Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-05-08
A PECULIAR PEOPLE.
Return of a Pittsburger From
a Canoe Trip on the
Rivers of Ecuador.
FRIENDLYT0 THE YANKEES
Iron City Hospitality Reciprocated by
Pan American.
PLAYING on A BAMBOO PIANO.
Indians Who Wear the Preserved Heads of
Their Enemies
THE YANKEES
PLAYING on A BAMBOO PIANO.
Indians Who Wear the Preserved Heads of
Their Enemies
WOMEN PAVING STREETS WITH GOLD

ago from an extensive trip through the gold
fields of Ecuador He left here in January
with o. S. Gage, Russell II. Lord and Hugh
Mcconnell, New York engineers and capi-
talists, to make an examination of several
mining properties in the mountains of the
South American Republic. The party
travelled about Il, 900 miles, and had de-
lightful time in addition to having num-
Der of adventures more or less exciting.
Mr. Childs is former newpaper writer,
and his instinct for good "stuf" that will
interest readers has not been dulled by con-
tact with other occupations. His descrip-
tion OF the country and his observations on
the habits and customs of the natives are
verv interesting. He brought back with
him a collection of curious relics. some of
which will be presented to the museum of
the Carnegie Library when it is finished.
The party was we'll received by the peo-
pie and the Indians in the mountains.
Through the kindness of Government Off
cials, the gunboat Cotopaxi was placed at
their disposal.
Canoeing Up the Santiago.
The boat met their steamer, the Quito, at
Esmeraldas, and took the Yankees and
their supplies on board. 1t then steamed
is miles up the beautiful river Rio de San
tiago to Barbon, the junction of the
Cavanas river. From this point up to
their source the rivers are about equal in
size. At Barbon the party left the Cato
paIi and proceeded up the Santiago in
canoes Of five tons capacity to Conception,
is miles distant, and from there they went
TO PLAYA de Orc, 10 miles farther up the
stream, in smaller canoes. AT no time was
the party more than 80 miles from the
coast, vet at stages they were in country
claimed to have been unexpIored by W hite
men before. Mr. Lord discovered beauti-
ful falls $50 feet high that hitherto was un-
known 10 CeoSraphers
The travellers were rovally entertained by
General Caamano ex-President of Ecuador
he was one of the Pan-American delegates
who visited Pittsburg. Mr.. Childs says be
got 70 know the General very well, and he
found him to be one of the most popular
and influential men in the State.
The Friendly People of Ecuador.
The people of Ecuador have the warmest
feeling toward the United States. Mr.
Childs soon discovered in the north of Chile
that the hatred of the Yankees in that sec
tion is most intense This is the result of
the Itata affair and the warike talk that
developed after the Valparaiso riots. The
gold hunters on their return were in PAN
anna when Harrison's ultmatum TO Chile
was delivered. The excitement was
most intense. and everybody understood
war had been declared. All sorts
OF offers were made to the United States to
supply its troons with food, ETC., on their
arrival at the IsthmuS. Ore man spent $50
for a cablegram to the President offering to
furnish the American army with meat
When the prospective war was declared off
there wasn't more angry man in the 18TH
mus.
Mr.. Childs saws the South American
countries have been greatly misrepresented.
Ecuador, in particular, gets a very cold
deal in Mr.. Curtis book. This is the man
who guided the Pan-American delegates
around the country for Secretary Blaine.
Il WAS treated finely in Ecuador but he
has failed to do the people and the Re-
public Justice in what he has written about
Them.
Very Comrortab Bile at Night.
Somebody asked me to-day" continued
Mr.. Childs, chow / felt living on the
equator You know our party was explor-
ing on the equatorial line. Well, replied
i was hot during :he day, but L was glad to
get under q blanket at night. The atmos-
SETe Is always fresh and never oppressive.
This is probably due, as Mr.. Lord thinks,
% the cold Antarctic current, the proximity
OF the Andes Mountains and the large,
rapid rivers rushing down from them to the |
ocean. " found flannel shirts the most
comfortable to wear and we lived in the
hutS OF the natives raised above the ground
10y bamboo poles. We adopted the broad |
trimmed straw hat of the country, and we
managed to get along without suffering
very much.
The negroes Of Ecuador. as all along the |
west coast Of South America, are descend |
ants Of the old Spanish slaves. They are |
q simple-m1nded people, very polite, law
ana careless. and live in constant dread of |
the Indians, who despise them and kill |
them whenever they get a chance. A white |
man Is novelty 10 them, and when they |
saw us they bent the knee, took off their |
hats, and kissed our hands. This is their |
form OF greeting, and if one of them met |
YOU 100 times day, he would 60 through |
with the same salutation. In the presence
Of an old man they get on their knees and |
uncover their head. |
Have No Thirst for Gold.
They are as honest as the Gay is long.
1aev haven't any use tor money, and are |
satisfied with 4 little sugar cane and plan |
tu. This is about all they eat. They cut |
the cane into strips with long knife We |
had So 900 in American money in one of our
canoes, but We never thought of putting a
guard Overi it, As we padded up the rivers
We would frequently leave the boats, and 90 |
into The woods TO explore. Not cent of
the money was stolen by the natives. The
men are TOO lazy to work, but the women do
all the Eustling needed. They are very
strong, and can carry great loads on
taelr heads Strange to say, while
tie men are so indolent, they are
very fond Of canoeing, and 1 have seen
them raddling all day long against the swift
currents, the hardest kind of work, vet
theT did not mind it. The perspiration
would roll from them in great drops, but
they were never so happy as when darting
around on the rivers in their little canoes.
Aese natives wear scarcely anything. A
little calico or coarse cloth around the loins
is their customary dress All along the
rivers and in the sand there is plenty of
gold Indeed, YOU couldn't pick up a
handful of gravel anywhere without finding
a few pieces Of the yellow stuff The ma
tiycs are in the habit Of collecting the small
pieces Of gold, which they hide in the hol-
low bamboo. When they want to buy any,
thing they float down the rivers to traders
store and pay for an article about ten times
what 1t IS worth. The gold in the bamboo
is gwen IN exchange for the goods, but it is
not much that these people need
Music From a Bamboo Piano,
Every now and then on O Sunday, a
priest visits the towns to hold religious
worship. They prepare a great feast and
l 1 - IT