arid because
there is no one to irrigate it ; li\ing is dear, an evident proof of the
richness of the country (>7V) ; there are no means of communication
l>ecause of the want of population : if we had all thc>c there would
lie no need for immigrants."

The time had now arrived when we had again to turn our faces
towards the Andes. It was not, however, without a certain regret that
I had to turn my back upon a region becoming every day more in
teresting, regions w'hich may be said to be, botanically, but little known,
and yet which aie already classic ground, for was it not while wander-
ing in these territoiies that, 90 years ago, Hundioldt first conceived the
idea of his "Geogra])hy of Plants," a natuial enough discovery, upon
Avhich he always looked back with unmixed pleasure. \\ riting in his old
age he remarks : — " It was a fortunate circiunstance of my life that
at a time when I enijiloyod myself almost exclusively witii iMit.iny.

<jtS Travels in Tropical Lands.

my studies, fjivoured l)y the view of ;i i;r;itid climatically contrasted
nature, could be directed to this subject " — namely, to classify
plants according to temperature, viewing them as they arranged
themselves in belts one above the other. Foi' this purpose there
are perhaps few such object lessons in the vegetal)le world as can
be seen here at a glance where })lants (^f many difierent species,
and of every climate, are flourishing in the same degree of latitude.
In the morning we may walk under the shade of stately palms,
through the coffee and the sugar cane fields, reaching before night-
fall the region of the prostrate little Alpine plants which struggle for
life at the snow limit. It is all a ipiestion of temperature, which
here altitude alone determines. Nature, in short, has })rovided
within a veiy small com})ass all the necessary conditions for every
known family of plants, and nowhere does she unfold a page more
intensely interesting to the lover of plants than on the eastern slopes
of the Amies.

Our returning journey was comparatively uneventful. We again
halted for a few days at Cerro de Pasco, this time, howe^"er, with
the British Consul, who entertained us with sterling hospitality ; a
fine sample of the genus John Bull, who, with his admirable wife,
<lid everything possible to mitigate the discomforts of the horrible
climate, which in this, the highest township on the globe, is specially
trying to new-comers. Home idea of the drawbacks to such an
elevated position may Ije gathered from the fact that, though in good
health, Mrs. S. had been unable to leave the house for some months,
oidy once had crossed the Cordilleras, an experience she had no
desire to repeat till kind fate might open up a way for her return to
England, which, from such a distance and from such a (juartei-, we
<.'an readily understand looks indeed paradisiacal.

Mr. S. has been for a luimber of years in charge of the pi-incipal
silver-smelting woi'ks of Cerro de Pasco, and he willingly gave us
reliable information regarding the extraordinary mineral wealth of
the surrounding country. This is not confined to silver ore. Coal
of the very best quality is now found in great abundance within a
few miles of Cerro do Pasco, while gold in payable quantity is still
discovered along the course of the Huallaga. At Chiquirin, where
we saw primitive-looking gold-seekers at woik on the banks of the
river, the returns are said to be very good considering the absence
of modei-n api)liances and technical knowledge, a moderate applica-
tion of which could not fail to yield very rich returns. Besides the

Cr'nv de Pasco Af/a/n/. 69

Huallaga, the iuiriferous rivers are said to he the Chunchamayo,
Tuhimayo, Pangoa, Pucartamha, and Ogahamha. The gold these
Avaters bring down seems to come from the \o\ns of <|uartz that
cross the slate and ciystalline formation which chiefly constitutes
the Cordilleras. The more elevated Cerros are sometimes composed
of metamor])hic sand, the auriferous ore being cubical pyrites,
accomjjanied with a copper ore containing green stains of carbonate
of copper. It is very evident, however, that mining, like everything
else in Peru, is in a bad wa}' at present, and the cause is equally
])alpable, viz., bad administration.

Few men know the country and people l)etter than Mr. S., and,
like a straightforward Englishman, he does not hesitate to express
his contempt for the insidious knavery which goes on in Lima, and
has no very exalted notion of the Hispano-Peruvian in general.
For the Cholo, uv mountain Indian, there seems more hope if he
could only be kept from rum. It is curious to hear that amongst
the more intelligent of those highlanders there is still a lingering
hope that tlieii- country will some day be restored to them thmuirh
the intervention of England. It will be remembered that Kaleigh
thought there was an old prophecy, " That from Inglaterra those
Ingas should be againe in time to come delivered fiom the servitude
of the said connuerors.'

It is worth while noting that at the present moment the Pre.sident
of Peru is a Cholo Indian, with strong leanings towards the Phitish,
and that a coi'poration in London practically hokls the purse-strings
of Peru. "The interests of this corporation and the best interests
of Peru are identical," said General Caceres the other day.

We left Cerro de Pasco once more on as bleak and cold an
October morning as was ever experienced on Ben Muich Dhui. For the ■
Hrst hve miles, according to the custom of the country, we were con-
voyed by our host and a few of the leading resident.s, after bidding
goodbye to whom, we steered a westerly course towards the lake of
Junin, our destination foi- the night being Incapilka, which, in
(^Hiichua, may mean a royal rest-house. I oidy hope it was more
comfortably eipiipped in Inca days of old than it is now.

This miserablv inhos|)itable shed stands on the western niaririn
of the lake, about twenty miles from Cerro, aiul at an altitude of
l.'i,."500 feet. We reached the place by dusk, in pelting rain, the
thermometer, however, only standing a few degrees above freezing ;
and, as we had watched the nidvements of a party behind us which

TO Travels In Tropical Lands.

we had with ;iii ott'ort out-distanced, we eagerly secured, in self-
protection, the only apartment set ai)art for public use. This con-
tained three ricketty beds, which we at once took possession of,
•dining as best we could upon our own provisions, the energies of the
scarecrow^ of a proprietor being sufficiently taxed to provide a little
hot water for us and provender for our nudes.

Next morning we were up betimes, and, after settling la raeala,
Avhich our ragged host seemed to have sat up all night concocting,
we rode briskly off, leaving the lake, with its swarms of fat wild-
geese undisturbed on the water, and the ill-favoured and milkless
kine shivering amongst the coarse rushes on the margin. We zig-
zagged over a preliminary ridge, had a smart canter for two hours
over an undulating plateau, and reached by 9 a.m. the station called
San Bias. Here there are extensive salt works in active operation,
•l>ut no food for man noi' beast procurable, so we pushed forward.
The surroundings were not very interesting — no cultivation, and very
little vegetation of any kind. Again we see the low Cactaceaj, the
leaves of which are pressed close, and furnished with reddish yellow
spines, in little mounds like couching deer ; dwarf verbenas on the
ridges, and lycopods on the damp rocks. Plants with strong, leathery,
but glossy, leaves, such as the Baccharis, are pretty common. So
also are species of Vaccinium and Andromeda, while, among the more
herbaceous looking, 1 note dwarf Draba, (xentian, and a veritable
duckweed. Cattle, of rather a lean type, feed on the scanty herbage,
<lwarf and spotted sheep are numerous, while occasionally the pretty
little chinchilla bolts across the path, affording practice for the
sportsmen of the party. Llamas are only met with as l»easts of
burden; the paco and vicuna — so valuable for their wool — are more
wild, keei)ing at a respectful distance, but the llama is tame and
gentie in the extreme. What the camel is to the Arab, the llama is
to the Cholo. All the silver, and all the produce of e\ ery kind, is
■carried to market by these patient, docile creatures, who find sufficient
sustenance, as they move along, in nibbling the moss, or yehu — a
stunted grass — by the wayside. It is a beautiful .ind iiitere.sting
sight to see a flock of laden llamas marching with measured steps
across these high table-lands, and up and down pi-ecipices where
mules would l)e helpless. The arriero, as a rule, is veiy kind to his
llamas, and when one succumbs from fatigue he will lie down beside
it, embrace the animal, and make use of the most coaxing and
endearing expressions. Nevertheless, the route is sti-ewn with the

TIlc Return Journey. 71

bones of dead llamas, and every juiiniey ti> the coast is made at the
sacrifice of many lives. Children of the higher Cordilleras, the heat
4ind weight of air in the lowlands fretjuently proves fatal to them.

Here and there we come ujjon traces of the gigantic roads of the
Incas, which had been the admiration and wonder of the world for
centuries, works so stupendous that we cannot conceive how they
could have been constructed without the use of iron and mechanical
appliances. When we take into account the altitude (10,000 to
14,000 feet) and the rocky regions through which they were made,
we may well marvel .ind doubt if any nation in Euroi)e could have
^constructed such works 500 years ago. These roads are about 20
feet broad, and had all been paved, or " macadamised," extending from
Cuzco to Quito, about 1,500 miles, with occasional branches to the
Pacific coast. At equal distances there are the remains of rest-
houses and milestones, the halting places, called taml)Os, or Iiica
pilkiis, but nothing of these are to be seen now save the remains df
the foundations. The bridges also have all been allowed to go to ruin,
but enough remains to commemorate the marvellous power of the Inca
monarchs, and to prove what a well-ordered government could effect
through the industry of the obedient ])eople over whom it ruled,
a people evidently superior to their conquerors in everything except
the science of murder. True, even more marvellous roads have
now been constructed in Peru. The highest I'ailway in the world
crosses the Peruvian Andes, but this can scarcely be put to the
credit of the Peruvian, being entirely constructed by Anglo-Saxon
brains and money.

Well may the Peruvian Government now cry out for emigrants,

" But a bold peasantry, their country '.s pride,
When once destroyed, can never be supj)lied."

•Semi-abandoned as most of the great ])lateau is, it is dei)re.ssing and
wearying work travelling across it. No wayside inn to welcome us,
not a tree to shelter us from the showers of hail which ever and
anon cross the Cordilleias. The wind which Mmw.s from these
serrated crests is icy cold, while the trails we follow were never
made for mules' feet. It is, however, a long lane that has no turning,
and at the end of the thirty-sixth mile innxi Inca])ilka we were
able to turn into Banios wheie there did seem a little more prospect
«if a comfortable rest than we had on the previous night. Hanios
has some pretentions to be called a hotel, with a veritable dining-
room and two bedrooms, a (piadrangle of sheds for cattle, and the

i z

2 TraveU in Trojncal Lands.

u>ii.il sleejn- ;iiul ill sh;ikcii-u|i hangers-on. Immediately on our
arrival, there was a case of sudden death — not the fatted calf by any
means— but a poor misguided sheep, the cooking of which we soon
found out to haA'e been on a par with its feeding. Never did I
liefore attemi)t anything quite so tough and unsavoury : 1)ut hunger,
as u.sual, })roved sufficient sauce, and we managed to satisfy the
craving faii'ly Avell. The night, however, being frosty, and the
surroundings cheerless, we were not long in seeking such beds as
Bauios aftorded. But sleep I could not. The night was pitch
dark : 1 had for years accustomed myself to sleep with a light in
the room— a weakness my companion had no sympathy for. More-
over, he felt fidgety as to the ventilation, and prayed for the door
to be left ajai-. The mercilessly cold wind blew right in my face ;
I shivered and covered my head with the blankets. Presently the
old four-poster began to rock me in a way I had not been accustomed
to for over half a century. I might have imagined that I was
only dreaming of childhood, l)ut a simultaneous howling all over
the establishment soon convinced me of the fact that we had
experienced a smart shock of earthquake. It soon passed over,
however, and all was again quiet, save for the groaning of the poor
restless nniles, seeking in vain for food or smarting from irritating-
sores. Poor, starved, over-l)urdened mules ! I shall never quite
shake oft" the qualms of conscience I carry through life on account
of these too hurried rides.

We were astir by daylight next morning, and tlic first thing that
attracted oui' attention was smoke from the swam}) close by, the
wells in which contained boiling water ! The crisp hoar-frost all
around, and the snow- clad mountains which overshadowed us, made
it all the more curious ; but there it Avas, literally bubbling u{), and
while I stood by marvelling, I noticed a poor frog which jumped un-
warily into the steaming water, and instantly turned up its white
l)clly, and died iu a few seconds.* Aftei- the usual tedious delay in

■■' The waler luul a .<ulj)liuiou.s .smell, aiul was said to prove very efiective
ill skin diseases. We forthwith filled a bottle, sealed it, and sent it to London
for analysis. Appended i> tlic report of Messrs. Savory & Moore: —

A NA l.YTIC.M. DKrAr.T.MKNT,
143 Nkw B(iM> STKKKT. F.ONDOX W., 19f/( SoveinOer, 1891.

ANALYSIS OK WATlUt.

We lies; t" I'epurt tin- iisiilt nl imi- :niMlysis i>f a siiniiilc nf wati-r irceivt^J fi-oiii the
Periiviiiii Curpiiiiitiuii iiii tlir 10th iiist.

The .saiiiiilc, wliich was (•(Hitaiiicil in a smla uatiT linllU;, seeiiieil with a loik ami scaUil,
was deal' Imt iml hriL;ht. ami had a slJLiht ilciHisit, coiisistiliy: of veiretahlc ililiiis ami I'liiiLiciid

Rp-c ros.sinff the Cofdilleydn.

ON TIIK CItKST OK TIIK A.NJ'l-:>.

iLNirrariiiniig p:icks and plastering soies, Ave at la;st started, uiirefi-eslied
and Ixidly provided as we were, to cross once more the di\iding ridge
of the Andes. I had suft'ered so little in first crossing that I did not
anticipate great dithculty in returning, forgetting that, in the interval,
poor food and much fatigue had run me considerabty down.

It was a weary zig-zag ;
my mule and I got sadly
short of breath, but it had
to be done, and what is
more, wc were in a ti"c-
mendous hurry, my com-
jianions being possessed by
the one idea — an ambition
to break the I'ecord— which
neither my mule nor 1
shared. AVhym})er, in his admirable work, recently [)u1)lished,
remarks, with reference to his ascent of Chimborazo, that, while
himself suffering from the rarified condition of the air, he was
surprised to find a feeble little gentleman who, though often ailing
in the low country, was not only unaflTected with mountain sickness,
but actually became very vigorous and active. Our own experience
seems to have })een somcAvhat similar, but all 1 knov.- foi' certain is
that I liad no breath to boast of. By and by the heart's action
seemed to fail, and I suddenly collapsed, slipped ofl" the saddle and
lay down on my back, my mule gasping for breath beside me. When
I gradually came to my.self, I could see around me the bones of many
a good mule and llama, cleanly picked, while high in the air floated
the ever alert condor, said to be the largest and most powerful of
all birds ; but I was not just then in a mood to admiie his propor-
tions nor appreciate his attentions, and, gathering myself togethei-
again with the helj) of a more fortunate com])anion, I moved on, but

iriiiwtli, Willi truces of iron. Tin- wutor li:nJ an alkaline i-ciiction, anil contained traces i«f
.sulphuretted liydrogen. No ai-senic or other poisonous metals were found.

The most wa.s made of the very small quantity of water at our disiHjsul, and the fullitwin);
cHinpunent parts were determined :—

(aUiuiii - Parts per ndlliiin, 347'5

Miurncsiuni >• <> 74'3

chlorine - - ,. .. 630-0

sulphuric Arid .. ■• 1484-0

NitT'iiTcn, as Nitrates •• n 1-6

Sodium Present ((uantity not determined.

Silica Present quantity not determined.

('arhiiidc .Veid n n

Total .Solids - Paits per ndllion, 4075-0

('I'otal hardness — Dcttrees per vcallon,
I'lark's scale, 77 .)

ITie chief diaracteristics of the water are it.s alkalinity, the presence of sulphuretted
hydrogen, and the large ]>roiMirtion of .salts— chiefly sulphates, carbonates, anil chlorides oi
laleium (lime), maKnesium, and .sodium. (Signed) S.WOKV A" MOOUK.

74 Travels in Tropical Lamh.

(piily for fifty yards, when I again faintrd. This was lepeated at
least fifty times till the crest Avas crossed and some progress was
made down the western slopes. Soroche is the nati\(' name of this
mountain sickness, and is thus described by Whymper : —

" We were feverish, had intense headaches, and were unable to
satisfy our desire for air except by breathing with open mouths.
This naturally jiarched the throat and produced a craving for drink,
which we were unable to satisfy, ])artly fi'om the ditficulty of ol>tain-
ing it, partly from the trouble in swallowing it. When we got
enough we could only sip, and not to save Qur lives could we have
taken a quarter of a pint at a draught. Before a mouthful was
down we»Avere obliged to breathe and gasp again until our throats
were as dry as ever. Besides having our normal rate of l)reathing
largely accelerated, we found it impossible to sustain life without
e\ery now and again giving spasmodic gulps like fishes Avhen taken
out of water. Of course, there was no inclination to eat, but we
wished to smoke, and found that our pipes refused to burn, for they,
like ourselves, Avanted more oxygen."

The various aflTections which ha\e l)een classed together luider
the name of mountain sickness are fundamentall}' caused by diminu-
tion in the atmospheric pressure, which operates at least in two
ways, viz., by lessening the value of the air inspired, and by
causing the air or gas within the body to expand and to press
upon the internal organs. The results which ensue from the former
are permanent, /.''., so long as the cause exists ; the effects produced
by the latter may pass away when equilibrium has been I'cstored
between the internal organs and external pressure. My own
experience, as indicated, was fainting and violent \omiting. There
is no real preventative, and no two may sufier alike. Tra\ ellers are
usually warned in Lima to beware of taking alcohol : its etf'ects
are often fatal during suffering from soroche; and in the face of such
warning I hesitate to give my own experience, Avhich was that a
moderate use of stimulants was decidedly })alliative.

It may here be stated that to cross the Andes in this paiticular
locality is no longer necessary, owing to the opening of the Galera
tumiel on the Oroya railwa}'.

Once across the Cordilleras, and in touch \\ ith the Oroj'a railway,
a few hours lauds us safely in Lima, where, while recruiting for
n few weeks, I had the oppoitunity of making the acquaintance of
this (jueen city of South America. Named l)y its founder Ciudad dc

( 'if 1/ (if Li III

I •)

los Keyes (City of Fving-s), now InieHy Linin, ;i mere i'Oirii])tioii of
Rimac. tin- rivulet w]iicli ripples throuuli it, and to whicli, insJLC-
niticant as it may serni, the gardens owe rlieif irrigation, the fields,
for miles around, their luxuriaiiee, and the 1 iO,000 inhabitants their
absolutely uecessaiy supply of water. N\ C Know how important a
ijood supply of ruiun'iii;' water is even in localities where the rains
affoid sufficient moisture for the vegetation. Hut Lima, beautiful
Lima ! owes its very existeuee to the one little toricnt of clear cool
watei- which comes rollinii' rapidly down fi'om the snowy mountains,
.still "within sight as we stand on the Bridge of I)esem])erados,
which coimects the north and south ])ortions of the city. This
bridii'e is, 1)\- the wa\-, worth a passing notice, if oidv for its arui(|uitv.

I, I M A

liuilt by I'i/.ario. ."iTO years ago, it still stands firndy with all its
curious nooks and crannies, in which a languid trade is carried on
with the niunerous ]jassenger.s, who never seem in a hurry. The
merchandise consists of old liooks, fruit, the everlasting haucas,
\arious articles of shoddy attiic, to >ay nothing of lottery tickets, to
Ituy which every passer-by is im])ortuned. The \iew from this fine
old bridge is, moreover, one of the finest in lama. To the east,
clearly defined in their e\ eriasting coating of snow, are the distant
I 'oidilleras, nearei- the iiicturi'sijue San Cristobal, whicli overbuks
the city, and on the top of which is a fort erected by that rascal

76 Travcln hi Trojiirnl Lumh.

I'ierola, 03teii?ib]y to rc])el tlie Cliiliaiis, Imt really to dominate
the city and secure his own iliroctorship, in which the unscrupulous
derDairoiiiie would douhtlcss have succeeded had not a few British
residents spoiled his [)rojcct l>y secretly rushing up the luounlain
and spiking the guns, in which state they still remain.

The nearer views bring out jieeps of those artistic and luxurious-
looking dwollings so characteristic of Hispano-Moorish architectui'c,
Avhich seems to bespeak an unusual degree of dignified Te])ose and
grandeur, and yet experience has pei'chance taught us that even
these ap])arent abodes of bliss are seen to the best advantag(! at a
little distance.

One of the Hrst objects of attraction to me is always the
botanical gardens, but an enquiry for these elicited only a shrug of
the shoulders from a Limcno, and at length a confession that the
gardens were not what they once were, in fact, that they were
ai>andoned. The Chilians, alas I had been there, tethered their
horses amidst the choicest fl(^wer beds, cut down the noblest trees
for firewood, and carried away the rarest shrubs to Valparaiso.
Not content Avith this the vandals also appropriated the statues and
seats, stole the lions, shot the elephant, and, sad to say, these
terrible Chilians walked away with sevei'al hundred of the fairest
Limenas, the flowers of many a decent family. It is but right to
admit that these victims were alleged to be willing captives, and,
further, that the Chilian CTOVcrnment no sooner heard of the aTTi\al
of these last-mentioned fair exotics than it chartered a ship and
honourably returned every one of them to the bosom of their
families. Altogether the Chilians, notwithstanding the fact that
they took a few souvenirs of their \ isit, behaved toleral)ly well
during the time they were in possession of Lima. Ask any shojv
keepei-, and he points to plate glass mirrors with several bullet holes ;
nevertheless he says, "I wish they were back again! Trade was
never l)etter than then, and what the Chilian bought he paid for,
Avhich is more than T can say of my own countryman. '

These botanic gardens, deserted and neglected though they arc,
are still very interesting, and contain many rare and valuable plants,
a list of the more notable of which Avill be foiuid appended. There
is another garden, however, surrounding the Exposici('in Buildings,
which is well kept and really very pretty. The Exposicion Palace
itself is one of the most substantial and handsome buildings in Pei'u,
with its highly ornate and beautiful surroundings, altogether the finest

l/i iiKi : its Aft ractions. 77

I'csort a,})(>uL Lima. Here are iiox\- held the iialls aiul pultlic tV-tes
which give lovely Limena an opportunity of (lisporting herself to the
time of really excellent music. The promeiiaele.s are particularly
inviting, the brilliantly coloured flowers, always in rich .splendoui', the
noblest of palms thi'owing a refreshing l>ut not too dense a shade,
while the gentlest of sea breezes keeps the thei-mometer about 68°, a
marvellously pleasant temperature for such a latitude, and, as the
vegetation indicates, a climate which, with irrigation, is capable of
])roducing any plant of either the temperate or torrid zones. Here
may be seen such purely tro])ical plants as coflee, cacoa, mango,
palms, aTid pine-apple gi'owing in great ])erfection alongside a})])les,
pears, grapes, cauliflowers, and cabbages in equal luxuriance. For
deciduous trees requiring rest one has only to withdraw the water
and it is winter, return it again and we have a seasonable spring.
With very little effort, indeed, every i)lant worth growing might
l)e cultivated here. Possildy it would be better for the poor
degenerating PeruNian if a little more energy were required !

The climate is as near perfection as possible, yet the men are
feebler and do not seem to live a day longer than the natives of
the much-abused climate of North IJritain. Irrigation, with all
its manifest benefits, is not an unmixed blessing. Xattu'ally no
locality should be freer from fever than Lima, yet this l>eautifiil
vegetation, forced by water little better than seAvagc, sometimes
l)riugs ti'oublc in its train, as the Countess of Chincon, wife of the
Yiceioy, discovered so long ago as 1640, when her attack of fever
and ague led to the discovery of the sjiecific named after her.

The monuments in Lima are not mnnerous or very striking.
The finest is the cohunn in memory of the licroes who died in the
AVar of Tndependence; a magnificent woik, creditable to the French
sculptor and l>ronzc founder.

The churches, 70 in iinmlicr. .ire. however, the leading featui'cs
and landmarks of the I'eruxiau capital. Many are old, dingy, and
interesting only to the antiquary who dotes over the glories of the
Middle Ages. Others are ornate to a degree which could not fail to
call forth the admiration of tjie l)eholder. Amongst the richest is
La ^Merced, with its most elaborate faeade, San Fiancisco with its
famous cloister-s, and San l)oniingo witli its noble tower. The
largest ;ind most imposing, howe\er, is tlie cathedral on the Plaza,
Here I was shown the remains of the "(lian ("on(|uistador," a fit
relic for this huly of holies .' Piz.irro, ihe pitiless tool of ])riestcraft.

< .s

Travels in Tropical Lands.

iiiid the coiinucrdr for covetous S})iiiii, liiid, like the last Napoleon, one
redeeming trait in his character, viz., a taste for architecture, of
which this cathedi'al is an example. Huilt .'160 years ago, it is just
as likely, barring earthquakes or Chilian luillets, to stand for ."JiiO
more. Diu'ing my stay in Lima a question ai-ose and was eai-nestlv
discussed with reference to the identity of the mummy presei'ved

r'MU^Hiw.S^ ^ in the vaults of the cathe-

^^^ -'^^nrf ^ >A ^l''^l. ^^-'^ether it really

.», *,-^.. -^.im v(w,. ^y^^g ^jj^, moi-tal rcmanis

of Pizarrd. or whether, like
Euddhas tooth of Kandy,
it liad not heen suirepti-
tiously bartered by some
sacrilegious thief. One
theory was that during
the AVar of Independence
the royalists secretly car-
ried oil" the treasured i-e-
mains to Spain and left a
mummy of similar liulk in
its place, and this story was
favoured by Americans
whom I met in Lima
chafing undei- the disa])-
pointment nf not being
allowed to remove the
uutmmy tn the Chicago
Exhibition. The matter
now assumed great imi)or
tance, and a committee
of anthi'opologists was
a))puinted tn critically examine the mummy and I'epoi't to the
ecclesiastical and mutiiri})al authorities.

It was on the 20tli June, ISDl, the 350th ainiiversary of Pizarro's
violent and bloody death, that the coffin was o])ened amidst the
almost breathless but intense anxiety of the popidace. The coflin
was wooden, and in any other but this mild and dry climate would
inevitably have returned to dust 300 years ago, but here it was very
little the worse. On removing the lid the body \\as found almost in
its entirety and completely mummified, still partially covered by

CUUr.CU OF LA MEItCKD. LIMA.

Pizdi'vo. 7!)

rags of silk Avhicli luul e\ idcntly t'ornied a cas.sock, and liy tlic iciuain^
of a finely cnibroidcred linen shirt. The body was quite desiccated,
and of a dine,v white colour. On close examination it wus found
that certain portions were amissing, viz., the hngers, toes, and
certain other parts, having l>eeii cut oft' and removed. From the
appearance, the committee Avere satisfied that these mutilations had
taken place immediately after death, and a letter sent liy the City
C'orpoi'ation in l;"34l to Ferdinand W. of >>pain throAvs some light on
this. The letter, which descriljcs the assassination of Pizarro, goes
on to .say — "In order to dishonour and ridicule him, the murderei's
committed ujiun his ii(.'rs(jii m.iny iidiuman and infamous things,
which, that your Majesty may leceive no further i)ain, we refrain
fr*om describing." These atrocities had probably been committed by
an exas])erated populace on the corpse as it lay where it fell, atrocities
which can scarcely surprise us when we look back upon the life of
ci'uelty, aA"arice, treachery, and rapine, which had thus been summarily
closed. It will be remembered that the friends of Almagro, vowing
vengeance for the execution of their chief, resolved to kill the hated
tyrant as he returned from church on Sunday, SGth -lune, \')\\.
Pizarro heard of the conspirac}', Init pretended to attach little
importance to it ; nevertheless he deemed it prudent not to go to
mass on that day. This did not screen him for long — the in-
furiated people were no longer to be restrained — they broke into his
palace, murdered his ser\ants, and 1>y force of numbers soon ovei-
whelmed the hitheito dauntless and unconcpiered soldier. One can
imagine the stalwait old "Con(|uistador " parrying their thrusts and
dealing many a mortal stroke on the heads of his assailants, till a
ringleader at length, lifting (jne of the crew, threw him bodily upon
the General. Pizarro ran the man through, but while struggling to
withdraw his sword, received a mortal wound in the neck. Thu-s
in a pool of his own blood, fell the founder of Lima and the greatest
Imtcher of the sixteenth century. The same house still stands in
much the same state as when Pizarro lived there, and in the same
apartment in which he was killed the Tre^ident of the day receive<l
our letters of intiodnrtion.

The report of the connnittee of anthropologists was published
with commendable i)romptitiule on Satui-day, 27th June, [."^IM, and
occupied four columns in El Cuiiieiria newspaper of that <late. The
conclusion come to was that the identity of the l)oily was absolutely
est,Mbli-;1ie(|, not only b}' general indication.--, but by evidence of

Travels in Tropical Lands.

wouiui.s oil the neck and clscM-here, which, after l.yini; tliroe and a
half centuries, the niuinniified corpse clearly disclosed. Tiie con-
formation of tilt' cianiuiii has a veiy marked resemblance to that of
tlie typical ciiininal of to-day. The lower jaw ])rotrudes abnormally,
a certain si^n of a brutal man. The chief peculiarity, however, is
the knee joints, which are so unusually large as to look like a
deformity. The total length of the nnimmy is fully six feet. After
liaving been carefully sciutinised, the precious relic was handed over

to the care of the Metropolitan Chapter, who
placed it in the Chapel of th(! Kings in tlic
Cathedral of Lima, where the curious may now-
sec all that is moi'tal of Pizarro resting on a
couch of crimson velvet, the whole beina- enclosed
ill a marble tomb with glass sides.

The Limenas, or ladies of Lima, arc nnqucs-
tioiialily a Aery religious people, and, as far as
\\\^}\ are concerned, it is a reliuiou of a vcrv
tf)k'raiit and non-aggressive type : whether it
tends to godliness is quite another matter'. The
priests are not greatly respected by the husbands
and fathers. ''AA'e do not admit them to our
table,'" said a leading grandee, whose hospitality
we had the honour of enjoying. W't the ladies
go daily to church, the gentlemen merelv walk-
ing down to the door, where they lift tlu-ii- liat>
and pass on. The whole system seems mcivly
another case of ''pleasing the womens." The
ninsic at church services is goo(l and licarty,
cliieliy performed by brass bands, from which
'•(Jeiiciar' liooth's "musicians"" might well
take a wrinkle. The outdoor displays, when
])rocessions march from one church to another, are Aery iiii[)()sing —
the glittering adoi-nmetits of tln^ Virgin, the beautiful candjiy of relics,
the richly coloured robes of the padres, the gorgeous flag.> of tlir
])eoj)le, and the lirst-rate music, all combine to make a xcry striking
and harmonious scene. The climate favours })ageaiitry.

'i'lie jn-iests are, howcvci-. anything but tolerant. The only
i'resbytci'ian minister in I'eiu — an American — 1 found had iiecn
lying in jail for a year for commenting too freely, and peihaps too
truthfully, on the liahits ut the Iv.C. priesthood. Thei'e is one

Priestly Intolerance.

little Protestant chapel in Lima, ostensibly in conne('ti(jn with tlir
Hiitish Consulate, in which a few members of the Cliurch of Eni;lan(l
weekly meet, but the clergyman — whom I met at the Phoenix Club —
complained that his usefulness was sadly curtailed by the enmity
and intolerance of the priesthood. The little J]nglish church must
not show its gable to the street, must on no account ring a bell,
and in the event of death no member of the " heretical sect " is
permitted "Christian" burial. "I had a case in point the other
day," remarked the clerg^-man. " A young English gentleman sent
out here in search of health died after a lingering illness, and I had
actually to tell a white lie
Itefore I could get his re-
mains interred in the public
cemetery." The lie was
that immediately before his
death the young man ex-
pressed a wish to see the
Iv.C. padre, and this alone
had the desired effect u])()u
the authorities.

"But is this necessary?"
I asked. "For the sake of
friends at home, "'replied his
i-evei'ence," 1 could not Iniry
the l)oy like a dog."

This exclusion from con-
secrated l)urial-grouTids was
a prospect which, I confess,
had no alarms for me. Poor Professor Orton, who pluckily crossed
the Andes six times, declaring " I have not been ill a moment,"
crossed once too often, was seized by soroc/ie, and left his bones on
the Sieira. And yet the lemains of this intrepid traveller, whose
iriHexible veracity and faithful descriptions have done more to make
Peru known than have all her dignitiries, dci'ical or otherwise, must
needs be forbidden a resting-place in the filthy, little highland gr.nc-
yard, with its \ultures perched on tin- walls, and stiU'ving dogs
fighting over the bones. No : the fat ])riest at the gate said — "•\'i>u
must not enter here I"

Fortunately, a more aj)j)i'(ipriate spot was found for the ivmains
of our celebrated cousin, and visitors to Titicaca may now sc fVdiii

.S2 Travels in Tropical Lands.

;i (listiiiicc ;i tilting iiicniorial to the illustriou.s tiaveller, cinisiiiciKms,
elevattMl. and alunc, (in the margin of the lake — just sudi ;i spot ;is
lie w-iiild, in all )iiiilial(ility. liave selected for himself.

Of all the ])laces of puhlic resort and ])0])ular amusement in
Lima, the Plaza de Toros stands unrivalled in the eyes of the
Peruvian. \\'e were often told that this liull ling is the largest in
the world, sufticicnt to enteitain all Lima, and the stranger within
her gates. "There are two things worth seeing,'" said an ex-Mayor
to us, viz., '■ cock fights and Knll fights." Once a week, usually on
a Sunday aftei-noon, is to l)e seen a i)rocession similai' in most
respects to tliat A\lnrli lca\-es Melhourne on a cup day. Everything
in the shape of a carriage is in requisition, fi'om the seedy-looking
costermonger cart to the stylish e(juipage, with brilliantly ])eautiful
occupants ; ])edcstrians in thousands, of every description and of
every shade of coloui', from the ]nire white of the far-famed Limena
down to the Ethioitian Mack ; the swaggering, laughing, but often,
it mu-r be confessed, not veiy clean-mouthed negro; the red.
brown, and co])])er-coloui-ed Cholo ; the wary and reserved China-
man, so strangely out of place here alongside the pumi)ed-out
Peruvian. Then there are h3'brids, sucli \aiieties as only a special-
ist could name. Of this motley ci'owd, all wln^ are able pay for
admission: the rest find their way to the top of San Cristobal,
which, though some nn'les distant, is in this cleai- atmosphere
sufficientl}' near to give the eager spectators an interest in the fight.

The covered amphitheatre around the open ring is capable of
accommodating 12,000 to 15,000, and is usually critwded. A mar-
vellous spectacle is this excited, surging crowd, chiefly young
women, the majority of whom are chastely and becomingl)' dressed.
The men are mostly of the genus Larrikan — more loudly rigged
out in am])le fronts and showy scarfs. All are ready with a hearty
cheer as tlu; l)ull-fighters enter the ring — big, bull-necked, show}-,
and swaggei'ing gladiators, such as the (iJicinniKhix delight to dote
uptin. A few aic mounted on horses, ti-embling with excitement,
but the chief champions are on foot, with stout swords (hmgling
by their side, and canying long poles with a red flag attached
thereto. In the centre, and here and there ai'ound the circus, are
little )-etreats, like sentiy boxes, into which the man can conveni-
ently slip when haidly i)ressed by the animal. Altogether, the
fight is a soi'iy atlaii'.

The Bull Fbjhi. S3

The \)w)V liiill, on the witluhawul nf a door, issues foitli fiom a
(lark cellar into the blazing sun. Dazzled and half-hlind, the be-
wildered ])rute shakes his shagg}' head and tries to stare around
him. The first object he sees is a horse, at which he makes a frantic
plunge, but is easily dodged by the keenly alert steed. The rider,
dressed like a S])anish noble, now plays with the maddened beast,
provoking him with a red Hag to make sundry dives into space.
(Gradually recovering sight, the bull now takes in the situation, and
forthwith makes a dash at the nearest biped, who escapes into hi.s
sentry-box in good time to save his skin. Number two fighter now
approaches warily from behind, flourishing his red i-ag, at Avhich the
bull rushes Avith a Imuud. to find there is nothing at the back of it, and
to fall flat on his nose, to the gi-eat amusement of the easily-entertained
spectators. Number one, the chief Matador, again slips from his^
])ox, and begins a series of tantalising flourishes with his red rag ;
but the animal, now more wary, makes for the man, with the evident
determination of impaling the object of his wrath, and again the
"• great fighter "' escapes into his box, around which the discomfited
animal roars in a terrific rage. At this stage of the unecpial
combat, the Ulinhi—a kind of merry-andreAv — brings out the hander-
illas, i.e., barbed darts so strung together as to re;ulilv catch hold
and, entei'ing the flesh, cause the most excruciating pain. From a
safe distance these are thrown across the neck of the bull, every shake
of whose head sends the darts dee])er into the lacerated hide. The
"brave"' Matador now steps out, sword in hand, to complete the
l)iisiness. The exasperated animal, though writhing with }»ain, ap-
proaches his enemy with unflinching courage, but receives about 18
inches of cold steel somewhere behind the shoulder-blade. Frequently
the blundi'ring Matador is unable to withdraw his sword, leaving the
poor brute to run round the ring with the weapon sticking in its gory
side ; but his lees soon be<i;in to totter, and, with one look of intense
disgust at the contemptiljle bipeds, he lies down, gives a few groans,
and all is over. The brass liand now strikes up a lively air, while
horses gallop out to drag away the nmtilatcd carcase. There is great
waving of handkerchiefs by the ladies, bouquets are thrown to tin-
heroes, the merryman takes round the hat. and there is a general
l)nzz of gratified enjoyment all o\ er the va.st concourse. Another
victim is now l)rought out, and the tragedy is re-enacted— usually
six times duiing the afternoon. Such are the favoui'itc jiastimes ot
this proud and highly-enlightened pi-ople ! To our stolid northi-ni

f^4 Travels in Tropical L<t mU.

minds there may be notliiiii; in it save the most ((iwardly butcheiy :
but this floes not alter the fact that for centuries it has been, and
still is, the chief enjoyment of Lima, and to us (itu- of the marvels ot
this curious country is to see beautiful Limenas floating over these
very sickening sights. If theie was a chance of the swaggering
Matador getting neatly gored I could understand it, but as the poor
bull has not the faintest ghost of a chance, it is difficult to see the
source of the keen enjoyment.

In ordinary laisiness matters, Lima ])resents many features akin
to what we daily see in British cities. There is the draper, for in-
stance, standing yawnhig behind piles of Manchester goods, upon
which are Hags of distress bearing in huge letters the words, " Colosal
h(fivinra" Avhich, I suppose, means " big bargains," and there stands
the loafing liagman, with moi'e of his " sjjecial lines" and job lots,
while ladies with languid eyes drop in to look and ;isk for ^^ eje7npJo,''
though evidently too })oor to buy.

Then there are the noisy ne\vspa])er boys, lunvling out " J-Jf
Kacional !" "El Comercio.'" and trying to palm ofi' old papers
upon unsuspecting buyers. I'mt the gi-eatest of all bores is the
lottery -ticket sellers. At every street corner, at every church oi-
hotel door, there, Sunday and Saturday, is the same drawling whine
of "Mil (juinientos soles ])ara nianana."' ''Plata para luego ! "
Nothing, perhaj)s, could better show the poverty of a country or
the rotten state of the finances than these state-su|)ported lotteries.

I have hitherto said nothing of my hotel, in which, however, 1
was fairly comfortable. Luxurious, indeed, it seemed after otu-
sojourn on the Montan;i. ''The French and Knglish Hotel," as it
is called, is the best that Lima affords, but it is bloscd with very
little English about it except the "boots," and he is the lilackest negro
I ever came across. Albeit Mi: Brown- at your service — as he
styles himself, has mastered the Knglish langunge admirably, and is
here the oidy interpreter about the establishment, botli IJriton and
^'ankee constantly re»piiring his assistance. The I'at. fussy French-
woman who "bosses" the business, flits about froni table to table,
talking either S]);nn'sh or French to the guesl,s, while the putty-faced
Peruvian husband keeps his eye on his day liook and makes the
most of every item, Ijut neither (jf these knows a woril of English.
I found my expenditure invariably lan up to 10 snlcs, or altout oOs.,
pel' day. The food was good, l)Ut the attendance veiy fitful.

W'l' dine ill nil open \ei;iud,ili which skirts ;i scpiare garden [ilot,

Volley of the Sanfa. 85

ill which brilliant crotoiis, viiicas, and poinsettias remind ns -vvc aic
in the tropics, thouj^h here no iniiihi is necessary, the air beini;
sufficiently cool and laden with the perfume of jessamine and other
creepers which hang in festoons fioni the lafters. Upstairs are the
ample bedrooms, gorgeous in gilt and colour. A gaudy Brussels
carpet on the floor feels comfortable, but the pictures on the wall
seem to ]»c i-eciting a never-ending cluqjter in Zola. Altogether
there is a want of restfulness and solidity about poor frivolous Lima
which helps mc to ])art with it without any lasting pangs.

Perhajts the pleasantest trip I had in Peru was in visiting sundr\-
stations along the Pacific coast and u[) the valleys of the 8anta and
the Chicama. Armed with introductions to several of the Icadinij
pi"oprietoT-s ami nianagei's of tlic piinci[)al haciendas, I sailed frmii
Callao in one of the mail boats, calling first at Chimbote, where I
remained a week, ex])loring the vallc}' of the river Santa. Here, it
will be remembered, the Spaniards first invaded Pei'u in \~V.V1. The
Santa valley was then one of the richest and most populous ])arts of
Peru ; now it is one of the poorest in this pauperised Pepublic. In
those days the population of l*eru was supposed to be .'50,000,000, or
twelve times greater than at the i)resent daj', and in no locality is
the decadence more marked than in this once [)rosperous vallej'.
Here, 400 years ago, in the time of the Incas, agriculture flourished
in the highest ])eifection. The sandy wastes, never in the memor}'
(if man visited by a shower of rain, were rendeied fertile l»y an
artificial system t)f iriigation, the most stupendous, perhaps, the world
had ever seen. Hundreds of miles of substantial aqueducts conveyed
the precious water fiom the river, while the fields were enriched
l)eriodically by an application of manure brought from the adjacent
islands — a fertiliser wo now call guano, the use of which only dawned
upon our own farmers the other day.

In this one narrow valley there is said to have been a thri\ ing
|)oi>ulatiori of 700,000 agricultuiists. I doubt if there now exists a
population, all told, of 7,000 ; and these, .sad U) say, chiefly live by
despoiling the gi-aves of the ancient Incas, burrowing into the
earth, and selling the trinkets of pottery, skeletons, and munmiies,
wliich for ages had lain undistuibed in these sand hills, or artificial
mounds, from 20 to 100 feet in height, dotted over this country,
and known generally as hauchas. In every little shop these relics
are on sale, and by the wayside little stocks are collected, and
offered to the passer-by with an appealing whine that the collector

.s ( ) Travels in Troj ileal. Liiiids.

is liimsclt' halt daxd of .starvation. Not an acre is now (•iilti\att'(l
within sight of Chiniljote, for all the aqueducts are gone. Nut onlj'
<li(l the Spaniard fail to keep them in repair, but he removed the
best of their mateiials m ith which to build his houses.

Chindjote, though possessing a splendidly sheltered bay, and the
terminus of a railway costing £4, 500,000, is a jioor insigniticant place,
its chief trade being the distributing of imported food, and almost
its oidy export — hauchas and alcohijl — the remains of ancient Incas,
and the spirits of modern I'eruvians ! 'riiese spirits come from the
interior, and, being distilled directly liom the sugar cane, make a very
tiery li(|nid indeed. Eeing cheap (about 1 6 per gall.) the local con-
,sumi)tion is lamentably great. The poor young custom-house official
Avho came strutting down to the i)ier to examine mv Gladstone bau\
had, I could see, been indulging freely, probaldy driven to it by
sheer ennui. He afterwards sat next to me at the tabic d'hote,
drinking heavily, and eating but little. Next day he looked scared
iind wild, and talked nonsense about snakes on the wall. I felt uneasy
when I saw him lift the knives, and made signs to the Chinese waiter
to lemove them. A day later I saw the remains of the poor
young dipsomaniac laid in the dreaiy cemetery-, a few miles out on
the sandy desert. No stone, nor tree, iioi- tuft of grass marks the
l)lace ; the fat i)adre mumbled his formal prayers, a few lean dogs
hoAvled dismally, and all was over. Anything more desolate than the
surroundings it would be im})o.ssible to conceive. One tig tree appears
in the far distance, but there is not a leaf ui)on it. The luins of the
ancient aqueducts and the remains of the J ma highways may be traced
here and there by the parallel dykes of adobes or sun-dried bricks,
but all the i-est is diiven sand.

My visit to Vinios and Suchiman, ."^0 miles inland, was more
interesting and pleasant, though here, too, there are more signs of
fo)mer splendour than symptoms of pi'csent prosperity. For the first
1 2 miles the route passes through Pueiito, an estate of 30,000 acres,
which, with its broken watercourses and lickety fences, looks as if
it had long been in Chancery. Hei'c there is a little vegetation
" unprotitably gay " with ci-eepers, but no .signs of cultivation. The
next hacienda is also semi-abandoned, though its dilapidated distillery
still tui-ns out a considerable quantity of alcohol. Suchiman, on
the other hand, leased by an enterprising Yankee, is Avell cultivated,
with everything in excellent order. The elfects of water jmliciously
applied upon these apparently barren sands is simply magical. 1

t'^ai/d r J'/ii iili iKj. <S7

■\VHS much struck to observe the result of a few drojjs falling; con-
tinuously from a leak in the cistern wlioncc the railway engine boiler
is su})plie(l. It had Ijeen one of the barest and most ijarched sidings
in this lonely desert — not a particle of \egetation within sight till
these tiny dro})s of Avatcr were followed by a few Mades of grass.
I5y and by a curious \arietv of creepers cropped up, as alsd Cucuibits
o( the Liif/'a ^Jw/i/jif idea tyi)e, with bigger gourds, like watermelons.
Now a native hut has been built near, and liavcllers stoj) to refresh
themselves at this perfect little (jasis in the wildeiiiess, Thr
methodical cultivation of sugar-cane has to be crt-dited to the early
Spain'sh settlers, wdio, up to a few years ago, made splendid prohts
by this industry. Now the keen competition of tlic l)eet gi'ower in
Kuropc has considerably curtailed these, but there is still a hand-
some margin to the sugar planter here, and competition does not
altogether account for the present state of the indnstiy, and the
generally abandoned condition of the sugar estates of J'eru.

"The Chilians did it," says the tor])id planter of to-day, and no
doubt the })roitrietors were placed in a very per])le\ing fix dui-ing
the late war. The Chilians levied exorbitant demands for money, while
their iiwii ftfete GovernnuMit in Lima protested and threatened for-
feiture or confiscation of all estates contributing to the elaini- of Chili.
Sonu', on refusing to }>ay, had their machinery desti-oyed by dviia-
mite and their luxui'ious rasa blown about their ears, while others
bolted to Bi'itain or found refuge in France, lint this tloes not
ex])lain the present decay : and had a tithe of the money, too easily
Itorrowed, too lavishly lent upon tk(! security of these estates, been
but judiciously spent u])on their upkeep, they would ])rescnt a vcrj^
diffei'ent appearance to-day. For, notwithstanding low prices, 1 am
cnn\ inced there are few agricultural industries better wunh attention,
more certain, oi' more remunerative than the cultivation of sugar-
cane on these rich, Hat, raiidcss regions.

The l)est estates are now situated in the Chicama vallev, whither
1 proceeded after spending another day at Chind)Ote in watching
the sleek seadions and amorous seals gorging themselves with tish
and scrandiling upi'ii the little guano islands, basking in the sun
and c.iressing each ntlici' the li\e-l(iiig daw (hkhI lish are \er\'
plentiful (in this coast, -.i nil 1 was inlei-e>ted in >eeing the languid
I Miking hshei-nien returning in their tiny lio.its, made of rn-lies.
whicii, after disposing of their aliundant takes, thev draw up on the
beach to div, while they, with the proceeds uf the mght's wnrk.

8S Travels in Tropical La/ads.

retire, alas I to the nearest liar, after the manner (ji loo many
fishermen nearer home.

Chicama lies fnlly 300 miles north of Lima, and is I'eached by
boat to Salavery, the seaport of Truxillo and terminus of a i-aihvay
extending for 40 miles inland, by which the sugar estates are served.
There arc several very valuable and prosperous propeities within
easy distance, notably Casa Granda, Chiijuitoy, and Cartavia. A
description of one may serve for all, and I shall here confine my
lemarks to the last-named, viz., the hacienda Cartavia, u])on which
I spent a pleasant week, all the more enjoyable that here 1 unex-
pectedly met some congenial types of my ubiquitous countrymen—
the superintendent hailing from Elgin, the engineer from Ross, and
the distiller from Fife — a very intelligent trio, who let me moT-c
thoroughly into the secrets of sugar culture and marnifacture in
Peru than could have been possible where the language ditticulty
barred the way.

Cartavia is in extent about 10,56<S acres, stretching from within
a few miles of the sea on the west, to near the foot of the moun-
tains on the east, the little rivulet Chicama forming the northern
boundary. The whole estate is very flat, and although apparently
covered with Avhitish sand, the soil, upon examination, turns out to
be a deep, dark, rich loam, admirably adapted for the cultivation of
sugar-cane, Alfalfa, Guinea grass, and almost any other troi)ical
product.

The extent under cultivation is divided as follows : —

23.12 aci'es in Rugar-Ciiiie.
17<> ,, in AU-.iUii (JyiiceniiJ.
4S0 ,, in (.imnea (h'iiiiH ( Pa )ii'' I' III uia.r'rinini) ).

The balance is fallow, or is being turned over by the steam j)lough,
which is now at work, making ready foj- further extensions. From
the time of ])lanting till maturity, the cane takes 20 months, and
according to the rotations adopted, 120 acres of cane are cut every
month. This yields about 7,500 cM'ts. of finest grainy sugar, costing
say 7s, 6d. per cwt. f.o.li. Tliei'e is also a monthly yield of about
r.,000 galls, alcohol.

Nowhere in lainy regions can cane be grown to such ])erfection
as here. Water being supplied whenever it is reijuired, and with-
drawn the moment it would ])rove injurious, the amount of saccharine
matter is such as we never find in the Indies. Moreover, the

('<ii-f(ivi<( Ed<ite. <Sf>

maturing of the ciiiie, and regulatiui;' tlu' I'utatioii, i-aii l)o much moi-o
effectually carried out under systematic irrigation.

The Alfalfa (Mcdicago Sativa) is an excellent fodder for cattle,
exactly suited for such a locality, and having the ])ower of sending
its roots twenty feet deep in searcli of moisture. Irrigation is less
needed here, Avhere water can generally he struck at 12 feet.
Fal)ulous crops of this mitritious legume are raised year after year
from the same ground. Alfalfa enriches the soil, and produces here
five crops aniuially. Guinea grass is also grown very success-
fully, but, as a nourishing food for cattle, cannot lie compared with
the Alfalfa. A\'ater for irrigation is suj)plied from the Chicama
rivulet by a canal li' miles in length. During the wet season on the
Cordilleras, the supply of water is abunchmt, but for the other six-
months certain prescribed regulations have to Ije submitted to,
the rights pertaining to this estate being a flush every alternate
week. The fact, hoAvever, that these lands lie low, and the sub-soil
is always damp, is of considerable importance and advantage. The
live stock belonging to the estate consists of: —

869 Cattle.
211 Horses.

].')~ T)onkeys and MiiIps.
1 l.lu Slicej).

The manager's house is built on the toj) of one of the cuiious
mounds, or hauchas, regarding the origin of which there is room for
so many surmises. Some suppose them to have been merely biu'ial
grounds, others, for the purjiose of showing beacon fires ; but as I
could count twenty such mounds, varying from 80 to 100 feet in
height, from where I stood on Cartavia, the beacon tire theory must
be dispensed with, and although graves and numerous remains are
uncpiestiojiably found embedded therein, it seems to me that the
primaiv purpose of the wise old Inca must have been to escape from
the malaria arising from the low irrigated lands.

The aisa of my bachelor host was of ample proportions, though
destitute of those delicate fui'nishings and touches which the
female fingers can alone give. My friend, like all tropical planters,
was the soul of hospitality ; to entertain strangers being a vital part
of planters' religion, as everyone who has travelled in tropical lands
can testify.

Albeit, every country has its drawbacks, and, upon the whole,
I daresay it will be found that these discomforts are pretty equally
I

tK) Travels in Tropical Lands.

<livided. In Ceylou, fur instance, we have the I'ains and leeches
outside, the moist, mouldy rottenness Avithin, but we are somewhat
compensated by having the purest of water, the glossy green leaves,
and no dust. Hei'e, in this otherwise perfect climate, we live in a
l)erpetual halo of dust. Looking out from the verandah, the appioach
of visitors can be descried at a distance of 8 or 10 miles by the clouds
of sand they raise by their feet. By twelve o'clock each day the
wind blows the fine ])articles into every corner and crevice, and to
travel abroad at mid-day is to eat your way through the thick clouds
of drifting dust, with cars and nostrils stoi)ped up. Nothing looks
tidy in the house, and outside nothing looks fresh — the foliage and
flowers being ahvavs more or less begrimed.

But the greatest difficulty to be faced here, as elsewhere in
Peru, is in the supply of suitable lal)our. The Cholo has been tried
and found wanting — Avanting in numbers and in adaptal)ility. The
hardy mountaineer does not care to settle permanently on the flat,
monotonous lowlands. And Avho can blame him ? In the ^'alleys
of the Cordilleras he has his oavu little cliacra, while his Avife or
daughters tend the sheep on the green tablelands. AVhy should he
toil at the beck of any planter ? Occasionally a feAv unsettled loafers
do find their Avay to the haciendas, attracted, I fear, more by the
<lrink than l)y anything else. The backbone of the industry has
hitherto been the Chinese, but their treatment has been so A'illain-
ol^sly bad that their oavu GoAernment had, some years ago, to i)ut
a stop to further emigration to Peru, and as the men are noAv chiefly
past middle age, there is a danger of the labour supply soon falling
lamentably short of requirements.

There are not in the Avide Avorld more capal)le, plodding, jDatient,
and faithful Avorkers than the Chinamen. Yet, here, as in Australia,
they have to cope Avith unreasoning prejudice and implacable hatred
— a hatred not, hoAvcAer, shai-ed by their em{)loyers nor, I may
add, liy the women of thf country, for .bjhn makes a verr
excellent husband, and jealousy has really more to do Avith the
apparently unaccountable dislike of him than most men care to
confess. I have entered his house, studied his domestic life, and
can testify that his genius for cookery relicAes the Avite of nuich
drudgery. lie is a perfect adept at laundry Avork ; Avhile the
children hang around him in loving clusters. Is it any Avonder a
Avoman soon comes to adore such a husband ? Compare her lot
with that of many a Avife tied to a clumsy Scotsman or an uncouth
( 'olonial, and Avonder may Avell cease.

The Chinese : Qwin;/ Tcrf. 91

In all those qualities l)y which Scotsmen have been enabled to
make their mark amongst the more dashing French and Englisli
•colonists, viz., patient thrift and ])lod(ling industry, the Chinese
invariably excel. And what men call meanness is often neither less
nor more than the most laudable self-denial. If, as Mrs. Fy\ie
Mayo says, " the man who produces most and consumes least is the
true aristocrat," the Chinese are surely the coming aristocracy of
both Peru and Australia.

Occasionally, l)y sheer force of charactei-, the Chinaman will, when
■circumstances favour, rise far above the common herd, to a position
of wealth and influence, and then all are ready to do him homage.
Several wealthy Chinamen in Truxillo have married respectable
''white girls," and one — a prominent citizen I found living at
HaTicho — had haj)pily mairied an English governess, and is as
polished a gentleman as can be found on the shores of the Pacific.
Dressed in his vicuna ])oncho and broad-brimmed hat, his quiet,
cultivated mannei's are in striking contrast to those of the proud
Peruvian or the too buraptimis negro. He speaks in perfect Englisli,
and his commercial morality, I am told, might put to .shame many
<i " Christian " grandee.

This gentleman, by the way, has his prototy})e in (^)uang Tart,
of Sydney, one of the most wealthy, benevolent, and distinguished
citizens of New South Wales, whose command of pure, nervous Eng-
lish — only second to that of Sir Henry Parkes — makes him an acquisi-
tion at every public meeting, while at })opular concerts he is sim])ly
indispen.sable. Quang manied a clever Scotch lassie, but in the race
for wealth aiid position not only has he out-flistanced the Scotch
colonist, but he has completely eclipsed liiin in his own particular
line. Mr. Quang Tart is unquestionably the best singer of Scotch
songs in New South Wales, while in the Highland costume he can
render the Highland fling as if to the manner born. More to the
])urpose, howevei", he takes the lead in the virtue of f/iriinj liberal! \'
to every really charitable purpose.

Even among the lowest class of Chinese coolies in Peru it is rare
to find one idle, rarer still to see one drunk, ah hough amongst the
natives and negroes indolence and drunkenness are the ruh'. The
negroes, unfortunately, are too apt to ape the worst habits of the
European, and may be seen swaggering in groujjs, gesticulating and
spouting altout their grievances and the shortcomings of others,
while John })lacidly ])asses on, bent only on his own duties, or tiu'

92 Tm i-ch In Tropuud Lands.

l)U.sinc.ss of his niastoi'. Aud if, ;ifter twelve hoiir.s of unceasing toil,
he stretches out his somewhat iheumatic legs, and soothes himself
to sleep by a precious pipe of opium, is it the place of any drunken
country to protest against the use of the innocent solace, while she
shuts her self-righteous eyes to the fearful cruelties these patient
peoi)le have had to endure I

The Chinese emigrants in Peru and their treatment by the
Peruvians forms one of the blackest chapters in the chequered
history of this unstable country. The immigration scheme "was
initiated 40 years ago, in the face of much opposition, by the
enlightened Don Domingo Elias. He Avas told bv the leadini:;
scribes in the Government organ I'cniKmi that "Chinese immigrants
■would be absolutely useless ; they are <juite unadapted for field
lal)Our, and their Avork will never give to our failing agriculture the
help required to raise it from the 2)rostration in -which it lies. Our
population, in the course of time, will gradually assimilate itself to
the repugnant Asiatic race. AVithout otu' agriculture obtaining
any benefit, we are likely to fill u}) our country with a multitude of
corrupt men, who, it is to be feared, will become mixed up with our
lower orders, and jjroduce a degraded progeny, the consec^uence of
which wall fall upon our grandchildi'en." The same writer expressed
his belief that Lima Avould be desolated 1)y the plague the filthy
emigrants Avoidd certainly introduce. In the face of this })rejudice
it is not surprising to learn that the first instalments of the pool'
patient jNIougols were met by a hooting mob on their arrival, and
treated to every possible indignity as they passed through the towns.

Nevertheless Don Domingo persevered wath his scheme until the
number of the immigrants amounted to between 80,000 and 100,000.
And now, as to the result. Let one of the Peruvians themselves
bear witness. In a work recently i)ublished liy Juan d'Arona, of
Lima, from whom 1 also made the foregoing extract, I find him
further expressing himself as follows : — "There has not been a single
point upon which the unfortiuiate editor of 185G has not turned out
to be mistaken. 'The Chinese will not serve a single good purpose,'
said he — and tJiey have served for every one. ' Unfitted for the labours
of the held!' — Peni has 'iict yet !<een their equal. 'Their assistance
could not raise our prostrate agriculture' — I have already told to whom
iras to he ascribnl flir himii duriin/ a succession of years in our sugar
industry. ' They will intermix with our lower ordei'S ' — and tdaU
better lot could befall these .? "

(Viinese Irtimyji'mits. *.):]

"Here I have ])assccl in review," continues this outspoken autlim-,
"the (jualities which cause the Chinese la])ourer to be of value in
the eyes of all who are not led away 1»y false sentinicntalisin,
whether this originates in a^sthetif, moralistic, or ethnological con-
siderations. The Chinaman is immensely superior to all by whom
he is surrounded in the sphere he occupies. The instinctive genius
of this inmiigrant has indeed raised him far above our lower ui'ders,
and placed him on a level with, or at least brought him within
measurable distance of, the higher classes. . . . Tn a rountry
like Peru, with its laughable l)lack pride, the Chinese with their
ancient civilisation must perforce have a great pait to play."'

A vSpanish authoress, Eva Cart'l, in her l)0ok, "Things of the
New "World," tells how she had been recommended to go to the
house of a rich Chinaman in \'ev\\. \\ lio had married a European
lady. "His cultivated manners,' she says, "not devoid of dis-
tinction, were ajjparent as he saluted me with silent respect. The
numerous little ones Avere white and rosy like t.heii' mother."' \\'hat
must the editoi' of the I'cnunKi have thought of such i)roceedings .'

By all this, and much more in keeping Avith it, has the Chinaman
shown what he is in time of peace^ would the reader now see him
in the fluctuating days of war .' During the late disastrous invasion
by Chili, he was the only man wlio ne\ei' budged nor changed his
character, the only merchant who never changed his prices, neither
in the dark days that accompanied the war nor the darker that
followed on through the clouds of dishonoured fiscal papei'. opening
the door to all manner of c(mimercial fraud. The desire of every-
body Avho OAvned a Avhite skin Avas to get out of the country. The
Chinaman alone maintained the sacred tire, and contimieil to be a
merchant, a hotel-keeper, or gardener, for the very love of the thing.
Hotel-keepei's deserted their post and left their cu.stomers starving —
the Chinese stepped in and opened restaurants ; and to this day the
chief hotels in Truxillo, the second city, have not resumed cookery.
Staying a night at the best hotel on my Avay hither, I encpn'red, as
the tedious evening proceeded, at what time dinner would be ready.
"Dinner!" said my host, "Ave do not dine here I " \\\\\i some
diflUculty I got .such explanation as he had to give, and a guide to
the Chinaman's house, where I found all Truxillo diin'iig, and dining
well.

The only heioic action we hear of during the Avar was the
<'hine.-e colony coolly ilefending itself during an improvised siege of

'94 Travels in Tropical Lands.

several months, sustained against infuriated mobs, not of CJiilkws, but
of natives of Tern, who, having harboured and nursed their hatred
for 30 years, now took advantage of the Chilian occupation and
the prostrate state of theii' own Government, to give vent to their
rage against the Chinese, whose industry and useful lives had all
these years been a standing reproach to Peruvians.

February, 1881, was the date on which the general rising took
place, the deteimination evidently being to kill every Chinaman in
I'eru, and, taken unawares, hundreds Avere murdered with the most
unrelentiiii;' cruelt\'. According to all accounts the massacre of
Chinese in the one valley of Cailete puts in the shade that perpe-
trated by the Mussulmans of Damascus in 1860 upon the Christians,
which was followed by such exemphiry chastisement, while the world
shrieked with execration. But here even worse deeds were done
without a shadow of cause to justify their commission, and no
one even thought them worth chronicling I The oidy Peruvian,
daily then published, 7>V Ordci; did not seeni to devote a
single line to the horrible calamity by which so many lives Avere
l)arbar(jusl3' sacrificed and \ aluable industries ruined. One of the
first moves of the mob was to send off a detachment to waylay some
Chinamen returning from market. Sixteen Chinamen were return-
ing by boat from Callao Avith their purchases, little dreaming of what
awaited them. Scai-cely had the boat touched the shore when they
Avere dragged out, bound hands and feet, and, amidst the jeers of
the croA\d, drowned like dogs. The murderers now })roceeded to
-the sugar estates, Avhere every Chinaman whom they could lay hands
upon Avas killed on the spot. Some poor Avretches, confiding in the
traditional safety or right of asylum associated with the Mansion
House — but wliei'e now the shade of the absent master no longei-
hovered— sought refuge there, but Avere soon despatched by the
bloodthirsty varlets, the corpses lieing literally piled in the court-
yard as food for the vultures. The rising Avas so sudden and un-
expected, and tlie misci'eants did their work so diabolically, that the
innocent Chinese Averc at fii'st quite flal)bergasted ; but when at
length the}' had time to collect their thoughts, they made a desperate
ettbi't to at least jncpaic foi' a i)assive defence. The scene was the-
Casa JBlanca estate. Lima lay ])rostrate at the feet of the Chilians.
The guns Peru had puichased to defend itself had been turned u|»on
its proud cajntal by the hands of the very men Avhose services had
indignantly been declined. Peru's onlj' general, the native Johiui}'

Peruvian Atrocities. 95

Cope, was runiiini:; along the Iluaiiaco road with his terrified troops,
hunted by a handful of hardy Chilians. The country was indeed
thoroughly cowed, and no protection could be given to Chinese oi-
anyone else. This was the moment chosen by the lower orders of
Peru to wreak their vengeance upon the liated Asiatic. Extermi
nation was evidently the aim. At Casa lUanca estate, however, the
Chinamen hurriedly held a council — not of war, but of self-defence.
Joined by a few fugitives from other estates they numbered over
1,000 men. "With great haste and untiring industry they managed
to barricade and enclose themselves in the vast mass of buildings
which include the Mansion House, the offices, factories, and (jut-
houses. Here they awaited the threatened attack, antl had the
assailants been possessed of ordinary intelligence and brute courage,
it might soon have fared badly with poor, unAvarlike, unarmed
John Chinaman ; but the Peruvian herd is even less formidable in
war than the Chinese. Though snirounding the place in thousands
none cared to enter. The gallant besiegers brought a big gun from
the town of Mala, which they mounted, loaded, and fired — Avheu
lo I the thing burst, so tliat had to be given up.

Meanwhile the besieged began to weary, and bethought them-
selves of more active resistance. From the pipes of the retorts
and machinery they extemporised fire-arms, which they turned upon
their stupid besiegers with deadly effect. They even shelled them
with bottles filled with powder, to which M-as attached a lighted
fuse, and by these means managed to make many of the oppos-
ing force to bite the dust. For months this ridiculous siege was
allowed to go on. At last, in consideration of a large sum paid
down, till' proprietors succeeded in getting a detachment of Chilian
troops despatched to Canete, at the sight of aa hich the besiegers fled
panic-stiicken and the gates of Casa Blanca were opened. And then
passed out a procession of living phantoms, disfigured by suffering,
l>y hunger, a!id by terror. As many of the poor \ ictims as could be
removeil were taken to Lima, and — the whole matter was for-
gotten in a few days !

15ut it has not only been during war with Chili that the Chinese
immigrants have been cruelly treated. Their normal ciiinlition in Peru
has for forty years long been one of patient sufi'ering. There are
always honourable exceptions, and 1 am ghid to think the planters
of Chirania valley are conspicuous examples ; but, taken as a whole,
the Peruvian ])lanters are not by any ukmus jiatterns of brotherly

96 Travels in Trojncal Lands.

kindness. 1 doul>t, indeed, if ever tlie negro in the worst days of
American slavery was subjected to such diabolical maltreatment as
these poor Asiatics in Pent, for the simple reason that no planter in
his senses wonld systematically injure or destroy Avhat he considered
his oAvn property. The restless ambition of the Chinese to l>etter
themselves, and get on in the world, is the chief cause of their
suffering. To curb this aspiration stoch have been brought into
common use, and other unmentionable means of torture, the sight of
which has such a charm for the average Peruvian that ])hotographs
are regularly circulated showing the hated Chinaman writiiing under
})\uiishment.

Sir C. Mansfield, the British Consul in Lima, in a recent report
on the agricultural condition of Peru, " 2:>resented to the Hottses of
Parliament by command of Her Majesty," refers to this matter in
very plain terms as follows : —

"Labour was supplied" to a certain extent by Chile, and much
more l)y the importation of Chinese coolies ; indeed all the railways
were constructed by coolies and Chilians : the latter, however, since
the war are no longei- available.

" Fvu'ther supplies of Chinese coolies also can no longer be obtained
for Peru ; for, in consequence of the barbarous treatment which they
received, and still receive, the Chinese Government have prohibited
emigration to the Eepublic.

" Coolies on some properties Avork in irons to prevent their
running away, are chained and locked up at night, and undergo
cruel tortures when punishment is exercised : the truck system
])revails, so that the coolie is always in debt to his master, who often
makes a jirofit, even upon the opium retailed in lieu of a portion of
his wages."

Practically there is no protection in Peru. "I save the (xovern-
ment in Lima considerable troidjle and expense," said a Prefect to
us, "by occasionally shooting a troublesome character, where no one
is the Aviser." A proprietor of a mine whom I met in 'i'ruxillo was
laughing ov(n' an item in his monthly accounts — "7'' xJiooting n
nwnan,$2." "But what does it mean ? " I asked. "I suppose it
means that she was a uuisance," was the only reply.

Nevertheless thi; Chinese laboiu'cr seems to extract a considerable
amount of quiet enjoyment out of his laboi'ious life. A good cook,
with a good digestion, he laughs in his own stolid way at the

^4. Chinese Convert. 97

superstitions of the move hcl[)le.-^.s unci clumsy Kuioi)caii. That
John is not altogether destitute of humour the following anecdote
may lielj) to sliow : —

"Had you ever any converts amongst the Chinese?" I asked of
a priest one day.

"Just one," was the response; and here a .smile luoke over the
round face of the padre, culminating in a i-oar of laughter, and as he
held his sides I stood perplexed at the apparent levity.

" Is it such a laughing matter ?" I in(juirc<l.

"Listen," he said, '"and I will tell you all.

"Ah Sing was as decent a fellow as ever delved in a garden.
He supplied us with vegetal )les— and \eiy good vegetables too.
Came pretty regularly to church, where his deportment was all I could
wish ; so that, when in process of time he came forward for li;iptism,
I was (piite prepared to receive him. 1 prepared him as well as I
could for the .sacred rite, telling him that, as a Christian, he would
have to exercise certain acts of self-denial— particularly the abstain-
ing from meat on Fridays ; e.xplaining, however, that /'W/ might be
eaten instead of the pork or mutton he was so ])artial to. To this
he solemnly assented. 1 then turned to sjjiinkle him, saying as I
did so, 'Ah Sing, your name shall be no more Ah Sing, but, as a
<"hristian, you will be henceforth known as Aiidicw." So Andrew
was baptised, and went on his way rejoicing, lint it came to ray
ears that he was by no means a very consistent Catholic, inasmuch
as he ignoi'cd the Friday fast.

"This he denied; but I took an earl\- oijijortuiiity of dropping
in upon him just as he sat down to his Friday dinner, and there,
.sure enough, was a savoury cho]) ! 1 at once i)roceeded to reprox e ;
but still he denied, persisting in saying, ' T/ti-< no jmi; tlii.^ Jish ."
Exa.sperated at the fellow, I demanded an explanation.

"'Well,' s.iid Andrew, with an air oi extreme meekness and
iimocence, 'before 1 cook, I take to spout and I sprinkle with water,
siiying, Your name no longer ])ork, yon Jish .""

I often think of that padre and ids proselyte, and wondei' which
is the greater rogue or greater fool.

Notwithstanding certain drawliacks, Chicama seems on the whole
very healthy and enjoyable, particidarly in the eaily mornings,
when the dust lies moistened by the nightly dews, and the sweet
Howers just opened are still fresh and bright : <ii in the glorious

98 Travels in Tropical Lands.

niouHliglit w liL'n iill is huslied, and the temperature, neither hot nor
cold, ])erniits us to forget that we have sensiti\c Ijodies subject
to the influences of vaTiabU' climates.

The absolute certainty of fine weather is itself an exhilaratini--
change to those who have l)een accustomed to the ever-changing
elements in the British Isles, the treacherous climate of India, or
the dangerously sudden variations of terapei'ature in Australia. The
marvel is that men should ever become feeble and die in such a
perfectly even temperature as this. But die they do, or kill them-
selves ofl", apparently much aljout the usual age.

When I think of the pathetic attempts at pic-nicking, or pageantry,
which we see amidst the i-ains and scjualls so common in North
firitain, I am struck with the immense superiority of such a country
as this for out-door enjoyment, and it is an ad\antage of which we
ever feel disposed to fully avail ourselves.

While living in this neighbourhood, 1 was induced to make
sundry excursions towards Caxamarca, the ancient capital of the
Inca Atahuallpa, now, alas ! a poor little township of scmie seven oi'
eight thousand souls, whidi lies in a fertile valley or plateau over
100 square miles in extent, hit. 7^ S , an altitude of 9,400 feet above
sea level, and about SO miles from Truxillo. The climate seems
exceedingly healthy and agreeable, the soil rich and fertile, the
remains of many a once well-cultivated garden still marked out by
willows, daturas, mimosas, and many beautiful examples of the
rosacea. Around the i-uins of w hat is jjointed out as the residence
of the last Inca monait-li. arc clusters of thi'iving fruit ti'ees, and
verdant lields of Alfalfa, while at a little distance columns of
smoke are still rising from his warm bath. The " Banos del Inca "^
has a temperature of IGO', sufficiently hot, one would think, to scald
any one, but Atahuallpa is said to have spent a large portion of his
time at these batlis.

Hum])()ldt, who passed thinugh Caxamarca in 1S0l\ gi\es the
following interesting account of his visit : — " We were shown steps
cut in the i-ock, and also what is called the Inca's foot-bath {(d lava-
forio de los 2}ief<). .Minor buildings, designed, according to tradition,
for the servants, are constructed ])artly like the others of cut stones,
and provided with sloping i-oofs, and partly with Avell-formecl bricks
alternating Avith siliceous cement (mnro>t // nhni ilc ftipia). In the
prijicipal l)uilding the I'oom is still shown in which the unhap])y
Atahuallpa was kept a prisoner for nine months, from November, 1532,

Caxaina iv<i. 99'

niid there i>; [)oiiited out to the traveller the wall on which the cap-
tive signified to what height he would fill the room with gold if set
free. This height is given very variously by Xerez in his ' Conquista
del Peru,' which Barcia has preserved for' us, by Hernando Pizai'ro
in his letters, and by other writers of the period. The prince said
that 'gold in bars, plates, and vessels should be heaped up as high
as he could i-eacli with his hand.' Xerez assigns to the room a
lenuth of '2'.\ and a breadth of LS English feet. Garcilaso de la
Vega, who ijuitted Peru in his I'Oth year, in 1560, estimated the
value of the treasure collected from the Temples of the Sun at Cuzco,
Hiwylas, Huamachuco, and Pachacamac, u]) to the fateful 29th of
August, 1533, on which day the Inca was jmt to death, at 3,838,000
Ducados de Ore. The Licentiate Fernando ^lontesinos, Avho^
visited Pern scarcely 100 years after the taking of Caxamarca, even
at that early period gave cun-ency to the fable that Atahuallpa was-
beheaded in prison, and that stains of blood were still visible on the
stone on which the execution had taken place. There is no reason
to doul)t the fact, confirmed by many eye-witnesses, that the Inca, in
order to avoid being Imrnt alive, consented to be baptised under the
name of .luaii de Atahuallpa by his fanatic persecutor, the Dominican
monk, Vicente de Valverde. He was then put to deatli by strangu-
lation. After a mass for the dead, and solemn funereal rites,
at which the brothers Pizarro were present in mourning habits (I),,
the corpse was conveyed first to the churchyard of the convent of San
Francisco, and afterwards to C^uito, Atahuallpa's birthplace.

"The son of the Cacique Astor])ilco, a pleasing and friendly youth
of seventeen, who accompanied me over the ruins of the palace of
his ancestor, had, while living in extreme poverty, filled his imagina-
tion with images of buried splendour and golden treasures hidden
l»eneath the masses of lubbish upon which we trod. He related to
me that one of his more immediate forefathers had bound his wife's
eyes, and then conducted her through many labyiintlis cut in the
rock into tlie subtei'ranean garden of tlie Incas. There she saw,
skilfully and elaborately imitated, and formed of the i)urcst gold,
artificial trees, with leaves and fruit, and bird.s sitting on the
branches ; and there, too, was the much -.sough t-for golden travelling
chair {una de las amhts) of Atahuallpa. The man commanded his wife
not to touch any of these enchanted riches, because the long foretold
])eriod of the restoration of the emj)iie had not yet arrived, and that
whoever should attempt bcfoio that time to ap]iroi>iiate auglit of

100 Travels in Tropical /jinds.

tlieiu wuiild die i1i;lI \eiv iiii;lil. Tliese i;okleii dreunis and fancies
of the youth were founded on recollections and traditions of former
<lays. These artificial 'i,'olden >iiirdens ' {Jardinen Ihiertas de (rrn)
were often described l»y actual eye-witnesses — Cieza de Leon, Sar-
niiento, Garcilaso, and otlici' early historians of the Coiuiuest. They
were found beneath the Temple of the Sun at Cuzco, in Caxamarca,
and in the pleasant valley of Yucay, a favourite residence of the
monarch's family. Where the golden Huertas were not below
ground, living plants grew by the side of the artificial ones, among
the latter, tall ])lants and ears of maize {)jui:urca,'<) are mentioned as
particularly well executed.

"The morbid confidence with which the young Astorpilco assured
lilt' tliat l)olow our feet, a little to the right of the sjiot on which 1
stood at the moment, there was an artificial large-Howered datura
tree {(fiiavfc), formed of gold wire and gold plates, which spread its
l)i'anches over the Inca's chair, impressed me deeply, but painfully,
for it seemed as if these illusive and baseless visions were cherished
as consolations in pi'esent sufferings. I asked the lad — ' Since you and
youi' parents believe so hrmly in the existence of this garden, are
not you sometimes tempted in your necessities to dig in search of
treasures so close at hand ? ' The boy's answer was so simple and
expressed so fully the Cjuiet resignation chaiacteristic of the ab-
original inhabitants of the country that I noted it in Spanish in my
journal. 'Such a desire {!(il anfojo) does not come to us; father
says it would be sinful (que fuese ]jecad(i). If we had the golden
branches with all their golden fruits our white neighbours would
Iiate and injure us. We have a small field and good wheat {hieii
trigo).' Few of my i-eaders, I think, will blame me for recalling here
the words of the young Astorpilco and his golden visions."'

As showing the lasting attachment of the people to their former
sovereign, my attention was attracted to a village where the whole
of the inhabitants are still attired in sombre black — mourning foi-
the death of Atahuallpa, .'5()0 years ago ! One wonders if it would
lie })ossil)le to find such an example of loyalty in any other part cf
the World. Imauine an Euirlish village still in mourning for Heni\-
V^III., or any living creature to-day wearing sackcloth for our own
beloved Mary, who lost her beautiful head about the same time '.
These poor descendants of the inca race still abstain from inter-
marrying beyond the limits of thcii- own blood relations. And
herein lay, perhaps, the one weak point whirh led to the downfall

Incd Rom 1 1 ace. lOl

of the Inca dynasty. Tlie pfiests and Pizario wci-c merely tlie
miserable tools used to do the hangman s work — and with devilish
delight they did theii' pait— hut in any case the attempt to Imild
up and hedge in a i:)rivileged caste nnist ever end in disaster.

A story is still current licic wliich gives a peep into the Inca
court life of 500 yeai-s ago.

Ollantay was a young, handsome, and luave general, despatched
to suhdue the troublesome Chunchos in the Amazon valley. Often
had the Inca before attem})ted this, and again and again ))lanted fi'uit
gardens in these warm, sheltered spots, only for them to Ije demolished
and the husbandmen massacred and eaten b)' these terrible savage-,
Avho even made raids amongst the industrious, peace-loving in-
habitants in the upland glens. Ollantay had dri\cii thcChunchos
into the backmost recesses of the forest, carrying the power of the
Inca farther than had evei- l)een before accomplished. Ketuining
full of glory, he was honoured, decorated, and lionised. Unfortun-
ately for his own peace of mind, Ollantay fell in love with the
monarch s only^ daughtei', and, of course, she was dee[) in love with
him, but as Incas cotdd only marry Incas, there Avas no hope for
the misguided couple. The Cieueial might 1)e the bravest of men,
and the Inca princess as devoted as she was beautiful, Init the union
could not be tolerated. And now Ave come to the old, old story ^ —
the claiulestine meeting, the discovery, the separation, the Aveeping
maiden, the banished lover. Ollantay is ai^prehended, judged
guilty, and condemned to death, but escapes, exclaiming in melli-
Huous Quichua, what has been interpreted to me as —

" O Cusco I most beautiful of cities I
Thou art the seat of my Avorst enemy,
But his perverse breast \\ill I tear tjpen.
And give his churlisli iioai t to the coiiduis.
fie will yet ask me on liis IjimkIciI knees.
To take his lieaulifui ilauLilitci' tu wife."

Ollantay uoav raised a rebel ainiy, and foi- ten years the hitherto
peaceful country AA-as torn by intei-necine stiife. Tlu' rebels
surrounded the cajiital, and the humiliation of the Inca Avas all but
accom])lished, avIkii the general was betrayed, taken prisoner, and
handed over to his enemy. He is again trietl, condemned, and about
to be beheaded, Avhcn the old Inca monarch dies, leaving an amiable
son, Avho not oidy j)ardons Ollantay. but sanctions the marriage
Avith his sister, so that foi- once, at least, the Inca rule Avas hoiiouird
in the breach.

1()2 Ti'drels III Ti-djin'iil Ln ikIk.

1 am ludic iiitciL'stcd, liuwevei', in tiaciiig the tuotjniiils of tlic
illustrious ti'opicul traveller and discoverer, than concerned to recount
tlie history of the Inca, which may l)e read in the faithful chronicles
of Prescott. Humboldt may be said to have been the discoverer of
tropical America, and pursued his botanical researches with unceasini,'
industry wherever he Avent. Here, in a warm valley, he discovered
the lirilliaiit BoiniiUiiriUen, now the glory of Colombo and other
.tropical cities.

"Not far fr(»in heie " (Caxamai'cu plateau), he says, " we were
surprised by a very unexpected sight. AVe saw a grove of small
trees, only iibout 18 or 19 feet high, which, instead of green, had
ai>|)arently perfectly red or rose-coloured leaves. , . . The trees
were almost entirely without true leaves, as Avhat we took for leaves
at a distance, proved to be thickly crowded bractes. The appear-
ance was altogether difierent in the jiurity and freshness of colour
from the autumnal tints, which, in many of our forest trees, adorn
the woods of the temperate zone at the season of the fall of the leaf."

Crossing over the Cordilleras from Caxamarca, Humboldt saw the
Pacific Ocean for the first time. " After many undulations," he says,
" we finally reached the summit of a steep ridge. The heavens,
which had long been veiled, became suddenly clear. A sharp west
wind dispei\sed the mist, and the dee]) blue of the sky in the thin
mountain air a})peared between narrow lines of the highest cirrous
clouds. The whole of the western decli\ity, as far as the seashore
near Truxillo, lay beneath our eyes in astonishingly a})parent
proximity. "We now sa^v for the first time the Pacific Ocean itself,
and saw it clearly. . . . The \ie\v was a ])eculiaily impressive
one."

Th(^ great traveller now passed thi'ough the celebrated valleys
where it never rains nor thunders, liesting for a day at Truxillo,
and then })assing onwards along the sterile shoi"es of the Pacific
towards liima, Humboldt no sooner reached the ca])ital than he
])egan to institute important climatic eiupiiries. Jiike many puzzled
tiavellers before and since, he was struck by the comparative cool-
ness of the climate as compared with any other jtart of the world
in a similar degree of latitude. The solution soon dawned
u})on Humboldt, and seems sim})le enough when we know it, con-
sisting of a cold antarctic current which strikes against Chili, and,
fiowing along the coast of Peru, branches off due Avest before reach-
ing Ecuador. This cold current of sea water has ever since been

Fd rrii-r// III Peru.

lo:}

known to science ;i.s the liuniliuklt L'uirent, in ;i})ijrcciHtion of liis
discovery and his merits as a 2)hil()sopher, and it sufficiently accounts
for the thermometer (ni the coast of iV'ni larely risiiii;- aliovc 70°,
while in Columbia and Central America the heat is often over 100°.
I must now bid farewell to Peru for the present, with the con-
viction that though there are few countries for Avhich there are
greater possibilities, yet it seems highly improbable that any great
development will take place there during the n'f/ivir of the Hispano-
Peruvian. AVhat though the mineral wealth rivals that of Austral-
asia, and the vegetal )le riches surpass that of Ind, the present feeble
Oovernment, supposed to direct the destinies of the unfortunate
nation, is more likely to obstiuct progress than extend the frontiers
of civilisation.

CACKKKS, l'l;i..-i. i... . .1 1K1;L.

]04

Travel^ in Tropical Lanih.

ALTITUDE OF STATIONS VISITED,

WITH Ai'ri;ii.\i\iAii; distanck fk(l\i \a\\\.

Direction
from Lima

Miles
from
Lima.

Name of Station, &c.

Feet above
Sea Level.

Mean 'I'em.
(approxi-
mate).

Remarks.

Lima (distant from sea-
purt. Cai.i.ao. 8 niilt,;8)

499

Rainless.

!■:.

1(1

Santa Clara

1.311

»i

L'.")

Chosica

2.800

.•{'.1

San Bartolome

4,959

) 5

4:{

Aqua de Verrugas

r),839

.").")

Matucana

7,788 .

Dry'."

1 ?

San Mateo

lo,.-)34

1 1

E.N.E.

7!>

Chicia

12.21.-)

ShoMery for 3
months.

Casa paica

L3,()0(i

•>■•

|(iii

Monte Meiggs

17,57o

SnoM limit,

16,500 ft.

X.E.

1 -Ji >

Pacha Chaca

13.420

.-)0

DryforOnrths.

1 -Js

Oroya (])rescnt tt'i-
iiiiinis of I'ailwayi

12.178

»)

I4S

Tar ma (chief town of
tlie iSiei-ra)

9.S00

? f

1 .-)•_'

Acobamba (i)erfeet
cliuiate)

8,900

•'

T ?

17-2

Huacapastana

7,000

Rainy.

I'.tT

Chunchamayo (La

Merced)

2,400

7(i

Moist.

22'1

San Luis

2,200

Wet.

E.N.E.

•24-i

Metraro

4,(iOO

1 f

• 1

2r)8

King Chockery's

2,100

Moist.

5 ?

300

Cascades

i,ur)0

N.E.

188

J u n i n

13,200

Snow showers.

J ;

21 >.S

Carhuamayo

13,300

. ,

N.N.E.

2.S( 1

Cerro de Pasco

14,518

:•

2.-)4

Huarrica

9,600

Rains Nov. .
Dee., & .Ian.

;•

2'. M 1

Am bo (deli.ulitfid
eliinate)

7,400

.30.-)

Huanaco

6,075

N.i:.

210

Inca pilka

13,300

Snow sliowers.

17.-)

Banios

13,800

Frost at night.

.\.

240

Ch i m bote (on sea coast)

Rainless.

2S( 1

Suchiman (on the

Santa)

200

Dry.

3 '

300

Truxillo (7 miles in-

1 . .w 1 I

150

Rainless.

3r)0

land )

Casa Granda

200

360

Cartavia

250

Dry."

Of the three aneroids we took with us, one only (Mr. Clark's)
remains in didcr. hut the best aneroid is not so much to be depended
upon us tlic biiilinu' poiiil thernionieter, whicli is always reliable.

Flora of Peru. 105

FLORA OF PERU.

Abutilon. I'tiio-nu/i and vaiious, abundant up to 10,000 feet above sea level.
lutWgenous.

Acacia. Cornier/era, Guai/aquilensis, &c. Common.

AcMmenes. Xnmerous, rare, and beautiful varieties on the Perend, l,o(i(i

tVft above .sea level. Indigenous.

Acineat. Iliimlioldfii. Orchid. Crimson and dark brown flowers.

Actiras Sapota, oi- wild ])lum.

£climea. Miirronijiora. Common b}- the wayside. (Bromelworts).

Acrocomia. A pretty j)alm, growing about 35 to 40 feet in height.

Acrostichum. Climbing ferns, common in moist localities.

Actinomeris. Aster-like ))lants growing at a considerable altitude.

Adenotrichia. A kind of groundsel.

Adesmia. (Legume.) Evergreen shrul:).

Adiantum. The well-known maiden-hair ferti. Numerous varieties on the
eastern side of tlie Andes.

Agave. A very numerous variety of these phints in all tlie dry regions.

Varying in height from 1 to 30 feet, and fi'om sea level up to 14,000 feet.

" Rif/idn "' produces Si.ml hemp.
Ageratum. The composite weed whicli costs Ceylon planters so much to keep

it down ; growing here from an altitude of 8,000 to 12,000 feet above sea

level. Indigenous.
Allamanda. (Dogsbane.) Handsome flowering but poisonous plants.
AlDna. Pretty shrubs with large flowers.

Alonsoa. Shiub with scailet flower. The prettiest seems to be " Matthews"
aliout 18 inches in height.

Aloysia. The well-known "Scented Verbena" growing freelj' in the tem-
perate portions of Peru.

Alstrbm^ria. A lovely amaryllid ; scarlet and crimson. Native of Peru. Tubers
edible.

Alzatea. An evergreen about 20 feet in height.

Amyris. Fi'om which resin is e.xtracted. Exotic.

Anacardlum. Pit)ducing the Cashew-nut and a gum like gum-arabic. Lima
gardens.

Ananassa. The l*ine. Apple, and the finest in the world ; much superior to
any produced at Kew or in India.

Anchieta. A climbing violet.

Andromedi. Pretty heath-like shrub, probaljly exotic.

Angelonia. Figwort. Heibaceous plant, blue flower.

Aiguloa. i*retty jjinkisli oicliid.

Angurla. A creeper of the cucumber family ; common.

Anona. (Cherimoyer), The famous fruit of Peru, or indeed of the world.
Found in perfection at Huanuca.

.1. Miirir(tl(i. or Sour So|). is i-efresliing but much inferior to the above.
'Inhere aie numerous other varieties of Anona.

.1. I'ftlriila is the Custard Ajiple. A. Pahi-'<lHK. the .Mligator Pear.
.All indigenous.

Aphelandra. (Acanthads. ) IhuKlsonie plant witli \ar, leaf and golden
{)ointed bracts. Hot, moist places.

10() Travels in Tropical Lands.

Antliurium. There are nunieruus varieties uf this plant more curiou.s iliaii
beautiful, the spathe being the chief ornament. Perene valley.

Apeiba. < !enus very common in Peru, but probably exotic.

Araucaria. One of the few conifers to be found on the Cordilleras.

Arbutus. Hcath-Iike shrub oeeasionally seen on tlie Plateau.

Areca. On tlie Montana sometimes seen, but not so common as in Cev'lon.

Aspasia. One of the ver}' numerous orchids, chiefly yellow.

Astrocaryum. A graceful dwarf i)alm, witli peculiarly «ell marked rings.
Common.

Attalea. Another of the palm tribe considerably taller tlian the above. Nuts
used for toys, door handles, &c.

Azara. A Chilian shrulj with yellow flowers. Nat. order, Bixads. Lima.

Aristolocbia. (Birthwort.) Climber witli lai-ge flowers, often 1 foot in
diameter, worn in l)lay as caps by boys.

Arracacha. An excellent vegetable, similar, but sujjcrior, to the parsnij) : ex-
tensively grown in Peru.

Avocado. Fear. (Fersea LJratis.siinu. ) A much and deservedly esteemed
fruit, eaten at every meal when obtainable.

Apples of excellent (juality. Apricots, and most other European fruits abound
all the year round, thanks to the diversity of climate. Even the blae-
berry finds a congenial home on the Andes (near Junin).

Alfalfa. The Peruvian name of a first-rate fodder for cattle, an infeiioi-
variety of which is known in Europe as Lucerne (Mcdicwjo Sa/i /•(().

Avena. The wild oat, covering whole mountain si(h\s, giving a golden tinge
to the landscape near Matucana.

Anemone. Found near the snow limit.

Baccharis. A plant from 2 to 3 feet high w ith w liite aster like flowers. Roots
sometimes used in flavouring wine.

Bactrls. A small palm, common on the Montana, of the same family as the

" Penang Law^'er. "
Batatas. A convolvulus — the sweet potato.

Barnadesia. (Composites.) A pretty shiuh, growing aliout 4 feet and evi-
dently ileeiduous. Cortlilleras.
Begonia. There are numerous varieties of Begonia in I'eru, chiefly bulbous and

liei'baceous. A common undergrowth in the moist valleys of the Upper

Ama/on.
Bejarla. lleath-like shrui:)s, giovving to a lieight of S to 12 feet. Indigenous

to Peru. Flowers purple.
Berberis. An evergreen varietj' of (his well-know n |il,int is conmion in the

higher regions of Peru. Flowers yellow.
Bertholetia. From which we get tlu; Brazil nuts of commerce. On the

Amazon. See sjjecimens in Lima Botanical Oardens.
Besl6ria. Small un(l('i<^r(i\\ tli sluiilis, witii yellow flowers; growing in the

low country.
Bignonia. Corgeous flow ering climbers ; found growing near Tarnia,

lluanuco, and elsewhere on the ea.stern slopes.
Billbergia. Pretty yellow flowers ; herbaceous ; native.
Bixa. The Arnatto, used for colouring cheese, &c. A^'cry common and liixu-

liant all over I'eru where any vegetation exists.

Flora of Peru. 107

Bleclmum. A {)retty little Idw country furn ; on the I'erene.

Bomarea. An amiiryllid with red flowers, the roots of which are sometimes
eaten : triangular seed pods.

Bombax. Silk cotton, like Kapok. Sevciral varieties of this giant tree found
on t-lie IVrciR' river.

Brassia Peruviaaa. This and iiuiuniei'able unnamed and undescribed varie-
ties of Oreiiids are found in great profusion in the Pampa Hermosa.

Bromelia Sylvestris. Crimson flowers ; found neai- Tarma.

Brownea. Red-flowered shrub.

Buddleia. Several, very eonnnon by the wayside ; H) to !."> feet high.

Bougainvillea. A gorget)usly beautiful plant found wild in the warm moun-
tain valleys, or with its beautiful rose-coloured bracts covering and
hiding many a deformity in Lima. Common in Colombo now.

Byrsoaima. A moderate sized evergreen tree, the bark uf whi(;h is used in
tanning.

Bidens. A yellow, aster-like mountain flower.

Bcehmeria. A kind of nettle which affords the valuable Rhea fibre ; growing

very luxuriantly near Lima.
Cacao. Tlie native home of tlie Cacao tree — pronounced Kakow by the natives

— from w Inch we derive our cocoa and chocolate of commerce ; found

growing wild froTn 1,0(J0 to 2,500 feet above sea level.
Cactus. Peru seems also the chief home of the Cacti family. Tens of thou

sands of acres on the dry precipitous mountains are covered with little

else, the grotesque forms and brilliant flowers being alike remarkable.
Caladium. Numerous and beautifully marked.
Calceolaria. Tiiis familiar flower is intligenous to Peru, the yellow variety

particularly covering whole mountain ranges on the west slopes.

Calliandra. Leguminous plant ; abundant on the Perene.

Canella. A sort of wild cinnamon ; gi-o\\ ing freely in the I'ampas.

Capsicum. The Chili or Cayenne i)epper, " Aji "' of the Sj)aniard, and as neces-
sary to him as salt.

Carica. The Papaw ; a most valuable tree, from which is obtained the

papaine ; finest near Lima and Pam})a Hermosa ; edible fruit.

Gary Ota. A noble palm ; found on the Perene. Horrida, the " Kalti Kitid"
of Ceylon.

Caryocar. A gigantic tree with large flowers, followed by edible nuts.

Castor Oil Tree ( l\icin h.s). May be seen growing wild anywhere below 1 2,000 feet.

Caesalpina. Le;4Uiiiinous ; pods used in Lima fur making iid< ; a variety of

oui- S;ip|)an wood of Ceylon (Divi JJiri).

Cattleya. Ori'hid ; alnindant in moist valleys, the Perene being especially
rich in this plant.

Cecropia palmata. Xatural order {afocm-pads) ; found growing near King

Clmkiiy s hut on the Perene.

Centroclinium. Pretty little annuals ; composites.

Cephaelis. The ipecacuanha of the shop ; dwaif cnipin'^ plant ; found near
San Luis.

C2ratosemma. .\ kind of tropical cranberr}'.

Careus. The best known varieties of the Cacti tribe ; also, sonie ouriou.s
monstei'S.

108 Travels in Tropical La mis.

Calatliea. HeibaccDUS peieiinial ; leaves workcnl into baskets ; tubers used

as substitute for potato.
Ceroxylon. I'ahii, l.")() feet in lu'iolit, producin<f wax, from wliich candles aru

madt'.
Giuchona. All the best varieties, for which the rest of the world is indebted

to Peru : ab(iundin<x in the Montana.
Chlorophora tinctoria. Tall branching tree, the milk from which is used as

a ycllo"' dye— sometimes called y'«s/!V.
f hrysophyllum. Tiie famous star apple.
Clematis. The white variety, evidently indigenous, but there aie many

beautiful exotics.
Clitanthus. Native of Peru, seen near Lima ; nat. order, Amaryllid ; yellow

flower.
Clitoria. Leguminous plant ; much admired on the Perene.
Coburgia. Scarlet lily, common on the Cordillei'as.
Coccoloba. Buckwheat.
Coca. (See Erythroxylon. )

CoUania. A very beautiful cream coloured amaryllid ; indigenous to Peru.
CoUetia. Dwarf evergreen ; berries used in dyeing.
Colocasia. Arad ; producing eatable tuber.
Commelina. Roots like dahlias ; eatable when cooked ; and other varieties

are evergreen creepers.

Conocarpus. Sometimes called Mnixjrores ; evergreen; groMJng about 10 to
1"2 feet ; used in tanning.

Copaifera. Leguminous plant, varying in height from 10 to (iU or 70 feet ;

yielding the Balsam of Copaiba.
Cumraingia. A pretty little lily-like plant growing in the cooler regions —

uaTued after Lady Gumming of Altyre.
Convolvolus drasticup. (Irowing near Tarma ; strong purgative.
Cuphea. Our familiar little bedding friend peeps up at every roadside on

the hills of its native Peru.
Carludovica. The screw pine ; indigenous; " /'fn?(7/»rr " hats arc made from

the leaves of this tree.
Calandrinia. Herbaceous {lerennial, rose-coloured fhnvers ; growing chielK'

on Cordillci'as ; common in our gardens.
Callipsyclie. Anuuyllid ; very pretty.
Cotyledon. Only one variety of this house leek has been found in Peru, viz.,

" l)ecij)iens" with white flower.
Citharexylum. A verbena ; sometimes called tiddle-wood ; blue fruited.
Cyphomandra betacea. The " tree tomato "' ; indigenous to Peru.
Cedrela. Similar to the Toon of India, as .«een fi-e(|uently from the Perene.
Cucumis. The cucumber in great variety. A few months previous to my

visit to Chimbote the country was flooded the first time for centurias ;

one result was a crop of rare Cucurbits. Where had the seed come

from ?
Camellias. Though exotic, in great i>rofusion and peifection.
Cherries. .'Vbundant and good.

Flor<( of Peril. I()!>

Cape Gooseberry. Culled "Cape" becau.su it has a lioud— a Solaniim aiitl
Tuiserable substitute for the gooseberry ; now common in Ceylon, intro-
duced into Australia, and even found by H. O. Forbes on the Keeling
islands ; indigenous to Peru, Iiowever, like man}- more of this family.
Coffee. (Cofiea Arabica. ) Tliough not indigenous, grows and bears as it was
never known to bear in the old world. On the eastern side of the Andes
it succeeds admirably from 7,000 feet do\\n to 1,000 feet above sea level,
and even at Lima, a few feet above the sea, it bears enormously with
judicious culture ; the tjuality is superior. The I'ampa Hermosa specially
adapted for its culture.
Croton. In great variety, public and private gardens.
Dahlia. Chiefly yellow.

Dalea, Shrub; pale blue lupine-like flower.
Desfontainia. A lovely little evergreen Solanuni ; common on coast ; like

gentian, with scarlet flower.
Dicliptera. An evergreen shrub ; nat. order, Aeanthads ; purple flowers.
Drimys. Up country evergreen, with white flowers. Wiitlari is well known

as the bark specific for scurvy.
Datura. Nightshades ; seeds a powerful poison ; showy trumpet flowers ; in-

iligenous to and common in Peru.
Daucus. A variety of the carrot found on the Andes.
Dieffenbachia. Nat. order, Araceaj. Perennial, with i)retty dark foliage ;

poisonous plant ; grows by river sides.
Displadenia. Dogsbane ; climber ; purple.
Disteganthus. Bromelia ; scarlet flower.
Duguetia, A kind of Laneewood.

Dalbergia. The liosen-ooi/, growing at Metrara and I'ereiu'.
Dipterix. The tree yielding tlie Tonka bean.
Divi Divi, or Casalpinia.
Dandelion. Found disputing the snow limit at l(),()li(t feet above .sea level :

peculiarly sliort stalks.
Duranta. Verbenace ; evergreen shrid) ; about 4 to 7 feet high ; dwarf

\ ariety found on the Andes.
Echinopsis. One of the numerous and curious Cacti family growing on tlie

mountains, and looking like couching sheep ; seen at Junin.
Elseis. One of the finest oil palms.
Elder. (Sambucus.) Our Bourh-ce ; doubtless exotic, but growing luxuri

antly near Chicla, 1 2,001) feet altitude.
Elisena. A tall, beautiful, and rare amaryllid, growing in Lima.
Encelia. A little yellow aster.
Epidendrum. One of the numerous orchids growing on the trees in the moist

valley of the Perene.
Erythrina. Magnificent legumes ; the most conspicuous and brilliant flower.-

on tliu Perene, growing to a gigantic height.
Eucrosia. A beautifid Amaiyllis ; native of the Peruvian Andes, near Lima.
Eucalyptus. Tliouuh a native of Australasia, grows freely on the mounUvin
[)lateau, [jartieularly at Tarma ; a decided ac(|uisit ion ; several varieties.
Eucharis Amazonica. ( Ainatvllid.) Fragi-ant white flowers.

I 10 Travels in Tropical Lands.

Erythroxylon Coca. One of the most precious phmts of Peru. A bush about

.S feet high, the leaves of which seem to sustain the natives for days

without any other food, enabling them to undergo fatigue. The leaves

are simply chewed with lime or may be drawn like tea. 30,()(K),()00 lbs.

are exported from Peru, yielding the world's supply of Cocaine. I found

this shiub growing in the Pampa Hermosa, 60 miles from Tarma. In-
digenous.
Escallonia. Evergreen shrub ; the |)redominating plant from 8,0UU to 1(J,()U0

feet above sea level on the east side of the Andes ; seems to take the

place of Conifera'.
Ebenaceae. \A'(11 iciirescnttd by a kind of satin wood; abundant near Ri<>

I'tttnt'.
Eugenia. (Rose Apple.) A pretty myrtle with pinkish flowers and pleasant

fruit ; growing on the Cordilleias. A species of Eugenia yields our All-

s[)icc.
Erlocaulon. (Pii)ewort. ) A verj- curious marsli plant with dwarf aloe-like

leaves, and long, straight flower stalk.
Eriodendron. (Allied to Bombax.) A large tree giowing in the Montana,

w ith red flowers ; yielding a kind of wool w Inch might be useful for

pillows, &c.
Euterpe. A slender and very beautiful palm which abounds in the Montana,

yielding a fruit of similar taste to the chestnut.
Fabiana. Nightshade — but looks more like a conifer. An evergreen siiruli :

credited with many remarkable virtues ; locally known as Piche.
Fuchsia. Peru is the home of this familiar plant, though " Coryntbifforct "

seems the most common ; the Euroj)ean florist has, however, certainly

improved upon the original.
Ficus. Numerous varieties, but none so gigantic as in India. F. Cariea

(common fig^ does well w hen irrigated on the coast. I saw large trees

neai- Chimbote.

Fevillea. A rather raiTijiant climber of the cueumbci- family ; seeds yielding
good oil.

Fittonia. Evergreen perennial, with pretty coloured leaves.

Fourcroya. A gigantic lily rising to 40 feet in height.

Fragaria. Tlie strawberry ; abundant all the year round in Lima ; Lliougli
neith(;r in size nor flavom' wiiial to those su)i])lied dining tlie short season
in Aberdeen. Indigenous.

Galipea. Rueworts, from which we get the Angostura bitters, prepared in
Port of Spain, Trinidad, and uni\(rsally appn'ciatcd. A small evergreen
shi'ub.

Gaylussacia. \ kind ot cranberry.

Gossypium. The cotton, some excellent varieties of whicli are indigenous to
Peru ; tlie mummy clothes show that its use had been known thou-
sands of years ago. The best cotton is found near Payta.

Gesnera. The well-known scarlet flower of our green-houses ; allied to —

Gloxinia. IJoth fnimd in the Perene valley.

Goethea. .Malvaceu' ; small evergreen, with crimson flow-er.

Godoya. ^'(■llow flowering shrub ; allied to tea.

Flora of Peru. 1 1 1

Gymnogramme. A beautiful Peruvian species of this fern.

G-ntiana. Found near the snow line.

Geonoma. A dwarf j)alni.

Grias. Tlie Anchovy pear ; edible.

Griffinia. Ainaryllid ; blue.

Gonovia. Climbing annual.

Gustavla. Soiiictliiiitj like a myrtle.

Gynerium. The Pampas gras.s ; now introduced to and quite common in

Australasia.
Gulielma. A curious fruiting palm, growing on the Andian slopes. Bates

compared the fruit to a mixture of cheese and chestnuts.

Habranthus. (Amaryllids. ) Common on the dry side of the Andes.

Heimia. ( Loosestrife). Evergreen .shrub, with yellow tiowers.

Helianthus. Sunflowers of various kinds, but all yellow flowered.

Hellconia. Allied to Mn'<n. 3 to H feet high ; jcllovv flowers ; found in moi.st
valleys.

Heliotrope. Too well known to need description. This favourite is a native
of Peru, adorning and scenting the hill sides near Matucana. All tlie
cai'e of the British gai'dener has not im[>roved this j)lant.

Hippeastrum. A bulbous rooted plant growing near Lima, with pretty red
and white flowers.

Hippomane. A moderately-sized tree ; used in boat building ; poisonous.

Hofifmanseggia. A trailing legume ; Lima.

Hydrotsenia. Flowers like Fritillaria ; yellow and purple; seen near Lima.

Hymenocallis. Amaiyllids.

Howardia. Evergreen shrub ; nat. order, Cinch(Miacea.

Huntleya. An orchid.

Hibiscus. Malvacea. Manj- varieties of this have been introduced and thrive
but few, if any, arc indigenous. Sln(ii-<ix, the shoeflower of Ceylon, grows
evei'ywhere.

Heveabrazlliensis. This is the most valuable of all the rubber trees erow-
ing in the Perene valley.

Hiematoxylon. Logwood; found giowing in Ciiancliamayo and F'ain])a
Hcrmosa.

Hura. Sand box tree; popiilai- remedy for bowel complaints.

Inga. The native Inca name; a large tree of the Aca(Ma family; alnnidant
in the interior. The Iii'ja SiDittu was introduced into Ceylon, and is now
being extensivelj' planted near Kandy, forming a refre.shing shade by the
wayside.

lonidiuin. A kind of violet, but used as a substitute for ipccacii.inlia.

Ismene. The Peruvian dafl'odil.

Isochilus. A vei \ large-flowering orchid.

Ipomsea. \'ery numerous and various; from oiu- of wliich oiu' .lalap is ob-
tained ; all convolvulus-like flowers.

Indigofera. Though {'hiefly natives of East India, 1. tinetoria luis been intro-
duced into Peiu, and is now a troublesome weed in Chanchanuiyo.

Ixora venusta. (Cinchoniids. ) Most lovely cveigreen shrubs, witli rieh
orange-salmon enlDiiied flowers. See Tanga[)oo.

112 Travels in Tropical Lands.

Ilex The holl}-. Though cliieHy indigenous to Britain, tliere are a few

tropical varieties growing here ; one called Paraguay tea, anotlier South

Sea tea.
Jacaranda. Stove evergreen ; nat. orcU r, Bignonia ; bhu; tlouer.s ; tree

about 20 feet.
Jatropha. (See Maniliot.)

Justicia. l-'vergreeii sluub, witli \iolut flower.s ; tender plant.
Jubaea. I'alni, about 80 feet higli, the .'^niall round .«eeds of whieli are sonie-

times seen being .sold in London ; called by the Cockney "Little Coker-

nuts."
Juglans. A splendid, but not yet fully described, speeie.s of walnut, growing

abundantly in the Perene valley ; meanwhile named " Jtuj/aiis (//ads/onia."
Kidney bean. (Phaseolus. ) The bean called tlie Lima bean is a large whitish

variety al^undaiit all along the Pacific coast, and a very nourishing food

it is -like our haricot.
Krameria. Nat. order, Polygalacea ; evergreen shrub ; a powerful astringent ;

useful in dysentery ; called Rhatany root in Peru.
Lantana. A |)retty Verbena-like flowering slnaib, better known in fcylon tlmn

in its ov\n native country.
Laplacea. Xat. ordei-, Tiieads ; a t\\ inci\ with sci-rated leaves and w hite

llowers.
Leopoldinia. A beautiful palm of moderate size, tlic til)re from which is

valuable.
Lettsomia. Xat oi-dm-, Theads ; wliite floM'ers ; I'ainpa Hermosa.
Lipostoma. Nat. order, Cinchonads ; dwaif slirub ; giowitig in low country ;

blue bell-shaped tlower.
Loasa. A great variety of these curious plants around Lima ; interesting and

pretty flowers, but poisonous leaves.
Lobelia. Scpiaie miles on the mountains are covcicd witli tlic beautifid blue

Lobcli;i.

Lucuma. (Sa[)olads. ) An indigenous evergreen tree, prochujing a fiuit some-
times called tiie marmalade plum ; grows also in Ceylon.

Lupinus. For all the finest varieties of Lupine the world is indebted to Peru.
Covering innnense tracts of country at about 10,000 feet altitude.

Lycopersicum. The tomato ; a herbaceous variety, and several animals are
indigenous ; tiie so-called tree tomato is not a true tomato. (See Cypho-
mandra.)

Liabum. Alpine |)lant ; yellow flower : common on Andes.

Lycopodium. Club moss; similar to wliat we see in every tropical country
where there is sufficient moisture.

LogTV^ood. (Sec Ha'matoxylon.)

Mauritia. I'erliaps tiie most social i)alm in South America ; it abounds in the
I'ampa Hermosa of Peru, rising to 100 feet ; fruit eaten by Chunchos, and
the pith yields a kind of sago.

Maniliot. The "Juca" and chief food of the Ciiunchos, yielding the cas.sava
and tapioca of commerce ; growing freely in the I'ampa. The Ceara
rubber is also a species of the Manihot.

Flora of Pera. \\^

Melia, or Beail Tree. Suppo.-^ed to be a native of Iiulia, but cuinnioii in Peru,
as it is in Ceylon or Australia ; sometimes called Pride of India or Holy
Tree. The famou.s Margosa oil is a product of this tree.

Macleania. Xamed after a Scotch mcrciiant in Lima. A species of cran-
berry ; everf^reen shrub, witli reddish yellow flowers.

Malva. In j^ieat vaiiety ; annuals ; herbaceous perennials ; shrubs and trees ;
many very useful, and all beautiful.

Maranta. Aiiowroot ; a small shrub orowinj:; in liie Montana.

Marvel of Peru. (Mirabilis.) Never could see anythinj^ particularly mar-
vellous about this common herbaceous plant.

Mahogany. (Swiftcnia). Too well known to need description ; found grow-
iiiL;' near Metraro.

Maytenus. Nat. order, Spindletree ; evergreen shiuh with white (lower,
growing near Lima.

Mimosa. This curious family is well re))resented in Peru, including the
■' Sensitive Plant," whieli, however, does not seem so vigorous as it is on
the hills surrounding Kandy.

Maximiliana. A |)alm resemijling the cocoanut tiee, named after Maximilian.
i^iina Jiotanical (iardens.

MimuJus. The " Monkey Flowers " of our British gardens, including the
musk )>Iant. are indigenous to Pern ; adorning tlie ditches by the waj-
side.

Monnina, (Polygalaeea.) A large shrub growing in the Montana, the bark
of which is highly prized by the Lima ladies, who ascribe much of their
beauty to the use of it.

Myrospermum. Which produces the " Balsam of Peru." A leguminous tree
about 4(» feet higli ; Pampa and Huallaga.

Musa. Plaufatiis — or, as some are pleased to call them, JJaiiuiias — grow freely
in all the moist valleys of Peru, particularly Chanchamayo ; the qualit}-
of the fruit exceptionally fine. Xanuil Paradisiaca, oil the supposition
that it is the veritable apple whieli brouglit so much woe on mankind.
Supposed to be a native of Cej'lon, wliere it certainly grows wild, but
had al.so been known to the Incasof Peru for centuries before Columbus'
discovery. (Irown in moist sheltered valleys. The leaves are amongst
the nobl(!st in the vegetable kingdom, while the fruit is a favourite with
eveiy tribe of mankind — the w ildest savages I ever saw appreciated their
plantains.

Mutisia. (Aster). Red and yellow. Cliicla.

Maize. To Peru what rice is to India. Several vai'ieties growing from sea
level up to l'J,<)U() feet, producing from 2(.K) to 40ti fold. Innumerable
ways of cooking it, and the chief drink of the country, called " C/ilr/ia,"
is pre{)ared fi'om mai/.e.

Matico. (Piper AugustifoHum.) A IViiuian pepper al)ini<lanl on the
eastern slope ; leaves found useful in stopping lia-moirhage.

Mlmusops. A gigantic tree, the timljir of which is valuable; sometimes
ridled "Cow Tree," as it yields ;i ereani said to be wliolrsonie. but this I
think doid)tful. Xat. oi'der. Sapotads.

114 Tixivets ill Tiojiicd! La mis.

Nicotiana. An immense variety of these poisonous plants, from the (abcuuun

to gii/aiiticnm , rising to a tree of 15 or 20 feet.
Nolana. (Sol.-uiar-ca. ) Pntty little creepers Mitli bfll-shayjefl flowers; a

native of Peru.
^■orantea. Handsome evergreen slu iili.
Nectandra, or Greenheai-t. See specimens in Lima ; according to \\'alla(.-c.

common on the Rio Negro.
Neodryas. One of the many epiphytes ; purple : growing in the forests.
Oca. The tubers of oxalis eaten like potatoes ; plentiful on the wayside from

I'asco to Ambo.
Ochroma. The light wood of Mhich we formed our balsas (I'afts) ; growing

))lentifully by the river sidi-.
CEaotliera. (Evening Primrose. ) Herbaceous, native, and annual \arit't\-.
Opuntia. A very curious gi'oup of Cacti, growing in tufts ujion the highest

])lateaux. Corhinillijera, al)undant about Tarnia.
Old Man's Cactus. Near Ambo. ( Cereiis Senilis. J
Ornithogalum. A kind of Star of Bethlehem lily.
Oxalis. Numerous varieties of woodsorrel.
Olea. The olive, though not a native, produces almndanc^e of rirst-rate fruit

never tasted finer.

Oleander is also an exotic, but thrives luxuriantly.

Oranges. In great ]:)erfection at all seasons.

Orchids. "These flowers," said Humboldt, "sometimes resemble winged
insects, sometimes like birds ; the life of a j)ainter would not be long
enough to delineate all the magnificent orchidaca which adorns the moun-
tain valleys of Peru." While en ronte for Ambo, we met a collector who
had succeeded in gathering together from 41)0 to 500 varieties of these
highly-prized flowers. No botanist could desire a more magnificent
sight than some of the huge trees on the Perene and Huallaga, the trunks
and arms of which are laden Mith orchids, mosses, lichens, ferns, and
\'anilla in the greatest possible ])rofusion and luxuriance. The Odonto-
glossum \aiiety seems especially rich and })lentiful.

Falm. Peru is particularly rich in palms. The wax })alm (Ceroxylon) is the
loftiest, rising to a height of from 160 to ISO feet ; as a contrast others
aie stemless (Nipa). Between these two there is an immense variety of
feathery canes, and the more majestic s})ecimens of this noble family.

Pampas Grass. (Gynerium. ) Occasionally to be seen, but not very common.
Passiflora. A great wealth of these beautiful cree])ers, with their lovely

How ers and luscious fruit ; varying in size from a j)igeon's egg to 8 lbs.

in weight. The (Jranadilla and Pomme d'Or may both be seen in pei'-

fection at Hiiauaeo, also at Truxillo.

Pentlandia. (Amaryllids.) Peru\ian Imlb.s.

Perilomia. I^vergi-een shrub.

Pareira brava. Woody climber ; extract used as a tonic.

Persea gratissima. The much-esteemed Avocada pear — sometimes willed

Abigator pear; eaten at every meal in Peru when obtainable. The

Ceylon \ariety j>oor in comparison.

Flora of Fern. 115

Pereskia. Allied to C'actu.-^. .Sometimes calkct Baibadocs <roo8eberry.

Petunia. Our well-known garden flower in great variety ; allied to tobacco —
the Brazilian name of tobacco being " jjetun."

Peumus boldus. Valued chiefly for its scented evergi'een leaves.

Phycella. Beautiful littli; Aniaryllid, which might be cultivated like tulips.

Piper. Our pepijcr, of which there are several varieties, but among.st the
Chtincho Indians the best known and ajjpreciated is the Pipfr
JI(f/ii/-<firint), from the root of which they prepare their Kara, by
chewing it and eje(;ting the .saliva into large bowls, allowing it to
ferment. Ugly old women are constantly employed in the manu-
facture of this delicacy.

"The Pepper Tree." (Schiims MoUe. ) So nuicii admired in Australia. Is one
of the most beautiful indigenous tree.s in Peru, seen in great perfection
neai' Anil)o. Xat. order, Perebinthacea.

Pitcairnia. (Bromelworts. ) A herbaceous perennial with scailet flowers,
;.:i(twing near Lima.

Platyloma. One of the characteristic ferns of the Perene Valley.

Plumeria. (Dogsbane. ) Evergreen trees, about 20 to 25 feet in height.

Polianthes Gracilis. A lily, ])lentifulaiound Tarma.

Podocarpus. (Taxads. ) A Chilian tree, but conunon in Peru; evergreen ;
cone-bearing ; 40 to oO feet high.

Porliera. An evergreen shrub ; the peculiarity of which is its sensitive leaves
always closing on the approach of rain. (Bean Capers.)

Portulaca, A tuberous rooted evergreen, as its name implies, carrying a
milky juice: flowers vf various colours; growing in arid places ; and
usefl as pot herbs.

Potato. The world has been indebted to Peru for numy of its choicest vege-
table foods, chief amongst whic:h is the Potato ; cultivated by the Incas
uudei- the name of " Papa" for centuries before the barbarous conquest.

Pteris. The bracken is in Peru, as everj^Avhere else.
Puya. ( Hromelworts.) Herbaceous {)erennial, with yellow llowers.
Pyrolirion. The flame lily ; indigenous to Peru ; golden llowers.
Physalis. (See Cape Gooseberry. )
Phaseolus. The Lima bean.

Poinsettia. Adoi-ning with its scarlet bracts every plaza in Peru, as it docs
every tropical garden ; few ])lants are more striking to a stranger.

Parasites are the uni(iue feature iu Peruvian vegetation. To .see a noble
monarch of the forest, whose huge trunk and arms are covered with
shining Tillandsi;u and a whole host of climbing [)l!ints, while high up
amongst the Ijianches are brilliant orchids, contrasting with the dark
green foliage, is altogether a very uiarvellous. interesting, and be^iutifu!
.<iglit.

Phytelephas. Ivory nut palm ; abundant in the Perene valley ; yielding the
nuts from whicii we now get our "horn" and "ivory" buttons, &c.

PauUinia. (Soapwort. ) Moderate-sized evergreen, yielding the ijuarana :
used both for food and physic. Another variety of the same gives us our
\\alking sticks c-dled " Supple .Ijicks."

116 Travels in Tropical Lands.

Quillaja. (Rosewort. ) An everpjreen shrub, the bark of which is vahiecl as a

liair wash, anil to remove grease from cloth ; a liardy-looking phxnt.
Quinoa. lin|Kiitaiit article of food amongst the Cholos on the mountain slopes

of Peru ; the seeds of Chenoiiodlnm.
Quassia. Rather rare, but the tree is occasionally met with in tiu' upper valleys

of the Amazon. (Simarubea. ) Named after the slave wlio discoven^d its

use as a jioison for flies and a substitute foi' hops.
Randia. (Cinchonads. ) A I'oundish-leaved, white-flowered shiub ; abun<lanl

in the Montana.
Rauwolfla. Another common shrub of the JJoi/hane order, with yellow flowers.
Retanilla. (Rliauniads.) Dwarf shrub, witli yellow floweis ; indigenous to Peru.
Rubus. Several very l>eautiful and t)r()litic varieties of the /irniiihle growing

around Metraro ; now iutioduced into Ceylon l>y Mr. Clark.
Ruellia. (Acanthads. ) A blue-flowering lierliaceous plant, rising alxuit .">

feet ; Montana.
Rue. There are several varieties of this bitter and strong smelling shruli.
Rhatany Root. (See Krameria. )
Rushes. Around the lagoons there are gigantic rushes — " JtincKs " and " Scir-

pus" — wliich, when tied together, make boats or balsas. The Cholo

fishermen at Santa I saw going to sea in these curious crafts.
Roses are quite a passion with the Limians, and many fine varieties are cul-
tivated in their gardens ; may be said to be their national flower, as Rosa

is their Saint.
Salix Humboldtiana. One of the most beautiful of our willow trees ; conuuou

at moderate altitudes.
Salpianthus. Allied to Marvel of Peru.
Salvia. Botli red and blue in great profusion.
Schinus MoUe. (Terbinths. ) A kind of wine is made from the pungent seeds

of tliis very beautiful tree. (See Piper.)
Sciadophyllum. A ])retty large-leaved climber related to the Ivy ; j'ellow

flowers.
Scutellaria. (Lipwoi-t. ) Scarlet flower.
Smilax. This gives the Sarsaparilla of commerce. A cree]>ing, rathci- prickly

plant ; several varieties ; most abundant in the Amazon valleys.

Siphocampylos. Allied to Lobelia ; bright scarlet flowers.

Siphonia. The best india-rubber is obtained from these trees, the chief home
of which is in the Ama/.on valley. Tiie collecting of rubber is simplicity
itself. A tree fields from 2 to S gallons a j-ear.

Solanum. (Nightshades.) The niunber and variety of Solanums, for Mlii(;li
we are indebted to Peru, are past being computed : from tlie lovely
little creepers, cultivated only for the flowei-s, to the now universally
a{)preciated potato — from the microscopic weed to the giant tree.

Stenomesson. (Amaryllid. ) Bulbs, producing beautiful yellow flowers.

Sarmienta. (Cesn(;ra. ) A creeping red flower.

Schlumbergeria. (Bromelia. ) A ])ei-cnnial, with pretty greenisli-white flowers ;
on the .\ndes.

Senecio. A peculiar vai-iety of git)undsel called /■(irri<'-:. w itli yellnw flowei's.

Flora of Prni. 117

Sobralia. Another of the numerous orchids with pink tlo\vei-s.
Spathiphyllum. Nat. order, Araceai ; evergreen herbaceous perennial ;

growing in moist, hot valleys.
Schizanthus. (Figworts. ) Elegant pyramidal flowers of various colours.
Sanchezia. (Acanthacea. ) Sub. shrub; yellow, crimson; very choice;

several varieties ; in moist valleys.
Syagrus. A cocos-like palm, growing in warm, moi.st places to a height of

about 20 feet.
Swietenia. The mahogany growing abundantly aiound the Metrero Patenas.
Saccharum. Probably nowhere else in the world does sugar cane grow to

such rich perfection as on the irrigated lands near the coast of Peru.
TabernaBmontana. A very remarkable tree growing on the Pereno, about 40

feet hiu'h, vielding good fibre, also good milk.
Tacsonia. The Peruvian name of a beautiful and useful passion flower, lovely

rose and scarlet flowers, and delicious fruits ; it makes a grand green-
house climber.
Theobroma. This well-known native of Peru yields a delightfully refreshing

fruit — poetically "Food for (iods" — and commercially affords us oui-

cocoa.
Tbibandia. A kind of small-leaved whortleberry ; .Kndes ; pn-tty pendant

flowers.

Tecoma. A showy Bignonia.

Telanthera. (Amaranthus. ) Various; herbaceous.

Tillandsia. Peru is peculiarly rich in this epiphji;e ; its silvery foliage and

beautiful bluish flowers adorn many a trunk and branch around Ambo

and Matucana.
Tradescantia. (Spiderwort. ) A dwarf annual with blue flowers, growing

near Lima ; also various kinds with rose flowers.
Thunbergia. These exquisite creepers are common in IVru ; the Laurifolia

w ith blue flowers around Lima ; the pale yellow with dark eye along the

roadsides in the interior.
Tropseolum. The Indian cre.ss ; often, but erroneously, called Xatturtium.
Tangapoo of the Tamils, with its golden pendants. In Lima gardens. [Ixon.v.]
Tree Tomato. (See Cyphomandra. )
Tomato. Now so well known. Is indigenous to Peru, but we liavc im{)roved

u{)on the oi-iginal.
Urceolina. (Amaryllid. ) Common amongst I lie undergrowth on the Mon-
tana ; yellowish flowers.
Urospatba. Nat. order, Arace;e. A plant growing in tlie low louiitty with

peculiarly pointed spathe.
Vacclnium. Very like our blaeberry ; growing up to 14,000 feet above sea

level ; also as a parasite.
Vallesia. (Dogsbane. ) White-flowering evergreen slnidi.
Vanilla planifolla. A parasitical orchid, chiefly valueil for tiie perfume yieldid

by its |)ods — the Vanilla of commerce; these vines aie abundant in the

Perencj valley.
Verbenas. In great variety ; annuals and perennials.

118

Travels iv Tropical Lands.

Violas. X'.irious ; but chiefly very diiiiinutive.

Vitls Vinifera. Grapes either for table or wine, of a ([uality rarely produced
in the tropics.

V. Amazonira, which we found growiii<; on tlie Pereni?, was nieiely ;i
])retty deception.

Walnut. (Juglans.) Several undescribed varieties on the Perent^.

Warrea An Orchid ; abundant.

Weinraannia. Everf^reen shrub, with white tlowcr ; low moist localities.

Welfli regia. A handsome palm.

Witheringia. (Nightshades.) Dwarf solanum ; Montana.

XantliDsoma. Like Caladium, or Yam ; yellow flowers ; low uiarsliy i)lanes.

Xanthoxylou. Sometimes called the toothache- tree.

Xylopia. (.\nonads. 1 Bitterwood ; evergreen shrub, with rough-looking un-
palatable fruit.

Yucca. The Peruvian name of a well-known lily (Adam's Needle) growing
abundantly on the slopes of the Cordilleias.

Zamia. In low liot localities. Nat. order, Cycadaceae.

Zea. Indian corn. Marvellously prolific in the valleys of tlie Andes ; giving
amazing returns, and with little toil aftbrding abundant food and drink
of the very best quality.

Zinnia. N;it. ordei-, Composittv.

Zygopetalum. Curious orchid : near Cascades.

Kr.NGSTON, .TA.M.\IC.\.

I See Piige 122.1

THE WEST INDIAN ISLANDS.

" Oh ! Palms cjrow higfh on Aves and fruits that shine like frold.
And the colibris and parrots they are gorgeous to behold ;
And tlie negi'o-maids in Avcs, from bondage now set fi-ee,
Will welcome gallant sailors a sweeping fi-om the sea."

— Lay of the Lcuit Jinccaiieer.

In returning home, we iigaiii ptts.seil through Panuniu, iuid .soon
found oursehes once more in the Caribbean Sea. Here wc were
seized by a desire to see as much as we could of our own West
Indian islands. After our sojourn amongst Peruvians and Chunchos,
there was now a positive pleasure in moving under the British flag.
Our rule may be far from perfect, but I only wish all discontented
colonists abroad, and blatant Socialists at home, had an opportunity
of carefully contrasting the conditions of life in Vac. South American
Republic with that in our British Colonies — the happy laughing
negro in Jamaica with the poor dejected Cholo in Peru. Historically,
our West Indian Colonies are amongst the most interestine: of
our possessions, and, though intrinsically of less value than some of
the lands we have visited in the upper valle\'s of the Amazon might
be made, as gems of picturesque beauty these islands are not surpassed
by any scenery in the British Emj)ire.

We are apt to think of the Bahamas, -Jamaica, and Trinidad, Sec,
as a group of islands almost adjoining : little realising that they are
from 1,000 to 1,500 miles apart, and that the number of these West
Indian islands have scarcely yet been comptited. They are supposed
to form the tips of submerged mountains, some of them higher than
Chimborazo ; that is to say, the water surrounding them is over
four miles in depth. Therefore, the rich valleys lying at the bottom
of the st'a, it follows that we have only got the i)our uravellv ridiies
to deal with I Taking the Bahamas to begin with — our oldest tropi-
cal colonies, and the first western land di:!-covered by Columbus — they
number hundred.s, nay, thousands, the actual niiinlier being o\k'v
.*i,000, though only 30 are thought worthy of being inhabited.
These lie just outside the tropics, but the Gulf stream flowing
in the narrow channel which separates them from Florida, kecj)s the
temperature up, and permits the cultivation of every tiopical pro-
duct ; while, as w inter resorts, these islands are becoming every year

120 Travels in Tivpical Lamh.

more fumous, the moderate rainfall of 4U inches per annum, and the
mildness of the perpetual summer, rendering the climate one of the
very finest. The chief industry hitherto has been the gathering
of sponges, though the expoit of fruit comes in a good second.
Pine apples, oranges, plantains, cocoanuts, and tomatoes are shipped
annually to the value of about £50,000, while sponges amount
to over £58,000. There are also some valuable timl)er trees,
such as mahogany, lignum-vitoe, mastic, ironwood, and logwood,
though there does not seem to be much enterprise in the direction of
utilising these. There has, however, of recent years been introduced
an industry eminently suitable for the soil and climate, a product
which promises at no distant date to become the leading export.
This is sisal hemp, first introduced by that prince of practical
Governors, Sir Henry Blake, now worthily succeeded in the
Bahamian islands by Sir Ambrose Shea.

Before Sir Henry Blake's time, sisal had only been known in the
Bahamas as a troulilesome weed. What the Bathurst burr is to the
Australian, the ageratum to the Ceylon planter, the sisal plant was
to the Bahamian. From time to time vigorous efforts were made to
eradicate the nuisance, but without success. The tenacity of the
plant was something astounding —

" The more yoii tried to pull it out,
The more it stuck the faster."

The poor islanders gave it up in despair as an irremediable, irre-
moval)le pest ; and it is not surprising that, when first told of
the fortunes that might be made out of the despised weed, the
information was received with incredulity.

The best variety of sisal is, however, the agave rigida, var.
sisalana, plants of which were imi)Oi'ted by Sir Henry Blake, and
freely distributed in the Bahamas, when the value of the fibre
and importance of the industry were soon established. The agave
rigida grows wild in sevei-al parts of South America. I found
it abounding on many of the poor, dry, gravelly slopes of the
Peruvian Andes. There is another ])laiit which yields a large
quantity of similar iihre—fouvrroya giganiea : but the quantity only
amounts to 2 or 3 per cent., whereas the agave rigida gives 4 per
cent., equal to half a ton of merchantable fibre per acre, worth, .say,
£40 per ton. Tlie only risk is in overstocking the market.

As to suita])le land, there is any amount of this beyond the
limits of the Bahamas. Many millions of acres seem fit for little

Jamaica: Kingston. 121

else, iuul ought to l)e had for the asking, iti both West ;iiul East
Indies, Austialia, and New Guinea. Any poor, njcky, gravelly soil
will answer, and the poorer the soil the better the fibre. Rich,
moist land must l)c avoided, as, though producing abundance of
leaf, the fibre is inferior, albeit the sisal plant has the property
of enriching rather than impoverishing the soil it grows in, as
if intended by Providence to prepare the way for other plants.

We reached Jamaica on a pleasantly cool and aljsolutely calm
Sunday evening. The sinking sun glittered on the house-tops, and
the bright green foliage of the numerous trees sparkled after a re-
freshing shower. The grand old blue mountains which ro-se behind
were topped -with mist, but we could see just below the edge of the
cloud the eerie homes of the soldiers, while on the nearer slopes
nestle the no doubt charming homes of the Kingston mei-chants.
"Kingston is just lovely," said a lady at my elboAv, and I can oidy
echo her Avords. To me the scene came as a surprise. I had never
heard, oi- had forgotten, about the natural breakwater which so
effectually protects the beautiful harbour. It is eight miles long
and fiom 30 to 60 yards broad ; is closely planted with ]ialin trees,
Avhich, near by, look like a magnificent hedge ; in the distance, a
thread of green. On the one side the Carribbean Sea roars, but
never breaks through ; on the other, all is placid as a mill-dam.

At the point of the peninsula we pass Port Koyal — of evil repute
— and move on towards the charmingly-situated city itself, half-
hidden by the rich and splendid trees, typical of the most favoured
of tropical lands. Only an occasional s})ire, a few big hotels, ami
the Exhibition building can be seen, with some ugly warehouses, by
way of contrast, in front of the picture.

The church bells were ringing — so home-like — as we step])ed
ashore, but we had had service on board, so I preferred to pass into the
public gardens. Crowds of cheery, laughing negro girls walked along
the pavement, Bible in hand. I spoke to one, asking my way to the
gardens. She volunteered to accompany me, and did so chatting
away in the most unsophisticated strain, telling me her life-history
in five minutes. Born eighteen 3'ears ago, educated at a Presbyterian
school, now a dressmaker during the week, a school teacher on
Sunday ; spoke English fluently and well — knew no other language.
We walked into and across the garden. She showed me her chur<-h
d(jor. I lifted my hat, and we parted, never likely to meet again
in this lieautiful and not altogethci- ti.nl wculil. 1 n<iw sauntered

122 Travels in Tropical Lai}ds.

iliioiigh the gardens, and sat dowii on a seat to rest and ruminate.
No ! it is not altogetlier a bad, and it is a wholly beautiful world !
The diseased ruffians who speak of it as a "howling wilderness" are
most nidikely ever to see a better ! Notwithstanding occasional
liackslidings, as in Peru, the Avorld is imquestionably getting better
and more beautiful as it ot-ows older. The men who take delii^ht
in a garden like this cannot l)e wholly bad. A due appreciation of
such gifts as we sec around us is in itself a song of thanksgiving —
more acce[)table perhaps to the Giver than the ritualistic chants of
many a trained choir.

The brilliant electric lamps threw a kindly light over the shrubs
and flower-beds, bringinir out the ^■arious colours in somewhat sub-
dued shades. The IHeffcuhtcJiia. under which I sat, showed to great
advantage its bold and beautifully-variegated foliage, while the
Draccena and Painsettia contrasted so delightfully with the daik-
green leaves of the loftier Mafiimlui. "A red leaf, excei)t in the
autumn before it falls, is a kind of monster," says Froude, and no
iloul)t he writes with authority ; but let him speak for himself.
Ordinary mortals love bright colours, and Nature is not niggardly
in suppljdng them. When Humboldt— a much greater authority
in these matters — ^first discovered the BongainriUea in the xipper
valleys of the Amazon, and xaw f/iut if wa!< not merely a icifJterad leaf,
he fell into raptures over its I'ose-coloured bracts.

We returned to our cabin in the "Atrata" for the night, but
next morning were early astir and ashore to escape the coaling, and
to "do" the neighbourhood. The sul)urbs of Kingston miglit be
the suburl)s of Colombo or any othei" old tropical city. The drive
to (iordonstown might be the drive to Hangwella, in Ceylon, or the
suburbs of Panama. The vegetation is the same ; only, there are
some exceptionally fine peeps by the wayside in Jamaica. The ferns
are very l)eautiful, and the [)alms very noble. The I'ruit tiees are
most prolitic, and the flowers unusually rich.

The famous Blue Mountains are merely Central Ceylon, with a
slight difference. They rise to 7,000 feet, and are not very inviting
to a man who has spent the best part of his life in clindjing tropical
mountains. 1 can see that much that had at one time been under
cultivation is now altandoned, and can guess the rest. Certainly,
I had no desire to climb for climbing's sake. Nor did the sugar
estates much interest me here. Sugar-cane, except under excep-
tionally favoural)le circumstances, is a decaying industry, and the

Planter and Negro Grievances. 12."}

planters I met here were invariably men with grievances, dis-
appointed with the Home (lovcrnment, abusing the beet, and swear-
ing by their rum. Probably, as they say, it was easier for Ceylon
planters, with less capital locked up in expensive jjlant, to start a
new industry ; but, in any case, there is little pleasure in meeting
men who have "tint heart." Their chief grievances are the beet
bounties, and consequent cheap sugar, and the uncertain supply of
hibour. What a change since the days of Tom Cringle! Qiiassie,
the negro, has also got his grievance, tliough no one to see him
could suspect that anything in the shape of a skeleton could be
found in his cupboard. Vet such is the case ; and 1 am sorry, for 1
am sure he is in the wrong, and, if he persists in wrong-doing,
suffering must ensue. Quassie, in short, hates Ramosamy of Madras,
and would have him e\})elled from the ishmd, not because of any
glaring vices, but because his virtues, in the shape of superior in-
dustry, usefulness, and general intelligence, are out of all proportion
to what he (the negro) has yet to offer ; but as the negroes numbei-
40 to 1, it is very necessary to be careful in handling them, and
assiduous in guiding them by example and precept.

Of course, we have before heard of such selfishness, even amongst
those who consider themselves the most enliglitened of nations.
Australians, for instance, tlo not receive the Chinese, noi' the
"Assyrians," as they call our loyal fellow-subjects in India, with
open arms. On the contrary, they put a prohibitory tax upon
them, not because they are paui)ers or an inferior race, but becausi-
they (the Au.stralians) are a jealous people, and fear to compete with
honest industry. We have seen the same thing in Peru, and there
is an attempt even nearer home to get in the thin end of the wedge
of exclusion, which may Heaven frustrate ! for Britain owes much to
the strangers she has had within her gates. Therefore, we need
not wonder that tlic negro should also display this hiunun
weakness of jealous exclusion. If happiness l)e "our Ijcing's
end and aim," he has, judged by tliis standai-d at lea.st, made
very considerable progress, and if we can only help to graft on
a little of the civilisation of the ancient E;istern worhl, our
object in retaining the guidance of these islands may be some
thins more than deh^nsibic. The maioritv of these blacks me
as yet but children, :ind will be eipially happy under any just,
firm, and beneficent nde. With a better organised labour supplv.
there ouj^ht to be a great future foi- Jamaica. Its po.'iition i.>

1 24 Travels in Tropical Lands.

important, its capabilities great, and now that planters are ceasing to
pin their faith exclusively to sugar and rum, progress may be
very rapid. Already sugar is taking a subsidiary place amongst
exports.

Fruit, dyewoods, and spices are coming to the front, with cofiee
and cocoa also improving their position. Fruit growing is a very
important industry here, sure to develop ; the oranges particularly
are very fine, much superior to the fearful rubbish sold to pass-
ing ships in the East Indies ; plantains are a specialty ; pines
and chirimoyas — though not quite equal to the product in Peru or
Guayaquil — are very abundant, and are good enough for the New
York market. Cocoa is not so decided a success as one would
expect ; while the recuperation of the coffee fields hangs fire
mysteriously. With present prices one is at a loss to know the
reason why. The total exports now amount to £1,903,000 ; im-
ports, £2,189,000, of which 56 per cent, is with the United
Kinwlom.

Like most tropical cities, the best part of Kingston is the
suburbs. The shops are poor, and the public buildings unsightly.
There is a museum, however, in which the curious will find much to
interest, amongst other things " the Bauble," which Cromwell
ordered to be taken away. It will be remembered that it was in
Oliver's time that hlngland acquired Jamaica, hence the possibility of
this relic being the geiuiine " Bauble." Jamaica is peculiarly
fortunate in her present Governor, Sir Henry Blake, one of the
most energetic and capable of Colonial administrators.

I returned to the " Atrata " a few hours before sailing, and
was reclining on a deck-chair vainly meditating on what might
have happened had Robert Burns come out here as a planter (as was
at one time arranged). Scotsmen think he would have been lost
for ever to them and to the world. But who knows ? It might
have proved a brighter turning point in his life than did the
introduction to Edinburgh society. Certainly, if Robbie had ever
" ran about the l)i'acs " on yonder Blue Mountains, they would have
sung a sweeter song to-day. But, hark ! the band on a troopship
lying alongside strikes up " Auld Lang Syne." Even now the spirit
of the poet hovers around us, and breathes a loving goodwill through
this now universal anthem — universal wherever the P]nglish language
is spoken — giving expression to the kindliest fraternal feelings
amongst the West Indian negroes as truly as it does at a Scotch

En route for Trividad. 125

fireside. All English-speaking nations will not join in "God
Save the Queen," 1)ut I never met the man who could resist
" Auld Lang Syne."

The troopship weighs anchor and moves off. Off to Sierra Leone,
and few of the poor fellows will ever ste Jamaica again. And now
we too are off, en route for Barbadoes : very little worth noting
occurring during this voyage of 1,L'U() miles. We called at
Dominica, taking on a passenger, and had an opportunity of photo-
graphing a crew of Carib boatmen. Tiie passenger himself was a
full-l;)looded negro, but dressed in a black frock-coat, evidently a
product of Bond Street. He was received on board by a few of the
superior beings, who exhibited their Cockney breeding by bawling
out, " Where did you get that 'at," and a few such choice quotations.

Having arranged his baggage, the new arrival walked into the
music saloon, amidst whispers of "What's the world coming to?"
ask him for " Susannah, don't you cry," &c.

After a time, as if to while away a weary moment, our dark
friend seated himself at the piano, and with perfect self-possession
began to look through the music, which, being all of the "Hall"
order, he found nothing to suit. Throwing it aside, he played from
memory some of Mendelssohn's overtures with a delicacy of touch
which took the company s breath away. He received but few
thanks, but I heard several suppressed exclamations of " Well, 1
never! "

In this small world I believe I afterwards had the pleasure of
meeting this gentleman in England as Editor of Fraternity !

At Barbadoes we were transferred to the "Dee," bound for
Trinidad, where we arrived in time to eat our Christmas dinner.

Trinidad is our next largest island in the Carribbean Sea, but in
real intiinsic value I would be inclined to give it the first place
amongst our West Indian island colonies. A more recent slice from
South America — the distance being only sixteen miles from the main-
land — we have here .something better to deal with than the more
ridge of a submerged mountain. The contour of the island may
be described as undulating, no part rising higher than 3,000 feet.
The soil, evidently richer than the average of Jamaica, and, less
liable to hurricanes than any of the other islands, is more suited
for those very remunerative [jroducts— cocoa, luitmeg, cocoainits,
plantains, v^c. I say nothing of sugar, as I am disposed to think
that it has been overdone on these islands, ;ind that the (l;ty will

l^<i Trarels in Tropical Lands.

soon come Avhen they cumiol pos,si])ly compete with the Pacific
coast in the production of this commodity.

The climate of Port of Spain, the capital, is Colombo over again.
Meteorological observations place the "means" at t\w. Trinidad
capital 3° lower as regards temperature and 5 inches less rainfall.
That is t(j say, the mean average temperature of Colombo is 80 8 —
about the highest average of any city in the world— the Port of
Spain following close upon it with 77°; and while Colombo seems to
enjoy 88 inches of rain, the chief city of Trinidad gets an average
of 83 inches. 1'he difference is not appreciable by the European
visitor, to whom anything over 75" Fahrenheit is misery, and a few
degrees more only makes him "miserable still," as Carlyle said Avhen
he gave up smoking.

It is generally supposed that the warm waters of the Orinoap,
which strike against the island, intensifies the beat of Trinidad, but
observations do not bear this out. The maximum heat is exactly the
same as at Colombo, but the variations are greater. Moreover, the
Port of Spain will hold its own with any city in the world for the
rankness of its smells and the viciousness of its mosquitoes. Sanita-
tion is a nnich-neglected science in the Western tropics. The
sluggish, sleepy-looking Turkey buzzard is as inferior to the active,
little crow of Colombo as the l)ig-boned negro is to the lithe Tamil
coolie.

The population of the city tuunbers 35,000, of Avhich about one-
half seem absolutely idle, but all sleek and fat. FeAV cities present
a greater mixture of races. Every nation is represented, from the
grave but ever-diligent Chinaman to the merry but ever-indolent
African. To the Tamil coolie this is indeed a veritable paradise,
with " Sam blam " 200 per cent, higher than in India, easier work,
and, for him, a delightful climate. Nor is Kamosamy slow to take
advantage of his opportunities. As the savings bank shows, the
Tamils have a nnich better balance at their credit than any other
race in the West Indies. The pity of it is that the habits and
general deijortment of our good friends the Tamil coolies do not
seem to improve with prosperity.

Ilamosamy here ceases to hide the tobacco pipe when he meets
master, and, shocking to say, even the beautiful Mootama disfigures
her pretty mouth by smoking a dirty clay pipe ! In vain she
dresses in hei- showiest attire, and loatls herself with jewellery more
precious than any Canganie's daughter in Ceylon can boast of. It is

Trinidad Botanic (iardens. 127

simply impossible to look comely with a cl;iy pipe in the mouth.
But for these excrescences I might fancy myself on the Bund, in
Kamly, Ceylon. The surroundings here are equally beautiful. In
situation more favoured than Colombo, the Port of S])ain claims, and
with some reason, to be the loveliest of all the beautiful little cities of
uur West Indiai\ colonics. The rich tropical scenery in which it
nestles is rarely eiiualled, and could scarcely lie excelled. The
buildings are nothing to boast of. The Roman Catholic Cathedral
is the best, and the English Church is also a good substantial-looking
erection ; but both look all the better for the stately i)alms that stand
guard ai'ound them. The best hotel — alisurdly called the "Ice-
House" — is nothing more nor less than a huge drinking bar, with a
few Ijedrooms attached. There is a very fair Public Libiary, pre-
sided over by a young Irish lady, who makes an admirable lilirarian.

Probably the most prosperous industry of this city is, however,
the manufacture of Angostura bitters. These popular bitters, which
give relish to tlu' finest "cock-tails," ai'e made, and made only, in
Port of Spain fiom the bark of a small shrub {Galipen liifoluda), be-
longing to the Piue family. We called at the large factory in pass-
ing, Init found that there was some difficulty about admittance, and
did not feel sufficiently interested to persevere. The old Govern-
ment House was burned down some years ago, but His Excellency
now very snugly puts u]) in a beautiful house in the midst of the
Botanical Gardens. These gardens aie the prettiest of all the
gardens in the West, and second only to that ]iaradisiacal sjjot on
the banks of the j\Jahavillaganga, Ceylon. Mi-. Hart, the super-
intendent, is the very beau ideal of a useful, oblit^ing, and laborious
director, a l)orn botanist, enthusiastically fo)id of bis calling, and
a keenly intelligent man generally. A visit to the gardens
with such a guide is a valuable object-lesson, in it.self worth
going thousands of miles to enjoy. Mr. Hart is no mere bookish
collector and dry classifier of all sort of plants ; his chief aim .seems
to be to find out the most useful of our economic phints, and thus,
by making himself ])ractically uscfid to planters a?id agriculturists,
to advance the l)est interests of his adopted colony. Trinidad has a
number of strings to its bow, and am})le room to extend. Almn.st
any tropical j)roduct will thi-ive luxuiiantly in such a climate,
but the best thing at present is — and probalily l"r many yciirs to
come will })t;— her cacao.

The climate is [leculiaily ailajitcd to this shelter and moisture-

12<s Travels in Tropical Lands.

loving tree. The humid heat ;in(l fairly good soil of Trinidad
produce such cacao trees as are rarely to be seen even in the
upper valleys of the Amazon, and never yet in Ceylon. Never-
theless, as Mr. Hart very pertinently points out, in his annual report
for 1890, it would be most unwise for planters to confine their
attentions to any one special product, hoM^ever profitable it might
})romise to be.

"We have it in history," says Mr. Hart, "that in Jamaica cacao
was once extensively cultivated, but that it was destroyed by a
blast. We have it that in several other portions of the world cacao
has been afflicted with various diseases when cultivated in large
areas. Though far from wishing to become a prophet of evil, 1
Avould ask the question, whether such blast (of whatever character it
might have been) may not lie liable to occur again 1 History teaches
that when large areas of a single product are continuously culti-
vated, the balance of nature is upset, and when an enemy makes
its appearance, the field for its growth is so large that it is
impossible for man to contend against its ravages.

" The coffee leaf disease in Ceylon is a familiar instance, which
resulted in the almost total destruction of an industry at one
time perhaps the most thriving of the ])resent century. What
would be the state of Trinidad were such an affliction to fall
upon our yeoman's industry. Our cacao walks ? Such would l)e
too fearful to contemplate, and should urge us at all risks— in
season and out of season^ — to do our l)est to seek out other suit-
able 'subsidiary industries' and to form nndei of other products, if
nothing else, which could be extended readily on signs of approach-
ing trouble becoming apparent to our cultivators. For although
cacao is to-day the second industry of the island, and soon likely to
l)ecome the first, it will probably have its bad times as well as sugar,
and ha})py will be the proprietor who was wise enough in time
of prosperity to provide against future evil In' having his eggs in
several baskets."

There arc indeed many " subsidiary industries"' by which the
planter might })rofital)ly supplement his cacao-growing here.

Cnffea Arahka, for instance, has evidently never had a fair trial.
The attemj)ts one sees to grow it by the wayside, choked by weeds
and under the dri]) of jungle trees, is enough to convulse an old
Ceylon man.

Coffea Liberira, however, would proba})ly be found much more

Chief Products of Trinidad. 120

suitable for this climate, the vegetation of which is all of a low-
country type. "There is," says Mr. Hart, " unniistakablo evidence
that coifee can be grown in Trinidad if only pruperly cultivated, but
I find a general disinclination to cultivate it in anything but a
desultory sort of way."

Amongst the other industries and products he suggests are : —
Cardamons, pepper, gambir, tobacco, rubber, nutmegs, Kamic,
maholtine, Tobago silk grass, Gunjah, ()Iaiit;uiis, and numerous
tropical fruits.

Cardamons we know something aljuuL, and although they glow
and yield here quite as freely as in their native home in the East,
the market for the product is but limited.

Pepper of various kinds might doubtless find a ready market, and
gambir is a tanning substance evidently mucli in demand. The plant
(Unciiria gambir) grows here without any special care, and it is said
to be advantageous to combine black pepper culture with that of
gambii-. The product is prepared fur the market by sim})ly boiling
the leaves, the preparation being worth about 27s. per cut.

Tobacco is, of course, a weed ; especially on the adjacent island
of Tobago, from wliicli it — either the island or the weed — derived
its name. The plant is not much cultivated in Trinidad, being
chiefly confined to the south of the island. The tobacco cultivated
is solely of the Cuban variety, remarkable for its kid-glove-like
appearance, its small veins, its fine aroma, Iwing, in short, a good
cigar tobacco.

Piubber. — Tiiere is, Mr. Hart says, an increasing demand for the
various kinds of rubbei' trees, especially the CastiUoa, which is doing
well both in Trinidad and To])ago, and there is every encourage-
ment to persevere in this industry, the demand l)eing unlimited.
Ficus elastica, from India, grows splendidly, and so, of course, does
Heiea Brazilien.'^i.-i, and the various Maniluih.

Nutmegs grow and bear much better than in Ceylon, and tliese
West Indian islands might easily supply any demand e\er likely
to arise for this pro(hict without fearing competition from tiic
East.

As to fibres, Mr. Hart does not sliaie the sanguine hojjcs of the
Bahamians with icgaid to .•iisul. Circumstances alter cases. Tlic
climate and soil of Trinidad is un>iiitc(l foi- the Agnrc rigiihi, not
certainly for its growth as a plant. Kiit the tiluc wnuld be inferior t >
that [)roduce(l on a poorer soil and in a Ics.s liuuiiil i liniate.

l.'JO Ti-avels in Ti-opic<il J,<( mh.

Ramie {Jvirhtmria niveri) and MtihoUinc. {Ahnliloii jirriplocifniium)
are specially recommended, one of the points in favour of the latter
being the ease with which the stems of the plant submit to de-
cortication atul ultimate ])reparation.

Tobago Silk Grass (Fourcroya cuhensis), which grows so freely both
in Tobago and Trinidad, has been experimented uixui 1)y Death jiiid
Kennedy's machine, and ])rnved to be the most promising of plants
undei' trial, the (juality and quantity of the fibre being such that
it seems doubtful if any jjlant grown in these islands can com-
pete with it. In cheapness and in quality the indigenous funrcroya
is said to be hei'e superior to the exotic agave.

I approach the next j)i'oduct indicated in the abo\e list with
some trepidation. " During the past yeai- I have been asked,'" says
Mr. Hart, "for information with respect to the cultivation of a drug
called Gunjali."

Gunj((Jt, or Gavja, is a preparation from the Howen'ng tops of
the hemp plant (Cannabis mtica), introduced into the AVest Indies
by our Tamil coolies, who, sad to say, are very fond of induliiing in
this stimulant, albeit, amongst the most useful and loyal subjects of
a Christian nation. We, their superiors, while, for our own gain,
gladly supplying them with oceans of new rum, think it our
bounden duty to dictate to them on the subject of ganja, and
forthwith pass what we hope may be a prohibitory law, impos-
ing "a duty of £100 on every acre or part of an acre grown."
"Yet," adds Mi'. Hart, "it is quite possible to grow and sell
the drug at a large profit. f^stimating the return of crop on
an acre of land at one thousand pounds weight ; l)y selling
at IGs. per pound, the large sum of £800 stands clearly revealed,
and as the cost of cultivating and curing the cro}) from an acre
of land would at the outside not exceed one fourth of this amount,
it Avould leave a clear i)rofit of £500 j)er acre after paying the
licence." It is curious to find this old friend crop})ing up in the
West as a new product. Cultivated in Asia and Europe from time
immemorial— in tiie latter couiitiy for its valuable til)re, in the
former for ditt'erent })urj)oses, Imt chieHy for the resinous secretion
which gives its narcotic or intoxicating qualities to the ganja of the
Tamils, and the bhangie or hashish of the Mahometan. Europeans
in India, while enjoying their own special beverages, have a great
horror of the hemp ])roduct, and during the silly season editors
find it a prolific subject to comment upon. Yet, for one man to

(lanjiili ((11(1 PUintains: 1-"'>I

be seen dazed by blians;ie a Imiulicd may bo socii (hunk with
alcohol. S])eakiiii,' of the use of gaiija, the " (Jtticial Cluide
to Economic Botany," published at Kew, says: — "To a beginner
two or three pulls are sufficient to produce intense giddiness
and prostration for five or six hours, followed by a refreshed
feeling. Habitual consumers feel no inconvenience." Dr. Morean,
of Toiu-s, who has wi-itten an elaborate work on the subject
of hashish, l)ased not only on general observation but personal
ex})eiience, describes the sensation as "really happiness .
and by this I imply," he adds, "an enjoyment entirely moral
and liy no means sensual, as we might be inclinwl to su})pose.
The hashish eater is happy, not like the gourmand <ir the f;imished
man when satisfying his jippetite, nor the voluptuai-y the gratifica-
tion of his desires, l)ut like him who hears tidings which till him
with joy." On the other hand, as already indicated, there are many
experienced old residents in India who have everything that is bad
to say l)oth of bhang and oi)ium. The fact, however, remains that
tiie Tamil, next to the Chinese, is the soberest, thriftiest, most
useful and industrious tropical labourer in the world. All the more
reason perhaps why he should be protected from undue tt'mptation ;
but, at the same time, it would be well if over-zealous refnimers
would nioi't' iVequently turn their attention to those beams in <iui-
own national eyes.

Of ri(i))f((i)).s and other fruits there are a siti)eral)undanee in
Trinidad, j)articularly the; plantain Musa sdjnentuii,, familiarly
enough known here as " Gros Michel fig"; and Musa Ccrendishii,
called "Governor fig," or "Figuc Trinidad"! The plantain, being
grown upon many of the young cacao estates for shade jiurposes,
the fruit is simply allowed to run to waste ; and we fully sym-
pathise with Mr. Hart in his desire to see this valual>le food utili.sed.
A very profitable and impoitant industry nn"ght here be developed
by the manufacture of j'laithiiii meal. It is well known that from
the dried fruit of any of the genus Musa—caW them plantains,
bananas, or figs— there may be made a most wholesome and palat-
able meal, capal>le c)f sustaining life for long periods. It is easily
digested, and, in the form of gruel, is a perfect food for infants and
invalids. 1 have noted samples shown at several exhibitions, and
always most highly commended, but there the matter ends. No
cajntalist seems to have as yet taken to advertising it. like i^ava-
lenUi, Mellin'.s, or other vauntecl. but probalily less palat,-djle and
less noiuishing, foods.

132 Travels in Tropical Lands.

The Orange is, however, the pet product of the present Governor,
and the efforts of His Excellency to induce proprietors to plant up
large areas of this fruit find full expression in the following pithy
placard sown broadcast o\"er the island : —

"TO AGRICULTUKISTS OF ALL CLASSES.

" Have you ever heard of the oranges of Florida ? Perhaps not.
Well, they are a most sweet and luscious fruit. Florida is the most
southern of the United States of America. Orange culture is an
industry of comparatively recent growth there, l)ut it is now well
established, and thousands of people, both large and small ])lai)ters,
are making plenty of money by it. The oranges grown in some of
the Bahamas Lslands, and especially in Atidros Island, are (piite as
good as those of Florida.

" Millions of oranges are sent every year from the Bahamas,
Jamaica, and Florida to Xew York, and they find a ready sale. Two
or three years ago England imported in one year 180,000,000 oi-anges
from the Azores. Ihat only means six oranges for every man,
Avoman, and child in Great Britain. More are wanted for P^ngland,
for America, and for Canada especially. The jiopulation of these
great countries is increasing most rapidly. The demand for oranges
is increasing. Where is the supply to come from 1 Trinidad can
grow fine oranges ! How many people grow them 1 We have not
enough for our own wants ! Is there any man in the valleys of
Diego Martin, Maraval, Santa Cruz, St. Jo-sepli, or Couva that has
100 trees in bearing? I do not think so; and yet these shady and
well-watered valleys and districts Avould yield their millions, and
these millions, if properly picked and packed in paper and in
crates, would find a ready sale. Mr. Russell Murray, of Port of
Spain, will buy all you can send him at 55 cents per crate of 155,
and lie will supply you with the crates, paper, and nails for nothing.
200 orange trees are sufficient for one acre of land.

"A good orange tree will give you between 400 and 1,000
oranges a year. An orange tree will l)ear for 60, 70, or even 80
years. Mr. Hart has at the Botanical Gardens over 2,000 young
trees ; these are being sold at two cents each.

"I much wish to encourage the growth of this and other fruit,
and the Agricultural Board, of which I am President, will give a
prize of £50 to the first man who can show the best acre of growing
orange trees three years old, and £25 to the first man who can show
the best half-acre. Whilst the trees are growing you can raise
pum])kins, melons, and other vegetables between the rows. By
these small industries every man who has a cottage and a few square
yards of garden can improve his condition. He can get money
enough to pay his children's school fees, to Imy for himself and his
wife some good clothes for Sunday to go to church in, and he can
after that put the remainder of his earnings into the savings bank,

Oranges and Ornamental Trees. 188

and thus h:ive what is called a 'Nest egg,' which, perliaps, in his old
age he may much want.

"Between September 1st and December 31st last year, we sent
So3,000 oranges to America. I want 85,000,000 to be sent, and it
only remains for you to grow them. If you want any instructions
as to soil, cultivation, picking, or packing, come and see me or the
Superintendent of the Botanical Gardens.

" WILLIAM ROBINSON.

" Government House,

"12th January/, 1891."

The Botanical Gardens are altogether admirably kept. Nature
has, indeed, done her part so ungrudgingly that there is little left
for art to mend, beyond the clearing of little vistas to show the
stateliness of the noble trees in all their beautiful proportions. We
have seen the Tasmanian trees rising to twice the height of any
plant here, but what coarse, ragged giants they were compared with
the superbly graceful forms around us. One of the most striking is
the Falmiste {Oreodoxo oleracea), standing with its straight polished
pillar over 100 feet in height, but there are many others of more
elegant habit and delicate drapery, and many with flowers of
brilliant hues. There stands the Eri/thrina with vermilion and the
Eriodendron with bright scarlet flowers towering 150 feet above us ;
the very curious cannon-ball tree {Coiironpita Guianensis), with any
amount of ammunition hanging ready around its hardy, massive
trunk; the ^«(^nawith purple buds, and Acacias of untold varieties;
the very stately travellers' tree {Uavenala Madagascariensis), with its
plantain-like leaves so symmetrically arranged ; our friend the toddy
tree (Borassus flabelUfcn-wis), one of the most important and most
beautiful plants on earth, grows here in as great perfection as it does
in its native Ceylon ; Latania, with its broad, feathery leaves, and
Licwda, a dwarf palm, both from the East Indies. Amongst the
smaller shrubs, I note the Erythroxylon coca, curiously enough im-
ported from Ceylon instead of from its native and neighbouring
Peru. The most marvellous plants in Trinidad are, however,
the Lianas, creepers or climbing plants, apparently endless in
length and variety, embracing the biggest trees, and climbing
to the tO]) of the loftiest, dropping down to the ground again,
then going up another tree trunk, and yet another, intertwining
amongst the l)ranches, and thus weaving an interminable jungle
as impenetrable as it is gorgeously beautiful. The JJanas are

134 Travela in Tropical Lands.

the plants which specially aid tropical vegetation in cxhihitini;
the extraordinary luxuriance for which it is so highly extolled.
Perhaps it is because of this that one has here been named
the " Scotch Attorney ! " and another in Ceylon the " Colombo
Agent," or pussiblt/ it may be because they often kill by constric-
tion the trees which originally supported them, or ultimately
take the place of the old decayed stumps by whose aid they
were able to rise. It is the morbid apprehension of this which
leads old planters to speak of all new ai-rivals as "Creepers."
Amongst the Lianas peculiar to this locality may be mentioned :
Passijfora, Lignonia, Banisteria, FauUina, Aristolochla, Bauhinia,
Calamus, the rattan of Ceylon, which the Singalese say has neither
beginning nor end. Amongst the more minute plants and flowers
which form the spacious carpet upon which we tread, the " sensitive

plant" is often repeated. The ferns and grasses . But why should

I attempt to picture these Botanical Gardens in detail. Did not that
master of words and most admirable of men, Charles Kingsley,
spend his Christmas here ? And yonder is the identical Liga Saman
tree, under the grateful shade of which he leisurely blocked out his
delightful book ; in the recollection of which I hasten to explafin
that we are merely passers-by — poor prosy planters commissioned to
report upon certain cacao lands, and the sooner we find our way up
yonder valley the better.

But planting life in Trinidad ditiers somewhat from that of
Ceylon, and the comparison is not always in favour of the former.
The Trinidad planter has evidently not yet arrived at that stage of
civilisation when " the boy " daily puts down a couple of extra
knives and forks for the travellers who may drop in, and the
best bedrooms must always be ready for the strangers who come
within the gates. They manage things differently in Trinidad, and
a day after our arrival we got word that it would take two or three
days to sweep out the estate l)ungalow for our reception. Moreover,
it was Christmas, and everyone was more or less excited. The races
were on, and all Trinidad and the adjacent islands were en fete;
just as it hai){)ened a quarter of a century ago, when Charles
Kingsley wrote his delectable description of the scene, from which I
cannot do better than quote : —

" I have been to the races : not t(j bet, nor to sec the horses run,
not even to see the fair ladies on the grandstand in all the newest
fashions of Paris, viA New York, but to wander en mufti among the

'Hie Races: CJairlcs Klngdey. 135

outside crowd, and l)cliold the liuiiHtiirs of men. Ami 1 iniist say
that their humours are very good liuinnurs ; fur lietter, it seems to
me, tliaii those of an English race ground. Not that I have set foot
on one for 30 years, but at railway stations and elsewhere one cannot
help seeing what manner of folk affect English races, or hel[>
])ron()uncing them, if physiognomy be any test of character, the
most degraded lieings . . . Avhich our ])seudo-civilisation lias
yet done itself the dishonour of producing. Now, of that class
I saw absolutely none. I do not suppose that the hroun fellows who
hung about the horses, whether Barbadians or Trinidad men, verc
angelic mortals, but they looked like heroes compared with the
bloated hangdog roughs and (juasi-grooms of English races. As for
the sporting gentlemen, 1 can oidy say they looked like gentle
men, and that I wish in all courtes\' that they had been moi-e wisely
employed.

"But the negro was in his glory. He was smart, clean, shiny,
happy, according to his light. He got up into trees and clustered
there, grinning from ear to ear. He Ijawled about Barbadian horses
and island horses, and sang exteiiijjore songs. The (Tamil) coolies
seemed as merry as the negroes. Even about the faces of the
Chinese there flickered at times a feeble ray of interest. The coolie
women sat in groui)s on the grass— Ah ! Isle of the Blest! Avhere
people can sit on the grass in December I — like live flower-beds of
the most splendid and yet harmonious hues. As for jewels of gold
and silvei', there were many there on arms, ankles, necks, and noses,
which made white ladies fresh from England break the Tenth Com
mandment.

" I wandered about, looking at the live Hower-beds, and giving
passing glances into booths, which 1 longed to enter, and hear what
sort of human speech might be going on therein ; but I was de-
terred, first by the thought that much of the speech might not bo
over-edifying, and, next, !iy the suiclls, especially that most hideous
of all smells — new rum.

"The hobby-horses swarmed with negresses and Hindoos of tin-
lower order. The negresses, 1 am sorry to say, forgot tliem.selvcs,
kicked up their legs, shouted to the bystanders, and were altogether
incondite. The Tamil women, though showing much more of their
legs than the negresses, kept them gracefully together, and sat
coyly, half-frightened, half-amused, to the delight of their husbands.

"As 1 looked on, considered what a strange creature man is, and

1 36 Travels in Tropical Lands.

■wondered what possible pleasure these women could derive from
being whirled round till they wei-e giddy and stupid, I saw an old
gentleman, seemingly absorbed in the very same reflection. He was
dressed in dark blue, with a i-traw hat. He stood with his hands
behind his back, and a sort of wise, half-sad, half-humorous smile
upon his aquiline, high cheek-boned features.

" I took him for an old Scot ; a canny, austere man ; a man, too,
who had known sorrow and profited by it; and I drew near to him.
But as he turned his head deliberately round to me, I beheld to my
astonishment the unmistakable features of a Chinese. He and I
looked each other full in the face, without a word ; and I fancied
w^e understood each other. We walked off in different ways, but
that man's face haunts me still ; and I am weak enough to believe
that I should know the man, and like him, if I met him in another
planet a thousand years hence."

And who knows ? dear, old Charles Kingslej^ and his contempla-
tive Chinaman may have met and had many a confab by this time
in some bright planet beyond. Ay! who knows?

Meanwhile, the same annual tomfoolery goes on at Port of Spain!
On the whole, the scene in the paddock adjoining the beautiful gardens
is a poor farce. The villains of the play seem chiefly supplied by
the military depot in Barbadoes, and, having had the companionship
of some of these " hang-dog roughs " on board the mail steamer, 1
had ample opportunity of studying the character in all its bluster
and ])umptiousness previous to the races. It was after the races,
however, that the "hang-dog" look became fully developed, and, as
I looked upon the repulsive specimens of humanity returning home-
wards, I could only mutter to myself. Poor wives ! jiooi' mothers,
(iod help tliem !

But here at last comes the traj) to take us to estate. A

lovely ride, past the reservoir, and some miles up the valley, through
abandoned sugar estates, and at length we come to a cul de sac, when
a short walk takes us to a rather pretty little bungalow on a knoll,
with a tiny garden in front choke-full of Crotons, Draccenas, Vimas,
J )u;ffenhachias, &c. The bungalow itself we found to be cleanly
swept though not garnished, and there was a somewhat musty
smell of fermented cocoa or something worse. Our host, a good-
natured Irishman, was very hospitable, and did his best to make us
comfortable by providing a decent dinner, and one good, large bed,
to which Ave retired before the evening was far spent. But as the

^L Cacao Edate. 137

hot night advanced the smells increased, till sleep was out of the
(juostion. In vain wc opened the window and left the door ajar.
Still the stinks waxed stronger. Daylight at length came to our
relief, when a search revealed the fact that a dead hen lay below the
bed and a dead dog on the door-steps — both supposed to have been
bitten by snakes. Somehow wo didn't enjoy our breakfast, but
were glad when wc saw mules saddled to take us to the top of the
ridge.

This is said to be a cacao estate, and here and there Ave came
upon patches of that valuable product in a half wild, but wholly
luxuriant, state, smothered in weeds and jungle, yet bearing
enormous crops wherever the tree has suthcient freedom. Spasmodic
attempts had also been made to grow coffee along the sides of
the path, but the weeds had proved too many for this more tender
exotic. By and by we come to a "ncAv clearing," so-called, a
perfect chaos and jumble of Aveeds, fruits, and vegetables, the most
.sightly being the ahvays beautiful banana leaf. The explanation is
that, according to the old Spanish custom, the planters in Trinidad
still do their planting by contract, allowing the contractdr to grow
anything he likes amongst the young cacao plants until the fifth
year, when the new plantation is handed over to the estate superin-
tendent. It is a slovenly system, and it says a great deal for
the climate and soil of Trinidad that cacao struggles through the
treatment and thrives as it does even in patches. We thoroughly
enjoyed the lovely look-out from the top of the ridge, and especially
the pure air, and were it not that we know the danger of "sitting
doAvn to cool" in the tropics, we would have lingered longer over
the scene. As it was, we took ample notes for an elaborate report
to the proprietors in London, which, I hope, proved of interest
to them, but would scarcely be suitable for these pages.

'Twas afternoon ere we returned to the bungalow, and the rain
was pouring heavily, as it must often do here, where they get
100 inches a year, and never a dry month. We were scarcely seated
in the verandah when my ever-active fellow traveller was up again,
seized witli a desire to have another ride, but I feigned weaii
ness, though, I must here confess, I was no sooner left alone than I
crept away into the jungle, passing en route the coolies' garden.
1 had often looked into a coolie's garden in tlie Ivist, and it was
not without interest that 1 went to see wliat liamosamv had by
way of vegetable food in the West. rhmtains, of course, prince of
10

138 Travels in Tropical Lands.

fruits, and noblest of leaves, are there, and are always a glad sight.
The Mandioca or Jairopha also — here greatly appreciated, for the
coolie soon comes to know a good vegetable ; then the Granadilla
twines round his fence, and the great coarse pumpkin takes up no end
of space, while the sweet potato creeps along the ground, and the more
robust yam grows in odd corners. There are other plants not quite
so common in Ceylon. The Cho-cho (Sechium edule), a kind of cucumber,
only introduced the other day from Jamaica ; the Lima })ean, a first-
rate vegetable; and the earth nut (Arachis). But here is a tuber I never
before saw; the coolie calls it "Topinambour," and runs into the
hut for a half cooked root. Why ! it tastes like chestnuts and
potatoes mixed ! Yes, Ramosamy knows Avhat is good for him ; and
look at his array of herbs, " Cheddeys," which no man but a Tamil
would tackle. He evidently pitied my ignorance, and followed me
into the jungle, watching my movements as you would a child, and
calling out words of warning as I looked at the fruit of the Datura
and other poisonous Sokmums. "Don't eat that!" was repeated
over and over again, both in broken English and half-forgotten
Tamil. It is marvellous how much a coolie knows of botany com-
pared with the ordinary English labourer, or even with men with
very mu-ch grander pretensions. J. A. Froude, for instance, tells
a sensational story of being tempted by a companion, while here
in 1888, to taste some nice-looking ripe fruit from the Strychnos nux-
vomica, and his life was only saved by a gardener, who stopped him in
time. It would probably be infra dig. for an illustrious litterateur to
profess to know Strychnos from a strawberry. Albeit, it is a curious
confession. I like the coolie none the less for his practical know-
ledge of economic botany, and it might not be altogether out of
place here to give a few hints as to the rules which chiefly
guide him in the choice of unknown fruits. Some say, " Oh,
you have only to watch the birds," but that Avon't save you, for
birds eat freely of nux-romka. The result of Kamosain3''s experience
is brieflv given as follows : —
1st. Avoid all brilliant colours, bright blues, crimson, and especially

jet black.
2nd. See that the remains of the calyx, i.e., the outer shell of the

flower, is sticking firmly on the fruit, as we find it on the

gooseberry or apple, and you may eat without hesitation.

The fruit may not be very palatable, but it will not be

])oisonous.

Ramosamys Garden. 139

3rd. When the fruit of a tree is quite smooth — like the cherry —
and has no stone inside, ten to one it is rank poison. The
cherry has no remains of the flower uj)on it, hut it has astme,
and it is (jiiite wliolesome. The potato pkim is smooth and
has no stone, and is therefore poisonous.

There are some exceptions to the last rule, and the tomato is one
of them. Though long considered poisonous, j)eople have -within the
last 40 years actjuired the habit of eating it with safety and some
imaginary benefit.

The "coolie" is a born herbalist, and his native tropical land
furnishes him Avith numerous resources — their very number forming
an embarras de richesses. A Canganie, whose wife was ill, once told me
he had given her seventeen different drugs, and still she complained !
I prescribed another, viz., Ipecacuanha, which had the desired effect.
My self-ai)pointed guide points out a weed which, he declares, if
applied to the tongue, has the property of clearing the eyes of sand ;
but I had no opportunity or inclination to test this. Another,
which has the marvellous virtue of thickening skimmed milk ! a
well-known plant, which, for obvious reasons, I decline to name !

Here, by the way, I made the acquaintance of these most curious
of insects, the parasol ants, Jltta Cephalotes {(Ecodomo), which, after
denuding a tree of its foliage, wore marching in myriads, each hold-
ing up a portion of a leaf, like the Kandian carrying his talipot. It
has been discovered that these proverbially wise and industrious
insects actually cidtivate a nursery garden in which they giow for
food certain kinds of fungi ou these leaves. One wonders if
Hemileia Vastatrix, or coftee leaf fungus, would suit their purpose.
If so, I should much like to give them an introduction to Ceylon !

My sable friend now quite entered into the spirit of my adventure,
pulled down an Aiistohchio, and placed the flower gaily on his head ;
helped me to some of the fragrant Pothos, or white flowers from the
Tabernccmontana. The scarlet Aphdandra, rich Begonias, and tall
Bignonias are there ; as also tree ferns, maiden hair and mosses,
Helicnnias, several kinds of Fitcairnia, and strange-looking Lianas —
which in the dusk look like great boa-constrictors — while over all the
motherly Ceiba {ErytJinna nmbrosa) throws her grateful shade, and
nurses on her great arms many a brilliant orchid. I could wish I had
days here instead of hours. But I had now to seek shelter from the
pouring rain, and, fortunately, I was not far from the bungalow. Fcr
the tenth time that day I found my host running in his tray with the

140 Travels in Tropical Lands.

dump, musty cocoa nil is. Surely there is something wrong with this
system, or, rather, want of system. In these days of improved
appliances, one would expect to find a patent drier, or, at least,
a Clerihew. The present anticpxated mode of drying is both costly
and very uncleanly, and whatever may be said as to the necessity
for the elaborate and lengthened fermentation, the barbarous and
filthy method of rubbing over the mouldy beans with earth is in-
defensible. Ceylon planters, at least, having a dislike to " dirt in the
wrong place," have never adopted the practice, and the price they
get for their produce in Mincing Lane is the best comment on their
system of curing. Still, the planters of Trinidad, as Mr. Hart says,
are very conservative and slow to move. Some, however, have
written to the Director of the Botanical Gardens, Ceylon, for in-
formation on the subject, and they elicited the following reply : —

"Many inquiries have been addressed to me by persons in-
terested in the West Indies as to the causes of the much higher
prices reached by the Ceylon product. So far as I am able to judge,
I believe it to be almost wholly due to the greater care and skill
employed in the processes of manufacture, and especially to the
copious washing and thorough drying of the beans. I do not think
it possible to attribute it to any general superiority in the cacao
here grown, both as to the 'Old Ked' and 'Forastero' varieties,
though no doubt it is the former sort alone which exhibits the
peculiar light colour of the interior so appreciated by the chocolate
maker."— Dr. Trimeii in his lieport on the Iloyal Botanic Gardens of
Ceijhn for ISO I.

From the letter of an experienced Ceylon cacao planter, addressed
to the Tropical Agriculturist, I quote the following reliable informa-
tion re cacao curing : —

"The plan of curing generally adopted by Ceylon planters is
as follows, and is simple, expeditious, and cleanly : — As a rule no
cisterns are built, though boxes or troughs are sometimes used, and
there is no testing with a thermometer to ascertain the degree
of heat in the mass. Pods are always gathered ripe, and are
brought and heaped on the nearest roadside ; an hour or two before
knock-off time they are biokcn with wooden mallets, the beans being
scraped out by hand and put into baskets or sacks and carried
by the men to the fermenting house. This may be a room or
two with mud walls ar^d thatched roof, a lean-to to the store, or the
cisterns of an old coffee pulping-house. A wooden cistern is always

Cacao Curing. 1 4 1

attjiched for washing the beans after fermentation is completed.
Upon a platform of reepers and coir matting raised a few feet from
the ground, and which allows the free escape of the liquor brewed
daring sweating, the green beans are heaped two to three feet deep,
and covered over Avith old sacks and coir mats. Fermentation
is completed in from five to seven days, according to the state
of the weather and the thickness of the heaps ; the heaps being
turned over with wooden shovels and re-covered on alternate days.
This is for Criolo cacao ; forastero should have 24 hours less
fermentation. The beans are now thoi'oughly washed in several
waters to free them from all trace of the sour mucilagenous matter
adhering to them, and if the weather is fine they are spread
tliinly on coir mats laid on barbecues to dry in the sun ; to en-
sure even drying and to prevent blistering, they ai'e turned
frequently by hand, and in three days are dry enough for dispatch-
ing. Should the weather be Avet, the washed cacao is at once taken
to the drying-house, which is a long ceiled room with two or three
lofts of reepers and coir matting ; upon these it is spread, and
hot air supplied from many iron tubes, heated by a furnace outside,
is drawn over and through the cacao and out at the bottom at
the other end by means of a Blackman's or other fan. Twenty-
four hoiu'S in this drviuii-house — called a Clerihew — is suf-
iicient to dry it thoroughly. The American fruit drier
has also been used with success. When there is no drying-
house, or where the quantity to be cured is only from .'}
to 5 cwt. at a time, it is dried on a reepered staging covci;cd
with coir matting raised about '.\\ feet above the ground; under
this fires of dry wood are lighted and kept burning for about 30
hours, the beans being constantly turned. To concentrate the heat
the space within the staging is enclosed : Avhen perfectly dry wood
is used the colour of the husk is hardly affected. Cacao fermented
and dried as described is on the outside in the Criolo of a rich
brown, and in the forastero of a golden colour ; while in both, when
sectioned, the colour is Avarm, dark, a ruby red, and the flavour
agreeable. I have never seen any cured cacao in Ceylon having,
Avhcn sectioned, the rich ciimamon colour said to result fioni fer-
mentation carried out after Mr. Strickland's method. To meet the
requirements of some Continental markets, Avhere a lighter colour,
both inside and out, is desiderated, I am told that cacao is feruicnttil
fur three days only. Our prepared cacao, having no substance on it

142 Travels in Tropical Lands.

to soiir or damp in wet weather, fungus docs not readily grow upon
it. The proof of the pudding is in the eating, and the proof of the
value of an article is the price it commands in the market ; and
as Ceylon cacao generally fetches the highest prices, I think we may
fairly claim that our system is a rational one, and, if not superior,
is ecpial to the best that is carried out by our Trinidad brother
planters."

Since the above was written an improvement has taken place in
the curing of Trinidad cacao, and prices in London have lately come
nearer to that of the Ceylon product, Avhich is chiefly used for the
popular sweetmeats.

We visited the celebrated cacao icalks of San Antonio, situated
about six miles from Port of Spain. Passing through a peculiarly-
formed gap in the range of low hills which encircle the capital, we
found ourselves in a long, narrow, shaded, and sheltered valley, with
irregular rows of massive cacao trees on either side ; the trunks were
covered with lichen and moss, which did not, however, seem to affect
their marvellous fruitfulness, the branches also bearing many a pretty
parasite, which they seemed rather to enjoy. The huge trees rose
to a height of from 30 to 40 feet, and from the root upwards were
literally covered with magnificent pods. Improving as we pro-
ceeded, the scene as a cacao walk has not perhaps its equal in the
world. As perfect specimens of individual trees, we saw nothing to
surpass them in the upper valleys of the Amazon, and I doubt if
Ceylon can ever show anything equal to them. There is no attempt
at cultivation. Such trees are above and beyond the stage when
the mere scraping the soil can much affect them, but the undergrowth
seems to be occasionally cut down, and the litter it leaves helps to
keep the soil moist.

There is nothing remarkal^le about the rich, loamy soil, but
the hot, humid climate, the paitial shade, and perfect shelter
seems to be the whole secret of the superiority of San An-
tonio cacao. This, however, only applies to certain pockets,
or small sheltered basins, here and there. Judging generally
l»y the appearance of the district, I would say that Trinidad,
though not quite so patchy as Ceylon, is, like all tropical
lands — very unequal ; and in selecting land for cultivation
great discrimination is necessary. There is ample scope, even on this
small island, for investors ; hundreds of thousands of acres are open
for selection, but, though all looking equally lu.xuriant, there are

Land Selrcfiov. 1-i^i

many bare and hungry ridges which, if once denuded, could not
again be clothed in half a lifetime. This warning has been so
well expressed by that prince of natural philosojjhers and keen
observers, Charles Kingsloy, that I cannot refi-ain from again
(juoting him : —

"The luxuriance of this jiuigle, be it remembered, must not
delude a stranger, as it has too many ere now, into f.incying that
this land would be profitalile under cultivatioti (land being soil,
mostly poor sand and white quai'tz, which would in Scotland or
Devonshire grow only heath, but here is covered with im-
penetrable jungle). As long as the soil is shaded and kept damp,
it will bear an abundant cro}) of woody fibre, which, composed
almost entirely of carbon and Avater, derives hardly any mineral con-
stituents from the soil. But if that jungle were once cleared off, the
slow and careful work of ages would be undone in a moment. The
burning sun l)akes up everything, and the soil, being without
mineral staple, becomes reduced to aridity and sterility for years
to come. Timber only, therefore, is the proper crop for such
soils."

The method of curing the cocoa at 8an Antonio is simply typical
of Trinidad. 1 can see little in it to recommend and much to
amend. We carefully examined samples of the clay with which
the beans are besmeared prior to shipment, and found it to be very
similar to the clay eaten Viy low-caste coolies in India and the
savage tribes in the Amazon valley. I can conceive the possi-
bility of getting consumers in England to acquire the relish for
this clay, but surely it is, to say the least, a somewhat depi-aved
taste.

We left the island of Trinidad— beautiful as it unquestionably
i>5 — without much regret. The climate is evidently perfect for the
cacao tree, but for the average Briton so enervating that, as Fronde
found, tlicic is a constant "craving for cock-tails," and the vicious-
ness of the mosquitoes shows that there is something very far wrong
with the sanitation. Moreover, the S[)anish element is still too
strong to be pleasant for a free-born Briton. After all, the be.st
man in Trinidad, and the hope of the fuluie, is the so-calletl Tamil
"coolie."' Why "coolie" I cannot conceive.

Tobago we were not able to visit, thougii strongly urged to do
so by our friend, the obliging conunander of the "Dee." In his
opinion, Tobago offers the best opening in tlir wmld fnr activi" young

144 Travel!^ hi Tropical Lands.

men with a little capital, and he marvels that bank and mercantile
clerks do not pitch away tlieir pens, buy an umbrella, and come here.
So luxuriant is the vegetation, yet so cheap is the land and the
living that a £5 note, he thinks, would start a man on the road to
prosperity. This idea of colonising the West Indian islands by
Europeans is, however, one of the wildest of dreams. As managers
or instructors, the proper men have a very important and responsible
part to play, but as permanent settlers, Never I

I note that both Charles Kingsley and J. A. Froude lay the
scene of Robinson Crusoe's exploits in Tobago. It matters little, I
suppose, which island is selected for the scene of Sandy Selkirk's
yarn — to be too inquisitive tvould only spoil the storij ; but most people
place it on the other side of the Continent.

George Town, the beautiful little capital of Grenada, was our
next port of call. I shall not readily forget the dawn of that first of
January (1892). A harbour like glass, a lovely little toy town-
ship nestling amongst the sweetest of flowering shrubs, noble
magnolias, and quivei'ing palms, the picturesque suburbs rising step
by step, completes a picture such as I never expect to see surpassed
on earth. Perhaps the hospitality of our reception has something to
do with the pleasant recollections of this sweet spot. It certainly
was very delightful on that l)almy morning to find the luxurious
carriage of the Governor awaiting our arrival on the wharf, enabling
us to make the most of our time, and particularly to pay a pleasant
visit to Government House, upon the steps of which the Governor,
Sir W. F. Hely-Hutchison — to Avhom we had letters of introduction
— received us very Avarmly. Sir Walter evidently takes a keen
interest in the afiairs of his islands — for he rules over several
smaller isles, the Grenadines — and altogether, according to common
repute, makes a most conscientious Goveriioi'. Having been trained
under that Nestor of successful administrators. Sir Hercules Robinson,
to whom he acted as private secretary, we had something congenial
to say. about old Ceylon and its greatest Governor ere we passed on
to the pi'oducts of Grenada. These compi'ise cocoa, nutmegs, sugar,
cotton, coil'ee, and various minor industries. Although the total
acreage in cultivation is only 20,418, the exjiorts of cocoa alone is four
times that of Ceylon, or over 8,000,000 lbs. The pet product of the
Governor is, however, the nutmeg, and the picture he gave us of the
beauty of these plantations, the pleasant, easy life, and profitable le-
turns, made our mouths water. He ridiculed the pessimism of Mr.

Grenada : Gem of the West Indies. 145

Froude, and had figures at his finger-ends to show how a (.-areful
man might soon have an income of ten shillings per tree from
mitmt'gs, to say nothing of other products. Indeed, everj- tropical
plant worth growing seems to thrive on this fjxvoured isle.

One curious dithculty has cropped up with regard to nutmeg
planting. The number of trees of the male sex are found to be too
numerous, and as the proportion of male to female trees should not
exceed one in thirty, planters have had to cut down a considerable
number of the male sex, though one would think that liudding or
grafting might answer the purpose. The nutmeg requires a consider-
able depth of good soil. In Ceylon, owing to the experiments having
been made in poor, shallow soil, the industry' has ])roved a failure.
Under favourable circumstances, the tree comes into bearing in seven
years. The rugged nature of this island has been its salvation ;
preventing its being monopolised by the sugar-cane. The eggs are
in different baskets, but, if anything, the cocoa basket is rather
heavy in proportion. The value of cocoa shipped last year was
£200,267 ; of spices, £12,-598.

Altogether, we found the Governor very sanguine as to future
prospects, and so enthusiastically fond of his beautiful isle that
he sent a message to the captain, asking him if he would kindly
take his steamer close inshore, and move along leisurely for the first
few miles, so as to show us as much as possible of the plantations
and scenery.

On leaving Government House we were met by some of the
leading planters, with whom we adjourned to their very jiretty little
club, and drank success to Grenada — the gem of the West Indies !

The captain most obligingly adopted the suggestion of the
Governor, and the water being deep, took us so close along the
shore that we could almost see the ipomo'u in flower. The thriving
l)lantations were a very interesting sight, and the whole scene such
us words are useless to describe. The near mountiiins rise to over
2,000 feet in height, covered with a varied vegetation to the very
summit. In the foreground stands the extensive stone forts, fn)m
which, hapi)ily, the last soldier has long since been witlulrawn. In
keeping with this, there is in the background an extinct volcano,
in the ancient crater of which, we are told, is the Great Etang:
a deep lake thirteen acres in extent. Tin- forts weie built Ity
Frenchmen, and, notwithst^inding the l)eauty of the spnt, many, I
think, will sympathise with Lord Brassey's jjajier read to the Colonial

14G Travels in Tropical Lands.

Institute, in which he says : — "It is difficult to realise that it should
ever have been thought worth while to expend so much blood and
treasure on a barren contest for remote islands, which bring so little
proht or glory to a great European PoM^er."

Like children fighting for a pretty toy, this seems to amuse
nations ; but it is difficult to see Avhere the glory comes in. And
while there was an immense continent lying waste and unoccupied
within a day's sail, one cannot, without some amazement and shame,
contemplate the savage Europeans killing each other for the pos-
session of a ])ictures([ue islet. The only consolation is that if the
"gallant soldiers" were anything like the military men who attend
the races at Trinidad, the world was not rendered much poorer by
thinning them out.

Barbadoes, to which we now returned, is less picturesque in
appearance than any of the neighbouring islands, but it has the
redeeming feature of being the best cultivated and most thickly
populated colony of the group. Measuring only 106,470 acres, it
contains a population of 182,322 souls, or 1,100 to the square
mile. The more I see of Barbadoes, the more I am puzzled at the
desponding tone ado])ted by the great historian J. A. Froude with
reference to this island in his recent work on the West Indies. And
to my untutored mind, it seems as if even our greatest men may
sometimes get beyond their last. Tropical agriculture was evidently
not the forte of Mr. Froude. Supposing the sugar-cane did come to
utter grief — that all the sweetness we require be obtained from beet
or extracted from coal ; suppose that natives should give up drinking
rum and take to tea and cocoa — we have seen greater calamities —
even though these might involve the ruin of a few dozen old con-
servative planters. Few colonies, indeed, have less to fear than this
green little island of the glittering sea, with its good and easily-
worked soil, forcing climate, and abundance of cheaj) labour. There
are many products more needed than sugar ; and for the profitable
cultivation of these, Barbadoes offers, as far as it goes, a most
favourable field.

From the "Dee" we were now transferred to the "Don," under

the command of the veteran commodore Captain W , so admirably

described by Mr. Froude as being like a pine-apple — rough, knotty,
and prickly outside, but inwardly delightful. Crusty enough is he
to the inquisitive gentleman who ])uts on ''side," but he is a kindly
and interesting companion to those who suit him.

A Grand Old Salt: Home A<j<iin. 147

We had the good fortune to gain his favour, and enjoyed many
interesting cracks with this grand old salt as we patrolled the deck
of the homeward-bounder. For forty years long he had faithfully
served this Royal West Indian Mail Company, during which time
he had, of course, weathered many a terrible blast. Of these he had
little to say, but as to the characters he had met during these forty
years, his log Avas as interesting as that of Tom Cringle. He has
but one grievance against his employers, and that is that — forgetful
of the adage that " forced prayers are not devotion " — they insist
upon him doing what he calls "acting the parson on Sundays."
One regrets to hear that this duty is not congenial, but the old
captain goes through the form with becoming gravity, though it
must be confessed that, from his after comments, one would not
rank him as a very edifying or orthodox commentator. He had been
reading of Jonah's adventure, when he turned to us and rather
irreverently exclaimed, " I'm if I can believe that fish yarn-! "

We had a very stormy passage. The January winds Ijlew their
worst as we approached the English Channel, but the seamanship of
the old commodore proved better than his theology ; and in due
time he was enabled to deliver us safely at Southampton.

The troul)les of a tropical traxrller do not, however, end by
his being pitched into the middle (jf a cruel English winter. We
may sing of our " Merry England," or boast of our " Land of brown
heath," while sweltering in the torrid zone, but a taste of London
fog, a puff of Edinburgh wind, or a peep at the cold, grey granite of
Aberdeen soon dispels the illusion, and confirms the truth of the
saying that, after all, " the Scotsman is never so much at home
as wdien abroad" ; and so I felt as 1 once more booked my passage by
the familiar P. and 0.

C E Y L O N.

" 80 on he went from zone to zone,
Till lie came to the Garden of Eden — Ceylon."

— Diaholwi.

"A land of wonders I which tlie sun still eyes
With ray direct, as of the lovely realm
Enamoured, and delighting there to dwell."

— Thonixon.

Thk Ked Sea route to
"India's utmost isle" being
now one of the greatest
highways in the world, any
de.si'ri})tion of the voyage is
needless. Yet old stagers
cannot help contrasting the
once weary voyage of six
months, through desolate
seas, ria the Cape of Good
Ilojje, with our i)rcsent
i-apid runs of three weeks,
touching at Gibraltar, Mar-
seilles or Malta, Naples or
Brindisi, and on througli
thel>ig ditchinto the historic,
but once dreaded, Eed Sea,
now shorn of its terrors by
tlie very I'apidity of our movement and the luxvu'iousncss of
modern api)liances ; so that, indeed, on entering it passengers
begin to feel that life is better worth living. There is a
charm in the clear, dry air which electrifies the youthful, while the
warmth revives the more elderly traveller, and all are capable of such
enjoyment as would have been thought impossibh' a week before.
Sailing in the lied Sea is not, of course, at all seasons equally com-
fortalde. During the months of July, August, and September the
heat is all but unbearable. During this season I have often sat
watching the thermometer, feeling that with one degree more the

«..-nn^^. .,...

J- ■ v ■ ,

■1& '

1,-, , ... ...•*

^:': >fe?«^

^Ni^f^

R.cil Kcd Romance f<. 14f)

little spark of life left within me would f;o out. Alas ! many ;i
poor consumptive sufferer, sent out by his doctor as a last resort, ends
his voyage here during the hot season. But in winter and spring
anything more enjoyable than the climate of the Red Sea can
scarcely be conceived ; and in the clear, liright evenings, when the
distant mountains of Sinai and the picturestpie coast glitter in the
moonlight, new visions of the Arabian Nights excite the imagination.
By this time passengers are becoming old acquaintances and inti-
mate friends. Occasionally the friendship develops, under such favour-
able surroundings, into something more, and it is a remarkable fact
tliat baggage is sometimes re-addressed soon after this stage. What
fantastic scenes yon silvery moon has witnessed on Ijoard many a P. and
( ). during the last half-century ! If, as Pope says, " the proper study
of mankind is man," here is an opportunity where life is focussed
for weeks together as if under a microscope. The actors, indeed,
change, but the same old game goes merrily on. The circumstances
are somewhat altered. "We arc no longer wafted by auspicious gales,
but place reliance on the revolutions of our screw.

" Our .ships of oak are iron now,
But still our hearts are warm."

The same flirting and spooning goes on in the quiet corners, the
same old game at "bull " goes thumping away on deck, while below
the chronic gourmand still grumbles at the fare. But of all pastimes
the most popular and engrossing is ever the matrimonial ! Probably
nowhere in the world are more matches made than in tlie Red Sea.
And, shocking as it may seem, even young ladies already wooed,
won, and consigned to other.s, have been known to enter upon a
second engagement during the fatal first week in the Red Sea.
Seldom, perhaps, does a P. i^' 0. ship go out but something of the
kind occurs, and I can hardly resist the temptation of giving, in
cmjii/ence, one case in point, wiiich occurred some years ago untlcr
my o\\'n observation.

A young merchant in India, wearied of his bachelor life, resolved
to "indent" for a wife. It has .sometimes been remarked that this is
done in the same cold, matter-of fact way that they order jam.s, and
that in the same way they sometimes get pickles instead ! Be
that as it may, in this case the friends of thf young gentleman did
the best they could for hini. A lady willi tlie re(pii.site ipialifica-
tions was selected, photographs exchanged, the outfit prej)ared, and
after the would-l)e mothers and sisters-in-law had dulv cried oM-r

150 Travels in Tropical Lands.

her and jjromised to lorite, she was consigned to the tender care of the
P. & 0. The poor expectant doubtless carried her photo next to his
heart, and anxiously counted the days and hours he would have to
await the arrival of the steamer. But alas ! those lovely moonlight
evenings in the Red Sea were too much for her. A young P. & 0.
officer stole her heart; her hoxes were re-addressed! and the pair
Avere married on the first opportiuiity. The Company, however,
always careful of the interest of their customers, dismissed the officer
from their service. Whether the discomfited consignee went into
an asylum, or tried again, I never heard, but the newly-married
couple settled on the mountains of Ceylon, and lived happily
together for years. There are, perhaps, on this fair earth few more
enjoyable spots than this mountain home of the enterprising Briton ;
few more pleasant occupations than the cultivation of a tropical
garden. Nevertheless, we can never Avholly escape from trials and
sorrows. This poor lady sickened and died. No man ever more
sincerely mourned for a wife. For many months afterwards the
bereaved man was hardly sane, and would travel for a hundred
miles to throw himself upon her grave. But time is said to take
the edge off the keenest sorrow. Our hero was still young, and
life there is very, very solitaiy. In short, will you be sur{)rised
to learn that he, too, sent home a commission to his friends 'I
Well aware, however, of the dangers his intended Avould be ex-
posed to on board the P. & 0., he arranged that she should be
brought out under the strictest surveillance of an old lady
friend of his own Avho happened to be returning to the
colony. In this case, too, every care was taken in the selection.
The young lady was known to be a highly proper young lady, and,
moreover, Avhat is called " a scripture reader." All went well with
the chaperon and her charge until they arrived at Suez, when a sick
soldier was cairied on board, apparently to die. The young officer's
health was so shattered that, as a last hope, a short sea voyage had
been recommended. Our young lady friend naturally got interested
in the dying man, and asked leave to be allowed to read to him.
There could be no i)ossible objection to this ; indeed, her guardian
highly commended her zeal. The sea voyage had the desired cflect,
the invalid daily improved, and, somehow, as he improved, the
readings got prolonged, until fellow-passengers began to shrug their
shoulders, and the danger at length dawnetl upon the old lady — too
late, however, to caution ! The matter had been arranged, and the

R('-A(ldressing Baggage : Aden. 151

bride's boxes had to be re-addressed I In due course the vessel arrived,
■where the expectant l)ridegroom was the first to row out to meet her,
with a face all over with smiles, and waving a white handkerchief
in his hand. As he drew near, however, his old friend j)ut her head
out at a porthole, and made ominous signs of distress. " For
Heaven's sake ! " he said, "put me out of suspense. Is she dead ? "
" No, no," said the old lady, " worse than that ; she 's to be married
to another." Now, I 've seen a few men get out of temper in my
day, but I never did see a poor fellow in such a towering rage as
this man, who was being so terribl}' punished with his own weapons.
The gay deceiver refused even to see "the horrid man," and I never
heard of her afterwards. As for him, his rage, like his grief,
gradually subsided, and he very Avisely took his passage home by
next P. & 0. steamer, and in due course selected an excellent wife
for himself.

As a rule, however, matters are very circumspectly conducted
on board our model passenger ships, in which we glide comfortably,
pleasantly, and even merrily along. Old Neptune, to say nothing
of the spirits of drowned Egyptians, must often envy our life on
board the P. & O. ; and it is well we have all the conditions of
comfort and enjoyment within ourselves, for there is little to be got
or seen on the inhospitable shores of the Red Sea. For 1,300 to
1,400 miles, we sail almost constantly in sight of land, though, with
the exception of a lighthouse, there is not a human habitation to 1»e
seen, far less a tree or blade of grass. Poor Israelites ! no wonder
though you rememliered the onions and leeks and garlic which vou
did eat in Egypt freely !

At the end of five days Ave arrived at Aden, the Gibraltar of
the East, and quite as essential to Britain, as a strongly-fortified
coaling station, important in its position at the entrance into the
Ked Sea. It possesses great natural strength, wliioh has l)eon
taken every advantage of. Aden is, moreover, a very ancient and
still ])opulous town, containing some 40,000 inhabitants. But of
all the miserable, rugged, sterile-looking places we have seen, none
can compare with Aden. Originally volcanic irt its nature, there is
not a particle of soil, much less vegetation, to be seen on its grim,
naked rock.s, not a drop of fresh water to be had for love, and
precious little for money. My coachman asked nie for a sixpence
to treat his horse to a drink — an appeal which few could have the
heart to refuse; and to see how the panting animal relished the pure

152 Travels in Truplcal Lands.

beverage is a sight to cheer the heart of Sir Wilfrid Lawson.
But, alas! for "Araby the blest," and the faith of that prince of
abstainers, ]\lahomet ! I actually saw some time ago a number
of camels, each loaded with fifteen dozen Guinness's stout, toiling
away into the interior, intended, I fear, for some "Arabian Night's
entertainment." Aden gets a shower once in about five j^ears, and
the })recious drops are carefully collected in immensely large and
very ingeniously constructed tanks. These have been repaired and
extended, at great cost, since the British took possession, and are
well worth a visit. Of general interest, there is very little else.
The public buildings are substantial, but the style of architecture is
by no means imposing. The largest building seems to be the jail,
and very necessarily so, I should say, unless the natives are libelled
by their appearance ! Ostrich feathers seem to be about the only
commodity worth investing in here, and ladies usually lay in a
supply for the rest of their lives before returning to the ship.
" AMiat do you think of Aden 1 " I said to a Yankee tourist whom I
had observed stalking over the place for half a day without opening
his mouth. " What do I think of Aden 1 Why, I guess Satan
must have somewhere to throw out his cinders ! " We now start on
the longest voyage we have yet had at a stretch, viz., right across
the Arabian Sea — a distance of 2,134 miles. Passing down the
Straits of Babel-Mandeb, we soon bid farewell to the coast of Africa,
along which we have sailed for over 3,000 miles, and have looked
upon almost daily for a week. Passing the island of Socotra, Avith its
meagre vegetation and its jiopulation of a few shepherds, we emerge
into the open ocean, and are soon far beyond the sight of land. To
those who have never made the long voyage by the Cape, six days
in the open sea seems a dreadful prospect ! and every modern device
for killing time, as it is called, is now resorted to. But on board
ship life is curiously conservative. There has litei'ally been nothing
new invented in the shape of recreation for many a day. Lord
Macaulay has told us how his hero, Warren Hastings, was unable to
I'esist the charms of a certain baroness during the tedious voyage
roiuid the Cape. And we have seen that even in these days of
high pressure people still find time for such frivolities as falling in
love. Macaulay's nephew, the present Secretary for Scotland, has
left on record a clever sketch of life on board the P. & 0. 35 years
ago, which I take the liberty of quoting to show how little change
there has been since then, and how little amuses the average

Colomhii : Marvellous Vegetation. 153

voyager. Sir G. 0. Trevelyan, then a "Competition Wallah," while
here, on his way out to the scene of his great uncle's triumiihs,
amused himself by writing to Macmillaii's Magazine as follows : —

"Fair dames, whose easy chairs in goodly row
Friiifje either bulwark of the P. & O.,
W'liose guardian angels, with auspicious gales,
Swell the broad bosoms of our outward sails ;
Or, as a metaphor more strictl}' true,
Direct the revolutions of our screw.
As the long day wears on and nothing brings
To break the dull monotony of things ;
No fresh deligcht, no trenial Christmas fun,
Save water ices, or a casual bun ;
Just like our watches, as we eastward go,
We're getting slower and more slow.
In search of sport we join the circle full
That smokes and lountjes round the yanie of Bull ;
ChaflF if Smith gets a B., and marvel when
Jones, flushed with triumph, scores a lucky ten.
Some loftier natures court a nobler care,
And sit on judgment on the bill of fare ;
Sigh for fresh butter, and abuse the ghee,
Sneer at the oxtail souj), and praise the pea ;
And for discussion find a boundless field
In Irish stew hermetically sealed."

But the longest voyage comes to an end, and seems but a very
brief space when we look back ujion it. On the morning of the
seventh day from Aden we awake to find ourselves in Colombo
Harbour — the finest artificial harbour in tlie world. The transi
tion from Aden to Ceylon is such as no words can convey a correct
conception of. The contrast from bare arid rocks to rich, moi?t
greenery is suggestive of a change from Hades to Paradise.
At Aden it is oidy by a cunning artifice that a plant can be
grown; here, every little islet that lifts its tiny head al)ov(;
the water is like a basket of flowers. The very stones and
beams on the old jetty and walls of the Custom House
spontaneously throw out a variety of glossy evergreens at every
seam and crevice. The noble palm trees lean lovingly over the
smooth beach, while the warm waters of the Indian Ocean wash
their feet and })lay with the coconuts which have dropped into
the sea. It may be at once conceded that there is not on this fair
earth a richer scene than is presentctl by this fairyland. I-ying in
the lap of the Indian Ocean in its moist atmosphere, and basking in
11

154

Travels hi Tropical Lands.

j3 summer, the

CUCUNLT AM) FLOWEU.

everlasting

island has been a centre of
attraction for thousands of
years ; hence the unique
variety of its vegetation,
which has been culled from
every tropical and sub-tropi-
cal country under the sun,
till now no man can tell
wluit trees are indigenous
and what are exotic. Almost
every plant worth growing
finds a congenial home in
some part of the island.
We have seen and admired
the varied vegetation of
other tropical lands, where
the feet of civilised travellers
had never before trodden,
but here, where visitors
have for ages been adding to its riches, and where one of the best
botanical gardens in the Empire has for the past century been
nursing and scattering the most interesting of exotic treasures, the
hills and valleys are clothed with a vegetation so diversified that
ihe lifetime of a man is too short to enumerate its varieties.
Within a short morning's Avalk from Kandy one may cull many
hundreds of wild (lowers which must have found their way originally
from another hemisphere, Avhile, no doubt, Ceylon in her turn has
contributed Aery considerably to the vegetable wealth of othei'
countries.

Among.st iiidigciious trees one may safely, I think, ])lace the
Tali[»ot ]);ilm (ain/plm KiiiLraculiferdJ, "the noblest of all })alms,"
says Dr. Tiinieii. Its leaves are the largest, while its flowers are
the loftiest, in the vegetable kino;dom. Towering 40 feet above
other trees, these ])yramidal flowers can l)e seen and admired at a
distance of several miles. The palmyra ( homssiu JhthdUformis) may
also be reckoned amongst the native ])roducts, in beauty and use-
fulness second to no other tree in the world. The native tradi-
tion with legard to this tree is that long, long ago, while the world
Avas yet young, it was disco\ered that to complete the comfort and

.4 Toddij Tree and Pitcher Phmt. 1.-35

happiness of mankind there was still awantin;^ a perfect tree, grow-
ing spontaneously, ever beautiful, every i)article of which would he
useful, furnishing medicine in sickness, and something to cheer the
heart in sorrow. For this boon the peoi)le earnestly besought the
great god, who at once sent for the angel whose vocation it is to
watch over the botanical department of the universe, and, after
rebuking him for the omission, ordered the palmyra to be trans-
planted direct from Paradise ! The wine — which is very wholesome
in the morning, l)ut ferments 1)y midday— is called toddij, and gushes
out from the wounded spathe at the rate of from 20 to 100 pints per
day. " Man," said a Scotch farmer who had listened with apathy to
everything else I had told him of Ceylon, "Man, I wmld like one
of those trees I "

Many of the pretty succulent plants, such as balsam (impatiem)
and coleus, are unquestionably indigenous, and so, I sui)pose, is the
pitcher plant (nepeidhex), from its abundance in the outlying
swamps, but it is not ahvays safe to jump to conclusions on these
matters. I well remember accompanying the eminent tropical
botanist, William Ferguson, to hear a lecture given by a country
clergyman on the wonders of tropical vegetation. The clergj^nan
took for his text the pitcher plant, a rude illustration of Avhich he
had on a screen, and the burden of his sermon was the marvellous
provision of Providence in filling those pitchers with the purest
water in their arid native country, where no other water was pro-
curable ! — -the unadorned fact being that the plant grows in swamps,
where water is but too plentiful, and that the pitchers are usually filled
with dead flies and a filthy liquid only fit for manure. In vain I
nudged the botanist and the botanist nudged me — neither of us had
the heart to spoil the minister's " application " !

Beautiful, also, beyond description are the wild ferns of Ceylon,
though here, too, the exotic far exceeds the native in numbers. Of
265 species enumerated by Dr. Trimen, Mr. Ferguson found only 30
to be really indigenous. In Ujcupodsiacece and adugiiiilliirea; Ceylon
is peculiarly rich. I have never seen anything of the kind ('(pi.d
to the selaginella, so abundant in the ravines of Matale l^liist.*

* Ferns and nio.sses indigenous to Ceylon, as enunur.itcd ]<y the lutt; W.
Ferguson, F.L.S. : —

Cyathea, .sinuata. Triclioinanes, W'aliii.

,, Hi)t)kuii. Microli-pia, niajuscula.

Anii)lucosmia, Walkcrti-. Linilsiua, orbiculata.

156 Travels in Tropical Lands.

To see Ceylon at its best one must needs ascend the mountains,
and into these highland A-alleys I would fain straightway lead the
reader. The journey to Kandy by rail is itself a revelation in
tropical scenery. Those Avho enjoy it for the first time are to be
envied. For the first 30 miles we have such a labyrinth of palms,
paddy fields, and hot-house greenery as we never before dreamed
of; then the wonderful ascent through hanging gardens, compared
with which those of Babylon were but the work of pigmies. Then
comes the great undulating plateau upon -which the famous tea
gardens are chiefly cultivated, and beyond this the dividing range,
G,000 feet above sea level, across which the steam engine now daily
whistles en route for the central terminus, Bandarawela.

Every traveller with a week to spare ought to see Bandarawela,
and every invalid in search of a really mild winter resort ought to
try this paradise, with its cool, even temperature and cheery sun-
shine. Here there are no malarial swamps, no fever-laden Ijreezes,
no superfluous moisture, no chilling along-shore winds — in short,
here is a perfect climate.

Around this patena, or ])eautifully green grassy sward, extending
to about 400 square miles, lie some of the most promising tea
estates, once the most valuable coffee plantations in the island.
"God made Uva for coffee, and coffee for Uva," said good Dr.
Thwaites, but, alas ! the day has come when even in Uva the
fragrant berry has to give way to tea. The produce from these
mountains will, doubtless, greatly benefit, and be benefited l)y, the
railway ; but even supposing there had been no Badulla beyond, the
Government of Ceylon Avould have l)een more than justified in

Cheilanthe.«, laxa. Lastrea, sparsa, zeylanica.

,, farinosa. ,, Thwaitesii, J. Sm.

Pteris, Hookeriaiia. ,, Obtusiloba, ,,

iJiplaziuni, /.eylanicuiii. Polypodiiim, parasiticum.

,, polyri'hizon. ,. inediale.

,, Schkuhrii. ,, zeylanieuni.

,, (lecurrt'iis. ,, cornigerum.

,, Hmithianiim. ,, cucullatum.

Polystichum, aculeatum. ,, gladulosum.

Aspidiuin, ruductuin. ,, Thwaitesii.

,, Tliavaitesii. Vittaria, sulcata.

Lastrea, Walkera'. Selagiiiella, cochleata,^

Lastrea, calcarata. ,, ciliaris,

,, sparsa. ,, zeylanica,

,, ,, var. minor. ,, crassipes,

Sanatoriiurus. 157

making the splendid railway liy which this unique Sanatorium is
now rendered accessible to suffering humanity. Here there are no
n.iuseous mineral waters to drink, nor, as yet, doctors to prescrihe,
ill! that is necessary is simply to breathe the stimulating air and
live.

A veteran journalist, who visited Ceylon a year ago, wrote
quite enthusiastically of its claims as a winter resort. "I shall
endeavour, when I get home," he said, " to urge the claims
of Ceylon as not only the .Sanatorium but winter residence of
the world. It is tjuite clear that in a very short time London
will ])e absolutely impossible in the winter for the strongest man or
woman — no throat, chest, or nerve ever invented can stand a
month's continuous frost and fog in London. Everyone who can
scrape a farthing together must get away somewhere — why not then
try Ceylon ? What is the use of risking the chills and night airs of
the Kiviera, or the dithculties of Madeira, Teneriffe, and the Canary
Islands, when you can get to Ceylon almost as soon and in greater
comfort ? I shall, long before next winter, implore my fellow-
countrymen to put themselves on board one of the P. & 0. or
Orient or other excellent steamers, and come out straightway to
Ceylon. For you get a better Madeira at Colombo, a better Riviera
at Kand}', and a better Davos Platz at Nuwara Eliya, with a change
of custom, colour, and costume such as you can get noAvhere else iji
the world."

Travellers who have time to spare will do well to visit the old
Sanatorium of Nuwara Eliya, from which the ascent of Pidurutala-
gala, the highest land in Ceylon (8,296 feet) is easy. For a graphic
description of the view from this point, let my friend the late A.
M. Ferguson speak : —

"Yesterday morning we found the path up to the summit of
Pidurutalagalu ri(loal)le to the very spot on which the ' trig point
marks the loftiest altitude in Ceylon. Some portions were })retty
steep; but there were no difficulties comparable with those in tiii-
ascent of Adam's Peak, and, we may add, the almost equally ditli-
cult descent, by far apart steps in the rock. There were i>tlier
differences in the broad expanse on the top of ' Piduru,' and the
close contiguity of rival and rounded eminences ; while the Peak,
like the Turk, "bears no brother near the throne." The view from
the Peak is, therefore, less impeded by nlisiacles, and the pheiui-
mcna of shadows on land and cloud surfaces are far more obvious.

158 Travels in Tropical Lands.

There are also, of course, the historical associations connected with
Adam's Peak ; while the existence of the mountain, very nearly
1,000 feet loftier, is a matter of quite recent discovery. But the
views from both are grand, and each commands objects which are
not seen from the other. As we gradually rose, the successive views
of the isolated Peak and its subsidiary i-anges were exceedingly
grand, Avhile ' beautiful exceedingly ' was the mountain plain, with
its bazaars, its villas scattered over grassy glades and surrounded
by groves of woodland, and with the lake reflecting the moun-
tains which looked down lovingly on its face. From the sides of
Pidurutalagala, as from the ascent of Totapala en route to Horton
Plains, the view of Nuwara Eliya, the European settlement amidst
the Sinhalese mountain solitudes of past ages, is striking and effective,
giving the idea of life to the expanses of forest and prairie around.
This idea of life amid the mountain solitudes is now intensified by
the sight from the mountain of the railway trace to Haputale, which
from yesterdaj' morning's elevation we were able to trace more dis-
tinctly and more completely than on the previous day from Hakgal.-i.
While our vision ranged over the more familiar scenes of the Uva
country and the former 'Wilderness of the Peak' — Ambagamuwa,
Dikoya, Maskeliya, and Dimbula — we looked with special interest
northwards to the peaks and ranges of Medamahanuwara, the
' Knuckles,' and the ranges amidst which nestle the mountain
capital and the towns of Matale, Gampola, and Kurunegala. The
precipitous features of Maturata, Gampaha, and Upper Hewaheta,
just below, contrasted in distinctness with the dimly-seen, scattered
eminences beyond the eastern rim of ' the mountain zone.' A volunie
of white cloud all round the distant horizon reminded us of the
snows seen from the summit of the Rigi, but the glancing glaciers
and the thirteen beautiful lakes of the Swiss scene were absent.
Ti'opical beauty, however, compensated for Alpine sublimity."

On the way downwards a visit to the Royal Botanic Gardens at
I'eradeniya, near Kandy, ought not to be omitted. These gardens,
for natural beauty, have no etpial as far as I have j'et seen, and,
though little more than 100 acres in extent, contain specimens of
almost every tropical plant worth growing.

The views in the neighbourhood are also amongst the richest in
the island, and it is difficult to decide on the fairest among so many
scenes of surpassing beauty.

Before proceeding further, it might not be uninteresting to

A Model " Ct'oiva CnUmyr

.')!)

take a glance at the recent history and jirogress of this model Cnnvii
Colony, and, after our researches in th(; West, and the o])ject
lessons we there had, there is a j^ositive pleasure in turning to this
example of a successful government. Though here no grand
naval exploits are to be recorded, we have a far more credital)le
story to tell of Ceylon than of anything yet accomplished in th(^
West Indies. Those interesting natives who own our sway here — and
who, moreover, possess a civilisation much older than our own — were
not subdued by force of arms. They sought our protection from a
tyrant king; and by, on the whole, an unswerving course of even-

\iK.\v i-iMM I'liiMitwsK 1111,1.. .m;ai; 1'Ki;.\iiKniy.\, ckylox.

handed justice we have been enabled, not otily to retain their
confidence, but to contribute in a \ery marked maimer to their
prosperity and happiness. Perfection in colonial g<)\ernmeiit may
not yet be attainal)le, but while the breath of lilierty l)lows so gently
and freely from tlie maternal home I here is a feeling of .siifety,
freedom, and dignity to which certain coh)uists fuitlier south, no
lomrer in such close touch with tlie mother count r\-, aie now
strangers.

P)V a "Crown Colony"' is meant a colony the government and

160 Travels in Tropical Lands.

affairs of which arc understood to be managed directly from Down-
ing Street. India is an Empire and Canada is a Dominion, while
the Colonies of Australasia have now been granted such a large
measure of responsible government that they are practically inde-
pendent.

Of all the other dependencies of Great Britain the island of
Ceylon is the most important — in many important respects, the lead-
ing Crown Colonij. With the single exception of the Dominion of
Canada, Ceylon, in point of population, takes precedence of every
other dependency of which the Home Office takes any supervision.

Ceylon has more than double the population of all the British West
Indian Islands, and is nearly equal in this respect to all the Austra-
lian Colonies put together. Its import and export trade is far ahead
of any other Crown Colony ; and, what is more important still, the*
j)ul)lic debt and ta.xation per head are lower than those of any other
British Colony whatsoever.

Justly famous for agricultural enterprise at home, under condi-
tions not the most favourable to success, the patient, plodding Aber-
donian has certainly shown well to the front in the tropics. Indeed,
it may be safely enough said of Aberdeen, that no county in Great
Britain has contributed more to the success of tro[)ical agriculture
generally, and, in particular, to making Ceylon what it is — & credit
and source of profit to the good old mother (as every dutiful daughter
ought to be), instead of an annual loss, like too many of Britannia's
dependencies. It is necessary sometimes to remind people of this,
as there are always busy men jumping to conclusions and ever ready
to repeat that all our Colonies are more or less a burden to the
British taxpayer. I well remember, for instance, the indignation
caused in Ceylon by a leading Cockney journal taking the island to
task for its extravagance in entertaining a British Prince at a cost
cf a few thousand pounds, which, it gravely said, came out of the
})0ckets of the English taxpayer !

Now, it cainiot be too generally known that Ceylon does not re-
ceive a penny from the Imperial exchequer, and that for more than
half-a-century it has been paying, and more than paying, its own
way. This is a source of very pardonable pride to Colonists, and
one which most mother countries Avould a])preciate and encourage.
For this very satisfactory state of afiairs we are indebted, in the first
])la(.e, to an excellent system of government — an almost perfect
model for Colorn'al Governments, the reins being held so lightly in

Excellent System <»/ Governrnent. KJl

the Home OflSce as to cause the least possible friction in the local
Legislative Council, the members of Avhich arc carefully selected
with a view to fully represent every race and every interest in the
island, the Governor of the day being Pi-esident. Then, there are
the various municipalities and village councils, or " gansabhawas,"
which relieve the Government of trifling local matters, while secur-
ing the loyalty and influence of village headmen, and satisfying the
natural craving of all mankind to be allowed to settle their own
local affairs. Few countries have been more fortunate in their
Governors than Ceylon. The long list of pre-eminently able and
conscientious men has added lustre to the Bi-itish name, while con-
tributing very much to the material prosperity of the island ; and
none more signally distinguished themselves in this respect than the
late Governor, Sir Arthur Gordon, who, finding the colony in a
state of temporary depression bordering on chaos, by a few bold
strokes averted disaster, and placed it once more on the path oi
prosperity, leaving it in a sounder condition than ever it was
before.

I have said that Ceylon has always paid its wa}^, or never re-
quired to be subsidised, like too many others, by the mother country ;
but it has done more than this. Till quite recently it paid a military
contribution equal to that of the whole of the other colonies ])ut
together, and that for services Avhich no colony on earth less required.
As the key to India, and a convenient depot for other colonies, it was
found convenient to have a large detachment of soldiei-s on this island,
for which the island itself paid-though clearly the force was kept there
only, or at least chiefly, for Imperial i)urposes ! This contriliution
amounted to £160,000 per annum, besides the upkeep of barracks
and all other outlays in connection with the various regiments.
Sir Arthur Gordon was instrumental in obtaining a substantial reduc-
tion of this sum, the amount now contri])Uted being £75,400 —
amply sufficient to protect and keep order amongst the 3,00(»,000
docile and law-abiding subjects in this sunny isle. "We caiuiot
dispense," said Mr. Gladstone, " with military i)ower altogether, but,
tlepend upon it, it is by eidightened principles of government, and
coustant extension of those principles, that they could hope to make
government in India permanent and happy. He rejoiced to think
that it would be impossible for us now to hold India by the sword
alone."

162 Travels in Tropical Lands.

THE COFFEE ERA.

Charles Kingsley, in "At Last," quotes a saying of the Romans
that "the first and most potent means of extending civilisation is
found in roads; the second in roads; and the third in roads still." If
so, Sir E. Barnes, who was Governor of Ceylon from 1824 to 1831,
was the first to recognise his duty to its people ; for, although the
Singalese Kings had reigned for 2,400 years, and the Portuguese
and Dutch had nibbled away at the fringes of the island fur 300
years, there was nothing worthy the name of a road in Ceylon when
the British took possession. Sir Edward Barnes's first great work
was a splendid macadamised road from Colombo to Kandy, 72 miles
in length, and one of the best highways in the world. On this road
the fii'st mail coach in Asia was started in 1832, which continued to
run daily till superseded by a railway service in 1867— a railway, by
the way, cut for many miles at a gradient of 1 in 45 from the face
of perpendicular rock ; a piece of engineering characterised by Sir
James Elphinstone as "the most magical-like contrivance he ever
saw." The views from this railway are, I believe, not surpassed in
grandeur, if indeed equalled, by anything in the shape of scenery in
the world. This railway cost the colony close on £2,000,000, bub it
is satisfactory to add, the whole of this capital and interest has long
since been repaid out of the direct profits of the traffic.

To return to the first road making of Sir E. Barnes. Facili-
ties for transport having rendered profitable planting possible, the
Governor next led the way by planting a coftee estate, the remains
of whicli may still be seen on the Imnks of the Mahavillaganga, near
Kandy. The venture Avas fairly successful, and was soon followed
by many others still more so, so that by 1837 we find tliat the ex-
ports of coff'ee had risen to 30,000 cwts.

Aljout this time a fresh impetus was given to the enterprise by
the arrival of a practical planter, who had served his time in the
then famous island of Jamaica. This enterprising youth — for lie
was only 18 years of age — was no other than the late Mr. R. B.
Tytler, of Aberdeen. From this date the industry went on by leaps
and bounds, and, seven years later, viz., in 1845, we find exports
up to 200,000 cwts. A verital)le boom in coftee planting now set
in, which has never been better described than in the words of Sir
J.Emerson Tennent. "The (iovernor and the Council," says Sir
Emei'son, "the military, the judges, the clergy, and one-half the

Cojfee Fhnifini/: Up.<i and Doir,)s. 163

civil servants penetrated the hills and became purchasers of Crown
lands. The East India Com])any's officers crowded to Ceylon to iri-
\est their savings, and capitalists from England arrived by every
packet. As a class the body of emigrants was more than oi'dinai-ily
aristocratic, and, if not already opulent, were in haste to be rich. So
dazzling was the prospect that expenditure was unlimited, and its
profusion was only equalled by the ignorance and inexperience of
many of those to whom it was intrusted. £5,000,000 are said to
have been sunk in as many years . . . The rush for land was only
paralleled by the movement towards the mines of California and
Australia, but with this painful difference, that the enthusiasts in Cey-
lon, instead of hurrying to disinter, were hurrying to bury their gold."

Yes ! I well remember meeting in London an old gentleman who
had suffered much by this wild rush. His reminiscences of Ceylon
were evidently anything but jDleasant to himself, and certainly were
not encouraging to those about to embark. To change the subject
from coffee planting, a young friend, with antiquarian proclivities,
enquii'ed if there were any interesting relics there, such as tombs of
the Kandiau Kings. "I don't know," was the curt reply, "but
there are the graves of many a good English sovereign !"

By this time a terrible awakening had come, which I may here call
crisis No. 1. Prices of coffee fell, and credit failed, and while Mr. Tvtler
and a few others plodded cautiously onward, those who had, with-
out the remotest knowledge of agriculture, rushed madly in, rushed
as madly out, sacrificing their estates at a twentieth [)art of the
outlay incurred in planting them. This was the opportunity which
many a canny Aberdonian seized upon, as he was perfectly justified
in doing. The crisis passed over. The rash, incompetent plungers
disappeared ; traiiied men were got out from home, and slowly, but
surely, the enterprise revived. Coffee flourished better than evt-r,
prices improved, confidence returned, and from this time onwards,
for fully a quarter of a century, there were few moie pleasant or
profitable occupations than that of a cofl'ee planter in Ceylon. The
healthy laurel-like plant itself, with its snow-white blos.soms scent-
ing the air, or cherry i ed berries cheering the planter, seemed,
indeed, one of the lovelit.-t objects in the vegetable kingtiom ; while
the whole siu-roundings (jf his highland home were such that the
planter had no conipiuictioii in retuiiiing home to invite his sister,
or. perhaps, as Ferguson say>, someone else's .sister t<» share the
]»ar.idise with him I

164 Travels in Tropical Lands.

I find it impossible to proceed without thinkiuj^; for a nioniciit
of" a muster of coffee planters which took place in Aberdeen
about this time (viz., 187;")), when one hundred planters from
Ceylon met and dined. To me every face was familiar ; all
w^ere men " well to do," and all thorougidy enjoying a well-eaincd
furlough. The Lord Provost congratulated us, and (bank con-
tinued prosperity to coffee, whilst some of us waxed eloquent in
declaring oui- implicit faith that, so long as heather grew on
Benachie, coffee and Scotsmen too Avould thrive on the hills of
Ceylon. Alas ! how little did we wot the calamity that Avas about
to overtake us. While we were thus feasting in Aberdeen, an
enemy had taken possession of our estates. A tiny enemy, it is
true, l)ut, insignificant as it seemed, the work of devastation then
begun j)i'oved beyond the power of mortal man to combat. Some
years previous to this, I had observed little spots of fungi on the
backs of the glossy green leaves, not much larger than })in points ;
and this fungus first appeared, not, as generally supposed, upon ex-
hausted trees, but upon young nursery plants growing in rich virgin
soil. At first I examined this more from curiosity than with any appre-
hension of danger, and not till I saw it spreading from leaf to leaf, tree
to tree, and estate to estate, was it thought time to consult scientists
on the subject ; Avhen the best authorities in England and the Con-
tinent were taken into confidence, Avithnut, it must be confessed,
aflFording much help or comfort. The heartless men seemed
delighted with the discovery. It was new, they said, at least to
them. They had not even a name for it, and they forthwith coined
the somewhat ominously sounding name of Remileia Vasfutrix. For
a year or two returns were not nnich affected ; indeed, in many
cases, crops increased. It seems a law in nature — in the vegetable
kingdom at least — that, when about to die, a plant makes a special
effort to reproduce itself. Deluded by this, many planters ignored
tlie presence of the fungi, and clearing and planting went on with
greater activity than ever. As of old when men planted a vineyard
and went to another country, men planted their coffee estate and
returiit'il home to enjoy the fruits thereof. But in this, as in other
cases, the absent proprietor has not been a success. For some years the
Avriter acted the part of the man sent to the husbandmen to eufpiirc
how about the crops. It was his duty to report the })resence of this
enemy, and to urge caution and economy. "Nonsense," said the
aljsent pr()])rietor, " the enemy must be eradicated. High cultiva-

Leaf Blight and its Results. 105

tiou is the cure; spend £20 per acre in manuring if £10 is not
enough, but get rid of this pest." In vain I argued that there is no
good in forcing food on a sick man. The headstrong proprietor ru.shed
headlong to his ruin, and in a few years all was desolation and
Itankruptcy. The splendid industry which had risen to exports of
1,000,000 cwts. per annum, valued at £5,000,000, rapidly dwindled
down to the merest fraction of this. From one side of the island to
the other, not a single estate, not a single tree, was to be found free
from the pest. Still, there were a few optimists left who hoped on.
The world is often much inde])ted to our sanguine men, and, in this
case, there seemed reason in their argument — " There had been such
1)lights before, they said, the nearly allied jiotato fungus, for
instance, l)ut, never in the history of the world had such an industry
been known to be blotted out." Coflfee differs, however, from the
potato, inasmuch as the latter supplied food for the fungus for only
a few months in the year, whereas the perennial and eveigreen
coffee tree has no hope of escape while there is a leaf left upon it, and
it can no more live without its leaves than can a man without lungs.
The same fungus has not been found on any other plant, so that the
disease will doubtless disappear with the cofiee tree in Ceylon ; and
then, probably, after a certain lapse of time, the industry may begin
anew. But, meanwhile, it seems doomed, and it is safe to say that
no such calamity has befallen Scotch colonists since the Daricn
disaster, though in the Darien scheme the amount of money involved
was not a twentieth part of the amount lost l)y the inroads of this
very insignificant looking parasite.

At this stage not a feAv planters lost heart and retired to the
Antipodes and elsewhere, but a goodly nundjer, with praiseworthy
pluck, stuck to the Colony, and turned their attention to

NEW PRODVCTS.

Cinchona was one of the first to suggest itself. This, as all
ate aware, is the tree from Avhich the Jesuits in Peru obtained the
bark which cured the Countess de Chincon of fever — hence its
name. It has been said that cinchona and the potato were the
two most precious plants America gave the world. One secures
us against famine, the other is almost a specific in certain felriio
diseases. In 1859 I visited the beautiful gardens of IV'radoniya at
the moment when Dr. Thwaites, the superintendent, was open-

166 Travels in Tropical Lands.

itig a Wardiaii case containing the first few cuttings of this
valual)le tree sent to Ceylon, and which I watched him plant
in a propagating frame. They grew, as plants do grow in this
moist hot-house, till in a very few years hundreds of acres were
covered with trees 20 to 30 feet high, all from these few cut-
tings. The bark was Aalued at 2s. per lb., and it was calculated
that a good tree would yield at least 10 lbs. Here was a fortune
which cotfee in its palmiest days nevei' promised us, and all eagerly
went into cinchona. Thousands of acres were at once planted up,
and, as the trees grew, bark was shipped home, 10, 12, 15 million
lbs. a year ! It was scarcely reasonable, or even charitable, to hope
that the demand would keep pace with such supplies, and the
natural result followed — that the bark became a drug in the market,
in more respects than one, and, alas for the planter, the price fell
from 2s. to Id. per lb., and sulphate of quinine from 21s. per oz. to
Is. ! an incalculable boon to the world at large, but to the j)oor
Ceylon planter it meant another disaster.

Attention was now turned to Cacao, for the introduction of which
we were indebted to our friend, Mr. Tytler ; l)ut although it grew
remarkably well on his estates, there was found to be comparatively
little suitable land for cocoa in Ceylon, and the exports of this " food
for irods" have not exceeded 30,000 cwts., and are not likelv to much
increase.

Cardamons Avere grown very successfully, but here, too, the de-
mand is too limited. Let cooks and confectioners tell the reason
why.

Castor oil can also be produced in any quantit}'', but the difficulty
is in getting people to drink enough of it ! Crofon also grows like
weeds, but that is worse ; Avhile Nux vomica — but Ave musn't mention
it. Of essential oils, such as citronella and lemon, Ceylon exports
yearly about 11,000,000 ounces.

Spices, of course, nutmegs, cloves, pepper, ginger, cinnamon, &c.,
the last being by far the most important, are Avithout doubt indigenous
to Ceylon, and have been shipped from thence since the days Avhen
Solomon " once in three years sent his ships to this Tarshish " ; but
the taste for this famous old spice has somehow greatly fallen off
in this country since it became so cheap. Mr. Thorley, I believe, is
now one of the largest purchasers, he having discovered that horses
and cattle still appreciate cinnamon, utterly oblivious of the disreput-
ably loAV price of the article !

Dawn of the Tea Era. 1G7

There iire numerous other })ioiliicts wliiili lirlp lo uuike up the
total export. The Coconut palm alone, besides furnishing its one
hundred and one l^Dons to the natives, swells the value of exports to
the extent of ^800,000 ; while for Plumbago — " black-lead " — Britain
pays Ceylon £150,000 a year, and, of course, for pearls and precious
stones Ceylon has ever been celebrated.

But a new kingdom has arisen on the ruins of poor Coffee A rahka,
and it is destined, I hope and believe, to stand supreme amongst
the products of Ceylon for many a year to come. This now brings
us to the

ERA OF TEA.

Tea we had long seen growing luxuriantly in Ceylon, and well
knew that few islands could grow foliage more abundantly ; but so
long as cortee paid so well few cared to try the experiment of mani-
pulating the tea leaf. Unlike coflee, tea is a native of India, not of
China, as generally supposed, though cultivated there from time im-
memorial. It is altogether a hardier plant than coffee, at once taking
a firm grip of the soil, as if to show it was really at home. Compared
with coftee, the cultivation or i)roduction of the raw material is
simplicity itself, the planter of to-day l)eing more like a foreman
artisan or factory worker than the horticulturist of old. He had,
however, to fight against considerable prejudice to begin with. " You
may grow the tea but you cannot prepare it." You may get quantity
but never quality." " British housewives will never buy Ceylon
tea." Such were a few of the encouragements hurled at the head of
the already much-tried planter. The net result, however, is that the
progress of the tea industry in Ccvloii will liear comparison with
that of any agricultural achievement during the present century. 1
Avould go further and say that, in tropical agriculture at least, there
is nothing in our colonial experience to equal it. Little more than
a dozen years ago a shore porter could have carried away the total
export of tea from Ceylon. Now it amounts to over SO, 000,000 11).^.,
that is to say, it would require 300,000 shore porters to carry it,
supposing each carried 300 lbs., and before the end of the present
decade there can be little doubt these exports will have reached
100,000,000 lbs. Tiu'ic are now about 300,000 acres closely planted
with tea, giving cniploynicnt to some 1,500 of our countrynu'ii us
managers and 350,000 Indian labourers. As to quality, the best
criterion is the sale room in Mincing Lane, where the price of Ceylon

168 T i-u rcls in Tropical fjimh.

tea will be found at an average 25 per cent, higher than that of China
tea, being superior leaf, much more carefully and cleanly prepared.
I may here remark that the tea tree as cultivated in Ceylon is a
hybrid between the vigorous native or indigenous Indian tea and the
dwarf and somewhat degenerated bush in China, so that the fragrant
leaf as produced in the spicy isle is blended by nature, rendering any
further attempt at blending as absurd as painting the petals of the
rose.

" But will this industry last ? " may well be asked after the vari-
ous vicissitudes the Colony has already come through. I see no
reason to doubt it. In the first place, tea is not an exotic like
coffee ; second, no island in the world produces tender leaf so
profusely ; labour is cheap and abundant ; and third, the crop is not
exhausting like the fruit or seed crops taken from coffee or cocoa.
Moreover, there are tens of thousands of acres eminently suited for
tea that never Avould have produced coffee. The only real danger is
over-production. There is a limit to the capacity of even this tea-
drinking nation, but in any case tlie Ceylon planter deserves well of
British housekeepers. The fact that the price of .tea has been reduced
by one half during the last decade is chiefly, if not entirely, owing
to the persistent energy of our countrymen there.

I have thus far sketched, very imperfectly, the chief industries iu
which our countrymen have been engaged, but I feel that this
chapter would be very incomplete without a reference to the native
element, which, after all, must ever form the backbone of the tropical
Colony ; and I hold that the best test of a successful colonist is not
what he brings away with him but what he leaves behind him, as an
example at least, to encourage and stimulate the permanent residents.

Into the past history of the Singalese as a nation — stretching
back as it does for 2,400 ye;irs— I cannot fully enter, deeply in-
teresting as it is, but I may I'efer those interested to an excellent
work by the late Colonel Forbes Leslie of Kothienorraan, a history,
perha})S the most authentic and complete which has yet been pro-
duced. This gentleman retained to the last his warm attachment to
Ceylon. " I yield to no one," he wrote shortly befoi-e his death,
" in the feelings of interest in that beautiful country and most
valuable colony. I have continued to admire the unexampled
prosperity which has crowned the energy of its planters and
residents."

About thirty years ago we had the charming work of Sir J.

Robert Knox. 1G!>

Emerson Teiinent, and quite recently a book brimful of valiialjle facts
by my friend, Mr. John Ferguson, a member of the firm of
publishers who have done for Ceylon what \\. & R. Chambers does
for Scotland. Their yearly directory is an encyclopedia in itself,
and is the envy of other Colonies. Yet of all the histories of
Ceylon, commend me to that of Robert Knox, published in 1681, a
copy of which rather rare work I recently obtained by advertise-
ment. Robert sailed with his father, who commanded " The Ann "
frii^ate. The Ann sailed from London for India in 1657, and settin"-
dismantled in a storm off the coast of Ceylon, ])roceeded into a shallow
bay to refit. For some weeks the crew were allowed to land and then
return to their vessel without interference ; but, ultimately, a wily
Kandian chief, by order of the king, contrived to decoy the captain,
his son, and 18 of the crew into the interior, where they were made
prisoners. Both father and son suffered much from fever and ague,
which ultimately carried off the father. In those days, alas I there
was no cinchona bark in Ceylon ; had there been, peradventure the
good old ship captain's life might have been prolonged— and, by the
way, had the virtues of quinine been but known in England then,
the life of the Protector, who also passed away about this same time
from the same cause, might have been spared yet awhile. " Which
we may conqnite," as Carlyle says, "would have given another
history to all the centuries of England."

But to return to Robert Knox. Crushed with e,rief and suffering:
from fever, he, with great difficulty, dug his father's grave. For
many months afterwards he was seriously ill, but youth and a good
frame favoured him, and he recovered. A noble fellow was Kno.x.
Though left entirely to his own resources by the apathetic but
not unkindly Singalese, he, by the very purity of his life, made a
name for himself which lives by tradition to this day : a spot a
few miles west of Kandy being still jjointed out as " the good white
man's garden." For well nigh twenty years Robert Knox wandered
out and in amongst the Singalese in their native glens, and he has
left a record which, for fidelity of description, is simply admirable.
Nothing could exceed the keenness of his observation, the retentiveness
of his memory, or his inflexible veracit3^ His picture of village life
as it was two hundred and thirty years ago is just as it is now, an<l
as 1 believe it was three thousand years ago, for the Singalese dt>
not change their fashions like the restless European. At the end of
twenty years Robert contrived to escape. Fortitude and firm
1*2

170 Travels in Tropical Lands.

religious fuith en:i1)le<l him to overcome many temptations and mis-
fortunes ; still the longing for home never left him. As a boy, his
mother had taught him to knit, and to this he OAved his escape. Being
an adept at weaving caps, he was permitted to hawk them. He
gradually extended his beats until he at length got beyond the
Kandian kingdom, and managed, thougli at iio small risk, to reach
the Dutch settlement, whence he was sent home, liobert ])ublished
his invaluable work in 1681, and subsequently getting command of :i
vessel in the East India's Co.'s service, he returned to the East ; and
it is somewhat curious and interesting to read in some dusty Dutch
MSS., discovered only last year, that Robert Knox, on his return to
India, twenty years after his escape, showed that he had not forgotten
his luckless countrymen still in captivity, but contrived, it appears, to
send a letter and his portrait to them through the Dutch governor,
who forwarded the missive in the usual red-tape style of the
Hollander, getting back a reply from the Kandian Court, which is
worth quoting as a specimen of the balderdash eastern poten-
tates were so prone to use in those palmy days of unlimited
monarchy.

Here is a translation from Singalese of the opening paragraph : —

" HEALTH AND PROSPERITY.

" Sent from the Palace of our Lord the King, descendetl from
Maha Sammata, otherwise called Vaywaswata Manu, born of the
pure solar race, a King who clove the heads of foreign enemies as a
fearless lion that crushes the heads of elephants — who is fully con-
versant with the rules of Law which a King has to perform — equal
to the harvest moon that expands the water lilies— who is pleasing
to the sight— a King of Kings— resembling the sun in glory— who
is crest jewel of Kings, sovereign loi'd of all other Rajahs and chief
god of this terresti'ial globe, &c., &c."

He then condescends to come clown to the business in hand, viz.,
the letter of his late prisoner, and sums up by graciously permitting
its delivery. I shall have occasion further on to refer again to His
Mightiness or his descendants.

Meanwhile we may take a passing peep at the village life, so
admirably depicted by Robert Knox. Mot only is the description
perfectly true of to-day, but I would have no hesitation in recom-
mending anyone wishing to see life — sim])le pastoral life as it was
iu Old Testament times — to repair to the highland glens of Ceylon

Village Life. 1 7 1

Probably nowhere else in the world can this be now seen to such
perfection — certainly not in degenerate Kgypt nor in Palestine, from
which the glory has deported. In these beautiful v;dleys the Siiiga-
lese have cultivated their rice fields, ploughed, reaped, and thrashed,
just as men did in the days when Nebuchadnezzar turned vegetarian.

On approaching a village the first indication of life we come
across is the howling of a {)oor fellow perched on a pillar or on the
branch of a tree, with just sufficient covering to shelter him from sun
or rain. Around is a little cultivated plot, recently cleai-ed from
the jungle, in which seeds of gourds, cucumbers, and other vegetables
have been })lanted. To keep off birds and four-footed animals a con-
stant noise has to be kept up niglit and day ; so here we have, to
begin with, "a solitary watchman in agai'den of cucumbers." A mile
or two further on you will come upon the first house in the village,
always cleanly swept if not garnished. Ten to one you will find the
easy-going head husbandman slee})ing on a mat in the verandah, ])ut,
roused b}' his wife, he respectfully rises, "takes nyt his lied and walks."
Or, perhaps, if a busy time of the year, the husband may be afield.
;ind you will then have an opportunity of observing how the house-
hold duties are performed. The lady may be carrying a baby, though
never in her arms but astride her hi}), an(i presently you will see her
take a cloth, tie it to the rafter or overhanging branch, and, placing
therein the "punchy lamia," sing it to sleep; then calling upon
"Nona hamy," they will sit down with a pair of small. Hat, circular
stones between them — and there you have "two women grinding at
the mill."

Let us now move on and inspect the village — if village you can
conceive it to be, without streets or visible houses. Nothing to be
seen save trees and field.s — trees, the most beautiful in tlic vegetable
woild : fields which strikingly remind you of pictures you may have
seen of certain })ink and white terraces now ])lottcd out of existence,
oidy that here they are richly green, golden yellow, oi- covcied with
clear sparkling water. Into this water you will see the husl)andnian
casting the grain — literally "casting his bread u])on the waters" in
the hope of seeing it return before many days. In ilii.s climate there
are no seasons, as we und(usiand them in Scotland, Imt one everlast-
ing summer and autumn, so that ploughing may l>e going on in one
jtart of the village, sowing, harvesting, or thiashing in another.
Look at Llie ])rocess of thrashing out — here there are no vulgar,
Buorting steam engines, nor mills of any kind, noi h:\^ (lie laborious

172 Travels in Tropical Lands.

f1;iil evci' been iiitrodnced into Ceylon, hut as of old, the l)ullocks
ti-ead out the corn, leisurely walking round in a circle, always eating
without stint as they go. " For thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of
the ox that treadeth out the corn." There are aboiit 150 different
varieties of rice suitable for all soils, aspects, and seasons.

The winding paths through these so-called villages, or more popu-
lous centres, are probabl}^ the same paths as existed thousands of
years ago ; and now, as then, the coy, dusky maiden may l)e met
carrying her Avater chatty upon her erect and comelv head, the bonnie,
black bairnies playing under the palms as innocent of clothes as
Adam and Eve when '' naked and not ashamed." And see the
unpretentious village school, just as it was centuries before the
Christian era. No Jonathan Tawse here to uphold the dignity of
parish schools ; no modern school board ; no palatial buildings
burden the taxpayer. The schoolhouse is merely a feAv rustic pillars
supporting a thatched roof, quite sufficient to protect the students.
The furnishings are nil. There is nothing but a smooth, level
earthen floor upon which the extempore dominie and his disciples
squat. A handfid of sand is thrown over the floor, and on this the
little fingers are trained to trace the letters, as they, at the same
time, learn to read or intone the alphabet. By and by, as they
get more proficient, they learn to write upon leaves, scratching the
letters with a stile — like a bodkin— in which style all the records
of Singalese history are pi'eserved, and thus, I presume, all records
were kept prior to the manufacture of these kinds of paper which
we still call " leaves."

Such is village life in Ceylon, and who will say that in these days
of hurry and scrambling it is not a pleasant relief to come across such
a jirimitive spot 1 On the whole, I believe there are few healthier,
happier races than the highlanders in Ceylon. As a rule, they are
by no means a wealthy ])eople, but then their Avants are so very
few. Their simple life shows us what a great deal there is in this
world that we could do without. That this interesting country is
really prospering better than it ever did under its own kings is fully
proved, not only by the commerce created, but by the rapidly in-
creasing population. When the first census was taken after the
British took possession, the population was only about 850,000 ; it
is now over 3,000,000. I have said the Singalese are not a wealthy
people, but we can at least point to one millionaire and several very
wealthy families amongst these natives who have, so to speak, been

British Occupancy. 173

the architects of their own fortune ; educated gentlemen, well known
for their liberality and i)hilanthropy, whose sons now take good
])(jsitions at our universities, and j^o out into the world as bairisters,
doctors, and clergymen. On the occasion of the Duke of Edinlnugh's
visit to Ceylon, it was a Singalese gentleman who entertained him
in a style which no European in the island — not even the Governor
— could have afforded to do. The magnificence of this l>aiii|uet I
have rarely seen approached by anything of tlie kind in any part of
the world.

It might uot be un])rofitable now to enquire how the British
became possessed of this island. It is not very ancient history— not
yet quite one hundred years since we ousted the reluctant Hollander
from Colombo, which, with the cinnamon gardens and a few miles
inland country, he had possessed for one lumdred and fifty years,
governing in a selfish spirit of rigid conservatism, sucli as has ever
characterised Dutch attempts at colonisation. Cinnamon was the
staple Dutch trade, and not only was it a monoi)oly, but the penalty
for peeling a twig without authoi-ity was death I The ti'eaties that
led to their dislodgment by the British do not concern us here.
During the Dutch occupancy Ceylon was still reigned over by the
king of Kandy, with the exception of a few fringes on the coast;
and how the dynasty of these kings (whose (luniiicles date back to
five hundred and forty-three years before Christ) came to an end is
worth more than a passing notice.

It was in 1803 that a British force of some three thousand men
nmstered on the banks of the ]\Iahavillaganga and marched into
Kandy, to find it deserted and on fire. Not a shot was fired by the
Kandians, and not a life was lost in taking possession of the capit;d,
and yet there are few more melancholy chapters in the hi.story of
Greater Britain than the fate of this little company. In a few weeks
fever had claimed its victims by hundreds, the dislieartened remainder
being literally to a man cruelly and treachei'ously butchered by order
of the inhuman king. 1 have stood beside the tree near to where
the infatuated Briti.sh, trusting in the* Oriental word, laid down their
arms ; and 1 have looked into the hollow below, where the butchered
bodies were thrown. Only one man, himself wounded, nianageil to
wriiTirle out of the heai) during tin- darkness of the succeeding night
and escape to the coast to tell the tale.

The tale is too long and too sad to dwell ui)on here, and it i.s one
which no Biitish hi-torian cares to recoiuit. There cm be no tlouitt,

174 Travels in Tropical Lands.

in the first place, that we had no business there, thougli, in the next
place, there can ])e no ]iossil)le excuse made for the diabolical cruelty
of the Siiigalesc, acting under the orders of that monster, the last
king of Kandy. iJut we had our revenge— a noble revenge ! No doubt
there were " jingo '' spirits in those days who howled for summary
vengeance, just as they diil a feAv years ago, after a disaster in South
Africa : l)ut wiscM' counsels prevailed, or probal)ly, in this case, Britain
had more pressing business on hand at the time — to wit, the sett-
ling of accounts with Napoleon Bonaparte At anyrate, for twelve
years littk; more was heard of Kandian expeditions, and it was not
till the memorable year 1815 that oar golden opportunity came.
The tyrant king had l)y that time developed his taste for cruelty to
siich a pitch that his chief amusement seemed to l)e in training
elephants to tianip his courtiers to death ; cutting oft' ladies' heads ;
compelling mothers to pdiuid their babies to paste in a mortar, and
then finishing uj) the entertainment 1)y drowning the distracted
parent in the l;d<e. The limit of endurance had l)cen reached ; the
Singalese could stand it no longer, and a deputation waited upon
the English Governor, earnestly beseeching him to relieve them of
this monster. The opportunity had now come, and Governor
Brownrigg embraced it in a right manly and generous spirit. The
tyrant king, the last of his ignoble race, was dethroned and sent to
end his days on a distant island, while ever since we have been
heaping coals of fire upon the heads of the Singalese, who have
proved themselves in every respect superior to tlieir rascally kings,
and may now be safely counted amongst (^ui' most loyal fellow-
subjects. It has been remarked of one of our own kings that "he
never said a foolish thing, and never did a wise one."' This cannot
be (juile said of the last king of Kandy. He, at least, did one good
action He made the beautiful Kandy lake, which is still the
admiration of every visitor. Also, he made one wise speech. While
groaning under his loss of liberty, he remarked, "Ah! the chief
ditfereiice between me and your kings is that they have always wise
men about them who prevent them doing anything in a passion."

I may mention in passing that there is a race in Ceylon much
older than the Singalese, a remnant of the aborigines whom the
Singalese themselves subdued 2,500 years ago, and who loniaiii wiki
as zebias but liai iidess as sheep. These interesting V'eddahs, as they
are called, are estimated to number somewhat over 2,000. They
have existed in the interior of Ceylon from a period so remote that

Ceylon and Tasvutnia Contrasted. 17")

110 truce of their origin can he fouiul. Yet tliuiigh entirely destitutt!
of clothing or houses, and living on uncooked food, they are looked
upon by the Singalese as of high or even royal caste. Their mode
of doing business is curious and in-imitive. When, for instance, a
Veddah purchases arrow blades from a Singalese smith, he rarely
comes in actual contact with him, l)ut deposits the price in deer's
Hesh, wax, or honey, at a given spot, retiring to a distance, and woe
to the smith it the arrow blades are not placed there in exchange
within a reasonable time ! *

In conclusion, I may be permitted to remark that, although we
congratulate ourselves, and with some little reason, iipdii our success
as colonists, we are not everywhere equally successful ; and, b}' way
of contrast, I may instance the case of another beautiful island, al-
most exactly the same size as Ceylon, and bearing the same relations
to Australia as Ceylon does to the continent of India. 1 mean Van
Dieman's Land, now called Tasmania, and sometimes termed " the
garden of Australia," as Ceylon is "the garden of India." But here
the resemblance ends. It is curious to note that, in the same year,
1803, while General M'Dowal was forcing his way up through the
jungles towards Kandy on his ill-fated errand, another British citicer
with a motley company had set sail from Botany Bay to take pos-
session of Van Dieman's Land. A few days' sail brought the ship to
the mouth of the noble river — since known as the Uerwent — on the
beautiful banks of which this mongrel crew of settlers, sokliers, and
convicts pitched their tents, to the great astonishment of the natives.
Of these natives we have recently had some most interesting details
from Dr. Tylor. What their religious aspirations were we have
but a very misty notion, and 1 much fear that their contact with this
Christian nation did not do much to elevate or enlighten them. At
the time I speak of they Avere com})aratively numerous, and, as far as
we know, perfectly harmless. Shortly after the airival of Lieutenant
Bowen and his gang, these awe-stiuck and wondering aborigines
gathered around the intruders in great numbers — men, women, and
children, entirely unarmed, and otlering no violence -when, be it
repeated to the everlasting shame of this British Otticer, th<' inhuman
idint in charge ordered his mm lo fire a volley amongst the

* The cuiiijii.s may If.ini all that i.- kiinuii about tlii.- iuti restiiijr ifiniiaiit
of a race by consultiiijr a \ oluniiiiotis work recently i)iibli.slie<l at \Vi(.'.-<biMlcii,
entitled " Ercfebnis.se Natiirwissenseliaftli<lier Fordiiin'r<'M aiif ( '<yli>n in iltii

J.illlrli ISSl SC, •■

176 Travels in Tropical Lands.

inoffensive natives, by whicli half-a-dozeu were killed. Need we
wonder tliat there were reprisals ; to a dead certainty, Lieutenant
Boweii and his ruffians would have been slaughtered had not Collins
arrived with reinforcements. The work of extermination then beyan
and went on foi- years. It was far, far away from home, and it is
only of recent years that the ti'uth really came to light.

Now, mark the contrast. The same British prince, whom the
Singale.se millionaire entertained so magnificently in Ceylon, a few
months afterwards visited the island of Tasmania, where he had the
satisfaction (if satisfaction it was), of seeing the last man — the last
living Tasmanian. Poor, drunken Billy ! simple and unsoj)histicated
as his forebears, came tottering along the streets of Hobart, and was
permitted to take the arm of the Duke. " You king," he said, " and
1 king." A few months more and poor King Billy too was gone !

1 am not a superstitious man, but when 1 look at the pro.sperity
(jf the one island and th'3 continued adverse strugj^le against decay
in the other, the moral suggests itself ^ — wrong-doing in nations or
individuals is ever followed by suffering.

TYPICAL FAILURES.

■■ What tlioii<4l) tlie si)icy breezes."

— Hebbr.

Mil. J. Ferguson, the authoi- of that a(liniial)le work, "Ccvloii in
1893," estimates that of all the Europeans who go out tliere as
planters probably not more than 10 per cent, succeed. This being
so, it would be interesting, and perhaps not unprofitable, to enquire
what becomes of the 90 per cent, who fail, an<l what is the reason
annexed for such a large percentage of empty returns. Despite
good Bishop Heber's much (pioted line, it n)ay be .safely remarked
that vikness is not more peculiar to Ceylon than to our old mothei'
country. It is the evil we carry with us that usually proves more
formidable than anything indigenous to the isle where " every pro-
spect pleases" — though the jjrospect of getting home again is, to tiie
average planter, the most pleasing of all. The early history of our
enterprise there was alike creditable to the European and advan-
tageous to the Singalese. But with the opening of the Suez Caual,
there came a new race of men less suited for a tropical colony, men
more allied to the class of emigrants who have done so little to
develop the magnificent lands of Australasia, whose chief desirt-
has been to distinguish themselves as sportsmen and successful
gamblers.

By way (jf warning it may be worth while to take a passing
glance at the type of men who came rushing out to Ce\loii duiing
the latter days of coffee planting, and this 1 cannot better illustrate
than by simply relating the '"'owic tnie'' story of l)a\ie Haiket .iml
his com})eers : —

llavie was the only son of the fairly well-to-do tenant ol (Jlen-
murehas, a farm of fifty acres lying a few miles west of the biumie
toon o' B .

B itself might be looked upon a.s almo.st unique iu its \* ay.

Sleeping for centuries in its sheltered little corner at the mouth of a
I'iver, it is ])roud of its ant iijuity, and eai-es little fni' the changes
which have transformed its sister "toons " into giand modern cities.
While the new towns of Alierdeeii and ivlinburgh were rising in
striking contrast to the "auld toons,' ii boasted that it had

been finished ")00 years ago, and, as a matter of I'aet, tlie only

17<S TniveU in Tropical Landf'.

.uUlitiuiLs of ;uiy iiupoi-t;uicc duriiig the present century have been ii
grammar school and a lunatic asylum — l)()th much needed.

To tlie former of these establishments "oor Davie" was sent at
the age of twelve, and it was while here that he iniltibed the first idea
of going abroad.

In those days the great event of tlie day in B was the

arrival of the "Earl of Fife" coach, and so on a certain cold spring-
afternoon, when Davie and his compeers were lounging al)Out making
faces at the watchmaker opposite the hotel, the coach drove u})
contfiining a family with a crowd of lai'ge and foreign-looking
portmanteaux. The new arrival Avas none other than a lich and
industrious ex-M.L.C. from Ceylon.

Davie looked on in wonder and amazement as the gathering-
gamins briefly reviewed the liistory of their successful townsman, and
from that moment he resolved that he too would go to Ceylon atid
return with large portmanteaux.

Years passed on ; he had left the grammar school, cut two
" hairsts," and gained a prize at a ploughing match, but the idea of
going to Ceylon never left him f(jr a single day ; it was the bright
star that cheered him on and lightened his toil. Why he should
select Ceylon he never troidiled himself to enquire, but his heart
was centred in it and to Ceylon he would go.

"T was in vain his mother wept over him, and sadly predicted
he "micht dee an' nane to close his e'e " ; her laddie was the pride
of her poor auld beating heart, and she would sob for hours as she
darned— she feared for the last time — the socks her ain hands had
knitted for him. The father, less demonstrative, sat very uneasily
ill "the ingle nook" lighting and relighting his pipe, muttering
something about getting frail, and if the " laddie wad only stop at
hame, he micht seen be the head o' the house;" but tears and
entreaties were of no avail with Davie, he would be a gentleman,
and make ''lairds and ladies o' them a'." The last parting scene
arrived ; a l)lcak, l)iting- Monday morning, the wind l)lew "snel," as
it well knows how, o'er the Hill o' Doon ; he had taken an aflfection-
ate farewell of his sweetheart at the bridge the evening before, and
kissed his auld mither, who was unal)le to leave her bed this
juorning, and could only whisper " Noo min' an' vreet an' dinna
foigt't to say yei- prayers." 'J'lie bare and rather forlorn-looking
railway station, which had by this time taken the place of the coach
office, was hurriedly reached. Not a word had passed between the

Davie Hacket. 17!)

fatlier and sou, but as Davie took his seat a poekct-liook contaiiiiriL;
the savings of the past year was handed to him. " Noo, min' fat
yer mither said,' was all the poor old man could utter as he brushed
away the only tear that had dimmed his eye for forty years.

My first introduction to Davie was on the steps of the Queens
Hotel, Kandy. A mild, rather spare-looking Scot, without the
orthodox sandy hair — he had walked from the railway station through
the blazing glare of the streets, with no other protection than .i
Glengarry cap — and the perspiration streamed down his crimson
cheeks as he walked warily u[) and accosted me with " Can you tell me
faur Mr Sackum bides?" "You mean Mr. Sackum, the visiting
agent, I jjresume?" "Yes, 1 have got a letter for him.' "All
right, 1 will show you his office, but are you not going to breakfast
first?" "Well, I widna be the waiu- o' that," he .said reflectively,
and involuntarily putting his hand to his vest pocket as if to feel its
weight, he Avalked up to the table and took his seat. I sat opposite
to him, and could not hel[) taking an interest in the new arrival,
whose face brightened up at the sight of the victuals, and who,
unlike most Scots, was open and communicative to a degree.
In a few minutis I was in |)ossession of his history, and the fact that
he had come to Ceylon aimed with a letter on which he solely relied
to procure him employment. "Do you know Mr. Sackiun? " 1 en-
quired. " No, l)ut my father knew somebody's father who got a place
from him, and I got the letter from the gentleman who was once
Mendjer of Parliament in Ceylon."

I told him of the risks he ran : how many of his countrymen
1 had known come out here, and in a few months or years become
utterly and for ever ruined for anv useful puiuo.-c ; that his chances of
success seemed rather uncertain, .Mr. Sackum nn'ght or might not
have a place for him, or might not feel disposed to help him. I did
not know the gentleman myself, but he was .said to be rathci- a
crotchetty individual, in fact, belonging to that class of incpiisitive
functionaries who were, and often still ai-e, o{)en to receive urdimited
abuse. Proprietors, as of old. plant their estates and retire to a far
country, and agents sent to eiupiirt- about the crops are still lialilc
to rebuffs fidin tiie husbandmen in charge.

My advice to Mr. Hacket, however, was " if you have no other
means of getting on, stick ch).se to Mr. Sackum ; dont be content
with a piomise that In- will put your name on his list .ind kfi-p y<)U
in view; stick to him until he gets you a berth."

]80 'Travels in Tropical Lands.

Davio took my luhico lilcrally, stayed at the huugalow of the
visiting agent for weeks, during which time I often saw him, and
our acquaintance improved. A curious composition was Davie — no
youth ever had better intentions, or dreamed more of the com-
petence on which lie was to letire ten years hence ; yet Davie was
purely what is known in his native land as a " Jock Hack," and his
coming to Ceylon could only be regarded by his l)est friends as a
mistake ; his character was colourless, flabby and unformed, ready
to be moulded by whatever class of men happened for the
time to surround him. I could not help, however, taking an
interest in him, and sincerely sympathised with his desire to get into
harness. " Oh, if I could only get a beginning," he iised to exclaim,
"nae fear of getting on." At length one morning, while taking my
walk by (the Ceylon) Arthur's Seat, I met Davie on horseback look-
ing more important than I had before seen him, and he called out
l)efore 1 got near, "A' richt now, sir; I hae gotten a place at the
lang length." I wai'mly congratulated him, and inquired the name
of the locality for which he was destined, at Avhich he pulled out a
letter and read the address of his future P.D. : —

Peter Odger, Esq.,

Yakoo Gall a.

Ijefore proceeding further. I may here be permitted to introtluce
to you the Peria Doric to whom Davie was now consigned. Peter
Odger, Esquire, was considered, at least by himself, one of oui'
gentleman planters. He was fond of boasting he had never done a
day's menial work in his life, and no one wdio knew him would
ever accuse him of having done much work of any kind. Born and
reared in the heart of Cockncydom, where his father was a thriving
grocei-, Petei''s early years were of the most luxurious description.
There was, it appears, a tradition in the family that his grand-uncle
(after whom he was named) liatl been a nuich respected clergyman,
iind at an early age Peter was dedicated to the Chui-ch.

His fond mother believed that he was indeed destined to adorn
a city pul|)it, Imt partly from an inveterate habit of misplacing his
"h's," ac(piired Irom his father; paitl}' from a hankering after the
^in bottle, which some backbiting friends traced to the mother, Peter
was at length declared ineligible for lioly office. The j)00i- Scotch
tutor w^ho, at Is. a lesson, had attended him for six months, gave
liini ii]» in despaii', and to the great grief of his loving mamma, he fell

Davie's Master. 181

into "bad ways." For days and nights lie would disappear, and
more than once poor old Odger had to "pay the piper" to save hi.■^
own credit. What shall we do with Peter ? became the all-absorbin"
topic at Souchong Villa. At length a happy " idear " struck the
afflicted father, and he suggested to the " old woman " one night that
they should at once fit him out as a gentleman and send him abroad
" My esteemed friend Mr. R ■ , the coffee broker, has great in-
fluence with merchants in the East, and I shall see him in Mincing
Lane to-morrow." The result, as anticipated, was that the thriving
grocer had no difficulty in obtaining a letter of recomniendation foi-
his son to a Colombo tirui. Great was the joy at Souchong Villa
when it became known that Peter was al)0Ut to reform, and go out
to the great coffee-producing country as a planter.

In due course Peter presented himself at a well-known Colombo
office, and handed in the letter introducing him as "the son of an
esteemed correspondent who has long had a desire to ol)tain a situa-
tion on a coffee estate," and that "it will be considered a personal
favour if," &c., &c.

His appearance was rather in his favour, and his address bv no
means against him ; the good opinion of the head of the firm was
gained, and in a short time the situation of Assistant Manager of
"Yakoogalla" was bestowed upon him. His progress upwards was
rapid, for I found him at the end of two years in full charge of that
valuable property. Moreover, by this time Peter stood high in
certain circles of our Coloml)0 society, a membei- of the Grand
Masonic Lodge, and likewise a leading spirit in the Ceylon Turf
Club. Peter's " 'orse," in fact, })ecame the one-absorbing topic of
his conversation. Coffee and coolies, as he was ever fond of remark-
ing, were "only fit for cads and clod-'oppers."

Such was "the planter" to whose tender mercies "oor Davie"
was consigned. Two men who had less in common it woidd lie very
difficult to find ; and yet for a time all went well. Peter was proud
to have an assistant, while Davie, to whom the woi'k on a coffee
estate was a capital joke, was well worth his hire. Tlif coolies were
delighted to have their names so regularly taken, and the estate
generally began to look more tidy and to improve in condition. The
assistant was seldom out of the field by day, never out of his room
by night, never as yet forgot the parting advice of his mother, and
regularly wrote his two letters by every mail.

These were, perhaps, the purest and happiest months of Davie's

182 Travels in Tropical Lands.

life, his interesting uiid affectionate letters to his home circle even
occasionally approached what his fond parents accepted as poetic fire,
<is when he wrote to them on his twentieth birthday : —

" This nicht, I think, 'tis twenty years
Since ye wi' hope, an' some sma' fears,
Embraced a peevish, greetin' boy,
Wlia 's proved to yon mair wae than joy ;
For since that (h-eich December nicht.
Fan in yer faul' I claimed a richt,
I 've been, as bairn, a feckless cretur,
An' noo, as mm, yer helpless debtor.

" O, you, whose brow frae atf the sweat
Has flowed to pay my claes and meat ;
An' you wha made my slips and breeks.
Whose apron aft has dried my cheeks,
Forgi'e the bairn's whine, the boy's jiranks,
Accept contrition an' the man's best thanks."

Few kings can hope to be happier in prospect than Davie at this
time. The present, new and pleasant ; the future, simply splendid ;
the idea of £300 a year at no distant date, and a bungalow of his
own : ha I what would his mother think when she hears of it, and
Nancy when she sees it ? So Davie worked and dreamed during the
first yeai'. Peter, meanA\hile, relieved of the hateful drudgery of
looking after coolies, indulged his tastes as beseemed a gentleman
jjlanter ; he grew in favour with his Colombo friends, who frequently
required a change to the hills, and as frequently pronounced him a
"very good fellow." It was on one of these occasions when poor
Davie's troubles began. The P.D. had determined upon what
he called a "regular blow-out" at Christmas, and accordingly
invited .some of his choicest friends, the Right Worshipful Master
and other minor Masons with some rather elegant swells whose
))arlance smelt of the stable. Peter's difficulty was how to dispose of
his assistant for the night, a holiday " to go and see his friends "
was offered in vain ; Davie did not feel so disposed ; and it was
ultimately found there was no help for it but to admit him into the
presence of gentlemen.

These grand carousals were indeed something far beyond any
previous experience of Davie's, the wine was abundant and good, but
the chief featiu'e of the "tomasha" was the oratory. Old "Moonstruck"
once on his legs could descant for half an hour on the pig-sticking

A Grand Caroa.s(d. IH.S

prowess of Mac, while Mac in reply am\d talk fur an hour about — nae-
thing in particulai-. The elotjuence of "the Duke" Itrought tears to the
eyes of his silvery-tongued senior, Fagan blethered out his best bulls,
while Odger drank the health of the gallant hofficers present. On no
one had the cliam])agne a more remarkable effect than on Davie, who,
though usually quiet and cautious, broke out, and showed sevei'al
times the bad breeding to interrupt his worthy P.D., who did the
honours of the table so gracefully. Peter, by the way, had grasped
about half a dozen Latin quotations, which he invariably contrived
to make use of on such occasions as the present. A discussion had
arisen regarding certain i-enegade memliers of the Turf Clul), whi-n
the host, drawing himself uj) in his chair, exclaimed — "Haw/i
JiaUeram partem ! Eh, what do you make of that, Mr. 'Acket 1 "
looking towards his assistant, with a knowing wink to the others.
"I dinna weel ken fat to mak' o't," said Davie," but I'll wauger a
saxpence the h's are in the vrang place." "The idear !" shouted

Mr. Odger. " D your himpudence ! Speak Henglish, sir, and

dont address me again in that barbarous jargon. Are there no
charity schools about Haberdeen w'ere tlie native boors could be
partially heducated before being let loose amongst gentlemen ?"

The champagne went fizzing through Davie's veins ; he lost all
control of his tongue, as he testily retorted —"Speak English yersel',
man ! Ye canna jMonounce yer ain name, lat alane mine. I wyte
an' ye wad need to speak o' eddication I It 's only the ither day ye
speirt at me if there were twa 'hens' in Aberdeen, an' fan I tauhl
ye there were hundreds o' hens and cocks tae ye swore ye wad get
me the sack. Jist try yersel', noo ! " The answer was a gljiss
thrown at the offender's head by Mr. Odger. "Try hitu with a
horse-whip," cried one of the guests. "Ten to one the dog won't
fight," cried another, and a scene ensued, of which, however, Davie
had a very meagre recollection when he awoke with a loaring head-
ache next morning.

Matters somehow did not long continue to improve upon
Vakoogalla. Mr. Odger found it necessary very often to go to
Kandy to bring out money, yet somehow the coolies discovorod
that pay day came but seldom. The visiting agent had incurred his
serious (lis|)leasure by reporting his frequent absence ainl the un-
satisfactory arrears shown by the pay list, but warnings were
thrown away ujjoii the suj)erintendent of Yakoogalla. Soniel»ody
must look after the training of "Bijou," the race hortie in which he

1 84 Travels in Tropical Lands.

had a share, and as leave was not likely to be conceded, a surrep-
titious journey was often necessary.

The great c\ciit of Peter's year was drawing nigh, viz., "The
Colombo Races," a holiday which he looked upon as a perquisite,
never dreaming even of giving notice of his absence. Imagine his
indignation on getting what he termed a "cheeky " intimation from
the agent that his leaving the estate at this time was disapproved of,
and that in future he must obtain leave.

Being about to start there was no time foi- correspondence on
this occasion, and he determined at all hazards to take leave. " Who
knows," he said to himself, "But I may be £1,000 richer by the end
of the week." Alas ! how often do our most promising pleasures
turn out but "poppies spread." The "race week " came to an end.
" Bijou " did not win, and Peter lost by bets what he could very ill
afl'ord. To add to his cruel misfortune the inevitable "sack"
awaited him on his return to the estate. Peter drank deeply at
most times, but for several weeks after this he fell into a pro-
foundly maudlin state, which only terminated in a case of " blue
devils," in which condition he was carried into Kandy.

There are few more harrowing sights in this w^orld than a
geiuiine case of D.T. Peter's particular icliosyncracy was that he
was a female blondin condemned to dance on a rope stretched over a
pit filled with col)ras, and to hear his yells as he feared he was about
to slip was something not easily forgotten. As soon as possible
he was removed on board ship ; but he never quite i-allied, and died
of " heat apople.xy " in the Red Sea.

To return to my friend Davie, who was now installed as full-
blown manager of the estate (at least two years too soon), 1 confess
I began to feel anxious about him. He knew his work and how to
do it, but Davie did not know himself, and already began to foel
giddy at the sudden rise. One of the first friendships he formed
after his promotion was with little Tommy Fagan, a garrulous
Irishman, whose specialty lay in managing the " Guid-auF-has-been "
estate, and doing the district visiting at the same time. At first
Davie described his new friend as a "ganjin gangeril bodie," but
Tommy was plausible as well as persevering, and gradually over-
came scruples. The general factotum of the district was Tommy :
ever ready to gallop over when a dinner had to be arranged or a
raffle got up. "A raffle!" said Davie, when first asked to take
a ticket ; " why it 's only puir wivies that raffles are got up for in my

Davie Wins a Horse, and Rides to Rain. 185

country. Guid preserve 's ! isn't it gambling and agaijist the law ?"
"Bless your soft heart," said Tommy, '"the law against gambling
is only applied to 'niggers' in Ceylon. Almost every gentleman
has his raffle now and again, and you will see the most respectable
shopkeeper in the pi'ovince having raffle.s daily." Davie's .scruples
Avere overcome ; he took a ticket, and to his great misfortune gained
a horse I (^Id Dame Fortune, he now imagined, had taken (piite a
fancy to him, and he had only to sulmiit to her caresses to be
carried triumphantly to wealth. Daily he gi-ew more important in
his own eyes, fond of seeing and being .seen. He and his little
friend Fagan might be observed twice a week, like postboys, riding
the round of the district.

The next time 1 saw Davie in Kandy I was amu.sed, if somewhat
alarmed, at the change that had come o\er our quondam plough-
man. The head of the firm of Messrs. Mixem & Co. was now treat-
ing the rising planter to a glass of champagne. Davie had been
pvn-chasing rather extensively, but when old Mixem suggested a
hogshead of beer of last October's brew, which they would be hajjpy
to bottle ofl" for him, Davie remarked, " He could not weel aii'ord it."
'• Nonsense ! my dear sir. Great saving ; beer at 7d. instead of
Is. 3d. per bottle ; besides we don't hurry you. Oidy too glad to
have you on our books."

It was some months l)efore I heard from Davie again, and by
this time he was sinking into trouble. Mixem tV: Co. had sent their
bill at the end of three months, and he could not meet it. A
summons followed. "What was to be done 1 I wrote him a lonjr
letter commenting on his danger, and advised him to lay his ca.se at
once before Mr. Sackum, who might pro])al)ly \\ rite something very
disagreeable, but who was sure to see him out of his troubles for this
time. 1 was not mistaken. Davie was pulled out of his ditticulty,
got a warning, and even Mr. Fagan acknowledged that the oidy
piece of supertiuous advice the letter contained was the hint that he
ought to sell his horse. But wai-ning had no good effect upon Mr.
Hacket, who had now got unsettled and lestle.ss. Sti-auge to say, he
had not written a home letter foi- many month.s.

About this time, too, \nu<y D.ivic began to form coiniections
which no decent young planter ought to do. I'oor Nance was
nowhere now, while she whose needle and shears had done such
wonders for him in his boyh(»od was seldom thought of.

And yet Davie was not wholly bad — Got! help us, no ! - Imt lie
13

186 Travels in Trojncal Lavds.

was tL'mptcd and fell. Like mure men than we dream of, Davie had
tAvo sides, two selves as diametrically opposite as Dr. Jekyll and Mr.
Hyde, and, unfortunately, the bad side was now rapidly taking
entire possession. Brandy was the chemical that developed the
loathsome self, and now the course was steadily downwards.

About this time a letter had come to Mr. Sackum addressed in a
trembling hand. It was from Davie's mother, ini})loring for infor-
mation regarding her darling laddie, who must be either dead or
" unco sick," as he had not written for many a long day.

Now% Mr. Sackum was a very old-fashioned man, and had a
superstitious notion that the man who forgot his mother ought not
to be trusted with a check roll, and in a long letter of expostulation
and advice he wrote to explain this to Mr. Hacket. Unfortunately
Mr. Fagan was present when the letter arri\ed, and after an extra
glass of Mixem's beer the matter was discussed. "Take my advice,"
said Tommy, "and do not stand this 'cheek'; write and tell him
you do not I'ecognise his right to interfere with your private affairs,"
and a letter was accordingly concocted in which Mr. Sackum was
curtly told that so long as his letters referred to estate matters
they would receive attention, l)ut he (Mr. H.) was quite capable of
managing his own family matters without his interference Does it
surprise anybody, as it surprised poor Davie, that the return post
l)rought an intimation that he would be relieved of his charge in a
month from the date thereof.

Another letter by the same tappal was even more appalling to
Davie, bringing him the terrible tidings that his chum Fagan, in
returning home the otlier night, had ])een })itched from his horse
and had broken his neck.

Poor Hacket's regrets were as useless as his applications for
employment elsewhere ; doum, down, down he went until his best
friends got tired of him. And I shall never forget the last morning
I met him, walking with a boot on one foot, and a canvas shoe on
the other, sunburnt, footsore, filthy, and weary, trudging on through
the wilderness of Saffragam towards Morowaka, Avhere he hoped for
a time to hide from the " cheeky " letters of Abrara Saibo & Co. and
the incjuisitiveness of others ; but even here he was not safe, and the
next I h(!ard of him was that he had got on board a coal ship at
Galle and worked his way — Heaven only knew where !

Let us now for a moment take a parting peep at the poor old

The Old Folks in De.spttir. 1N7

parents at home. The seasons had been ailver.se, and the piice of
oats had fallen from 25s. to 15s., while fat cattle had sunk from £l'8
to £20. In short, the profits were no longer sufficient to meet the
rent of the farm, l)ut these were iiiiiiDr matters compared with theii-
ever-present grief and .suspense regarding their aKsent laddie.
Mr. Hackt't was no longer yonng, and men i-emarkcd wlu'ii they
s;iw him at the market on Fiiday that " (ilenmurchas was age-
ing unco faist." jVJrs. Hacket also was there, for she persisted in
her weekly pilgrimage, bringing a few pounds of butter and a few-
dozen eggs which she could have leadily sold at home. But Baubie
— as unsophisticated friends called hei' — had anothei' object in view.
She hoped against hope that peradventure a letter might be found
at the Post-Office, and week after week .she called, till the official
l)egan to jeer at the "crazy auld wife." Friday after Friday the
two went home together, and the burden of their discourse was ever
"oor Davie" and the missing letters.

Ah ! my dear fledged youths, little do you thiidv, when you
thoughtlessly miss your first mail, of the danger you are drifting
into, and the grief you are brewing for the hearts that dote
upon you. So simple, too, is this sacred duty, and so easily pleased
is the indulgent mother, that, if it be only a scrawl saying you are well
and busy, she is satisfied ; and should it be a discursive Sunday letter,
telling her of the pretty flow-ers or the bonnie black bairnies, she is
deliglited. Anything to show that the heart still clings to home,
and that the other correspondence, even more essential to success, is
still kept up, viz., a correspondence fixed, as our national bard
has aptly put it, wlicir it is "sure a noble anchor." Give up
this, and sooner or later ruin will as assuredly overtake you as
grief will irush the over-fond father and ninthcr you are enjoined to
honour. No careful emi)loyer who stuilies mankind will long con-
tinue to trust a youth who neglects a duty so sucretl, and there is no
cure for a parent's heart broken by cold ingratituile. " Nothing to
write about ! " God help the born idiot who is reduced to this
excuse !

Poor old Mr. Hacket was a taciturn man who .--aid Imt little at
any time, but his wife nmir tli.in niadf U|) f«ii- the deficiency, ami. it
must be acknowledged, occasionally became a trifle tiresome. •" 1
wish we could sometimes talk about something else," he rfmarke<l to
her, in reply '.o the usual tirade as they trudged homeward. " Speak
about something else!" retorted Baubie, -'that's a' ye care, but

188 Travels in Tropical Lands.

everybody liasnii a liert o' stane. I wyte it sets ye weel to say that ;
if the Luhlif. has a faut it "s wccl kent fa hu tak's it o'. Ye ken
yersel' ye was at Strathpeffer for the feck o' a fortnicht an' never
vrat a scrap." And so the poor woman Avent on till exhausted,
when she puckered u}) her li})s and sulked in silence for the rest of
the journey. It was not a cheerful home to arrive at. The servant
"decmie"' had been dismissed for venturing, in an unguarded
moment, to say " Davie maun be an ungratefu' scooneral," and the
neighlwurs had ceased to call, as they wearied of having the loon, as
they said, thrust down their throat every minute. But the poor old
guidman had no such escape; he had reached, too, that critical time
of life when a man most needs comfort and attention, yet often gets
the least, and when the incessant har])ing on a discoi'dant string so
aftects his health and happiness that he is left with but little desire
to continue the struggle.

Baubie was a busy, bouncing bodie, with resources of her own
wdiich never failed her. Unfortunately her means of consolation were
of a kind which added sadly to the discomforts of the guidman.
The washing tidj was her weakness, and on this particular night she
discovered she had a few " duds " to scour, and soon she raised such
a steam and smell as fairly drove her husband out to take a quiet pipe
in the cart shed. This had often happened before, but it occurred once
too often ; he caught a cold, and the day came, alas ! too soon and
unexpected, when a greater grief befell Baubie than the loss of her
Davie — the poor, old, self-denying and much enduring man's cold
rapidly developed into pneumonia, and the end came before the be-
w-ildered wife could believe that he was really ill.

This was more than poor Mrs. Hacket could well endure. Davie
no longer occupied all her thoughts, and there was a tinge of
remorse in her hapless grief wdiich made it all the harder to bear.
Lonely she lived through the winter ; but when the spring came and
the birds began to sing as if nothing had happened, Baubie declared
they would "brak her verra hert." Preparations were now made
for her removal from the farm, but before Whitsunday came there
was another funeral from Glenmurchas, and Baubie herself was laid
beside her dooce, honest man.

About the end of August following the coal ship, u})on which
Davie had worked his way home, returned to Cardiff, and through
the generosity of the owners he was furnished with sufficient funds
to pay his fare noitli. Doubtless it wa.s with but slight misgiving

Davie's Return. 189

that Diivie countutl the liours tluiL would I'lapsc before lu; was again
at the old home, never dieaniing for a moment but that he would
find all just as he liad left it. True, he had not written for three
years ; but he knew he could soon make it "a' richt wi' his mither,"
who m her turn could manage the father, and as for Nancy a feu-
kisses would bring her round I " An' fa kens," he remarked to a
fellow- passenger, " but anither fatted calf may l)e killed the morn."'
" Auch, man, there will be sic fiddling an' dancing till a' be blue
aboot.'' It was eight o clock ere the train came creeping round tlie
hill oil that autumn evening, but it was not dark, and as Davie
crossed the bridge one or two turned round, thinking " surely we have
seen that face before," but, braided as he now was, he was allowed to
proceed unaccosted.

It was gloamiu' when Davie found himself within a few hundred
yards of the familiar steading, his heart dunting audil)ly as lie went
round the peat-stack and listened for the sound of some well-
remembered voice. The old collie dog barked, wagged his tail, and
barked again as if he was doubtful what form his welcome should
take Davie knocked at the door, and a strange girl opened it.

" Is my mither— 1 mean Mrs. Hacket— at liame ?" he said, a.-< he
pushed past her.

" Na, she disna bide here."

" Fat do ye mean ? Faur is she ? "

" Gude sake ! " said the lassie. " Mrs. Racket's deid and buried,
and saes her man tee."

Davie dropped on a chair in the kitehtii, while the la.ssie ran for
the mistress.

"Mercy on 's ! " exclaimed the mi.stress, "is that you, Davie
Hacket ? "

Davie lifted his eyes, but, dazed as he was, he did not at once
recognise Nancy; now the thrifty wife of a thriving young farmer.

Poor Davie was thoroughly floored, and all power ot speech
seemed to leave him on hearing the brief but sad details. Nancy
felt for him as much as it was " proi)cr " for one in her position
to do, and would willingly have sheltered him for tlu' lught, but the
stern guidman took a difTerent view of the matter, and bi.-adly
hinted that Davie must seek other ipiarters. " IJut where will 1
go?" pleaded the poor wastral. "Ye may gang to the tieil if you
like, but you saunna be here," said the inhospitable young farmer.
Davie gathered himself together as best he could, anil strode out into

190 Travels in Tropiad Lands.

tilt' (Lu'kiiess. The duuifouiiilcred collie dog looked after him and
whined. A cold wind now blew from the top of the Knock Hill^
black clouds chased each other across the moon' and by and by the
rain fell in fitful showers. The shivering waif took shelter under a
dry bridge, and, overcome by events, fell a-dreaming, if not asleep.
One can imagine how he was haunted — first by the tappal podian
(])ostboy) in search of letters that never were written ; then a
strange array of Odgers, Fagans, father, mother, and Nance ; after
which there came a hopeless blank.

In this state poor Hacket was found by another tramp of a very
different type, a man who had never been out of Scotland, and who
was not even "passing rich on £40 a year," yet who was making a
name to l)e honoured all the world over. Tam Edwards, the natu-
ralist, in his nocturnal wanderings came upon the Avretched outcast,
and, ruusing him up, handed him over to the nearest policeman.

From that date for several years I lost the thread of Davie's
history. Indeed, I had forgotten his existence, till one day during

IH — , in driving round the district with my good friend, Dr. M ,

we visited the now fully-equipped asylum, and there in a separate
paddock, with a keeper all to himself, was the most repulsive-looking
wreck I had ever beheld. I looked again, and — God guide us 1- I
recognised all that remained of poor Davie Hacket !

Yes, my dear Lord Bishop, you may well sing that in this l)eauti-
ful world —

'• Only man is vile."

INDEX.

PAGE.

I'A(;k.

Acobamba, .

. 21, 44

Cats and Donkeys,

Acres of land selected,

Caxamarca,

Aden, ....

151

Humboldt at, .

Agave, ...

Ceylon

148

All Sing, the Convert, .

Vegetation,

154

Aji. ....

Ferns,

156

Alfalfa

. . 89

)»

Sanatorium.

157

Alpine Plants,

. '. 70

Scenery, ....

158, 159

Altitiule of Stations, .

./ 104

The Leading Ciown Colon.)

160

Amazon Valley, .

t'offee Era.

162

Ambo, ....

Leaf Blight antl Results,

165

Andes, Crossing the. .

»i

New Products, .

165

,, Re-crossing,

>»

Dawn of Tea Era,

167

Analysis of Water,

• I

Singalese History, .

168, 175

Angostura Hitters,

127

Village Life, .

170, 171

A Pretty Harden, .

)»

Dutch Rule, .

175

Arracacha, .

))

British enter Kandy,

173

Ataluiallpa.

Kandy King, The Last, .

170, 174

.Mourners,

100

VeddalLS

174

Aurifennis Rivers,

and Tasmania Contrasted,

175

AiiUl Lang Syne, .

125

CeiTo lie Pasco, ....

. 51, 68

Avocada Peai-s,

Chanchamayo, ....

. 23, 42

Chicla

Bahamas,

119

Chinese in Pern, . 90, 92,

93, 94. 95

Bandarawella.

156

.SirC. Mansfield

on, 96

Banios, ....

Chilians

. 47, 60

Barbadoes,

. 7, 146

Chimborazo

Bauble, The.

124

Chiinl)

ite

. 14, 86

Better Half, .

Chirinioya

. 11, 63

Besotted Men,

Cliolo,

18. 40. 69

Benighted in the Forest.

■ 25

Chuncho, I'hc, ...

Blue Mountains, .

122

Queen

Boiling Spring,

Cinchona, . .

. 24. 44

Bougainvillfa, Discovery i>l

102

Cliinat

e of Central I'erii.

. 41. 71

Hotaiiical Gardens, Trinidai

1, . 127. 133

Cold that Kills. .

Bull Fight, .

Colon,

Coffee,

. 24,

42, 61, 128

Cacao Planting in f!uayai|ui

1, . . 12

Coca,

,, Trinidad

137

Cocoa

Curing,

140

Cacao Walks of San .\ntniii(

142

Convent of San Luis,

Cape (Jooseberry, .

Creepi

rs, . .

134

C'allao

Cromwell's Irishmen,

Cardamons, .

129

Curlou

s Cacti,

Carhuniayo, .

Caribtuan Sea,

119

Darii-n

, ■

Cartavia,

Deadl>

Cave,

Casa (iranda.

Dee and Don,

146

,, Itlaiica Atrocities,

Disscn

bling Priest >.

1!)2

Index.

Difficult Kiirniiii};,
DiiininifU PasseiiRcr, A,
I (own tilt; River Peiene,
Davie Hacket,

Earthquake, .
Eajr, Mr.,

European ('olonists,
Extortionate Taxes,
Eucalypti,

Familiar Flower.s,
FarmiUK under Difficulties
Farewell to Peru,
Fantastic Disj)la,v,
Fertility in Peru. .
Ferguson, Wni., .
A. M. F.,
,, John, .

Filthy Hotel,

Fibres

Kishinj;, (•linni-lni .Manner of
Fish Yarn, .
Flora of Peru,
Forest, Extent of,
Franciscan .Monks,
Frenchmen in Peru.
Froude, .1. .\.,

Geese, ...
German Colony, .
Geography of Plants,
General Caceres, .
(irenada -Gem of tlie West
(iorgeous Climbers,
(juano, ....
Guayaquil, ...
Gnniah,

Hart, Mr., .

Huachas,

Huanaco,

Huancabamba,

Hualla^,'a, Source of,

Huariaca, ...

Hospitality, .

,, of a I'.rilish Coi

House of Mournin,^.
Home Again,
HumbokU,

,, Current,

Huacapistana,

Inca,

Roads, .
Rimiance,

I'AGE.

Incapilka,

125

Inhosi)itable Region, .

Indian Ocean,

177, 190

Indi^ro

lnimi^;ration Scheme, .

Irrigation,

Isthmus of Panama,

. 8, 66

.laniaica.

. 44, 61

Products,

.lunin. . . . .

. 17, 21

,, Lake of, .

Battle of, .

105

Justin Karl Hass Karl.

Jati'oVia Manihot.

155

Kingston,

157

,, Gardens,

169

•• KingChokery,"

Knox, Robert, .

129

Labour Difficulties.

147

Leeches,

105-118

Lesseps' Canal.

Lima, . . . .

Liniena.

Llanui

146

Lol)elia,

Maiiana,

. 51, 65

Marafion,

Matucana,

103

Moinners,

144

Mutiny,

Native Flowei's, .

>>'avigation, .

130

National Guard, .

Negro Girl, .

127

Negro Jealousies,

. 15, 89

Nutmegs,

Oca-iiuina,

Old Prophecy,

OUantay,

Oranges,

Orchids, and on Pcrenc

Orton Professor, .

147

Paeo, . . . .

102

Palcomayo, .

Panama Railway,

Panama City,

Pajonal,

Pa paw,

101

, Parasol Ant,

PAGK.

152

66, 67

7, 121
124

46
48
43
44
32

121

122

169

16, 75, 76

80, 81

20, 70

24
42
16
100
37

121

123

129

54
69
101
132
62
41

(111.

139

Index.

193

PAGE.

I'Ar.K.

Payta,

Sisal Henii)

62, 120

Peru,

Snow,

Pereiie,

. 30, 41, 42

Spanish Lady,

Peruvian Plants. .

Strate<,'ic .Move, .

I'epiier, .

129

Steep Roads,

Planting: Prospects,

Snli-Prefect, .

,, (irievances in .laniaii

;a, 123

Strange Bedfellows,

Plantains, ....

131

Socotra

152

Potato

. 20. 53

Soroche, or .Mountain Sickness,

Port of Spain,

126

•

Poisdiious Kruils, how to kno\

V. . 138

Tanibo

Poniipous Olticial, .

Priests,

Priestly Intolerance, .
Prefect anil Priest,
Prescott, ....

Pizarro,

Public Works.

58
. 14, 65
81
66
10
. 10, 78, 79
59

Tacsonia, ....

Tarnia

I'aliiiot Palm.

Tliunliergia

Thonip.son, ....
Tillandsia, ....
Tobago, ....

62
20

154
62
49
60

143

Tobacco, ....

129

Quanj; Tart, ....

Tomb of Chieftain.

llaiuless District, .

Treeless Plain,

Truxillo

47
13

Kaniosaniy in Trinidad.

126. 137

Trinidad

125

Raniosaniy's Garden, .

137

Protluct-s of, .

128, 133

Itapids on Perene,

Planting Life in. .

134

Itanue,

Kcd Sea Konianees,

130
149

., l:a.vs. . . .

134, 135, 137

Koliert Burns,

124

42
25
33
42

Koutes to Peru, .

Kuni-niaking,

Kulilier, ....

43
129

y cayaii. ....
Intrn.stwortliy Guides.
I iiwelconie \'isjtors.
I rabamba.

Salaverry, ...

I'sneoides

■Santa

. 14, 85

San Bias, ....

Vegetation £.\traordinar.\

"Salt," (! rand Old,

147

Verbena,

Salt, Mountain of.

View, a glorious, .

Saint Days

,, of the Sierra,

Schinus Molle,

Vicuna.

Scraniblinjj; through Forest,

. . 28

Scenery, ....

Wallace, K. U

Shocking Scenes. .

Westward Bound,

Silk Grass, ....

130

AVhat to do with our r.ov>. .

Sierra

. 19, 44

W. \. Lslands,

119

Silver .\linin;.'.

Women,

iMllNir.li \l rllK "HIK.K niK.HN oKHcK. tRXRIiRKX.

BE]SI. HEID & CO..

THE QUEEN'S SEEDSMEN,

ABERDEEN,

Scotland

t T AVINO a large number of old friends and acquaintances amongst
1 the planters of Ceylon, India, <Scc., wr have arranged to make
a speciality of Collections of Vegetable and Flower Seeds
suitable for export, all of the finest (|ualities, which we offer as
follows, post free to all countries to which the Parcel Post late does
not exceed Is. per lb. :—

Collections ot IDeoctablc Scc^s.

Inchidiiig Beans, I'ea.s, Beet, Lubbajjc, Kiilu, Kolil Kabi, Carrot,
Cauliflowei', Celery, Cress, Leek, Lettuce, Mustard, Onion, Parsley, Parsnip,
Radish, Spinach, Tomato, Turnip, &c. 15s. and 20s.

Collections ot jflower SeeOs.

Inchulinj; Asters, Bal.-ani, Cineraria, ( 'lirysantltemuni, Calueularia,
Carnation, Cockscomb, Convoivnlus, Dahlia, (iodetin, Humea, Lobelia, Lirk
spur, Heliotrojie, Mignonette, Marigold, Nasturtium, i'ansy, I'ink, i'utunia.
Poppy, Pliliix, Portulaca, Polyanthus, Ricinus, HhiMltmthe, Stock, Sweet
Peas, Sweet William, Verbena, Walltlowci . Zinnia. 153. and 20s.

-. -J

DC
<

UJ
LU

UJ <;

S OC

I- UJ

< Z

Ul Ul

QC O

It]

Ul O
I 3

1- Q

a:g

O Q-

> <

INEF
LON

I O

O O

2 "

U- <

CO
Q

_l
<

CO
QC
lli

Coffee Pulpers & Coffee Curing Machinery.

WALKER, SONS, & CO., Ltd.

(Late JOHX W'ALKKli & CO.).

Colombo and Kandy, CEYLON

(He.\d Office — 72 Bishopgate Street, London, E.G.),

Manufacturers of all sorts of Machinery for the Pulping and Curinc; of

Coffee, liave arranged to deliver in Lontlon Docks, for transhipment, at
})rice.s which compare favourably with English-made machinery :

WALKERS DOUBLE DISC COFFEE PULPER.

Simple Disc Pulper for Hand, t"2<>

D(»ul)le do. do., £3U

D... do. for Power, €32 to £3.")

Treble do. do., f4L'

Single Cvlinder Pnlper for

Hand, i'47 H>/
Do. do. witli

Elevator for I'ower, tti.">

Prices of larger Pulpers, Curing Machinery, Gearing, Water-Wheels. Turbines,
and Engines and Boilers on Application.

ROAD TRACERS.

'J'liis nell-Liinirii linyhiimenf i.s used bi/ riaitters and Suirei/i^is in all
jMirls of Ceylon, India, and Java.

From the Executive EiiKincLT, T.^voy, Britisli liiirinnli. \\v luivi- ififiveil a most witisfai -
tory testimonial, d.iteii 29tli May, 1885, from wliiili wi- cMnut ttu- following : - " I hnvv the
plea-suru to statu tliat 1 colisiik-r tliu Koad Tracer to In- tlu' iiio.-.t liaiiMy ami at sami- lime
accurati; form of Cljiioniftur I liavu tver used. TIil- wlioleof the six-feet nmil (witli exieptioii
of 6 miles ineviously coiislriirted) from Tavoy to the Siumeae Kronlicr, 106 inilfH. hu been
laid down with the Road Tracer this season. 1884-1885."

Price, packed for Shipment, £2 10s. each.

A// so//> or' Tools lor Estate Cr i.ti v atiov tupft/i'ii.

W. & J. JACKSON'S

TEA PREPARIN

NERy

AND

prise Steam ]6nGinc6, Boilers,
Saw :t6enebe6, ^e.,

MANUFACTURED 15 V

IVIflRSHfllili, SONS, & CO.,

BRITANNIA IRON WORKS AND TRENT WORKS,

GAINSBOROUGH,

ENGLAND.

Address for Telegrams-" MARSHALLS, GAINSBORO .

London Offices. Showrooms, and Stores —

MARSHALLS' BUILDINGS, 79 FARRINGDON ROAD, EC.

Telegrams "ENGINE, LONDON." Telephone- No. 6648.

^^^^^^^\^^^^^^^^^\^^v^^

Indian Branch, Offices and Go-downs —

99 CLIVE STREET & 2S STRAND,

CALCUTTA.

M. S. & CO. HAVE BEEN AWARDED

®ver 250 (5ol^ an^ Silver nl^e^al0

III addition to luiiuejvas iiapdrtunt Money Frizes at tJie
Principal Exiiibitions of all Ahitions

FOR SUPERIOR MACHINERY.

MARSHALL, SONS, & CO., Limited,

BRITAXXIA IRON WORKS AND ritKNT WORKS,

Gainsborough, England.

t-H

o
m

Over 36,000 Engines and Machines made
and supplied.

\ ^afe Drinl^ fori the Tropica.

^'There's a tinn in Belfast makes a safe drink, viz.: —

ROSS'S AERATED WATER.

Strange as it may seem, I found it, and appreciated it, in- the
centre of South America, where no other drink of any kind
could be had ; and so thirsty was I, that I used to take two
bottles to bed with me (at Is. 6d. each ! ), rising refreshed
every morning. It deserves to be better known." —
Extract from a letter of an ex-English Commissioner in
Peru.

. fl. ROSS I SONS,

LIMITED,

Ginger Ale, Aerated, and KoX^
eX^l Mineral Water Manufacturers,

BELFAST.

CURR'S

COFFEE ESSENCE.

y'H'^'M^H''.

/* .Qherkver this Essence has been used, it has been pre-
ferred to all others, both as regards

Strength and plavour.

It has (iAiXKD Tin;

JJ^^igkost ^xoavd at KeK.

whp:revkr put into compftition.

A Special Feature of this ESSENCE is its
similarity to the BEST COFFEE made in
the ordinary way, while it is much more eco-
nomical.

■m-\-^

The "LANCET" Analytical Commission on Food
reported as follows :

"This Essence is evidently A'ery skilfully preparod. Mr. CiRH ha.s
been fairly succe.ssful in prosorvinu llie grateful .ironia nf the
roasted berry." — Lancet.

Prepared by THOMAS GURR & CO.,

Aberdeen Coffee Works. ABERDEEN.

*»

TROPICAL SEEDS & PLANTS,

FOR PLANTERS AND OTHERS IN ALL PARTS OF THE GLOBE.

OEEDS and Plants of Arabian, Liberian, and Maragogipe

o ^ Coffee, China, Assam Indigenous and Assam Hybrid

S Tea, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, Coca Huanuco and Turixillo varieties,

H Annatto, Croton Oil Tree, Sapan Dyewooi, Para, Ceara,

^ and Castilloa Rubbers, Kaitok, Cacao Forastero and other
d

o varieties. Clove, Cardamom Mysore and Malabar varieties,

■*»

2 Vanilla, Arrowroot, Cinchona, Tobacco, Ipecacuanha, Divi-

• Divi, Fourcroya Gigvntia (Mauritius Hemp), Bowstring Hemj).

G Z

'^ Pine Apples of various kinds including celebrated Giant

o Kew (fruits weigh up to 28 lbs. and over), and the admirable

o Ceylon Vegetable and Flower Seeds.

Products post free on application.

§ a, i». iiirir-r-iA»!i &, brothers,

O TROPICAL SEED MERCHANTS AWD WURSBRYMBN

•0

• INTRODUCEKS ANIt (;K<)WKK.S OK

g NEW COMMERCIAL PLANTS,

IMFOKTKHS AM» ■XI'nRr«US Oi

All sorts of Seeds and Plants to and Irjin all parts o! the ".vyrld.

HENARATGODA, CEYLON.

Trlrg rati hie Ad<lrrtt«t-

'•VT^ILLIAM, HENARATGODA. CEYLON.

g Twelve- Fruited Pine Apple Plantains or Rananas various kinds, ^

3 Mangosteen, Sapodilla, Durian, Mangoes various varieties, AUi .

9 X**tor Pear, Coconuts including King and Dwarf varieties. z

c Timber, Fuel, Wind Belt and .Shade Tree Seeds, including r

% Grevillea Kobusta, Krythrina Umbrosa, Albizzia Stipulata, &.c. —

" , «

■g Bulbs, Tubers, Yams, Cyca<ls, Ferns, Orchids, an<l Seeds O

d .

a and Plants of Fruit Trees, Palms, Ornamental Trees, &c. 2

3
O

JS >

oj r

"d CO

I Pr/ce /L/st with Circulars on uarious Commercial

u
o
a
*»

Mropical publications

" de^Ioa Db^ei^Vei'' & " TrJopical Agr^iculljui^i^ti " Office^.

BAILLIE STREET, COLOMBO, CEYLON.

K. G.
Ferguson'a " ("Jeylon Handbook and Directory "—latest Edition—

1,200 pages ... ... ... ... ... 10 00

" Tropical Agriculturist."* Thirteen Annual Volumes, 1881 to .

1894, each .. ... ... ... ... ... 13 ny

Ceylon in 189i-4 (Handsome Volume, Profusely Illustrated) by

•Joiui Ferguson ... ... ... ... ... 6 < Hi

Guide to Colombo, with Map, by G. J. A. Skeen. (3r(i Edition,

illu.strated) ... ... ... ... ... ... \ ')'}

Guide to Kandy and Nuwara Eliya by S. M. Burrows, (3rd

Edition, witli Engravings and Maps) ... ... ... 1 55

Handbook to Kurunegala and its Neighbourhood by Frank H.

Modder. (Ilhi.-trated) ... ... "... ... 1 Uo

Tea Planter's Manual, with Plans of Tea Factories. (T. C. Owen). 4 10

Collee Planter's Manual (for Arabian and Liberian Coffee) .. 2 60

Huried Cities of Ceylon, by S. M- Burrows, CCS. (2ud Edition) 2 10

Tea Culture and Preparation in Ceylon by Practical Planter.s ... 1 22

Tea, Cardamoms and Areca Cultivation in Ceylon ... ... 30

Liljerian Coffee, its History and Cultivation, with colohred drawings .. 5 18

Ail about the Coconut Palm ... .. ... 2 60

All about IndiarubVjer and Guttapercha. 2nd Edition enlarged 2 oH

Ceylon Coffee Soil and Manures, by Hughes ... ... 1 .54

Tlie Coffee Tree and its Enemies, by Nietner. 2nd Edition,

revised by Mr. S. (ilreen .. ... ... .. 1 .ri

All about CfJttee Grub ... .. ... ... ... 1 54

Coffee Leaf Disease .. ... ... ... .. 2 .55

J^razil as a Coffee-growing Countiy... ... ... ... 1 56

Cacao (Illustrated) by Mr. Hart ... ... ... 4 76

Cinciiona Planter's IVIanual, by Owen ... ... ... 4 14

Cinchona Cultivation (Prize Essay), by T. N. Christie ... ... 1 27

All about Spices ... ... ... ... .. 3 64

,\11 about the Palmyrali Palm ... .. ... ... 2 00

All about Aloe and Ramie Fibres, Drugs, Dyes, &c.... ... 1 25

(iold, Gems, and Pearls in Ceylon .. . . ... 4 10

Planter's Note Bo(,k (Planting Molesworth) ... .. H 04

All about Tobacco ... ... ... ... ... ;i 66

Notes on Cardamom Cultivation .. ... .. 1 02

Hook-keeping for Planters, a system of Accounts (by "Double

Entry") adapted to the requirements of Cofiee Planters .. 1 79

Ceylon in the Fifties and Eighties ... ... ., 1 54

Medical Hints for Su|)eriiitendents for the Treatment of Diseases

Peculiar to Ceylon ... ... ... 62

Map of Ceylon — in case .. ... ... .. 10 05

Do on roller... .. ... ... 10 2u

Do on paper ... . .. 5 05

All about Trees for Est.ate Planting, a Manual lor i'ea and Cacao

Planters, &c. (In the Press.) ...
Cey!on Manual of Chemical Analysis : a Handbook of Analysis
con.iected with the Industry and Public Health of Ceylon for
Pl.inters, ('ommercial Men, Agricultural Studetits and ^Iembers
of the Local Boards, by M. Cochran, M..V., k.c.s. (In the Press.)

t^^ When remitting in sterling the value of the Rupee must be taken
to be R17 to £1, and thi.s will include postage, \'c.

* Issued in monthly parts. Subscription Rl4 per aniuun in advance
with postage.

RETURN

CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT

202 Main Library

LOAN PERIOD 1

HOME USE

3 i

ALL BOOKS MAY BE RECALLED AFTER 7 DAYS

Renewals and Recharges may be made 4 days prior to the due dote.

Books may be Renewed by calling 642-3405.

DUE AS STAMPED BELOW

FEB 2 1990

Ainr) Qisc

f^fwi 1 "^ mon

/^UV 1 i jijby

FORM NO. DD6,

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY
BERKELEY, CA 94720

LD 21A-50m-3,'62
'O70<>78l0)476B

University of California

Berkeley

rr^SSTJESBr

KN.V,

U.C. BERKELEY LIBRARIES

CDD7Q25ME5

*•<-•'•..

• •/...XjMj*!-

. '■■■ '^

v^iU-^

' •'■''■ !
i

'-.^t^i^Sk .i. ;