A short period of tranquillity was thus restored to the Peruvian provinces ; but viceroy having been sent from Spain a few years afterwards, according to a new arrange ments of the Spanish settlements in America, fresh dis turbances arose. Gonzalo, the brother of Pizarro, at the head of the insurgents, marched to Lima, and compelled the court of audience to nominate him governor of Peru ; and the viceroy Nugnez Vela, was afterwards defeated and slain at Quito in 1546, by the daring usurper of his autlio ity. Pedro de la Gasca was dispatched from Spain with Lnlimited authority to suppress these dissentions; and Gonzalo, attempting to make head against him, was de serted by his troops, and brought to capital punishment along with several of his associates. For several years the Peruvian states were distracted by the insurrections of other ambitious chiefs ; but the royal authority of the Spanish monarch was at length completely established over the whole of that extensive country.
Peru is traversed by two chains of mountains from north to south, in directions nearly parallel. One is the great central chain of South America, or the Cordillera of the Andes ; and the other, which is much lower, is called the Cordillera of the coast. The more inland mountains are steep and rugged, and of immense height. Their sum mits are perpetually covered with snow ; and there are sufficient evidences of volcanoes having formerly existed in some of them. The mountains nearer the coast are parti ally covered with forests, and abound in mines of gold, silver, copper, tin, sulphur, &c.
The principal rivers in Peru, originating in the Andes, run eastward to the Atlantic Ocean. Those which fall into the Pacific Ocean are generally small, and some of them are dry during half the year. There are several ex tensive lakes in Peru, particularly that of Titicea, in the valley of Callao, upwards of 60 leagues in circumference.
The climate of Peru varies, of course, according both to the latitude and the elevation of its numerous districts. In the Sierra or High Peru, between the two ranges of mountains already mentioned, the heat of summer prevails in the valleys, while the more piercing cold is felt in the mountains; but if we may judge from the longevity of the inhabitants of this district, the climate must be remark ably salubrious, the climate of Low Peru particularly. In the vicinity of Lima, the variations of temperature are very inconsiderable. The thermometer is never observed in winter below of Fahrenheit at noon, and seldom above 85' in summer. The hottest day ever known at Lima was in Fehruary 1791, when the thermometer rose to 99°. In this district no rain falls, but the dews are heavy
and regular. Hurricanes, thunder, and lightning are little known ; but earthquakes arc frequent and destructive along the whole coast. The winter commences in June or July, with cloudy weather ; the spring opens about the end of the year ; the summer is tempered by southerly winds ; the autumn is short.
Along the whale extent of coast, from Tumbez to Atacama, there occur deserts of 20, 30, or 40 leagues ; and the country of Low Peru, forming an inclined plane, from 13 to 20 leagues in breadth, consists for the most part of sandy deserts, without vegetation or inhabitants, except on the banks of the rivers, and places capable of being urtifically irrigated. The earthquake of 1693, was followed by such sterility in the valleys of Low Peru, that the people in many places ceased to cultivate them. The soil of the interior provinces is generally fertile ; and trees of luxuriant growth are found at eight or ten leagues from the coast. As there is thus so little fertile land in Peru, it cannot become opulent by its agricultural pro ductions. Its soil and climate are well adapted for the cultivation of sugar and cotton ; but the want of roads for conveying the produce of the country to a market, pre vents all exertions for the improvement of agriculture. In the present state of things, one district may suffer all the extremity of want, while another is overflowing with abundance, for which no vent can be found. There are no carts nor waggons for the conveyance of goods, and no other means of transporting them but on the backs of mules, which, for want of roads, are driven through the fields, over the crops and fences.
The principal source of wealth to Peru is its mines ; but these arc worked by a very different class of persons from those of Mexico. In the latter country, the bu siness of mining is carried on by persons of the greatest The great mine of quicksilver at Huancavelica, which Was discovered in 1566, and which has been wrought on account of the government since 1570, yielded, at an ave rage every year, 4750 quintals of quicksilver ; and has been known to produce, in two years, 17,371 quintals.
The revenue of Peru amounts to near five millions of dollars annually, of which 300,000 are remitted to Panama, 15,000 to the island of Chiloe, and a third sum to Valdi via. After these remittances, and after defraying the ex pence of the government of Peru, the clear revenue does not exceed 500,000 dollars.