in the Pacific Ocean, to China and Australia. In addition to the Pacific Steamship Line, there are numerous others trading along the west coast of South America, all of which call at the port of Callao. The South American Steamship Company of Chile has steamers every week from Valparaiso to Panamá and the ports of Peru. The Kosmos Line connects the European ports of Hamburg, Bremen, Antwerp, and Havre with San Francisco, California, _via_ the Straits of Magellan and west coast ports of South America. The “Merchant Line” carries on a direct trade between New York and Callao, and the Japanese Steamship Company connects the Peruvian ports with Japan. Almost all the American and European steamship companies have lines to Panamá, including the Panamá Railway Steamship Company and the Leyland Line, from New York; the Royal Mail, from New York and England; the Hamburg-Pacific, from Germany; the Compagnie Général Transatlantique, from France; the Veloce, from Italy; the Transatlantica Española, from Spain; and the Pacific Mail, from San Francisco. As soon as the Canal is open for traffic, all these lines will extend their itineraries to Callao, which is destined to be the commercial metropolis of the South Pacific. [Illustration: PREFECTURE, CALLAO.] [Illustration: A TYPICAL HACIENDA OF THE COAST REGION.] CHAPTER XXI AGRICULTURE AND IRRIGATION ON THE COAST [Illustration: PICTURESQUE GARDEN ON A RICE PLANTATION.] The increasing importance of Peru’s seaport trade is largely due to the prosperous development of agriculture, which is annually becoming a more valuable source of revenue to the country. Nearly all the steamers that visit Callao call also at other Peruvian ports, the coast being dotted from Tumbes to Arica with flourishing harbors, in which may be seen trading vessels of all nations. From the valleys of the coast region are shipped immense quantities of sugar and important cargoes of the famous Peruvian cotton, grown exclusively in this country, besides tobacco, rice, coffee, and a variety of fruits. Agriculture is the chief occupation of the people in this part of Peru, and the employment of modern methods in its development is leading to wonderful results.