Yale Peruvian expeditions, 1911-1915,
Publications, v. 12.

Peru
12 

77- the fouadiag of a Coltiegt. outhifJColonyV

Cuzco .ctndl ftpuximac*
®i ^S00^ Hardly

lEeprinted from the Bulletin of the American Geographical Society, Vol. XLVI, No. 7, 1914.]

CUZCO AND APURIMAC
A REPORT ON THE COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL OUTLOOK
OP SOUTH CENTRAL PERU
By OSGOOD HARDY, M.A.*
The object of this report is to give as much information as possi
ble about the portion of south central Peru represented by the
Departments of Cuzco and Apurimac, from the standpoint of their
commercial and industrial possibilities. The natural resources and
their uses are considered first, followed by a discussion of present
conditions and possible relations with the outside world. Two
months were spent in the Cuzco basin. Three months were spent
in making a circuit from Cuzco via Abancay, across the Apur
imac at Pasaje, over the cordillera to the Urubamba River at Santa
Ana, up the river to the city of Urubamba, and then back again to
Cuzco. This afforded an opportunity to see conditions at altitudes
varying from 4,000 to 17,000 feet above sea level, giving an acquaint
ance with the tropical, temperate and frigid zones of Peru (Fig. 1).
Although Peru is a country of great mineral wealth, mining is
at present of little importance in the territory under discussion. For
a number of years after the Revolution (1821-24), the Portuguese
operated some silver and copper mines near Vilcabamba, but these
have long since been discontinued. Coal and iron deposits seem to
be nil, although a small vein of the former may be seen near San
Sebastian in the Cuzco basin. A small excavation was made by the
Southern Railroad of Peru, but it was found unprofitable, and at
present all the coal for this region has to be shipped from Mollendo.
At Juliaca some rumors were heard about the Ferrobamba copper
mines. Although these were not then active, it was thought that
when communications were opened up, they would become very
valuable. Later, in Cuzco, an American engineer in the employ
of the company, expressed a similar opinion in regard to its future.
The offices of the Inca Mining Company at Tirapata are passed on
the way up from Mollendo. Although it has been active in the past,
it was not doing anything in 1912. These are the only evidences in
the two departments of active mining in recent years. One is con
stantly hearing of rich prospects. For instance, at Paltaybamba, a
* Mr. Hardy was Assistant on the Peruvian Expedition of 1912 under the auspices of Yale-
University and the National Geographic Society. 500

Cuzco and Apurimac

501

sugar plantation on the Vileabamba River, one half day's journey
from where the river empties into the Urubamba, the proprietor
will gladly show the visitor silver and copper ore which "needs
only capital to produce rich dividends."

Fig. 1— Sketch Map of South Central Peru.

In considering the vegetable products it is well to have clearly
in mind the topography of the regions visited. For the most part
this is a high puna country, a rolling plateau covered with thick
clumps of ichu grass which is useful as fodder and thatch. The
plateau is broken by numerous deep and steep-sided river valleys.
The only wild vegetation is the grass on the highlands, and under-

502

Cuzco and Apurimac

brush on the sides that becomes denser on the lower slopes until, in
the valley bottoms, where there is rain enough, it becomes a dense
tropical jungle. No timber growth, however,- is especially valuable.
On the plateaus there are a few molle or pepper trees similar to

o I

those in California, but much smaller than those of that state.
Eucalyptus is a success wherever cultivated. Although crooked
and gnarled, the tough and hard timber of the valleys is used to
advantage by the Indians in making their agricultural implements.

Cuzco and Apurimac

503

The lack of toy tree growth around Cuzco has given rise to a con
siderable trade in wood taken from the valleys to the city, where it
is used as fuel for cooking purposes (Fig. 2) . The Urubamba valley
is the chief source for this trade. A large number of the river valleys
have but a scanty growth, and where the Apurimac was crossed at
Pasaje, nothing but extensive stretches of cactus and thornbush
were encountered. The scarcity of timber may be best illustrated
by the fact that the railroad ties are shipped from the United States,
and that the telegraph poles are made from iron, to resist alike the
ravages of man and insect. Some of the hard woods of the tropical
valleys are handsome and might be used for cabinet purposes were
they not so difficult of access.

Fig. 3— Grinding maize at Colpani. A native hut.
The cultivated vegetable resources may be divided into three
classes according to altitude. Above 12,000 feet, the only plant
grown is the potato, which is a native of this region and Bolivia.
It is of good quality although small, but is seldom eaten until after
it is subjected to a drying and freezing treatment which reduces
the weight considerably, makes the tuber more wholesome according
to report, and certainly adds an insipid quality that renders it
highly unpalatable to the average foreigner. As the potato belt
extends from 13,500 feet down only to 8,000 feet, there is a large
trade in carrying potatoes to the valleys below. From 12,000 to
10,000 feet, wheat, barley and oats are raised extensively, while from

504 Cuzco and Apurimac
10,000 to 8,000 feet maize is added to the list of cereals (Fig. 3).
Around Cuzco, grain is the chief article grown, and the upper ,
Urubamba valley is known as the bread region of the country.
Below this limit, the Apurimac and Urubamba valleys are lined
with cane and coca plantations, the former producing sugar, chicha
(a native drink corresponding to our cider), and white rum, while
the coca plant provides a leaf that the natives are constantly chew
ing (Fig. 4). The tropical fruits, oranges, limes, bananas, alligator
pears, etc., all grow here and are of excellent quality. Few of them
are shipped excepting from the valleys to such centers as Cuzco and
Abancay, the markets for the fruits of this region.
This part of Peru is not very well supplied with wild animal life.
The vicuna, the smallest of the camel tribe, a cousin of the llama,
alapaca, and guanaco, and like the last in that it has never yet
been tamed, is occasionally seen. Blankets made from its wool, and
costing from $25 up, are in fair supply, which seems to indicate
that its destruction goes on in spite of the law prohibiting it. In
the mountains a small rodent called the viscacha lives among the
rocks, while mice, guinea pigs and foxes are found in the lower
punas. Bears and jaguars are said to make their appearance at
times in the wilder portions of the country. Deer are quite plenti
ful in the cordillera between the Apurimac and Urubamba rivers
and supply very good venison. Birds are numerous in all sections.
In the mountains, the condor is almost constantly in sight along
with falcons, eagles, Andean gulls, black ibis, egrets and crows.
Around the wetter parts of the punas there is a great variety of
ducks, geese and flamingoes, with plover and partridges in the
drier parts; In the valleys, parrots, humming-birds, thrushes, and
countless other birds are always present. The rivers are said to be
filled with fish but no evidence of this was obtained. The fish con
sumed in Cuzco come from Mollendo or Lake Titicaca.
There are, however, a large number of domestic animals. Around
Cuzco the first to be mentioned is, of course, the llama, useful as a
beast of burden and for its wool. It is used chiefly above 10,000
feet and almost exclusively by the Indians. Its value as a means of
transport is limited by the fact that it can carry only loads weigh
ing less than 100 pounds. After it becomes too old to work the
Indians kill it, using the flesh to make a kind of jerked meat. The
ordinary price of a llama is about $5. Sheep are grown in the puna
region, their value depending chiefly on the length of time since
they were last sheared. As a result it is often quite difficult to
purchase them and prices vary from seventy cents to several dollars.

Cuzco and Apurimac

505

They are largely used by the natives for food, and in almost every
pack train the carcass of a sheep may be seen. Goats are raised
exclusively in the rocky sections and are valued largely for their
wool. Cattle raising is carried on to some extent between 8,000 feet
and 13,000 feet, principally for hides, although there is a small

Yiq. 4 — Santa Ana. Near view of coca plant.

market for beef in Cuzco. The demand for dairy products is strong
and at present far surpasses the supply. The natives do not under
stand the use of cream, but use a great deal of milk with their
coffee. In the Cuzco basin there are a number of fine oxen, used

506

Cuzco and Apurimac

for agricultural purposes. Horses are of course abundant. Most
of the owners of the haciendas have very good mounts, but the
average Indian's horse, when he has any, is a rather poor specimen.
In fact, when the writer landed in New York on his return, the
horses there seemed so large that it was some time before he could
become accustomed to their size. The great mainstay of the region
for transportation purposes is the mule, smaller than the American
mule, but with a better disposition, and with marvelous ability in
mountain climbing. A good mule is worth from $50 to $100, while
$150 is not an uncommon price for an exceptionally good one
(Fig. 5). Burros are largely used by the Indians, but are not valu
able, as they can carry only small loads. All these animals 'have the
idiosyncrasy of thinking they are roped the moment they1 feel the

Fig. 5— Huadquina. Mules carrying cane.

line fall across their necks, and will invariably stop" without giving
the rope a trial as would an American beast. In the valleys they are
greatly troubled by the murcielago, a vampire bat which attacks
them at night and sucks their blood. In large measure these can
be kept off by the use of blankets. It was further observed that
the animals whose backs were in good condition were generally
unmolested. The natives seem to take no precautions against these
pests. At Pasaje, all the animals had been killed off, while in the
Urubamba valley, the majority seemed to be in a weakened con
dition. These are the natural resources of this part of Peru. It remains,
then, to consider its relation with the outside world. Since the

Cuzco and Apurimac 507
building of the Southern Railroad, communication with Cuzco has
been fairly easy. The mail service is good as far as first-class matter
goes, but all packages should be sent by registered mail. The city
of Cuzco itself has a small telephone system, and has two outside
telegraph connections, the government line extending to Lima, and
the railroad line connecting with Mollendo via Arequipa. By these
lines, cables messages may be sent to all parts of the world. Mol
lendo, the port of entry for this region, is served by a number of
steamship lines, the most important being the Royal Mail, the
Pacific Steam Navigation Co. and the Peruvian, Chilean, and
Kosmos lines. These lines make weekly and fortnightly calls, an
average of over thirty vessels entering the port every month.
Freight is handled also by a number of private lines such as that
of W. R. Grace & Co. At the present time it takes six and a half
days from Panama to Callao, and two days from there to Mollendo.
From Mollendo to Cuzco is a matter of three or four days accord
ing as one takes the weekly express or the twice-a-week local. All
steam communication ends at Cuzco, and from that point one has
to employ the mule, burro, llama, or Indian, the mule pack train
being the common method of transportation. The average price
for the mule pack train was quoted as about a half cent a pound
of freight per day, covering a distance of from fifteen to twenty-
four miles, depending on the gradient of the trail. There is only
one road in this section, the old stage road from Cuzco to Sicuani.
With the coming of the railroad the old stage line went out of busi
ness, and with its departure the number of wheeled vehicles has
been reduced almost to zero. While the writer was in Cuzco only
one was seen.
For the average foreigner the next question relates to the climate.
Around Cuzco it is excellent. During June and July it is cold,
with ice on the water in the mornings, and snow on the mountains.
It grows warmer through August, September and October, but
remains without rain during these months. In November the rains
begin as daily thunder showers, increasing in duration until in
January and February it rains almost continuously, decreasing
again through March, April, and May. The same conditions prevail
in the greater part of the region, the rains being somewhat later
in the lower country, while in the higher portions between the two
great rivers the sky is overcast the greater part of September and
October, with weekly rains. Along the river valleys the climate is
quite trying. It is very hot and sticky, with the ever present fly
and mosquito to emphasize the fact. If one enjoys, hot weather,

508 Cuzco and Apurimac
however, this valley climate is in some places very delightful. To
the writer, the climate of the Urubamba valley around Santa Ana
seemed particularly pleasant.
In Cuzco there is a great deal of typhoid fever, due to the
unsanitary condition of the city. On the higher plateaus, when we
were there, smallpox was decimating the population frightfully
and little or no effort was made by the government to help stamp
it out. Malaria was quite prevalent in the valleys, but did not
seem to cause much alarm. These diseases, however, need not affect
the foreigner who takes the trouble to be vaccinated for typhoid
and smallpox before leaving home for Peru, and uses quinine as a
prophylactic while in malarial districts. Dysentery is more danger
ous and nearly every one suffers more or less from it. This, how
ever, can be held in check by sufficiently large doses of bismuth
subnitrate. The great trouble is that not enough of the drug is
used before the disease becomes serious. While there is much dis
ease, the ordinary foreigner may escape by taking necessary pre
cautions. In this region there is no medical aid to be obtained
excepting in Cuzco. Dangerous cases have to be taken to Arequipa,
where the treatment is poor in comparison with that of our own
country. There is a great opening for a competent medical man in
this part of Peru.
The next consideration for any one who contemplates starting an
industry here is the labor supply. This region suffers from the same
trouble that is affecting the rest of Peru. Time and again, as an ex
cuse for the dearth of labor, we were told: "No hay gentes," — there
are no people. Even the Peruvians cannot get a sufficient labor
supply to carry out their own projects. The country is, for the most
part, divided into haciendas or fincas with areas varying from a
few hundred acres to those whose owners count their land by the
square mile, as in the case of the hacienda Huadquina which has a
frontage of thirty miles on one river and forty on another. The
difference between a hacienda and a finca is the same that marks
the difference between a farm and a plantation in the United States,
that is, a difference in location. But there is this distinction that,
in the United States, a farm is usually a landed estate in the North,
while a plantation is a landed estate in the South. In Peru a finca
is a landed estate in the uplands, where it is cool, while the hacienda
is in the warm valleys of the lowlands. The labor in both cases is
performed by Indians who receive their houses, a small portion of
land for tillage, and some grazing privileges free of charge. In
return they are bound to work for the proprietor when necessary

Cuzco and Apurimac

509

at wages varying from ten to fifty cents a day. The estates are
usually in charge of a mayor-domo, the owners preferring the life
of the larger cities.
In spite of the high birth rate, from ten to fifteen children being
the usual number, the population is not greatly increasing as infant
mortality is very high and the diseases mentioned above exact a
fearful toll. In addition, the supply of labor is not so great as the
total population would seem to indicate, for labor efficiency is low.
The Indian has no ambition, perhaps because of the repression of his
ancestors in the colonial period, or owing to the effects of constant
coca chewing. At any rate, all the Indian wants is barely enough
to live on. Higher wages, therefore, offer no inducement to him to

Fig. 6— HuadquiHa. Indian Houses.
work harder, but rather less. Further, he has to stop every few
weeks to celebrate one of the innumerable feast days. To these
must be added other days devoted to sobering up, for no feast is
properly celebrated unless a large part of those engaged in it
become intoxicated. As the Indian's food is chiefly parched corn,
dried mutton, and potatoes, the production of which requires only
a minimum of work, it will be seen that there is little inducement
for him to work — consequently he does not (Fig. 6).
In every line of work the people are very primitive. The laborer 's
tools are such as have been in use for centuries. They are the short-
handled, broad-bladed hoe, a spade with a knife-like blade three
inches wide and a foot long, with handle some ten feet in length,

510 Cuzco and Apurimac
and the machete, used chiefly in the valleys in cutting sugar cane
and clearing the underbrush. Of these, the hoe is chiefly used, the
spade being seen only in connection with potato 'growing. In the
management of the estates we found a variety of conditions. In
one, for example, we found a modern hydro-electric plant which did
all the work of crushing, and supplied light for a very fine hacienda.
The crushers and electric plant were of American manufacture,
while the distilling plant was of German make ; which was true of
every hacienda visited. In contrast to La Estrella, we found at
Santa Ana that the water power was applied directly to the crushers,
and the still was several hundred years old. In another place,
where the most primitive methods were in use, the crushing was
done by ox power. In the grain region, conditions are even less
modern. The plowing is done mostly with a wooden plow drawn
by oxen or by hand. The grain is cut with a sickle, carried to the
threshing floor on the backs of Indians or burros, and threshed with
curved sticks or by the treading of oxen. There seems to be a better
knowledge of irrigation methods, due, no doubt, to the inheritance
of the old water systems of the Incas, which were very well laid out.
The* sugar plantations are in the larger river valleys near the
streams, as frequent irrigation is necessary for the best growth of
the sugar cane. In the rainy season, irrigation may be dispensed-
with, but in the dry season it is extensively carried on. In this
industry considerable skill is shown, rotation of crops is practiced,
and the cane is planted and cut at such intervals that there is always
a supply ready for the crushers. The time necessary for growth
varies with the amount of water available and the climate. On the
Apurimac, at Auquibamba, it was found that only~three cuttings
were possible at intervals of three years, three years after planting.
At Santa Ana, on the other hand, the first cutting takes place one
year from the planting, and goes on annually for ten years before
it has to be replanted. The coca industry is said to pay better than
the sugar industry where both can be carried on. The leaves (the
commercial product) are picked by women from the low shrub,
which is planted in long rows for irrigation and much resembles a
field of belle-peppers in California. The leaves are then dried for
a day, during which they are constantly turned over and over, and
then packed in banana leaves ready for shipment.
In the light of these conditions it is doubtful if there is a wide
opening for modern agricultural machinery in this section. Although
the climate is favorable, the labor supply is lacking. The chief
hindrance, however, is the lack of good transportation facilities

Cuzco and Apurimac 511
from the valleys to the markets, both local and foreign. At the
present time, none of the haciendas are working to their full capac
ity, as the market for sugar and rum is quite well supplied. The
only remedy lies in export, but the transportation facilities are
anything but favorable. Modern agricultural methods would in
crease the output, but not the demand. All the goods would have
to be transported to Cuzco by mule and from there shipped by rail
at very high rates to Mollendo, with high, steamship rates. From
no standpoint, therefore, is there as yet much inducement for for
eign capital to enter this region to start agricultural industries.
With regard to advantages offered to manufacturers it may be
said that wool is the only raw material that would be an asset, and
this would be more than offset by the poor labor supply, the high
cost of transportation, and the fact that the Indian is quite willing
to see his wife do the family spinning and weaving. Cotton is
manufactured in some parts of Peru, but not in this region. There
are several woolen factories in and around Cuzco, but they have
not as yet built up a large trade. ' It is likely that the Indian will
not be enticed from his home-made poncho for some time to come.
The only growing industries are those of some brewing companies.
The German breweries are doing a large business, but the National
Company is not as yet very successful. The market for beer is
limited by the fact that the Indian still prefers his native chicha
made from corn in the uplands and from sugar cane juice in the
valleys, and the number of Peruvians of the upper class here is
relatively small.
For the American manufacturer who wishes to sell goods here,
the outlook is slightly better. In 1909 Cuzco was reached by the
railroad, which is beginning to bring to the inhabitants some of
the comforts and labor-saving devices of civilization. There is at
present a constant demand for a few lines such as cotton goods,
canned foodstuffs, cheap grades of hardware, paints and oils, patent
medicines, toilet preparations, etc. These are the goods that find
readiest sale here.
The Departments of Cuzco and Apurimac have a population of
615,000, according to the census of 1896. The vast majority are
Indians with simple wants. It is possible that new wants may be
created and new methods taught, but it can be only by actual and
repeated demonstrations of the advantages offered. In developing
these demands the exporter will find that he must grant long term
credits; ascertain just what is wanted and supply exactly that;
spend much money in developing trade without expecting imme-

512 Cuzco and Apurimac
diate returns, and attend very carefully to the details of packing
and shipping. Even when these conditions are met, the opportu
nities for foreign trade are slow in developing. The people are
poor, unambitious, and content with their lot. Any campaign of
trade here must be primarily one of education.

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