The boy travellers in South America

Front matter

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THE BOY TRAVELLERS IN

SOUTH AMERICA

Preface

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

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

Many works of travel have been examined in the preparation of this book. Some of these are mentioned in the narrative, but it has not been practicable to refer to all. The author acknowledges his great indebtedness to that prince of travellers, Alexander Von Humboldt, whose graphic description was the first adequate picture of the South American continent ever presented to the world. He is specially indebted to the admirable work of the Hon. E.George Squier, upon "Peru and the Land of the Incas," not alone for information about the country and people, but

6 PREFACE.

for several illustrations which have been kindly loaned for this volume. He is also under obligations to the following books: "The Andes and the Amazon," by Professor James Orton ; "Brazil and the Brazilians," by J. C. Fletcher and D. P. Kidder ; " Life in Brazil," by Thomas Ewbank; "Fifteen Thousand Miles on the Amazon," by Brown and Lidstone ; " Brazil, Amazons, and Coast," by H. H. Smith ; " Wanderings in Patagonia," by J. Beerbohm ; " Across Patagonia," by Lady Florence Dixie ; and, " The War between Peru and Chili," by Clements ~R. Markham. The reports of the surveys and explorations of the various proposed routes for an interoceanic canal have supplied important data, and the officers of the company engaged in cutting the Panama Canal have cheerfully answered the author's interrogatories concerning that enterprise.

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

T. W. K

New York, July, 1885.

Contents

CHAPTER I. p AGE From New York to the Isthmus of Panama. — Incidents of the Voyage. — Old Times and the Present. — Aspinwall. — A Tropical City. — The Teredo. — Entrance of the Panama Canal , 13

Chapter II

First Day on the Isthmus. — The Panama Canal. — History of the Canal Enterprise. — Plans of Balboa and Others. — The Various Routes Proposed. — Strain's Survey of Darien. — Visiting the Works at Panama 27

CHAPTER HI.

Over the Isthmus. — A Profitable Railway. — Isthmus Fever. — Tropical Trees, Flowers, and Animals. — Sights in Panama. — The Cathedral. — A Stroll on the Beach. — The Paradise of Conchologists 43

Equestrians and their Costumes. — Ladies of Lima. — Excursions among Ruins. — Pachacamac, a Holy City. — The Ancient Peruvians. — Origin of the Inca Government 160 yiii CONTENTS.

Chapter X. Page

Railways over the Andes. — Erom Lima to Mollendo, Arequipa, and Lake Titicaca. — The Chincha Islands and the Soda Deserts. — Up the Andes bt Steam. — In a Railway Carriage Fourteen Thousand Eeet Above the Sea 177

CHAPTER XL Puno and Lake Titicaca. — Coca and its Properties. — The Llama and his Kindred.

— Excursion to the Sacred Island oe the Incas 193

The Sights of Rio. — Public Buildings, Aqueduct, Churches, Miracles, and Funerals. — Visit to Tijuca and Petropolis. — The Serra 373

Chapter XXIII

Railways in Brazil. — Coffee Plantations. — Mandioca and its Culture. — Terrible Famines. — Slavery and Emancipation 390

CONTENTS. ix

CHAPTER XXIV. page

Return to the Capital. — Inteudo Sports. — Museum at Rio. — Montevideo and Buenos Atres. — The Argentine Republic. — Ascending the River Plate 404

Chapter XXV

Visiting a Cattle Estate. — The Lasso and Bolas. — Ascending the Paraguay and Parana Rivers. — Rosario and Asuncion. — Paraguayan War. — Industries op the Country. — Mate" 420

Chapter XXVI

Return to Buenos Ayres. — Dividing the Party. — Two Routes to Valparaiso. — Erank's Journey over the Pampas. — Mendoza. — At the Eoot op the Andes.. . 437

Chapter XXVII

Incidents op a Ride over the Andes. — Contract with the Arriero. — Passes Between Chili and the Argentine Republic. — Night Scenes. — Dangers of the Road. — A Perilous Position. — Uspallata. — At the Crest of the Andes 453

Chapter XXVIII

Down the Western Slope of the Andes. — A Long Imprisonment in the Snow. —

"The Soldier's Leap." — Santa Rosa. — Santiago. — Arrival at Valparaiso 469

Chapter XXIX

Strait of Magellan. — Falkland Islands. — A Penguin City. — Sandy Point. — Hunting the Ostrich and Guanaco. — Patagonian Giants 485