The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-05-24

scent said to me: THE Quichuas have
but little ambition. and they live from
hand to mouth. They seem To have
no spirit, ana their brains appear to
be atrophied."
AS To alcohol. the extent to which
IL is used among the Indians is be
You'd conception. You may see drunk
en- men anu women by scores at any
feast, and ut the railroad stations. and
In every part of the country there are
Indians who go reeling along with red
faces and bleared eyes. During my
stay In CuZco I have gone Into some
of the alcohol stores, and l ann as
tounced At tho vast quantities sold.
There is Wholesale and retail liquor
establishment just opposite my hotel
in the heart of this city. 1t consists
of Il number of large rooms running
around patio. The storeroom racing
the street is walled with tin tanks.
each twice as high as Il man and as
big around rs the boiler of n 100-ton
locomotive. I counted twelve of these
tanks standing upon platforms against
the wall of that room. Each was
marked as containing 1000 liters OF
alcohol, and when tapped upon them
with my knife found they wcre full.
There were $4,000 quarts of that ter
rible brandy in this one room alone.
Every tank had Its faucet, and the
brandy was drawn out by the gallon,
the liter or bottle.
AS looked tho Gtorck eeper came up
and asked him soiro questions. lie
seemed proud of his business, and told
mo that he made 100000 pounds OF
the liquor each year. lie sells IL To
the Indians ut about $40 per quintal.
or 100 pounds, shipping IL not only To
tho city of Cuzco, but to other towns
throughout the province. lie describes
his estate where the brandy is made.
1t is called the Hacienda pachachaca.
and Ii consists of four great farms.
and IL takes from 500 TO 1000 Indian
families TO run it, Tho owner took
me into the court upon which the liquor
store faced and showed me how the
stun Is brought in from the plantation.
1t is packed in goatskins containing
100 pounds each, and is carried nienty
miles upon mules 10 CuZco. lie opened
one OF tho skins and gave me a taste
of tho liquor. 1t went down my throat
Hike liquid IRE. and he took an alcohol
gauge and showed me that the stuff
was b3 per cent fine.
saw other alcohol stores, though
not large. in Sicuani. There are
scores of them In ArcGuipa and in al
most all the towns OF the mountainous
districts. The alcohol sells for about
| 10 cents n Quart. The Indians usually
buy it by the bottle. a number getting
together and treating each other. The
women drink quite as freely as tho
men, and on saints days both sexes get
together and have IA grand spree, at
which time there is music and dancing
and love-makinE. irrespective OF the
marriage relation. Sometimes AN IN
dian Will drink Il whole bottle right
down and his limit is generally gagged
by the amount he is able to purchase.
In addition to alcohol, the Indian
men, women and children drink chicha.
beer made of corn. This is TO he
found everywhere In the mountains
other. The ordinary way OF making
chlcha Is to take the grains Of ripe
corn and throw them into tanks in the
earth The grain is then covered with
straw and sprinkled with water 1t is
kept wet until II swells and sprouts.
after which II is taken out and boiled
for season. When set aside. so tho
liquor begins to Torment, and within
short time 1t Is beer.
In some villages ! am told tho old
custom of making chicha stu pro
walls. In that ease, tho fermentation
Is started first In The mouth. The
girls come together and have chow
ing matches. They shell off the ripe
grains, and grind them to powder be-
tween their teeth. working their jaws
until the saliva flows freely. in the
midst or the party Is great wooden
trough, into which from time to time
each girl splits out her mixture Of
saliva soaked meal. Tho spittlc brings
about fermentation, and after a short
time the mush. with some water added.
has turned 10 beer that will make