Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-07-31
SOME NATIVES OF PERU.
DESCENDANTS OF INCAS LIVE
IN THE MOUNTAINS.
The Road Leading to Their City Is Almost
Inaccessible-Far Under Dif-
ncuities-They Have tho
Coca Habit.

In one OF the most remote regions OF
Peru. far up in the Sierra, accessible
only by narrow and broken roads, are
situated the famous provinces OF Car
abaya Jld Sandia, known by the FORM
er name only until 1875, says writer
in the Philadelphia Telegraph. The
region has attracted attension from the
earliest period in which Peru was ex-
plored, and is now claiming renewed
interest because, in spite of the wealth
it has already yielded to the patient
delivers in the earth, it is hoped that
there yet lie awaiting the touch of the
present generation further and possibly
even vaster stores of precious metal
The city OF Sandia is situated in "a
picturesque canyon at an elevation of
Z, 250 feet 1t has u population of
about 700 within the town limits, and
of 200 including the peublos in tho
neighbOrhood. all controlled by The
governor of Sandia. To reach Sandia
one must travel for two days by sea,
south from Callao. the seaport OF Lima,
thence eastward by n railroad journey
OF 400 miles, and after that twenty
eight leagues must be traversed on
muleback before coming to the city.
Clement II. Markham says: The
roads OF Sardia are bad; in their best
places they are like steep back attic
stairs after an earthquake. In others
there are absolutely no roads, anG the
traveller must make his way through
bush and bramble as best he can.
The natives cover their heads and
faces during these mountain journeys
with curious helmet-like mask knit
ted by the women, with skillfully
shaped openings for eyes, nostrils and
mouth, and these doubtless often save
them from death by freezing.
They are descendants, more or less
pure, OF the Incas-their language
being the Quichua, that expressive,
beautiful and complete idiom the vo-
cabulary and construction of which at
tracted the attention of no less an i'm
portant man than Francisco Fernandez
de Cordova. 1t is a difficult language
to learn, Astounding in very hard gut
tural sounds until it seems as if one
would snap his vocal chords in the
effort TO pronounce some combinations
OF letters.
These people have from early times
cultivated the soil in the face of diff
culties which might well have proved
insurmountable. Terraces are still
found throughout the mountain PROV
inces, running up hillsides of more
than thousand feet Of vertical eleva-
ton, where it i often necessary to
erect stone walls ten feet high in order
to get twenty feet of level ground in
which to plant their potatoes and bar
ley. Our common potato is indigenous
to South America, and is the great
article of diet in every Indian house
hold. Each man holds from the COM
munity certain agricultural lands, and
raises the two crops which are essen
tial to his existence namely, potatoes
and cocoa. The potatoes are planted
in the proper season by each man, fol-
lowed by his wife and all the children
who can walk The man turns over
the ground with a spade Of remarkable
construction, the handle fully six feet
long: the woman and children follow.
hp VIC iuillp S vi tttIln Will
crooked sticks or stone hammers
dashed to wooden handles, and dropping
the seed.
More important than even the potato
IS the coca which is grown in the
warm valleys Of the Montana at an
elevation less than I, 900 feet. To be
either contented and useful every In
dian must have an abundant supply OF
his coca. The dried leaves, which
have somewhat the taste of tea, are
held in the mouth between the gum
and the lip until the saliva has ex.
tracted all the active and principle OF
the plant when the supply is replen-
ished. The effect OF the coca habit is
peculiar. Its votaries become more
addicted TO lis use than does the mos,
inveterate chewer or smoker TO his to-
bacco, and with plenty Of these leavel
the Indians go uncomplainingly from
twelve TO fourteen hours without any
food. The effect seems TO be TO abso.
lutely allay hunger and even TO stimu-