Sacramento daily record-union., 1890-07-26

Iaceut VllldSeS on the great Anuean
plateau. The manner of tax-collecting in
Yungas is a fair sample of the mode
throughout the country. Tanacachi, a
village near the western terminus of the
valley, lies in a narrow canyon between
impossible mountains, through which
there is but one road. All the streets of
the town, except that one leading up to
the canyon road, are securely walled up
just outside the suburbs, SO that all cargo
must pass by way of the Custon-house,
which stands at the head of the canyon.
Whenever an Indian passes with a pack
on his back or load on his mule, if he
does not stop and show what he carries, or
pay the tax if it be coca. he quickly finds
himself in trouble. Out rushes customs
official, armed with long iron poker
which has screw-hke apparatus at one
end and heavy rawhide whip attached
to the other. The screw point he thrusts
deep into the middle of the cargo to de-
termine if any coca may be hidden within
it; aud should the Indian resist he does
not hesitate to use the whip on his back,
ad libitum
The principal consumers of coca in Peru
and Bolivia are the Quichua and Aymara
Indians. In the tombs of the ancient
Peruvians there may always be found
buried with the mummy small quantity
of coca leaves, together with an earthen
vase or jar that once held lime or potash.
To this day potash is eaten with the coca
1t is made by incinerating the root of
weed which is indigenous to the soil where
coca grows, or from the bark of species
of wild bean, of which the Indians are
very fond
The whites and cholos (halfbreeds) sell
dom use coca at all, except sometimes as
an infusion in cases of debility The in
fusion Is made N the same manner as tea,
except that the first water is thrown away,
being too strong and bitter. The second
| sleeping is not disagreea5le to the taste.
/ and IS extremely exhiIarating. \ species
/ OF wine is also being made for medicinal
purposes-comparativ new invention,
whose beneiicent effects remain to be
proved.
| The increase of ones powers of endur-
ance by the use of coca leaves, especially
IN the higher attitudes, is something mar
yeious. Aside from relieving sirrOche, the
distressing difficulty of breathing incident
to exercise in the thin air of the Andes, it
/ is said to completely abolish all sense of
hunger or fatigue, 1t is an undoubted fact
that an Indian, when well supplied with
coca, will travel from fifty to seventy five
miles day, carrying on his back the load
/ OF llama, almost without food for days
! together. Indeed, he considers food as of
! secondary Importance, or rather as third
on his list of necessities, diluted alcohol
coming next to coca. All the Aymaras
and Quiehuas, male and female use in
J credible quantities of both alcohol and
coca, while their allowance of food is ex-
/ tremely small, the menu being limited to
/ but two or three edibles from one years
end to another. That the women consume
even more than the men is perhaps no
more than fair, since the former do all of
the hardest work and earn most of the
money.
The laborers of this country are univer-
sally Indians, and all employers must fur
nish certain amount Of coca TO each man,
or he will not work at all In the mines,
the least allowance per diem is five ounces
for every man, and eight ounces is some
times given. Thus supplied, an Indian
will work willingly and well from four
| O'Clock in the morning until P. NJ, tax
ing nothing to eat in the meantime. He
generally has food of some sort before be-
ginning his labors, and after seven in the
evening he eats whatever he can get
His first cud is accumulated in about
two hours, from four to six o'clock, taking
it leaf by leaf, stripping the central stem
between his teeth, and from time to time
adding few grains of potash. This alkali
causes burning sensation on the lips, but
is soon incorporated with the cud, serving
to neutralize the acidity of the leaves and
at the same time aiding digestion by pro-
voking an increased flow of saliva.
At 10 O'Clock A. NJ. the employer gives
him half an hour of rest. He then throws
away the morning chew, rinses his mouth
| with alcohol, and industriously begins the
accumulation of second cud Again. at
one and half o'clock, another rest is
I given, which he employs in making
third chew, At halt-past the same per.
formance is repeated.
He still has a little coca left for the
evening, and if the days allowance has
been generous enough he will keep him
self awake and garrulous all night. Many
Indians get credit against coming wages
for greater amount of coca than the en-
ployer feels disposed to furnish gratis; and
If they can add to it some forty per cent
of alcohol, their bliss is complete
Strange to say, the most inordinate use
of coca is not followed by delirium tre-
mems, nervousness, or any other effect that
may be noticeable on an Indian, even after
he has lived on it for two or three days,
taking little or no food, and enduring ex..
cessive fatigue. Whenever opportunity
offers he will eat the back numbers of
omitted meals in one gigantic heap, thus
showing that no serious disturbance of the
stomach has arisen from his coca intoxica-
tion. Neither does its habitual use seem
to affect longevity, unless it may be to pro-
long it.
One never meets toothless or bald
headed Indian, though 100 years is here
considered their average span of life.
There is cheerful old Methuselah in
Chuquibambilla, who claims to have Just
turned his 142d year, and the parish
priest supports his statement by the church
record of births, This aged Indian does
not look any older than his great-grand-
children, and declares that for more than
ninety years he has not tasted water or
any liquid whatsoever but chichd. the ma
tive intoxicant made from fermented corn;
that he has eaten coca three times a day
ever since he was ten years old and has
seldom had anima food, except on Sun
days, sometimes having no meat at all for
months together, but subsisting entirely
on corn barley and qltinud.
On this subject Mr.. Stevenson writes;
Instances are not rare Of Indians who at
tain $50, and even more years of age, yet
retaining full possession of their bodily
and mental powers. On examining the
church register at Barranca, l found that
within an interval of seven years eleven
Indians had died, whose united ages
amounted to 1,7O7 years, or an average of
l09 years each. The Indians retain their
teeth and hair to extreme old age, and it
is remarkable that the latter never be-