The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1909-07-23
the CATHEDRAL
SO7OS/ BOLIVIA

The favorite language in Bolivia is
that of the Spaniard, but among the
natives on the high plateaus of the
Andes 'Khesshua" or "Aymara" is re-
sorted to, and was used before Span
ish was thought of.
The Khesshuas were the Indians
who reigned throughout this country
before the Incas, by whom they were
conquered before the arrival of the
Spaniards in the sixteenth century.
The Aymaras, so far as history and
tradition go, were the first inhabit-
ants, and immense ruins of their cit
les, temples and other buildings of
large size and idols are scattered
around in the region of Lake Titcaca,
celebrated for being the highest lake
in the world, and at Tihuansen, sta
ton between La Paz and the lake.
These ruins, which cover large area
OF ground, are celebrated because, &C.
cording to archaeologists who have
examined them, they indicate the most
ancient and advanced civilization in
America and are thought to be as old
as the earliest monuments in Egypt
and Asia.
The descendants of these ancient
races form the working part of the
population and are very primitive in
their dress and costumes and con-
stitute the most picturesque part of
the life in the cities. In other South
American countries, as in Paraguay,
Uruguay, Argentine, Chill and Peru.
you never see such odd-looking crea-
lures in the streets of the capital.
The Indians have advanced more and
their costumes are more or less those
of the upper class. One effect of
this is that wages are higher be-
cause the people demand more. In
Bolivia wages are very low and in
the city the men make better cargo
bearers than horses or mules. An
Indian carries $50 pounds, which is
a big cargo for mule, and besides
does other work and costs very little
more than it costs to keep beast.
The Indian women wear so many
short wooden homespun skirts, which
come just below the knees, that they
stand out as though they wore old
fashioned hoops. Their footgear de-
ponds upon their wealth and station.
The SWEETEST wear very high-laced and
dainty French-heeled shoes, made
there for that class, and you wonder
how they walk so we'll with them over
the rough stones. The less stylish
wear neat patent leather slippers,
without stockings, and the poor either
go barefooted or use sandals roughly
made. The women, most of whom
above IA years of age seem to have
babies, carry them papoose fashion,
suspended on their back, and walk
to town with them. as much as IL
miles in a day, driving a herd of
llamas.
Owing to the height of the great
plateau on which La Paz is situated,
at IL, 900 feet elevation, very little ex-
ertion makes you short Of breath, and
as the streets are more or less pre-
cipitous, everybody is painting
good part of the time. Some people
are more seriously affected. I, my
self, had severe headache the first
two days after reaching the high al
titude and fellow passenger lost con-
seriousness before arriving, and re-
turned to low country by the next
train, very much frightened, and not
without reason. The climate is quite
disagreeable at this altitude to one
not accustomed to the penetrating
chilliness, to put it mildly, without ar
tificial heat. With such atmospheric
conditions, taking your morning bath
in snow water right down from the
white peaks you see out OF your win
dow, is about SO degrees less pleasant
than bath at sea level in the same
latitude.
The countries on the Atlantic side,
Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay, have
benefited greatly from European i'm
migration, and the Pacific coast coun-
tries are doing all they can to foment
it. In the southern part of Chilli
there are numerous German colonies,