The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-07-17
The CannibaIs OF Eastern Peru, the
savages of the Maranon and the
Indian Tribes Of Bolivia.
PEN-PICTURES OF THE NATIVES
THE BOLIVIAN RUBBER FORESTS
AND HOW THEY ARE WORKED.
The Quinine Business of south Amer
lea Seriously Injured by Gin
chona Cultivation in India.
Copyright. 1898. by Frank G. carpenter>

Copyright 1898. by Frank G. Carpenter)
LA PAZ. Bolivia, June 17.-Bolivia is one
of the least known countries of the world
Even now the geographers are disputing
about its area, and the different estimates
vary by more than 100000 square miles. The
information 1 have on the subject comes
from Senior Manuel V. Ballivian, the pres
ident of the La Paz Geographical Society,
and one of the best-posted men upon all
such matters connected with this country
Senior Ballivian tells me that Bolivia con-
tains more than $4,000 square miles. The
same figures are given in the Statesman's
Year Book and in the volume on Bolivia
published by the Bureau of American Re
publics at washington. This is almost one
sixth the size of the whole United States
including Alaska. 1t is equal to more than
ten States as big as New York, bigger than
any country of Europe, with the exception
of Russia, and more than Germany, France,
Great Britain, Greece, Switzerland and Bel
GUM combined. This vast territory has not
as many people as the State of Massachu-
sets. 1 doubt if it could figure out as many
as Chicago has at this writing, and the
Greater New York would give at least one
and a half souls to every human being now
in Bolivia. The population is estimated at
about 1900, 000 all told, and of these 1 be-
lieve that not more than half a million have
white blood in them. Think of giving ter
ritory one-sixth the size of ours and proper
tionately quite as rich in it's natural re-
sources to less than half the people of Phil
adelphia, and you have about the condi-
tons which prevail here. The whites prac-
tically own Bolivia, and the other three
fourths of the people, who are Indians,
their servants. OF course there are a few
exceptions to this classification, but as
rule it will hold good. 1t is especially so as
regards the domesticated Indians, who num-
Der much more than half of the popula-
ton, and who are in many cases practically
the slaves Of the whites. Here at La Paz
there are at least five Indians to one white,
and the city is more Indian than anything
else.
UNEMPLOYED BOLIVIA.
The richest parts of Bolivia have not been
surveyed and there are great provinces
here which are practically UNEMPLOYED.
There are some sections which are as I'M
known as Central Africa, and their inhabi-
tants have curious customs as the saw
ages along the edges of the Sahara. There
is strip Of Bolivia several hundred miles
wide and about five hundred miles long
lying between this plateau and the boun-
dairy Of Brazil, which has resources of
great wealth. 1 have met men here who
have travelled overland to Paraguay and
the Argentine. They tell me of vast plains
upon which cattle feed in herds of thou
sands. They can be bought for from two to
three dollars a head, for there is no means
of getting them to the markets. At present
Senior BalIivian tells me there is a syndi-
cate formed in London to connect these
rich grazing lands with the head of naviga-
ton of some of the Amazon branches by
means of railway which will run along
the boundary between Brazil and Bolivia,
but on Brazilian soil. The road will be on
the line of a concession granted to Colonel
Church some years ago, and it's purpose
will be to carry these cheap cattle to the
rubber camps of the Amazon. There are
several other important projects to build
railroads in Bolivia. One is to construct
line from La Paz to the Desuaguadero
river. This line would be sixty-six miles
long, and Senior Ba1livian says it will prob
ably be begun this summer. Another scheme
is to extend the Central North Argentine
Railway to Sucre This road is now near
through a rich cattle-grazing, agricultural
and mining territory, and would furnish an
outlet to the Atlantic for Bolivian products.
There are several other plans for railroads
from the Argentine into Bolivia, and the
day will probably come when all of eastern
Bolivia will be opened up to settlement.
HOW THEY TRAVEL IN BOLIVIA.
At present it is extremely difficult to get
to any part of this country. 1t took me
five days to come to La Paz from the coast,
a distance of not more than 800 miles, and
it will require at least six days of hard
travel for me to reach the Pacific by the
way have planned. In coming lere I had
to spend two days on the railroad before 1
was landed on the shores of Lake Titicaca.
1t took another day to cross that lake, I
had to wait at Chihaya day, and the
fifth day was taken up in the stage ride,
which landed me in La Paz In going back
1 shall have to take three days of hard
staging from here to Oruro, and then have
three days on the smallest, long, narrow
gauge of the world in travelling for GOO
miles over the Andes to the sea. For the
same money and the same time 1 could
comfortably cross the United States from
New York to San Francisco, a distance al
most five times as great. And still this is
what they call easy and rapid travel here.
The most of Bolivia is accessible only on
mules or on foot. The American minister
is arranging 10 pay a visit to the capital,
which is at Sucre and about 400 miles from
here. He will have to take mules or stage
for $50 miles to the railroad. and after
short ride on the cars, will take mules
again for a five days ride through the
mountains to Sucre. I understand that
guard will be furnished him by the Bo-
hvian government though / should judge
that the trip would be perfectly safe with
out it. From Sucre TO the famous mining
town of Potosi is about 100 miles by mule
and bride path, and from Oruro to Cocho-
banda, which is a town of $500, it is
three and one-half days ride on horseback.
Nearly all of the large towns, if the haIf
dozen towns of from ten to forty thousand
which embrace the largest settlements of
this country can be called large, are on the
highlands and in the mountains, and in most
cases travel must be on horse or mule back.
The country hotels are more like stables
than anything else. and when on an out-of-
the way road it is almost impossible 10 buy
food of the Indians or to secure quarters
in their huts to spend the night. You sleep
in the inns on platforms made of stone or
sun-dried bricks and eat what you can get
/ carry camp bed with me. for the native