The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-01-09
pERU'S INDIANS
FORM BACKBONE
OF POPULATION
Natives Inherit Many Ad-
mirable Qualities From.
Ancient Incas.

follows: One million two hundred anl
sixty thousand mestizos, or mixed ra
~ II ON rri ss.c,,,o rriages of the whites
avlrh the Indians, 60a,aO0 whites, 10O,.
900 negroes, 10000 Orientals and O.,
100000 Indians.
che great problem Of Peru is thu
Sroblem of the Indian, who is not onfa
numerically the important factor In
the country, but is also virtually the
only support of the vast majority OF
the population, according to the Lima
correspondent of the Christian Sci.
ence Monitor. 1t is common saying
that all Peru lives off the Indian. II
the Indian was taken out of Peru to-
day the country would suffer until the
remaining portion of the population
had learned by necessity to cultivate
the land and to make AZ living.
The ancient Inca empire, Of which
Cuzco was the center and the home
of the Inca kings, extended originally
from beyond Quito to the southern
coast Of Chile, including what is now
known as Ecuador, Peru and Chile,
and these ancient peoples had here
a civilization in many respects more
advanced than that Of the Spanish ad-
Ancestors Were Enlightened
When; Pizarro came to Peru there
were nearly 100000 Of these inhab-
itants of the Incas' realm in Peru
alone, industrious, law-abiding, prac-
ticing progressive arts and having ir-
rigated farms, traces Of which are still
to be seen along the high peaks of
the Sierra tablelands. Their old homes
and fortresses, their temples and their
architecture reveal a state and quail
. ity OF knowledge and architectural
skill resembling that of ancient Egypt.
When the Spaniards came, not to
colonize so much as to conquer, and
exploit, the Indians were driven from
their homes, the country in many in
stances went to waste, people becom-
ing slaves Of their ruthless masters,
who proceeded to make the quiet,
tractable Indians into beasts of burr
den, killing them whenever they op-
posed.
The present evil traits of the In
dian, his dishonesty, suspicion Of the
white man, and much Of his sloth
have been the result of the condition
under which he has been controlled
for 400 years or more. During the
old Inca regime such sins as lying,
stealing and adultery were punish
able by the extreme penalty, and the
home life OF these ancient people was
far better in character than that gen.
orally found to-day among their sue
cessors. r..
Trustworthy and Frugal.
Nevertheless, you will be told by
those people who know the Indian Of
the interior especially that. he forms
the best and most trustworthy e1e-
ment in Peru to-day. He is hard work.
ing and frugal, living on small patch
Of land, which is frequently opened
by the community or by large land
holder. He will work day after day
for his masters, receiving only ten
cents in Peruvian money, which is
equal to@five cents in gold, at the end
of the week receiving All additional
amount. making his. daily wage for the
week amount to about 10 cents gold
q day.
In the case of the Indians who oc-
cupy land ON the great estates Of the
Sierras (and there are often as many
as 400 families Of Indians who live in
these large haciendas, as their fathers
have for generations) the owner has
the right to demand the labor Of the
Indian for virtually any work he re-
qutres and at any time At time of
planting, wedding and harvesting all
the Indians are requisitioned to culti-
vate the great estates, and when the
owner wishes to send his produce to
market he has simply to call upon his
yyI nH
of llamas, carrying the produce many
leag cues to the nearest shipping place
without charge to the owner.
While this appears at first sight
nothing short of slavery conditions,
the lot OF the Indians in these maun-
tains is not SO bad as it might seem. |
They have their own bits OF land, |
which they cultivate assiduously and |
which yield them good living, and |
they have their own sheep, llamas and |
alpacas and certain number of cat
tie. Their grazing lands are appor-
toned to them and they are protected |
in their rights. There is no danger of |
their homes being taken from them. |
In fact, the Indians in the interior |
are so truly welded to the place where |
they and their fathers have lived |
for generations that it is virtually inn
possible to move them from their
homes, and when the land changes
hands they are practically sold with
the land, and simply transfer their al
legiance from one master to another.
CARRIED in Gay Colors.
There is no more picturesque sight |
to be seen in South America if in
deed anywhere in the Orient, than
these Indians journeying on foot be-
hind their long trains Of llamas, laden |
with alpaca or wool, on their way to
the market places. A market place |
like that at Sicuani, where on Sunday
many hundreds of Indians gather. |
leaving their llamas and burros cor
rallied on the nIilsldes, while they |
throng the central plaza with their
wares for sale, makes an unforgettable
picture.
The first impression is one of color
color everywhere. 1t is one cast sea
Of variegated ponchos, shawls and
Women in gay dresses
Of red or blue or purple are sitting
In front of their little mats, on which
they display the food they have for
sale, or the socks which they have
made, or the ponchos they have wo-
ve-u, and as they bargain with the pas
ser-by their hands are always busy
with the little spindle dangling from
their arm on which they are spinning
WOOL from which they will make 9TH
sr socks or ponchos.