The morning call., 1890-11-10

the refractory animal is ready to move on.
An Indian never strikes his llamas. the ut
most coercion he uses under any circum
stances being a gentle push. Indeed, ne
takes better care Of them than he does MS
own children, perhaps with good reason,
since the iour.footed animals are OF more
value commercially. The latter are worth
alive about 81 apiece, but sell for more
when dead, in the shape of hides, meat and
tallow. The natives prefer llama hesh,
after 1t las been frozen, to any other klnu
of meat, and make great account OF the tai
low, which is called Sabo, using 1t for many
purposes
Male llamas only carry freight, the females
being kept in corral for breeding purposes.
Soon as a young male is ready to stand he IS
trained to bear burdens, and at years OLD
is put into an alquila, the usual drove Oh
easily two persons are required. An Indian
Will take his alquila, with 100 pounds plieu
on the back of each, and, assisted by MS
wife or child, will drive them distance OF
100 miles in IS or 20 days. For this service
he charges at the rate of so cents per diem
to each beast, Bolivian cents, worth about
half as much as ours.
THE EXPENSE OF TRAVEL.
At this price he feeds himself and the AMI
mails, and furnishes the necessary ropes,
sacks and other equipments; reckoning ~
cents a day for the liamas, 20 cents Tor the
wear and tear OF sacks and ropes, ana ~
cents for the food of himself and com panero.
The sack in which lie carries grain, ore. etc.
costs in the currency of the country 81 70,
but will last long time. Under this con-
tract he will sometimes make journey OF
two or three months duration, and save
money out OF it.
The llama subsists upon mountain shrub
or species of a tough. coarse grass mixed
with the sand in which it grows. He drinks
almost no water and can travel without fo0d
for week, II given square meal AT Dotn
ends Of the journey. If too well fed he IS
subject TO a skin disease, which invariably
proves fatal. Some years ago, in 1857,
duce llamas into the United States; but
it could not be carried out, principally
because the food was too good for them.
Seventytw0 llamas were taken from Peru
to New York. Only thir'y-eIght of that
number survived the sea voyage and those
we're wintered on a Long Island farm
which certainly must have been cold enough
for the most faStidiouS animal OF tine Andes.
In the spring scarcely dozen Of these were
left alive; these were sold to museums anu
menagerles and died at the first approach OF
warm weather.
A circumstance in connection with this
singular animal should not be omitted, VIZ !:
that its dung is universally used for fuel III
Bolivia and many parts of Peru. 1t burns
as readily as wood, gives out a great deal OF
neat, HIS uO ouUI ailu GILL 10 tho
rate of 90 cents per hundred weight, there
fore it is highly priced in treeless S ctlons,
where coal costs from S35 to S4S per ton, and
the only other alternative is kind of spongy
fungus that grows on the mountains.
QUEER FUEL SUPPLY.
A great deal OF complaint is just now rife
in La PaZ against the Electric Light Com
pany, the citizens asserting that so much
llama dung is consumed by its furnaces
that their supply of food will soon be eX-
hau ted. Knowing it TO be in general use
in the kitchens of the country, the tourist
in these parts ceases to insist on toast
and broiled meats and becomes quite willing
to put up with the eternal Stews aud
fries. The commercial name Of the fuel is
taquia. and owing to the habits of the AMI
NAL, it is by no means difficult to gather
For example, in cerla places along every
road where llamaS are driven, always at the
will taquia be found-not an atom Of it any
where else for miles around. The same is
true in corrals and fields where the animals
craze each Invariably adding his own quota
to tue general accumulation, always IN pre-
cisely the same spot.
Llamas have queer but effective way OF
defending themselves when leased or made
angry Stamping the fore feet and turning
suddenly upon the object Of rage, they Will
eject between the teeth q pint or more OF
saliva, throwing it with great force dis
lance of several feet. This saliva produces
singing sensation on the skin, and If 1t
gets iutO the mouth or eyes or any place
where the skin is broken violent inilamma-
ton is Immediately caused. and deathly
blood poisoning has been known to eDsue.
Therefore, those who are acquainted with
the peculiarites of the beast are very care
full to keep on the right side of his temper
and at respectable distance from his nose.