The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-05-09
ODDITIES OF LIFE IN LIMA.
4 TRANSFORMED ARMY--FE-
 MALE SOLDIERS
And Their ChiIdren-Some Details of
 South American Etiquette-Lima

In these parts gaily bedizened militia
 ry men are as numerous as flies in mid summer, averaging about one brass mounted warrior to every ten "com- mon'' ones. While the rank and file of the Peruvian army is almost exclusive ly made up of Indians and negroes, the line and staff represent some of the l best families in the republic. All the officers are some of the aristocracy, who
 nave been educated to their vocation in the various military schools. They
 wear extremely gaudy uniforms, with plenty of scarlet cloth. gold lace and brass buttons, and are never seen in 1 anything but full military dress off duty or on. A Spaniard, whatever his station in life, is proud to wear a sword; but nothing can induce him to carry musket. This prejudice of caste was strongly exemplified few years ago, in the defense of Lima against the Gillian army, when doctors, lawyers AAANA PAiCoboB booSS olCoo of calling or condition-rushed into the ranks, much as did citizens of the Uni- ted States in '61: but not mothers son of them could be coaxed or compelled to put on uniform. They were glad to fight in defense of their homes and country, but refused to be degraded by wearing the toggery of common sol- diers.
 The Indians constitute the infantry and being accustomed from childhood to travel on foot in the mountainous inte-
 rior. they have acquired wonderful ra- pidfty and endurance on the march. With, each company of soldiers there goes squad of women, who are called rabonas-a dozen of them to every twenty or thirty men. These female volunteers serve without pay, but are given rations and free transportation; for the government not only tolerates, but encourages their presence, as it serves to make the men more content ed They are really of much service on the march, in camp and in battle They share the same fatigues and ex- posures as do their lards and masters. besides doing most of the foraging for the messes to which they belong, not to mention the cooking, washing and other necessary work. They are always with the men. are officially enumerated in the rosters of troops, as also in the re- ports of casualties-so many men and so many rebonas killed and wounded for they share the soldiers death as
 ,HJ.1
 tions In battle they nurse the woun-
 ded, carry water and ammunition, rob
 the dead and perform any other useful
 services that may be required.
 The custom of allowing rebonas to go with the army grew out of the habit the Incas had Of taking their wives to war; but as time went on the marital
 ties among this class became, lessened
 by common consent. The rebonas of to-
 day are not much like Mama Celia,
 their ancestress, who instructed the In
 dian women of olden times in the arts of spinning, weaving, sewing and the
 care of children; for these are about
 the most miserable and degraded spec imens one can find-hardly degree above the dogs with which they sleep. Among them the ceremony of marriage
 is almost unnown; but they have vir-
 tues, nevertheless, not least being
 cheerfulness under difficulties and
 faithfulness unto death. Their powers of endurance are extraordinary. Often they have to march twenty or thirty
 miles between daylight and dark, many of them carrying babies on their back. There is hardly company without a score of youngsters following at the heels of the rebonas, The children of the regiment have the hardest time, be- ing homeless from birth as well as nameless, generally without rest or
 shelter, and often without food. When
 one of them dies on the march the mother strips off the rags and throws the poor little body into the sand or
 leaves it under a tree, glad to be re-
 lieved of the encumbrance. The Peru
 vian soldiers are all volunteers, be-
 cause, as in most republics, conScrip- tion is forbidden by law. But the way
 they volunteer" is unique. When
 more soldiers are needed men are sent
 out to capture Indians wherever they
 can-at their homes, on the highway or in the chichareas. These are locked up until there are enough to send to head
 quarters, and then they are taken be-
 fore the proper recruiting officers and
 made to sign a statement to the effect
 that they volunteer" to serve their
 country as long as she may need them.
 Of course they cannot read, and sign"
 by making a cross; but thus the laws
 demand are satisfied. A dozen or more
 volunteers" are then lashed together,
 each having his hands tied behind him,
 and they are driven to the garrison, like
 sheep to slaughterhouse. Uniforms
 are put on them, muskets given them,
 and they are turned over to the tender
 mercies of a drill sergeant, who puts
 them through the simplest tactics, until
 they at least know how to carry a gun
 and to fire it. On this subject MT. ".
 B. Curtis, the well-known author, says:
 q saw drove of about one hundred
 and fifty of these volunteers come into
 Lima one day, tied up like chickens or
 turkeys, in punches of ten in each, with
 an escort of twenty men, who then-
 selves had probably gone through the same process of volunteering a year or so before, and seemed rather to enjoy the renonstrances of the conscripts. Behind the column came seventy-five or more women, weeping and chattering, and most of them had children tugging
 aA &lan.,. eJr; lat r,&n