Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-07-13

siS-
forts OF iIfsI yet the tumbie-dewn sanctuary
| OF this deserted village contains enough gold
and silver In its altar faeiBgs, lamps, erueis
f8es, vsstmentp, etc., 10 restore the fortunes
| Of GhIrea, build school houses, and render
all lie inhabitants comfortable lor life.
A DINNER WITH THH MAYOR.
We arrived at the village OF ehups on
hour after nightfall, and learned 10 our dis.
treaa that tho hamlet contained no tambo
nor spare room In any OF the poor oasaAj
the only place Of refuge being the empty
sohoolhouse. Hungry and tired, We hast.
ened 10 make chocolate over an alcohol
| Lamp, spread cur canned supplies upon the
desks, and were about 10 enjoy tho picnic
meal, when delegation OF "leading olti-
Gems" appeared a. the door TO escort Us 10
the house OF the jete or local magistrate,
where dinner had been expressly prepared.
To have refused would have looked like
base pgratitude; so with regretul glance
at our own little spread, We dragged our
weary limbs down the steep street 10 q one
room casa, where most OF the population
| was assembled with open-mouthed curiosity.
There was chupA Of course, and nothing else
except q huge pile of boiled bananas to be
eaten IN place of bread, followed by bitter
coffee without milk or sugar. When the
banquet was concluded (and paid for at the
rate of 30 cents per capita) we hastened
back to the schoolhouse and topped on with
what the prowling dogs and boys had left OF
our repast.
Another interesting village in the Yungas
department is named Yanacachi. The odd
est church I ever saw, though by no means
the oldest, is here. The entire front OF the
high altar is faced with massive plates oil
silver-quare yards Of it curiously
wrought with faces and figures and quaint
inscriptions. Besides the altar front, there
are hundreds OF dollars worth Of pure silver
in bars and railings, lamps and crucif1es-
while most of the half-naked wretches who
kneel before them never knew in their lives
what it is to have hunger completely salts
fed. Along each side runs an adobe bench,
much too high and damp Tor comfort, but
quite good enough for its purpose, as here
the men sit at ease while their mothers,
wives, sisters kneel on the dirty floor pray
ing for their ungrateful lords, as women will
the wide world over.
SOME ODD IMAGES.
In grotesque incongruity with the massive
richness of the silver altar are the tawdry
images upon it. Among others equally
peculiar is figure of Christ mounted on a
gaily caparisoned wooden donkey, dressed
as a Spanish cavalier-sombrero, top-boots,
rapiers and all-about to make his entry
into Jerusalem. On Palm Sunday this
image is carried in procession through the
streets of the town ana the people cast their
palms before it, in full belief of some mys-
terious blessing. Notwithstanding its store
OF solid silver, of which everybody appears
to have forgotten the value, the church yard
gate stands open night and day, and the
door of the sanctuary has no lock at all.
One early morning q sound of wailing in
the rear of the church attracted US to the
spot. We found a group Of Indians, 30 or
more, about to lower corpse into grave
they had dug close MP to the foundation
walls. The body, that of young man. was
rolled up in his poncno with bare feet pro-
truding and bushy black hair falling over
his shoulders. When laid, coffinless, in the
grave, a corner of the blanket was spread
over his face and the dirt shoveled on, while
the bystanders howled and shrieked in ex-
cess Of sorrow. When the cavity was nearly
filled the shovsler jumped 10 and stamped
the earth down with his feet TO make oil
snug; then two or three Indians brought
their ponchos full Of loose stones which were
loosely piled on top, and poor little cross
Of wild cane, the arms tied on with bit OF
string, was set up between the stones.
THE LUXURY or GRIEF.
This completed the interment, but tho
performance had hardly begun. II there 10
such thing as "the luxury Of grief" these
lowly people enjoy II TO the full and u 10
the only luxury that enters Into their
wretehed lives Such sobs and cries and
groans never heard 40 the women threw
themselves on the ground In frenzy and tho
faces OF the men were eonvulsed with feel.
Ing and streaming with tears. To be sure
Ill nd tha tnIu
ence of native alcohol and probably had
been for "a hours or more, but that is the
regular funeral custom among the Quichuas
aud their way OF showing respect to the
dead.
It is::.also their custom, when person is
believed to be dying, to tie cord tightly
around his neck, with stick In 1t, and then
to twist the latter, q la garotte, until the
last breath Is forced out Of the body. The
explanation Is that the devil stands by,
ready to grab the departing soul and carry
Il down 10 purgatory; but by this choking
process the soul Is kept In for awhile and
his Satanic Majesty outwitted. That mis-
takes sometimes occur and man is made to
die who otherwise wouldn I, seems probable.
The mother Of the deceased, an old crone
in short dress o. blue flannel, bare feet and
gray hair braided down her back, was the
object OF universal coincidence, together
with the brothers and sisters. One after
another would rush up and embrace them
and relate some anecdote or incident in the
life of him they mourned; whereupon the
sobs and walls would break out afresh.
woRsHIP1NG THE STRANGERS.
Suddenly it seemed to dawn upon them
that two white women, with compassionate
looks, we're standing among them. For a
thav hal
most of them threw themselves on their
knees at our feet, with outstretched arns and
imploring words Gin Quichua, which OF
course we did not understnnd), addressing
us as "Ma-Ma," their highest term OF rever-
ence, it having been the name of the Sun
gods wife, whom their ancestors adored. |
What ideas were fitting through their dark
ened minds I do not know; but the sight |
was too pitful, and being unable to say a |
word for their consolation we scattered
among them every piece OF coin we possessed |
and beat hasty retreat.
An hour later I returned to the church |
ward to see how our dusky friends were get |
ting on with their funeral. They had lie |
the grave and Sc ted themselves under the |
shadow of the rose bushes in a circle on the |
ground, In the center was spread q small |
cloth covered with boiled potatoes; but no |
one seem disposed to eat and one after an
other continued to relate something he or |
she had known of the dead man in Ii after |
the manner of an experience meeting"
among our Methodist brethren, or showed |
some garment he had worn. or implement
of labor he had used, while the tears and !
sobs went on unabated and the bottle OF
alcohol circulated freely. Of course they |
would get gloriously intoxicated, mother
and ali. and remain so while the supply |
lasted. FANNIE B. WARD.