The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-10-18

LA PAs, August 98, 1867.

Our Core p ndent for the Place-yournsg from
1acna to La Pax-7He Outfit and Start
Jachsa La Forbade Indias Vllages-DreSd-
.fM Scourge Among the People A,efM Nor
tally Apathy Of the Governmenf-A Church
7N 7ned into a Bedroom Rirer MmYi-Coyo
eoro-Copper Mines--C Con ni-A Viesc OF the
Giant Mimani-Aripai at the Brink Of the
Valley Of La PaS.
have at last arrived in this famed city, and
have already made arrangements to proceed to the
newly discovered gold fields which are at present
creating such an excitement around this city. If
one would believe but onehalf Of what is said he
would De inclined to think that the discovery Of gold
in California was only mere shadow TO what the
new fields Of Bolivia are will avoid repeating tho
many reports OF their richness tina. daily fly about
La Paz until can certify to them myself from &C
tual observation for which purpose leave h re in
ten days, and viii be about six weeks accomplish
ing the journey to the place and back; and lshal
be happy to lay the result Of ny observations before
your readers then. Were it not bst cne has to get
every mining tool be requires made here, Knight
have been off long since.
The journey from La racna to La Paz. particularly
at this of the year. is rather pleasant than
otherwise, although the accounts OF the hardships
and inconvenience to be met with on the road, as
given by people of the former city, are quite sufi
cieEt to discourage person from undertaking the
trip.
Persons who intend undertaking journey into
the Inferior of Bolivia having procured their a,7'iero
or muleeer, and everything necessary for the road
including bed and bedding, and sufficient quantity
of bread, tea, coffee, sugar, potatoes, meat and
whatever else they may think necessary to their
comfort, leave Taona for Pachea, . small village
three leagues distant from where their journey may
be said to commence, for this is the real starting
point. Finding. the most suitable accommodation
they can there, their beds are spread on the floor
and they retire for the night; but il is half over
their a1rie7o comes roaring into the room and re-
quests them to arise and il one protests against his
annoyance and declines to get up his bed is in
stantIy pulled from under him, and he finds hi n
self obliged to dress at once to protect himself from
the piercing cold atmosphere. Although the means
employed TO compel the traveller to rise may be
sidere1 somewhat hard, they are, nevertheless, ne
cessary for the day ride is very mountainous and
tedious one and if not accomplished before the heat
of the day, not only will the traveller suffer- but ia
many instances the animal he rides will fall dead
the road. Therefore, mounting their mules and
starting from Pachea at A. NJ, they arrive at La
Portada at about two in the afternoon after getting
over some eleven long leagues and some very high
mountains La Portada is silver and tin mining
station owned by Messrs. Blonde and Began, of
Tacna and the director, gentleman named Dolby
Is a. clever and generous fellow as ever lived Toe
Pc tsaa not beng a regular stopping plsce, the
commcdaton is given as favor, for which no
money will be received. As the next day journey
will he long one, and the ascent to accomplish
rxIA rn!t Inn lAr IN akng.aR afO
takes q cup If hot and good coffee, has his bed
packed up, and starts out to cross tae first
range of cordilleras, with the mercury stand
ing five or eight degrees above zero. Ninety-nine
out Of a hundred who undertake tue trip ere
they arrive at La Portada, are seized with nasty
feeling here called s0TT0ch0, which some what re-
smbles STA sickness, but is far more severe in is
attacks; to many il sticks for whole week ana in
many cases IL has been known to prove fatal the
sufferer Its cause is. l believe, attributed TO the
enormous and sudden elevation attained. From
La Portada TO the highest point OF the route over
the Andes the elevation accomplished IL five t1ou-
sand feet, while the distance travelled does not
coed, ut most, eight mics. The descent on the
other side is very steep ant the road winds around
the foot OF the famous mountain Tacoro, whose sum
nit, perDetuaiy covered with snow, can be seen
from o distance OF seventy-fv miles; the height OF
this giant OF the Andes is estimated at 900 feet asd
its foo is encTcled oy valuable sulphur rocks which
no ore has yet taken the trouble to work. After
passing some half way around the mountain a road
leading 10 the famous copper mines OF Corocoro
DIVORCES from the main road TO La Psz. Having
some business TO transact IN the former place, |. in
company With two others. took that route, and at
four cock arrived o. small village, composed OF
| seven miserable Indian huts, and named Huampu-
ruta, thirteen leagues from the Poftada. The ac
coDmcostions on this, a. well as the direct road to
La Paz, most wretched indeed, and Is forced
to make use OF them more from necessity than in
cDation; a to sleeping apartments there are none
and the shelter OF an Indian hut, into which one has
to creep all fouTs is luxury not to oe despised
"A
puruta amounted 70 eighty souls, but the number
has been reduced TO but twenty mine, owing to the
ravages committed by pestilence, which has lat
terly visited tie people, and which somewhat re
ssnbles yellow fever in its action upon the human
system; but In place OF being accompanied, n the
latter believe Is, by black vomit, IL is attended In
s last stage by the election from the mouth of large
quantities cf clotted black blood, From the time
that tbr vomiting commences to the death OF tue
unfortunate but few moments elapse. In Peru as
well AZ Bolivia the ravages OF this peste have
dreadful and II has been estimated that during the
last twelve months no lees than three hundred and
fifty thousand persons have tel victims 10 this swu
scourge In Bolivia alone. Among tia. enormous
number. however, not ten white persons have been
attacked for the pesfe IN confined exclusively ~ the
poor Indians. With feeling OF philanthropy high
ly cJtditabe 10 tbem, many OF the public men have
endesvoied TO induce the government 70 adopt some
measures TO arrest such fearful laty, but II Is
TO be regretted that they did not succeed. The poor
Indians have now become somewhat hardened TO
their fate. presenting that the employment OF any
remedies after the first SYMPTOMS appear are utterly
useless; indeed, so convinced they " immediate
death, that in place OF taking measures TO arrest
its further progress they collect have collec ed,
all their worldly worth, lay In stock OF rum, in
vite their friends, ard tman In STATE OF brutal
drunkenness uns death comes TO pGs stop to their
shameful dcbauchery. Some OF another class have
recourse to all KINDS Of superstitous practices, in
the vain hope OF abstng the fury Of The pesten
The whole country about Corocoro seems to he
one mountain Of copper. and even the houses
Of the city eeem 70 be built Of copper ore. The
quantity OF copper taken out of the mines yearly
is enormous, but the greater part ia either stolen
or Loot, toI the people great thieves and there is
90 machinery used. The population has dwindlej
down from IL 900 10 5000 during the past eighteen
MONTHS and even yet they are being carried OF by
the pesfs. Only stopping in Corocoro a day, we
started next morning on the La Paz road and after
ding about twelve leagues arrived at small post
!, rB'ed - the junction Of the Taons, Ls Paz aud
ooroooro ruad., called COMM. Here we had hot
stew and 3od steep. and at 8 A. M. on the follow
ing morning we're mounted and travelling across
IL. -. 49, /. - q lii. nt f.. De-