The New York Times, December 31, 1858, p.2:
VOYAGE TO SOUTH AMERICA.Arrival in Callao Bay--Appearance of the Country--
The Peruvians and their Troubles with Ecuador--The Steamer Lines, &c.
From Our Own Correspondent.
CALLAO BAY, Wednesday, Nov. 10, 1858.
We arrived here this morning at sunrise. After leaving Payta, my last date, an easy day's steaming brought us to San José, the port of Lambayeque.
There is no harbor, and in fact scarcely any indentation in the coast line. It is only an open and perilous roadstead. Six vessels lay at anchor, about two miles out. Even whaleboats cannot live in the surf along shore.
Rafts made of light timber are employed for landing and embarking all goods, baggage or passengers. These carry a sail, and are manned by six or eight Indians, men of medium height and rather stoutly built. The rafts are dangerous affairs. Sometimes they part asunder. Not long ago as many as 49 persons were drowned in this way.
When the surf is too violent for even these rafts to be used, the only means of communicating with ships, from the shore, is to send off what is called a caballito, or pony, made of rushes; resembling two Carolina potatoes, side by side, bound together by the small ends. On this the Indian sits, and, wet to the skin of course, works his way through the most fearful breakers with impunity.
The exports of this section of coast are tobacco, in considerable quantities, and sugar. A countryman of ours, named Captain BARNEY, of New-Haven, has a sugar-mill for grinding the cane. This is sent to different points on the coast, in the coarsest form of brown sugar, called Chancaca. Its principal use is the manufacture of rum. Its price, when shipped, is about $3 a cwt. In Lima it sells for $6. The amount of freight shipped on these freighters has increased very much, and is every day augmenting.
The appearance of the port, from the ship, as of all the neighboring coast, is most arid and uninviting.
Ninety-eight miles to the south, and the steamer called at the port(!) of Huanchaco; bad enough, though not quite so bad as the last one. Here launches, built in whale-boat fashion, get through the surf and reach the ships. An antique church stands on the bluff behind the port, built in memory of some Spanish mariners, who, many years since, perished near by. Through the glass something like a garden could be seen ashore, and two palm trees; but all the rest wore the arid look of a desert.
The launches are manned by nine or ten Indians each, and are propelled by eight oars. Horses, poultry, pigs, and bales of red peppers were brought on board for Callao, also a small amount of silver, in bar and coined. The steamer going north usually conveys more of this latter article en route for England.
Between this latter port and Callao there are two or three minor ones, as Casma, Huacho, and Huarl, at which the mail steamer does not call. A smaller boat called the Inca runs to these ports as well as to others south of Callao. From Huanchaco to Callao is a little less than two days' easy steaming.
Arriving here, we find the Peruvians busy in the commencement of hostilities with their neighbors of Ecuador. I wrote you that we had found a Peruvian frigate blockading Guayaquil. To-day two steamers have been dispatched from this port, with troops to the number of 1,000 men, to land at Guayaquil, and even march on Quito, the capital.
The question turns on a portion of territory which has been pledged by Ecuador to its English bondholders; but Peru claims it, and seems determined to sustain the claim by force. About six hours ago the steamers with the troops, infantry and cavalry, left this harbor for the north.
The political condition of Peru is ever unpromising. The country is overburdened with military men; the army and its dependents devour the substance of the nation; and hardly ever is there lack of a "General" to head a revolution and overthrow the Government.
The steamer Valparaiso came in on the 10th from the south. Chile is in peace, although an attempt had [been] made to take the President's life. It had been frustrated and the affair kept as quiet as possible.
Lieutenant GILLISS and Mr. RAYMOND are on board the Valparaiso on their return from the Astronomical expedition. They are well. They have extended their trip to Chile, where Mr. G. has been received cordially by his former acquaintences.
There are no foreign ships of war here at present, either of the French, American or British flag.
The Pacific Steam Navigation Company, (British,) i. e., the line from Valparaiso to Panama, have recently put in two new boats, called the Cloda and Prince of Wales, both propellers. The Lima has been sent to England for new engines. The Bogota is also to return home, at once, for a similar purpose. I think they have six boats now running on the coast.
The railway from this port to Lima is in successful operation. About six trains pass over the road daily. The fare is 50 cents in first-class cars, and 25 cents in the second--distance being eight miles. Smoking is practised in all the cars without any restriction whatever.
I visited the Mint. The machinery is of Philadelphia make, said to be like that of the United States Mint. However, all was at a stand-still; no coining; no silver.
I also went to the Chamber of the Senate. It is in the old Inquisition. In fact, the Senate meet in the former hall of audience, where those fearful trials took place. The ceiling is a wonderful piece of the most intricate and elaborate carved work. The apartment is full small, though large enough, I suppose, for the assembly that gathers within it.
It will be interesting to ship-owners to know that a sectional dock is to be laid down on the island of San Lorenzo, which bounds this bay on the west. The workmen engaged to set up this dock came down with us in this steamer. The owner of the enterprise is a Mr. TERRY, a Peruvian. The dock was built in Jersey City.
The steamers on this coast leave Panama, coming south, twice a month, on the 15th and 30th, at 10 A. M. They arrive at Callao on the 26th and 10th, and at Valparaiso on the 7th and 23rd of each respective month, thus making about 25 days for the entire distance from Panama to Valparaiso. The fare is $290. From Valparaiso to Panama it is $50 less.
The amount of shipping in this bay is less than ususal.
Our Minister to Bolivia, General SMITH, has decided to remain a fortnight in Lima before proceeding to his post.
X. X.
COAST OF PERU, Thursday, Nov. 18, 1858.
We are south of Arica in the British steamer Bolivia, Captain JOHNSTON. Left Callao on the 13th, and next morning at 9 were off the anchorage of the Chincha Islands.
Comparatively few ships are loading. It is said there is a better prospect for charters at present than there has been. The supply of guano is still immense--enough to meet the foreign demand, as well as furnish the apple of discord for the political aspirants of Peru for years to come...
Gen. SMITH of Connecticut, Minister to Bolivia, concluded to remain in Lima for two weeks, with Mr. CLAY.
From the Chinchas two hours' steaming brought us to Pisco. From this port... oranges and sweet potatoes are exported to other parts of the coast. Our decks are completely filled up... Even the hurricane deck has bags of produce piled up on it. At Pisco an iron pier is in process of construction.
Our next stopping place was Chala, a new port, at which the steamers have called for only about eight months. Near it there are some rich copper mines, yielding, I hear, sixty-seven per cent. The Peruvian Government have stationed a hulk at Chala for passengeres and goods when the surf is too strong for a safe landing to be effected; as was the case when we called there. Owing to the heavily-laden condition of this ship, we were several hours behind our time, not getting there till 8 P. M.
The next night, at 10, we reached Islay, the landing port of Arequipa, again behind time. This was the seat of war in the late revolution. Here CASTILLA attacked VIVANCO in April last, and carried the city by storm. Business is now resuming its wonted course. Our freight for Islay was very large.
Yesterday morning the Volcano of Arequipa was in sight from the ship--a beautiful cone. It is not in action at present. It seems to be west of the Snow Mountains; at least, there is no appearance of snow on it.
The coast is uninteresting. The only variation in its outline occurs in the case of river valleys coming down from the Snow Mountains. The is scarce any appearance of vegetation in a week's voyaging.
Last night, at 1 o'clock, we reached Arica. This is the port of Tacus, with which town there is connection by railroad. We were twelve hours behind time. Our speed has been very slow--not more than six or seven knots at any time.
Here considerable improvement has been effected. A pier has been erected, as well as at Islay and Chala. But all these are poor harbors at the best.
We left Arica at eight this morning, and are now running along not more than a mile and a half from the shore. This is precipitous; in fact, for miles and miles it has been perpendicular. It seems about 300 feet high, but the surveys of FITZROY, the Captain tells me, give the height between 3,000 and 4,000 feet. Not a tree, not a plant, not even a blade of grass, has been seen, from the base to the summit of these bluffs, during the sail of four hours we have made this morning in sight of them.
FRIDAY, Nov. 19. Still the same arid, treeless and high coast. All sight of the snow mountains is intercepted by these shore bluffs, from which our distance varies from one to three miles. There seem to be no shoals here, and no sunken rocks save close in shore.
Last night at 10 we reached Iquique. This is the por from which saltpetre is exported in great quantities. Eight or ten ships were at anchor. There is not enough water here for drinking. They distil sea-water for this purpose, advertising to supply ships with it at the rate of 2½ cents the imperial gallon.
The amount of dissapation here is dreadful. Men plead the scarcity of water as a reason for planting the seeds of the deeper and more unslakable thirst of the inebriate.
Iquique is certainly one of the last places at which a man might choose to pass his days, or even a portion of them. The cargo for this port was very abundant, consisting chiefly of vegetables and fruits from the more northern and favored parts of Peru.
We are behind time about twelve hours, and therefore call at all these ports at night. To-night again we are to call at Cabijah, the only seaport of Bolivia. This is situated in the desert of Atacama, and is also a wretched place. The journey thence to Potosi is made on mules, for hundreds of miles through a desert tract. There are two ways of reaching that seat of fabled wealth, one from Cobija, the other by Arica. The latter is the more expeditious route, but, from having to climb the mountains more abruptly, the traveler is liable to the peculiar disease of the mountains called sirocho or puna. It is said that nearly every one suffers from it on rising to the higher elevations of the Andes. However, it is not merely a matter of height, since persons have often been attacked when nine thousand feet high, and not attacked at higher elevations.
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