The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-09-21
LA PAZ
DE AYACUCHO.
Quaint Sights and Sounds in the
Capital of Bolivia.
A Place Where Winter and Summer Mix and
Where Reckless Men and Pretty Women
Idle Away the Hours
F,HERE is a Spanish proverb which
Muslca, mel y la ventana,
No rs buena en- Ia manana,

eyE9S Musca mel y la ventana,
No es buena en- Ia manana
Meaning that music, honey and standing in
the window are indulgences not good for
the early part of the day. Notwithstanding
the Injunction, let us step out on our hotel
balcony. which overlooks the central plaza
of this queer old town, to enjoy the street
scenes and morning sunshine.
The 'City of Peace!' Gazing at the stu
pendous mountains which stretch away to
the horizon on every side, one ceases to Won
der at its strange title, remembering that
when those early Spaniards explored these
barren heights i'll search of gold and uncon-
quered indians and found this green and cup
like hollow, they were glad to rest awhile
from their journeyings This led to the es-
Enlistment of military post, which after
wards grew into city, and in 1913 Don
Alonzo de Mendoza, who seems to have
had streak OF poetry In his sordid soul,
Solemnly chrlstened it NuestrO Sonora
de Ia Paz, Our Lady of the Peace
The name was changed some siXty-fve
years ago, just after the decisive battle of
Ayacucho, by means of which Bolivia
gained her independence from Spain. the
final treaty of peace being celebrated here,
to La Paz de Ayacuch0. And certainly the
very spirit of peace. or rather OF idleneSS,
seems BROOD ing over the scene. Because OF
the great elevation, about $4,000 feet above
sea level, everybody moves about slowly
who moves at all, for that distressing COM
plant known as Sirroche, or difficulty Of
breathing, is sure to follow active exercise.
Away up here winter and summer are
much alike, for though completely sheltered
by mountain walls from all the winds that
blow, the air has In it the chill of the nearby
snoWfeldS. Dat of doors in the middle of
the day it is tOlerably comfortable, bat the
houses, not one of which has any sort Of
for WARMING nurnOSpS damn
and cold as so many tombs, except III rooms
which are thoroughly penetrated by the
midday sun. Imagine civilized community
where water freezes at night and froStS are
frequent depending solely upon the sun for
heat, especially as in this altitude that orb
is more inconsistent than the moon, some
times refusing to show its face for days
together. Summer clothes" are never re-
qulred
IN LA PAZ.
Everybody wears his overcoat at all sea-
sons, and needs it much more indoors than
out.
But there are Conversations everywhere
for most of the ills of life, and one with an
eye to the picturesque may find them even
in La PaZ. Directly opposite our window
ky-piercing lllimani, the giant sentinel OF
the Andes, looms up like sheeted ghost.
white as unsullied snow can make it, while
on every hand stretching far as the eye eau
reach are lines of mountains rising tier
above tier to the horizons olden-green on
the sunny foothills, amethyst and brown be-
yond them and the distant heights a misty
blue.
On narrow street rises the Presidents
palacio-t hree-stOrird, the lower story of
hewn stone left in its natural color, the up
per part painted pale blue. Its windows
have neither outer nor inner shutters. but
each is guarded by an ifon-rlil balcony.
Red-trousered soldiers are lolling all day
before lis entrance, and above them floats
the flag of B0livia-three equal stripes, red,
yellow and green, with the national escutcll-
con stamped in the middle. There are few
hours in the tweuty-four when Inc military
company is not parading, or band playing be-
fore the Presidents casa. The Plaza Mayor
of La Paz, like that of other SpaniSh-Ameri-
can cities, In Its principal feature, from which
all things radIale. Its entire surface Is paved
with small stones set in regular pattern of
diagonal bars as are the streets Immediately
surrounding it, the figures rendered more
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 diving, languish between the
stones and the whole is surrounded by a high
adobe wall
The street 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
desceEds a sharp hill, at the foo. of which
are crowds of people. Should you brave
the danger of sirroche and venture down
there. you will find all manner of commod-
tiles spread out for sale on both sides OF the
walk for several squares up and down tue
four streets that diverge from the market
house. Sunday morning early is the best
time TO 90, for in these countries. everything
is seen ut its best on that day of the week.
There are fish from Lake Titieaca, mutton
and beef from the Andean plateau, fruits
and vegetables 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. ponchos that
rival the rainbow in hues, and ready-made
garments Of every description, from 0X-eyed
sandals to the big-sIeeved, sp!end dly en-
broidered velvet jackets of the festive cholos.
Searching among the smaller booths one
may pick up yertabIe curios, in the way of
tiny idols from the Inca ruins, stuffed
armadllos, musical instruments made by
the Indians, which it would be no
sin TO worship, they being not
heavens above or the earth below, the
strange ornaments of macaw feathers which
they wear at the annual religious fiaStaS of
COpacabana, and tiny still-DOrn ylcunaS Tor
use in some of their SuperStltlOuS ceremo-
MES. There are handsome straw baskets,
too, most of them bearing in blood-red let
terS the words Viva uni Amor Long live
my loye''-trunks of black or white raw
hide, the hair side turned outward and lined
withsoft snowy kid; tiger and vicuna skins
and the fleeees of alpaca and llamas. The
vicuna furs are especially desirable for rugs
or carriage robes. They sell here for from
$40 to $50, according to size and quality, but
bring in New York and other places from
$50 to 500 each.
The river Chiquiapo runs through the
middle of La Para noble stream led from
the surrounding mountains aud spanned by
a number of fue old bridges. Most of the
houses are built of stone, instead of the
usual adobe, the facades OF many being or
namented with carving or stucco Work.
There are fifteen churches of considerable
size, some of them pcturesquel In the extreme,
and a number Of old mOnasteries and con-
vents, most of the latter being now used for
schools, military barracks and similar pur-
poses. There is free school system here
and rather celebrated university sustained
by the Government. The big cathedral
built entirely Of stone. has beautifully
carved front, and in a niche over its main
entrance stands figure of the Virgin which
was presented 10 the city by Carlos OF
Spain and was transported thther from the
seaboard over the mountains at enormous
cost. 1t is said that more than forty years
were required to build the church. several
hundred men being constantly employed.
We do not wonder at that if the account Of a
recent historian is true. He says: No
derrlcks OF other machinery were used in its
construction, but the walls were
CONSTRUCTED IN A CURIOUS WAY.
As fast as a tier of stone was laid the earth
was banked up against it, inside and out
side, and upon this inclined plane the stone
for The next tier were 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 carried away on the backs of
llamas and men. 1t is said to have taken
thirteen years to 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 aud
wretched specimens of the genus homo upon
the streets, and business, education and
everything else are at so low an ebb, there
.1n, HI 4 hn