Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-09-06


man, some Of them terrible enough to curdl
the blood in ones veins. That he was not al
together cruel is proved by his conduct afte
the battle Of Tetanias, in January of 1865, OF
which occasion his army routed the oonstitu
tional forces under Gen. Castro Arguedas. In
the midst Of the field, with the dead and dyint
around him. the victorious Malgarejo, using /
drum head for table, wrote that historic proc
iamation beginning, Men Of Bolivia! Thu
smoke Of gunpowder has purified the politica
atmosphere" A great many prisoners hat
been taken; among them Q number Of promi
nent officers. They were confined to the prison
OF Loreto, that place Of somber memorie,
where, few years before, the ex-president o.
the republic, Jorje Cordoya, and his politica
associates were sacrificed by the ferocity OF
the commander Of the department Col
Placido Yanes, whose name. meaning
tranquil" does not seem to have been very
we'll applied. On the day after the battle
Melgsrejo mounted on horseback, made hit
prisoners to be brought before him and placed
in row. Knowing the character of the mar
this order was received by the prisoners al
their death sentence, and the people of the
place, overcome with terror, expected to wit
ness horrible scene Of bloodshed and ven.
geance.
The prisoners were fled out, among them
many OF Melgarejo's army, who had fed from
his stern rule and Joined the enemy on the day
OF battle. When the row was formed, every
wretch expecting instant death, Gen. Melga.
relo approached and contemplated them with
a gaze that froze the blood in their veins. He
said: 80 these are my opponents; these are
the ours who thought to conquer Melgarejo
Away with you, ye vermin, We offscouring
Stink back to your homes and return not to
seek quarrels with me. Dedicate your misera
BILE lives in the future to the service Of your
nit L.
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 al
directions like SO many frightened deer fearing
that the great general might change his mind
before they were out OF reach. Melgarejo then
took up his position in the village of Viache
where, In the pubic square, he signed upon q
cannon the celebrated decree of convocation
which assembled q national convention in the
Following August He then and there M
nounced his intention to mako a triumpbal
entry into the city of La Paz mounted, not on
his stately Holofernes. but astride the same
cannon on which he had written the decree,
and he actually carried out the program to the
establishment and terror Of the inhabitants
aRoTEsQUK INDIANS
We have been much interested Of late in &C.
counts of the Yuracares q tribe of wild Indians
who inhabit the eastern frontier Of Bolivia.
They wear but one garment. a sort of shirt
made from the bark of a 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 various dye
plants. On state occasions the caciaue also
wears pig tail made from the shells of nuts.
the backs of green beetles and gay feathers
from parrots and macaws; besides which he
ana ali his people further enhance their beauty
by painting black rings around their arms and
WOIlll think hat bod do
them dark enough, but they evidently enter
tain a different opinion and mako use of a kind
OF fruit which looks like an apple, which, when
rubbed on the skin, turns it black as ink Then
they redden their cheeks with the Juice of a
berry and paint scarlet rings around the
eyes and mouth. From each ear a
silver coin is suspended around the
neck Is string Of beads and berries with a
birds wing or claw Of some wild animal for
pendant AS proof that they are rather
proud OF their appearance, each carries a bag
containing few articles for use in adjoining
himself, comb made from thongs of the palm
tree, quantity OF the berries and fruit for
painting the skin black and red, pair of
plncers (Which are nothing but two mussel
shells) for pulling out any superfiuous hair that
makes Its appearance, a snuff box made from a
snail she'll and the musical instrument of which
he is most fond-the polished bone from a
stork's leg or that Of a monkey, which, being
round and hollow, answers very well for "a flute
or whistle. especially as it is noise he desires
and not tune.
The chief sustenance OF these Indians is
chcha made of the cassava root (yucca).
boiled and then partly chewed by the women,
after which it is mashed between stones an
left to ferment. On the third day il becomes a
little sharp in taste, which quality increases as
the fermentation proceeds. Its consistency
and appearance are much like mashed potatoes,
and to prepare it for drinking lump the size
fat IL taly Air<.r 4
kneaded in gourd of water until well mix ed.
Then all the coarser fiber which floats on the
surface is removed with the fingers and the
beverage is considered eft for the gods"
Those who have so far overcome their natural
prejudice against the fangs and fiugers of the
squaws as to taste 1t report that 1t is both
palatable and wholesome.
'aooD ENOUGH FOR ANYBODY"
I can testify from experience that the civil
lied chicha of Peru and Bolivia, the universal
beverage Of the lower classes, is good enough
for ANYBODY. There are many ways Of making
1t in different parts Of South America That
most common in the two countries above men
toned is from sheled corn, well washed and
bruised, then tied up in leaves and boiled ten or
twelve hours until quite soft. This pulpy matter
Is then run through coarse sleeves and put into
barrels. which are filled up with water. Miehl
(honey) or su2ar-cane strip Is then added in
varying degrees to suit the taste Of the chicha
maker, and after a few days of fermentation it
is ready to drink.
Another and perhaps more common method
is to put the shelled corn, uncooked, into
large, square holes dug in the ground not
deeper than six or eight inches, the top and
bottom being well covered with a layer of
clean straw. Water is then poured on several
times every day and in the course of a week or
two the corn begins to sprout. When these shoots
have grown about an inch long the corn is
taken out, crushed between stones, put into
barrels and fermented with water and honey
as before. Chicha is not Intoxicating unless
taken in inordinate quantities, but is mildly
exhilarating, and among the poorer classes in
a measure takes the place of food. 1t is the
fashion among los ricos and the foreigners to
treat one another to picante luncheon-msan-
ing native dishes made very hot with peppers
and ali, cooled by goblets of chicha.
FANNIE b WARD.