Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-08-30

pronounced by alternating black and white
stones. the former brought from an island
in Lake Titicaca. Rows of little trees,
most of them dead or dying, languish be-
tween the stones, and the whole is sur
rounded by high abode wall. The CEN
trail fountain is really worth looking at, a
lofty affair of alabaster and marble. A cir
cular basin, very large and deliberately
carved, is filed with water to the brim and
reached by fight of marble steps, extend
ing all around. In the middle of this
tasin four big dolphins, standing on their
heads, supporting huge alabaster shell;
which is also filled with water and contains
smaller dolphins in similar attitudes, up
holding another shell. This also contains
smaller dolphins supporting third shell;
in the latter stands a tall and slender
female, nude, trident in hand. The whole
is inclosed by an iron fence, with large
square pillars at regular intervals, each
pillar topped by marble sea-lion, which
is slowly vomiting water in very sea-slck
manner for the accommodation of people
who come to drink or to fill their jars.
The streets of La Paz, winding up and
down the hills, are remarkably steep and
irregular, all paved with small sharp
stones, many of them having sidewalks SO
narrow that two pedestrians can hardly
walk abreast. Looking down at the one
which passes Immediately below us, we
see that it descends sharp hill, at the
| foot of which are crowds of people.
| Should you brave the danger of sirroche
and venture down there you will find all
manner of commodities spread out for sale
on both sides of the walk for several
squares, up and down the four streets that
diyerge from the market house. Sunday
| morning early is the best time to go, for
in these countries everything is seen at Its
best on that day of the week. There are
| fish from Lake Titicaca, mutton and beef
from the Andean plateau, fruits and vege-
tables from the Yungas and other distant
valleys. There is Indian work of many
kinds, notably knitted caps of brilliant
color, mittens that draw on over hands
and arms to the shoulders and are fastened
together at the back, p0nchoS that rival
the rainbow in hues, and ready-made gar
ments of every description, from ox-eyed
sandals to the big-sleeved, splendidly en-
broidered velvet jacket Of the festive
cholos Searching among the smaller
booths one may pick up veritable curioS
| in the way of tiny idols from the Inca
ruins, stuffed armadillos, musical instru-
ments made by the Indians, which it
would be no sin to worship, they not being
in the likeness of anything in the heavens
above or the earth below, the strange or
naments of macaw feathers, which they
wear at the anntal religious festas of Co.
pacabana, and tiny still-born vicunas fol-
use in some of their superstitious ceremo-
MES.
There are handsome straw baskets, too
most of them bearing in blood-red letters
the words, Viua mi Amor-"Long live my
love-" trunks of black or white cow-hide,
the hair side turned outward and lined
with soft snowy kid; tiger and vicuna
skins and the feeces of alpaca and
| llamas. The vicuna furs are especially
desirable for rugs CT carriage robes. They
sell here for from SO to $40, according
to size and quality, but bring in New
York and other places from 500 to Sl0C
each.
A little way from the market, on the
other side of the Presidents casa, is the
National Museum of Bolivia, contained in
one rather large apartment on the hrsl
| floor. There are some fine idols in it, an6
other relics and curiosities of note, jun
| bled together without much attempt al
classification. Evidently the taxidermis
is not abroad in Bolivia Among fail
collection of birds, from condors of the
upper nights to pdccfores of the valleys, i
is funny to see many sick-looking spec
linens with dropping wings and dragging
tails, each hung up by string tied around
the neck.
The river Chiquiapo runs through the
middle of La Paz-a notable stream fec
| from the surrounding mountains anC
spanned by number of fine old bridges
| Most of the houses are built of stone, in
stead of the usual adobe, the facades o.
many being ornamented with carving o.
stucco work. There are fiftern churches
of considerable size, some of them pictur
esque in the extreme, and number of OLD
monasteries and converts, most of the lat
ter being used for schools, military bar
! racks and similar purposes. There is q
free school system here and rather cele.
brated university sustained by the Gov
eminent. The big cathedral, built en-
tirely of stone, has a beautifully carved
front, and in niche over Its main en-.
trance stands figure of the Virgin, which
was presented to the city by Carlos V. O
Spain, and was transported thither from
the sea-board over the mountains at enor
nous cost. 1t is said that more than forty
years was required to build the church
several hundred men being constantly EN-
ployed. We do not wonder at that, if the
account of recent historian is true. He
SAYS: "No derricks or other machinery
were used in its construction, but the
walls were erected in a curious way. A:
fast as a tier of stone was laid, the earth
was banked up against it, inside and out
side, and upon this incline plane the
stones for the next tier we're rolled into
their places Then more earth was
thrown on and the process repeated, until
when the walls were finished, the whole
building was immersed in mountain Of
dirt. This was allowed to remain until
| the roof was laid when the earth was car
ried away on the backs of llamas and men
| 1t is said to have taken thirteen years tc
clear out the inside of the building, as the
earth could only be taken away through
the narrow window DOORS"
Although one sees SO many ragged and
wretched specimens Of the genus homo
upon the streets, and business, education,
and everything else are at SO low an ebbi
there is considerable wealth in La Paz,
among the numerically small upper
class" Upper tendon cannot drive around
in carriages on account of the steep and
stony streets, but one may see its repre-
sentatiyes out on horseback in the morn
ing, or sauntering in the beautiful Ala
media about o'clock P. NJ. On Sunday
afternoons that fashionable resort is
crowded with all classes, sitting on adobe
benches under its rows of fine old trees,
listening to the music of military bands,
or drinking eerpasa native BEER from a
nearby foadita. There is a beautiful ala.