Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-09-07
toxication subdued by thorough wetting,
consented to return; and cheerfully ordered
the soldiers back to their barracks.

| CouScuIcu 10 Iebur1j CucCIiuhy OANSkSe
the soldiers back to their barracks.
A HISTORIC PROCLAMATION.
A thousand tales are told of this singular
| man. That he was not altogether cruel Ii
proved by his conduct after the battle Of
| Tetanias, in January of 1866, on which oc'
cason his army routed the constitutional
forces under General Castro Arguedas. In
| the midst OF the field, with the dead and
dying around him, the victorious Mel
| garejo, using drumhead for a table, wrote
that historic proclamation beginning. "Men
OF Bolivial The smoke of gunpowder has
purified the political atmosphere"
A great many prisoners had been taken
among them a number of prominent officers.
They were confined to the prison of Loreto,
| that place of somber memories where, a few
years before, the ex-President of the Re-
public, Jorje Cordova, and his political
| associates were sacrificed by the ferocity of
the commander of the department, Colonel
Placido Yanes, whose name, meaning
tranquil" does not seem to have been very
well applied. On the day after the battle,
Melgarejo, mounted on horseback, made
his way to the plaza OF Loreto and ordered
all the prisoners to be brought before him
and placed in row. Knowing the charac-
ter of the man, this order was received by
the prisoners as their death sentence, and
the people OF the place, overcome with ter
ror, expected to witness horrible scene of
bloodshed and vengeance.
ME1GAREJo's REVENGE.
The prisoners were filed out, among them
many of Melgarejo's army, who had fed
from his stern rule and Joined the enemy on
the pay of battle. When the row was
formed, every wretch expecting instant
death, General Melgarejo approached and
contemplated them, with gaze that froze
the blood in their veins. He said: $50
these are my opponents; these are the ours
who thought to conquer Melgarejo! Away
with you, ye yermln, ye offscouringl Stink
back to your homes and return not to seek
quarrels with me. Dedicate your miserable
lives insthe future to the service of your
families. Away with you, ye carajo dema-
gogues" (Corajo is the worst swear word
in the Spanish language.)
1t Is needless to add that the prisoners
skedaddled, fleeing through the streets in
all directions, like so many frightened deer,
fearing that the great General might change
his mind before they were out of reach.
Melearejo then took up his position in the
village of Viache, where in the public
square he signed, upon cannon, the cele-
brated decree of convocation which assem-
bled National Convention in the follcw-
ing August. He then and there announced
his intention to make a triumphal entry
into the city of La Paz mounted, not on his
stately Holofernes, but astride the same
cannon on which be had written the decree,
and he actually carried out the programme
to the astonishment and terror of the inhab-
itants.
A NATIONAL FAILING.
AS further illustrative of phase of life in
Bolivia, it may be delicately hinted that
while the poor Indians are notorious for
stealing small things-never under any
stress of temptation or opportunity taking
articles of value-the Cholos, and even some
members of the so-called "best society,"" are
thieves. At public balls and private parties
the ton must be secretly watched; and in
spite OF all precautions it frequently hap
pens that spoons, napkins, and costly brio
a-brac are surreptitiously appropriated.
Not long ago young man, who is prominent
in the hig hest circle of society here, had
valuable diamond pin stolen. He was GER
tain who the thief was. but said nothing
about his loss. At the very next ball he
beheld his diamond blazing on the shirt
front of the gentleman whom he had sus-
pected; when he walked up to him, partner
on arm, and without any attempt at privacy
said 10 him, "You have my diamond pin,
senior; I will thank you for it,
"Oh, WE'LL" nonchalantly replied the
thief, 'it's all right; I'll return it to-mor-
row." And he did.
A PICTURESQUE PEOPLE.
Our party has been much interested of
late in accounts of the Yuraeares, tribe of
wild Indians who inhabit the eastern
frontier of Bolivia. They wear but one gar
ment, sort of a shirt made from the bark
of tree, the bark being beaten thin until it
resembles cloth. They paint these shirts in
all kinds of grotesque figures, using bright
colors extracted from the various dye
plants. On state occasions the cacique also
wears pig tail made from the shells of
nuts, the backs OF green beetles and gay
feathers from parrots and macaws; beside
which he and his people further enhance
their beauty by painting black rings around
their arms and legs. One would think that
nature had made them dark enough, but
they evidently entertain different opinion.
and make use of kind OF fruit like an
apple, which, when rubbed on the skin,
turns it black as ink. Then they redden
their cheeks with the juice of berry and
paint scarlet rings around the eyes and
mouth. From each ear silver coin is sus-
pended; around the neck is string OF beads
and berries. with birds wing or claw of
some wild animal for pendant.
As a proof that they are rather proud of
their appearance, each carries bag contain
ing few articles for use in adorning him
self, comb made from thongs of the palm
tree; a quantity of the fruit and berries for
painting the skin black and red pair of
pincers (Which are nothing but two mussel
shells) tor pulling out any superfuons hair
that makes its appearance; snuffbox made
from snail shell, and the musical instru-
ment of which he is most fond-the polished
bone from stork's leg or that of monkey.
which, being round and hollow, answers
very we'll for flute orwhistle, especially as
it is noise he desires, and not tune.
THEIR CHIEF FOOD.
The chief sustenance of these Indians is
chicha made of the cassava root, (yucca)
boiled and then partly chewed by the
women, after which it is mashed between
stones and left to ferment On the third
day it becomes a little sharp in taste, which
quality increases as the fermentation pro-
ceeds. Its consistency and appearance are
much like mashed potatoes, and to prepare
it for drinking, lump the size of your fist
is taken in n dirty hand and kneaded in a
gourd of water until well mixed Then all
the coarser fiber which floats on the surface
is removed with the fingers, and the bey-
erage is considered eft lor the gods" Those
who have so far overcome their natural
prejudice against the bangs and fingers of
the squaws as to taste it, report that it is
both palatable and wholesome.
can testify from experience that the civil
lized chicha of Peru and Bolivia, the uni
versal beverage of the lower classes, is good
enough for anybody. There are many wavs
of making it in different parts of South
America. The most common method is to
put the shelled corn, uncooked, into large