The Republican journal., 1903-10-01

on their way to town to sell the fruit of
their labors; or on the way home, gen.
erally empty-handed and empty of
pocket, but in state of jolly intoxica-
ton, the women outdoing the men in
their enjoyment of the spree-singing,
dancing, bowling like SO many lunatics,
but always docile and respectful to the
superior race, though they occasionally
indulge iii little hair-pulling among
themselves.
Thus~~the whole coca crop grown IN
Bolivia must pass over the great Cor
dilIera. to height of nearly 1900 feet.
before it can reach a market. A good
deal of it is ruined in transit, when not
sufficiently protected, as the least mols-
ture, such as the usual snow storm to
be encountered in the upper height,
rots the delicate leaves and destroys
their cocaine properties. That which
is exported from Bolivia is re-Wrapped
at the Adriano, in bales of $50 pounds
each. covered first with raw hide, then
with strong cloth and thick coating
of some resinous gum. Two OF these
bales. weighing 800 pounds, is consider
ed a mule-load for the long, hard jour
ney between La Paz and the sea.
The average price of coca to the pro
ducer is - cents gold per pound: but
out of this he has to pay a tax of "A
centayos about thirteen cents gold) on
every pound. Think of cultivating,
picking, drying and packing the tiny
leaves for that small profit, TO say moth
ing of the several days perilous journey
over the mountains, The Bolivian
government derives no small share of
its revenue from this coca business.
The right to collect the tax is 'farmed
out" or sold to the highest bidder,
sealed proposals being received for the
privilege The contracts are given for
one year only, running from the 1lth
of June to the 10th of the following
June. \ greater part of the tax goes
into the public treasury, and the bal
ance is used for improving the rough
roads over the heights and down into
the valleys where the coca grows. At
least IS per cent of all the coca that is
raised in Bolivia is brought to La Paz
unker these contracts: the remainder
being sold by middlemen to the resi-
dents of adjacent villages on the great
Andean plateau The manner of tax
collecting in Yungas is fair sample
of the mode throughout the country
Yanacachi, village near the western
terminus of the valley, lies in narrow
canyon, between impossible mountains
through which there is but one road.
All the streets of the town except that
one leading into the canyon road are
securely walled up just outside the
town so that all cargo must pass by
way of the custom house, which stands
at the head of the canyon. Whenever
an Indian passes with pack on his
back or a load on his mule, if he does
not stop and show what he carries, or
pay the tax, if it be coca, he quickly
finds himself in trouble. Out rushes a
customs official, armed with a long
iron poker which has screw-like ap-
paratus at one end, and a heavy raw
hide whip attached to the other. The
screw point he thrusts deep into the
middle of the cargo, to determine if
any coca be hidden within it; and should
any Indian resist, he does not hesitate
to use the whip on his back.
The principal consumers of coca in
Peru and Bolivia are the Quichua
and Aymara Indians. In the tombs of
the ancient Peruvians a small quanti-
ty OF coca leaves is always found
buried with every mummy, together
| with an earthen jar that once held lime,
or potash. To this day potash is eaten
with the coca. 1t is made by incinera-
ting the root of weed that is indigen-
GUS to the soil where coca grows; or
from the bark of a species of wild bean
Of which the Indians are very fond.
The increase Of ones powers of endu-
rance by the use of coca leaves, especi-
ally in the higher altitude, is something
marvellous. 1t is said to completely
abolish all sense of hunger or fatigue.
1t is an undoubted fact that an Indian,
when well supplied with coca, will
travel from so to Is miles day, carry
ing on his back the head of llama,
almost without food for days together.
Indeed, he considers food of secondary
Importance, or rather as third on his
list of necessities, diluted alcohol COM
ing next to coca, All the Aymaras and
Quichuas, male and female, use incred-