es call this place and its sounds
the _Grita Lobos_ (the Sea-dog's Howl). From this hilly ground the road
descends into the fruitful valley of the _Pasamayo_, which contains two
villages and eighteen plantations.

Chancay, the principal town in this valley, is the residence of a
sub-prefect. It is a league and a half from the river, and a short
league from the sea, where there is an inconsiderable and not very safe
port, which can only be entered by small vessels. The number of
inhabitants is about 1200, chiefly Indians and Mulattos. Excellent
fruits and vegetables, good beef, mutton, and poultry, and well-flavored
fish, are found here in abundance. The houses are all of the poorest
structure, and are sparingly and rudely furnished. In the neighboring
farms, some of which are large, as Torreblanco, Pasamayo, &c., maize is
extensively cultivated for exportation and for food to the swine, which
are very numerous. In no other valley of Peru are there so many
earth-fleas, or _piques_, as they are called, particularly about the
plantations. The _pique_ is a small, white insect, which lives in sand,
but fastens as a parasite on man and beast, more particularly on swine.
It attacks man by penetrating the skin, for the most part under the
toe-nails, where an egg is laid, from which a painful tumor is
afterwards formed. Should this be neglected, the brood is developed, and
penetrates further into the flesh. Then follow violent inflammations and
imposthumes, which sometimes assume so serious a character that the
amputation of the foot becomes necessary. While the _pique_ is
penetrating there is no sensation of its presence; it is first felt on
the development of the egg, and then it is still easy to remove the
bag which contains it, and the mother with it. The Negresses
accomplish this with great dexterity. They make an aperture in the
skin by scratching it with a needle, and then they draw the bag out.
Should it burst, they take out the egg with the needle; but this is a
very delicate operation. I have always been able to do it more
speedily and more securely with the lancet. The hole is commonly of
the size of a bean, and hot cigar ashes are put into it to destroy any
eggs or larvae which may remain. These insects do not always confine
themselves to the feet; they sometimes attack the body and the face,
and it is in general extremely difficult for the patient to discover
how or where he became acquainted with such troublesome c