sired to show their appreciation of my conduct in the Sumbay
bridge affair, and on their behalf he presented me with two thousand
dollars. Manuel, too, came in for his share of honors and praise. He
was presented with five hundred dollars by the Prefecto of Puno and
two hundred dollars by the company--more money than he had ever seen
in his life, or ever hoped to possess. Deserving fellow, his eyes
streamed with tears of joy and gratitude when he received the money
which would now enable him to own a comfortable home. His pleasure was
even greater the next day, when I gave him one thousand dollars.

[Illustration: THE HOME VOYAGE OF THE AVEN WAS FRAUGHT WITH ALL THE
DANGERS OF THE SEA. (Page 26)]

A month later, and Arequipa was wild with excitement. War had been
declared by Chile against allied Peru and Bolivia. It was a sad blow,
as Peru had been extremely prosperous and was rapidly forging ahead in
the commerce of the world. I had concluded to leave the country and
seek some other field, when a call was made to the railroad men to
assist the government to convey troops from the interior to the coast.
I responded and was sent to Santa Rosa on the proposed railway to
Cusco, the ancient capital of Peru. Here a great number of Indians
were huddled together to be sent to Arequipa, and drilled and sent to
the coast. They were abject and disconsolate. The priests were calling
on them to be brave and return victorious. These people had never seen
the ocean and had never lived in an altitude of less than two miles.
There was much suffering in store for them under the tropic sun of the
coast. I asked an officer if he thought these men would make good
soldiers. He replied with an air of great importance, and looking
quite serious, that he had received word that the Chilean navy was
coming to bombard Mollendo, and it was his intention to instruct the
Indians in the use of the rifle. When the ships came near enough, he
would station his men among the rocks and shoot the sailors off the
decks. This, too, with flint lock rifles--a sample of the calibre of
the Peruvian officer of the interior and his unfortunate Indian
soldiers.

After getting to the head of the Tambo valley, I proceeded to
Mollendo and found a terrible state of affairs. Everyone was expecting
the Chilean fleet; men and women were carrying their household goods
to the mountains. At sight of every ship on the horizon, whether
sailing vessel or steamer, a cry would