The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-08-17
A SINGULAR PEOPLE
Descendants From the Incas i'm
South America.
THEIR ANCIENT RITES AND ACTS
How Superstitions Reign Supreme Among
the Tribes Of the Sunny South
Some Queer Beliefs

LA PAz, Bolivia, July IL, S90-TSpecial
correspondence of THE HERALDsl-The
study OF Indian character, as shown in the
-Aymaraes and Quichuas of Bolivia. is ex-
ceedingly interesting. Though far out
numbering the whites. the government
finds no trouble in keeping them under alb
solute control, whatever revolts and dis
turbances may arise among the Cholos and
other citizens. Grave, silent and sad. when
not intoxicated, and never noisy in their
most hilarious moments, always at work,
gentle servile and peaceable, they are
WILLING HEwERss OF WOOD
aud drawers of water, not one iota above
the mules and llamas they drive; indeed,
the latter, as rule, are better fed and more
kindly treated, because of more commercial
value.
Not only is this true of the poems on the
great estates, but those who are free to
come and go, work or starve as they will,
are slaves no less, and to more cruel mas
tiers, poverty and ignorance As there is
an educational provlsc in the suffrage law
OF Bolivia and as no means are provided
for educating Indians, they are forever
debarred from having any voice in the at
fairs of the land of their fathers. The rul-
ing class, descendants of the Spanish con-
ouerors, assert, but without truth or rea-
son, that an Indian is incapable of educa-
ton and united by nature for any higher
plane in life than that he now occupies, as
a mere beast of burden.
THE WORKS OF THE INCAs
that still remain, magnificent temples.
terraced mountains and splendid roads.
eHectually refute this statement, and even
in these days, after three centuries and a
half OF slavery, there are occasional shin
ing examples OF Indians WHO nave strug-
gied out of their environment, into the
highest positions. The common herd. how
ever, since the spirit of their ancestors was
30 thoroughly broken by Pizarro and his
gang, Will make no protest against what
ever may be put upon them; and the tenn
tation 10 keep them in servitude is too great
TO be resisted by the lazy conquistadores.
who may thus enjoy the fruits of unpaid
labor Having ''Christianized'' the original
owners OF the soil, in lump, as it were.
and rendered them obedient to the laws of
church and state, the philanthropy of the
white race goes no farther
WHEN THE sPANIARDs CAME
to this continent, about three hundred and
nifty years ago, they found nearly all the
! vast territory that is now occupied bv
Ecuador, Peru. Bolivia and Chill inhabited
Dy three great tribes, the Aymnraes, the
Chlnchas and the Huancas. united under
one form OF government. The Aymaraes
were the ruling race and from their unm
Der came the lncas, or emperors. They
occupied the highlands of Peru and Bolivia
and were more advanced in civilization
than ~, M,
lived along the coast; the Huancas were
scattered among the mountain valleys. and
the Quichuas came from the north. Cuito
having been their ancient capital Graz
ually the AymaraeS conquered the other
tribes. ana their system of colonization
seems TO have been wiser than any that
have superseded it.
ACCORDING TO TRADITION,
the Aymaraes had existed since the begin
ing OF the world; but were sunk into bar
barism and perpetually at war with one
another, when the sun, their tutelary divin-
lty, sent his own children to earth to re
Deem and instruct them. Two sun deities
came. Nance Capac and Mama bella, his
sister, who was also his wife. The island
IN Lake Iiticaca, where they were be-
IIeved 10 have made their first appearance
mas ever since been regarded as molly, and
10 THIS DAY SHOWS the remains of their most
sacred temples. From this point Nance
Capac Travelled northward, carrying a
golden staff; at a certain place the stick
sank into the ground, sign from the sun
god that there he should tarry and found
city; which was called Cuzco, and after
wards became the imperial capital of the
1ncas.
The same idea of savior of divine par
entage runs through many forms of relig-
ion.
AS AN HISTORICAL CHARACTER,
Nance Capac does not greatly differ from
Jesus of Nazareth, Osiris of Egypt. the
Scandinavian O6in, the Chinese Fohi. or
the Hindoo Buddha. He was the first of
ylong line .of kings, who gradually subdued
the surrounding tribes and established sun
worship, in place Of whatever might have