THE MENTOR 1917.11.01, No. 142,
Bolivia

The Native Bolivian

The Indian of the Bolivian plateau is still only a half-civilized
man and less than half a Christian. He
retains his primeval Nature worship, which groups together
the spirits that dwell in mountains, rivers, and rocks with
the spirits of his ancestors, revering and propitiating all as
Achachilas. In the same ceremony his medicine man invokes
the Christian “Dios” to favor the building of a house, or
whatever he undertakes, and simultaneously invokes the
Achachilas, propitiating them also by offerings, the gift
made to the Earth Spirit being buried in the soil. Similarly
he retains the ceremonial dances of heathendom, and
has secret dancing guilds, of whose mysteries the white
man can learn nothing.

His morality is what it was, in theory and practice, four
centuries ago. He neither loves nor hates, but fears,
the white man, and the white man neither loves nor hates,
but despises him; there being some fear mingled with the
contempt. Intermarriage between pure Indians and pure
Europeans is very uncommon. They are held together
neither by social relations nor by political, but by the need
which the white landowner has for the Indian’s labor
and by the power of long habit, which has made the Indian
acquiesce in his subjection as a rent payer.

Neither of them ever refers to the Spanish Conquest.
The white man does not honor the memory of Pizarro;
to the Indian the story is too dim and distant to affect his
mind. Nor is it the least remarkable feature of the situation
that the mestizo, or half-breed, forms no link between
the races. He prefers to speak Spanish which the Indian
rarely understands. He is held to belong to the upper
race, which is, for social and political purpose, though not
by right of numbers, the Peruvian or Bolivian nation.

JAMES BRYCE.

From “South America, Observations and Impressions.”

PHOTOGRAPH BY E. M. NEWMAN

INCA TEMPLE OF THE SUN—ON THE SHORE OF LAKE TITICACA, BOLIVIA

ONE

With the exception of Paraguay, Bolivia is the only
entirely inland State in South America. It is
really a manufactured nation. When the War of
Independence of that part of South America ended,
the revolutionary leaders set up this country as an independent
State, and gave it the name of Bolivia, in honor of
Simon Bolivar, the Liberator, himself a
native of Venezuela. Bolivia is bounded
on the north and east by Brazil, on the
south by Paraguay and Argentina, and on
the west by Chile and Peru.

In its early days Bolivia was simply a
part of the empire of the Incas of Peru.
The story of the Incas has been given in
Mentor No. 132, “Peru.” After the conquest
of Peru by the Spaniards in the sixteenth
century, the natives were subjected
to a great deal of tyranny and oppression.
They were compelled to work in the mines,
and endured so many hardships and cruelties
that their numbers rapidly diminished.

During the seventeenth and eighteenth
centuries there were many struggles between
the native-born inhabitants and
their Spanish rulers. The Indian revolt in
Cuzco (koos´-ko or kooth´-ko), Peru,
which was led by the Inca Tupac Amaru
(too´-pahk ah-mah-roo´), stirred up the
Bolivian Indians to further efforts. For
three months Ayoayo (ei-o-ei´-o) with 80,000
men, besieged the city of La Paz (lah
pahth; local pronunciation, lah pahs´).
Finally his army was dispersed and the
insurrection was crushed.

Injustice had been worked not only
upon the Indians, but upon the native
born Spanish-Americans. These grew
restless at last, and on July 16, 1809, conspirators
at La Paz deposed and put into
prison the governor, and then proclaimed
the independence of the country. One of
the leaders, Pedro Domingo Murillo (pay´-dro
do-min´-go myr-ril´-o or moo-reel´-yo),
was elected president. This was the first
effort in South America toward democratic
government. The Spanish Viceroy, however,
sent a trained army which soon overcame
that of the patriots. On January 29,
1810, Murillo perished on the scaffold. In
the face of death, however, he exclaimed:
“The torch which I have lighted shall
never be extinguished.”

From then on until 1825 there was almost
uninterrupted warfare. Success was
equally divided at first between the Spanish
and the revolutionary forces. On
December 9, 1824, the Battle of Ayacucho
(i-ah-koo´-cho), in lower Peru, finally
ended Spanish dominion in South America.
General Sucre (soo´-kray) was the
victorious general. On January 29, 1825,
the last Spanish authorities vacated La
Paz. General Sucre and his army made a
triumphal entry there on February 7,
1825. This general now assumed supreme
command in upper Peru. The first national
assembly met in June at the city
of Chuquisaca (choo-kee-sah´-kah), now
called Sucre. They decided that the part
of the country hitherto known as upper
Peru should be made a separate and independent
nation, with the name of Bolivia.
The Act of Independence bears the date
of August 6, 1825.

Simon Bolivar (bo-lee´-var) was elected
the first president; and Chuquisaca was
made the capital under the name of Sucre.
When General Bolivar arrived in the city
of La Paz on August 18th, he was greeted
with wild enthusiasm. He was inaugurated
at Sucre in November; but resigned
in January, 1826, to return to Lima (lee´-mah)
in Peru.

There was no peace for the people of
Bolivia yet, however. Troublous times
followed, and finally came the war with
Chile. This war arose over the collection
of an export tax on nitrate. Chile sent
troops to occupy Bolivian territory; and
then Peru, linked to Bolivia by secret
treaty, together with that country, declared
war on Chile on April 5, 1879.
Both Peru and Bolivia were entirely unprepared,
and Chile was completely victorious
in this war. As a result Bolivia
lost what little coastline the country had
previously possessed.

During the last thirty years internal
dissensions in Bolivia have for the most
part ceased. There was a brief time of
trouble in 1898 over the question of the
capital city. It had been the custom for
the cities of Sucre, La Paz, Cochabamba
(ko-chah-bahm´-bah), and Oruro (o-roo-ro)
to take turns in being the seat of government.
In December, 1898, however, the
Bolivian Congress attempted to pass a
law making Sucre the permanent residence
of the president and cabinet. La
Paz protested, and the people of the city
rose in open revolt. On January 17, 1899,
a battle was fought between the insurgents
and the government forces. The insurgents
were completely victorious. As a
result, La Paz was made the real seat of
government, although Sucre retains the
name of capital. General Pando, (pahn´-do),
commander of the revolutionary forces,
was elected president. In 1903 a boundary
dispute with Brazil over some rich rubber
country was settled by the cession by
Bolivia of a part of the province of Acre,
(ah´-kray), in return for a cash payment
of $10,000,000.

PREPARED BY THE EDITORIAL STAFF OF THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION
ILLUSTRATION FOR THE MENTOR. VOL. 5, No. 18, SERIAL No. 142
COPYRIGHT, 1917, BY THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION, INC.

PHOTOGRAPH BY E. M. NEWMAN

HOUSE OF CONGRESS, LA PAZ, BOLIVIA

TWO

Bolivia is a centralized republic. Its government
is representative in form, but to a great extent it is
autocratic in effect. The Bolivian constitution was
adopted on October 28, 1880, and is a model of its
kind. The executive branch of the government consists of a
president and two vice-presidents. They are elected by direct
popular vote for a period of four years,
and are ineligible for election for the next
succeeding term. The president has a
cabinet of six ministers: Foreign Relations
and Worship, Treasury, Government
and Promotion (Fomento), Justice and
Industry, Public Instruction and Agriculture,
War and Colonization.

The legislative branch consists of a
national Congress of two houses—a Senate
and a Chamber of Deputies. The Senate
is composed of sixteen members, two from
each department, who are elected by direct
popular vote for a period of six years. The
Chamber of Deputies is composed of
seventy members, who are elected for a
period of four years. Congress meets annually
and its sessions are for sixty days,
which may be extended to ninety days.
All male citizens twenty-one years of age
or over, who can read and write and have
a fixed independent income, may vote.
The number of citizens who vote, therefore,
is very small, and the country is
for that reason under the control of a
political oligarchy.

The judiciary consists of a national
supreme court, eight superior district
courts, and many lower district courts.
The supreme court is composed of seven
justices, elected by the Chamber of Deputies.

In each department or State a prefect
appointed by the president has supreme
power. The government of these
departments rests with the national congress.

The military forces of Bolivia include
about 3,000 regulars and an enrolled force
of 80,000 men. This enrolled force, however,
is both unorganized and unarmed.
In 1894 a conscription law was passed
providing for compulsory military service
for all males between the ages of twenty-one
and fifty years, with two years’ actual
service in the regulars for those between
twenty-one and twenty-five. This law is
practically a dead letter. There is a military
school with sixty cadets and an
arsenal at the city of La Paz. Naturally
Bolivia, having no coast line, is not provided
with a navy.

Bolivia has a free and compulsory school
system, but education has made little
progress there. Very few of the people
can read and write. Spanish is the official
language, but Quichua (kee-choo´-ah or
kee´-chwah). Aymará (i-mah-rah´), and
Guarani (gwah-rah´-nee) are the languages
of the natives, who form a majority of the
population. A great part of the Indians
do not understand Spanish at all and will
not learn it. The school enrollment is
about one in forty-four. There are universities
at Sucre, La Paz, Cochabamba,
Tarija (tah-ree´-hah), Potosí (po-to-see´),
Santa Cruz (san´-tah kroos), and Oruro.
The university at Sucre, which dates from
colonial times, and that of La Paz, are the
only ones well enough equipped to merit
the title.

The Constitution of Bolivia says: “The
State recognizes and supports the Roman
Apostolic Catholic religion, the public
exercise of any other worship being prohibited,
except in the colonies, where it is
tolerated.” However, this toleration is
extended to resident foreigners belonging
to other religious sects. The Indians profess
the Roman Catholic faith, but this is
tinged with the superstitions of their
ancestors.

At this point it will be interesting to
consider the Indians of Bolivia. The population
of the country is composed of Indians
and Caucasians of European origin,
and a mixture of the two races, generally
described as mestizos (mes-tee´zos). There
is also a small percentage of Africans, descendants
of the negro slaves introduced
in colonial times. Naturally, the Indians
are in great majority. The Bolivian Indian
is essentially a farmer. Scarcely any
of these Indians are educated.

Of the various tribes of Indians, the
Aymaras are the most civilized. The
Mojos (mo´-hos) and Chiquitos (chee-kee´-tose)
tribes are peaceable and industrious.
They have little ambition, and are
held almost in a state of peonage. Inhabiting
the southern part of the Bolivian
plains are the Chiraguanos (chee-rah-gwah´-nos),
a detached tribe of the
Guarani race which drifted westward, to
the vicinity of the Andes, long ago. They
are of a superior physical and mental type,
and have made a great deal of progress
toward civilization. Of the wild Indians
very little is known in regard to either
their numbers or customs.

The mestizos, or half-breeds, sometimes
called Cholos, are the connecting link between
the whites and the Indians. It has
been said of the mestizos that they inherit
the vices of both races and the virtues of
neither.

PREPARED BY THE EDITORIAL STAFF OF THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION
ILLUSTRATION FOR THE MENTOR. VOL. 5, No. 18, SERIAL No. 142
COPYRIGHT, 1917, BY THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION, INC.

PHOTOGRAPH BY E. M. NEWMAN

A PACK TRAIN OF LLAMAS IN LA PAZ, BOLIVIA—TWILIGHT

THREE

“Imagine,” says James Bryce, “a country as big as
the German and Austrian dominions put together,
with a population less than that of Denmark, four-fifths
of it consisting of semi-civilized or uncivilized
Indians, and a few educated men of European and mixed
stock, scattered here and there in half a dozen towns, none of
which has more than a small number of
capable citizens of that stock.” That
country is Bolivia.

The popular idea of Bolivia is that it is
an extremely rugged, mountainous country.
In fact, only two-fifths of the total
area of Bolivia is comprised within the
Andine Cordilleras, which cross its southwest
corner. Three-fifths of the country
is composed of low, alluvial plains, great
swamps and flooded bottom lands, and
gently undulating forest regions. There
are also considerable areas that afford rich
grazing lands.

Bolivia lies wholly within the torrid
zone. The only variations in temperature,
therefore, are due to elevation. For this
reason the country possesses every degree
of temperature, from that of the tropical
lowlands to the Arctic cold of the snow-capped
peaks directly above.

Bolivia has many interesting animals.
There are numerous species of monkeys
that inhabit the forests of the tropical
region, together with the puma, jaguar,
wild cat, tapir, and sloth. A rare bear, the
Ursus ornatus (spectacled bear) inhabits
the wooded Indian foothills. The chinchilla
lives in the colder plateau regions of
the country. The most interesting of all
the Bolivian animals, however, are the
guanaco (gwah-na´ko) and its relatives, the
llama (lyah´ma), alpaca (al-pak´ah) and
vicuña (vi-koon´yah). These animals have
the structure and habits of the African
camel, but are smaller and have no hump.
They are able to go without food and drink
for long periods. The llama and the alpaca
have been domesticated for centuries; but
the guanaco and vicuña are found in a
wild state only. The llama is used as a
pack animal; and the alpaca is highly
prized for its fine wool. The slaughter of
the guanaco and the vicuña is rapidly
diminishing their number.

Of birds the species in Bolivia are very
numerous. The high mountains are frequented
by condors and eagles of the
largest size; while the American ostrich
and a species of large stork inhabit the
tropical plains and valleys. The common
vulture is scattered throughout the whole
country.

All sorts of plants, flowers and vegetation
are to be found in Bolivia. Coca (a
shrub of the flax family, the dry leaves of
which are chewed by the native Indians
as a stimulant) is one of the most important
plants of the country. The most important
of the forest products, however, is
rubber. Sugar cane, rice, and tobacco are
cultivated in the warm districts.

The most important industry in Bolivia
is mining. The lofty and desert part of the
country finds its only natural source of
wealth in minerals. The Western Cordillera
is especially rich in copper and silver,
the Eastern in gold and tin. It has
been said that one-third of all the world’s
production of tin now comes from Bolivia.
It was from the east Andine regions that
the Incas obtained those vast stores of gold
which so excited the Spaniards. Legend
has it that the gold that the Spanish took
out of the country was much less than that
which the Indians buried or threw into the
lakes to keep it from the conquerors.

Next to mining, stock raising is one of
the chief industries of the country. Horses
and, to a greater extent, cattle, are raised
there. Goats and sheep are also a source
of profit.

Although the agricultural resources of
Bolivia are of great value, their development
has been slow. Sugar cane is grown,
but chiefly for the manufacture of rum.
Rice is also raised, but the quantity is not
great. Tobacco and coffee of fair quality
grow readily. The product that receives
most attention, however, is coca. This
plant is highly esteemed by the natives,
who chew the leaf. It is also used for
medicinal purposes.

It is from her forests, however, that
Bolivia derives the greatest immediate
profit. The most prominent and profitable
industry is that of rubber collecting. This
was begun in Bolivia between 1880 and
1890. In 1903 Bolivia’s best rubber forests
were transferred to Brazil, but there still
remain extensive areas where good rubber
is collected.

The industrial activities of the Bolivian
people are still of a very primitive character.
Spinning and weaving are done in
the home. The Indian women are expert
weavers. Other industries of some importance
are the manufacture of cigars and
cigarettes, soap, candles, hats, gloves,
starch, cheese and pottery. The foreign
trade of Bolivia is comparatively unimportant,
with the exception of the products
of its mines.

One difficulty that Bolivia has to contend
with is the lack of transportation facilities.
Railways have never been developed
to any extent, but great plans are on
foot to remedy this. With communications
improved and extended, the future of
Bolivia appears bright.

PREPARED BY THE EDITORIAL STAFF OF THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION
ILLUSTRATION FOR THE MENTOR. VOL. 5, No. 18, SERIAL No. 142
COPYRIGHT, 1917, BY THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION, INC.

PHOTOGRAPH BY E. M. NEWMAN

LA PAZ, BOLIVIA—FROM THE RIM OF THE HEIGHTS

FOUR

La Paz (lah pahth; local pronunciation, lah pahs´)
is a most unusual city. It is the highest capital
city in the world—for although Sucre is the official
capital, La Paz is really the capital city of Bolivia.
It lies in a great mountain hollow nearly 13,000 feet above the
sea. This altitude closely approaches that of Pike’s Peak;
but whereas such an altitude in our country
would mean perpetual snow, here it
brings only a temperate climate, where
flowers blossom throughout the year and
the little snow that falls quickly vanishes
in the morning sunlight.

The city’s official name is La Paz de
Ayacucho (eiah-koo´cho). It is built in a
deeply worn valley of the Cordillera Real,
which is believed to have formed an outlet
of Lake Titicaca (tee-tee-kah´kah). La
Paz is built on both banks of the Rio de
La Paz, or Rio Chuquiapu, thirty miles
southeast of Lake Titicaca. The valley in
which the city lies is about ten miles long
and three miles wide. It is very barren
and forbidding, and its precipitous sides,
gullied by rains and colored by mineral
ores, rise 1,500 feet above the city. Above
Illimani (eel-yee-mah´-nee) and other giant
mountains of the Bolivian Cordilleras rear
their snow-capped peaks. The upper edge
of the valley is called the Alto de La Paz,
or Heights of La Paz.

The city is surprisingly large, its population
being about 80,000. Two-thirds of
the population consists of Indians. They
give a picturesqueness to the place, the
women of the Cholos (cho´los), or half-breeds,
being especially gaily attired.

The greater part of La Paz lies on the
left bank of the river. Both banks rise
steeply from the stream, and the streets at
right angles to the river are very precipitous.
All the streets are narrow, and paved
with small cobblestones. The sidewalks
also are so narrow that only two may go
abreast. Many of the inhabitants prefer
to walk in the middle of the street. The
only things likely to be met are either pedestrians
or llamas, the latter used in
great numbers in this part of the country
as pack animals.

La Paz was founded in 1548 by the
Spaniard, Alonzo de Mendoza (ahlon´tho
day men-do´-thah), on the site of an Indian
village called Chuquiapu (choo-ku-ah´-poo).
It soon became an important colony.
At the end of the war of independence, in
1825, it was re-named La Paz de Ayacucho,
in honor of the last decisive battle of the
revolution. La Paz was then made one of
the four capitals of the Bolivian republic.
When the Bolivian Congress, however, attempted
to designate Sucre as the permanent
capital, the citizens of La Paz revolted;
and by this revolution of 1898 the
seat of government was permanently established
there.

One of the most interesting parts of the
city to visitors is the Alameda (ah-lah-may´-dah).
This is a handsome thoroughfare,
with rows of trees, shrubs and flowers.
It also has a wide central walk with pools,
in which are swans and goldfish. Along
the Alameda are many new and rather
pretty residences. Most of the houses are
painted in tints of pale blue, green, yellow
and strawberry, giving the street a gay
and pleasing appearance.

The Plaza Murillo is so named from the
patriot Pedro Domingo Murillo, who was
executed there in 1810. This spot is also
the place where independence was first declared
in 1809. It has been the scene of
many turbulent episodes. On one side of
the plaza is the Government Palace, erected
in 1885. This contains the offices of
many state officials, and, in the upper story,
the office and residence of the president
and his family.

The Cathedral of La Paz, on the same
side of the plaza as the Government Palace,
is still in process of construction.
The foundations were laid in 1843. When
finished it will be one of the largest and
most expensive cathedrals in South America.
It is to be built in the Græco-Roman
style, will have towers nearly 200 feet high,
a dome the top of which will be 150 feet
above the floor, and will be capable of
seating 12,000 persons.

Across the corner from the Government
Palace is the Hall of Congress. Another interesting
spot is the market place. Here
come thousands of Indians to buy and sell.

Other buildings of note are the old University
of San Andrés (ahn-dres´), the
Church of San Francisco, the Church of
Santo Domingo, the Museum of Natural
History, rich in relics of the Inca and colonial
periods, the very much up-to-date
theater, and the Municipal Library.

The houses of the poorer classes in La
Paz are usually built with mud walls and
covered with tiles. The better class dwellings,
however, are constructed of stone and
brick.

La Paz is an important commercial center.
It is connected with the Pacific coast
by the Bolivian Railway from Mollendo
(mol-yen´-do), to Puno (poo´-no) and a
Bolivian extension from Guaqui (gwah´-kee)
to Alto de La Paz—the two lines
being connected by a steamship service
across Lake Titicaca. An electric railway,
five miles long, runs from the Alto de La
Paz to the city.

PREPARED BY THE EDITORIAL STAFF OF THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION
ILLUSTRATION FOR THE MENTOR. VOL. 5, No. 18, SERIAL No. 142
COPYRIGHT, 1917, BY THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION, INC.

PHOTOGRAPH BY I. F. SCHEELER

STREET SCENE AND MARKET, SUCRE, BOLIVIA

FIVE

On May 25, 1809, the first city of Spanish South
America revolted against the rule of Spain. That
city was Sucre (soo´-kray). This town was originally
the site of an Indian village called Chuquisaca (choo-kee-sah´-kah)
or Chuquichaca, which means “golden bridge.”
In 1538 the Spaniards under Captain Pedro Angules (pay´-dro
ahn-goo´lace) settled there and called the
place Charcas (chahr´-kahs) and Ciudad de
la Plata (thee-oo-thath´ day lah plah´tah),
but the natives always clung to the original
Indian name. In time the town became the
favorite residence and health resort of the
rich mine owners of Potosí, some distance
away. After the South Americans had
won their independence, the name of Chuquisaca
was changed to Sucre, in honor of
the general who won the last decisive battle
of the war and then became the first president
of Bolivia. Since that time the city
has suffered much from quarrels between
the various factions of Bolivia. It is now
the nominal capital of the republic, but the
seat of government for Bolivia is located
in La Paz. Since the government was removed
there, Sucre has greatly diminished
in importance.

The city is in an elevated valley, being
about 8,839 feet above the sea. For this
reason it has an exceptionally agreeable
climate. In the vicinity are fertile valleys
which provide the city markets with fruits
and vegetables. The population of the
city is about 25,000.

Sucre is laid out regularly. It has broad
streets, a large central plaza and a public
garden, or promenade, called the Prado.
There are nine plazas altogether. That
called the “25 de Mayo” has a stream on
each side. One of these flows northward
and joins the Mamoré (mah-mo-ray´) and
so reaches the Amazon. The other turns
southeast, going on to the Pilcomayo (peel-ko-my´-o)
and at last to the estuary of La
Plata (lah-plah´-tah). The Cathedral of
Sucre, called the Metropolitan Cathedral,
is the richest in Bolivia. It dates from
1553, and possesses an image of solid gold
with a rich adornment of jewels, called
“The Virgin of Guadalupe (gwah-dah-loo´-pay).”
This is said to be worth a
million dollars. The legislative palace of
Sucre contains handsomely decorated
halls; but this building is no longer occupied
as such by the national government.
Other important buildings are the Cabildo
(kah-beel´do), or town hall; the mint, dating
from 1572; the courts of justice; and
the University of San Francisco Xavier
(sahn frahn-this-ko zav´-ih-er; Spanish,
hahvee-air´), which was founded in 1624
and has faculties of law, medicine and
theology.

At the lower end of the central plaza, or
Prado (prah´do) is a pretty chapel called
the “Rotunda.” This was erected in 1852
by President Belzu (bale´-thoo), on the
spot where an unsuccessful attempt had
been made to assassinate him.

Sucre is the seat of the supreme court of
Bolivia, and also of the archbishop of La
Plata and Charcas, the primate of Bolivia.

The city is not a commercial one. Its
only noteworthy manufacture is the “clay
dumplings” which are eaten with potatoes
by the inhabitants of the Bolivian uplands.
In spite of being the capital of the country,
it is one of its most isolated towns, because
of the difficult character of the roads leading
to it. It is reached from the Pacific by
way of Challapata (chahl-ya-pah´tah), a
station on the Antofagasta (ahn-toe-fah-gahs´-tah)
and Oruro Railroad. The city
will soon be connected by rail with the
region of the west.

PREPARED BY THE EDITORIAL STAFF OF THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION
ILLUSTRATION FOR THE MENTOR. VOL. 5, No. 18, SERIAL No. 142
COPYRIGHT, 1917, BY THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION, INC.

PHOTOGRAPH BY E. M. NEWMAN

ORURO, BOLIVIA

SIX

Cochabamba (ko-chah-bahm´bah) is called the
Garden City of Bolivia. It was founded in 1574
in a beautiful valley on the east side of the mountains,
which are here called the Royal Range. For
a time the town was known as Oropesa (o-ro-pay´sah). During
the war of independence, the people of the city took an
active part; the women especially distinguished
themselves in an attack on the
Spanish camp in 1815. Three years later
some of them were put to death by the
Spanish forces. In general, the isolated
situation of Cochabamba has been a protection
against the disorders which have
from time to time upset Bolivia.

Cochabamba stands on the Rocha
(ro´cha), a small tributary of the Guapai
(gwah-pie´) River. Its population is about
30,000, mostly Indians and mestizos.
The city is 8,400 feet above the sea, 291
miles north-northwest of Sucre, and 132
miles east-northeast of Oruro (o-roo´-ro).
A newly constructed railway runs from
Oruro to Cochabamba.

The climate is mild and temperate, and
the surrounding country fertile and cultivated.
Trade is active; and in fact the
city is one of the most progressive in Bolivia,
in spite of its isolated situation. It
is laid out regularly and contains many attractive
buildings. The city has a university
and two colleges, but they are
poorly equipped.

The name of the city of Potosí (po-to-see´)
has become proverbial and “smacks
of almost magical and unearthly wealth.”
It possesses some of the most wonderful
silver mines in the world. Founded in
1547, shortly after the first discovery of
silver there by an Indian herder, it has
since produced an enormous amount of the
precious metal. One writer estimates the
yield of the mines there as having been
worth one billion dollars. Seven thousand
mines have been started, of which seven
hundred are being worked for silver and
tin today. At one time the city had a
population of 150,000, which has now
dwindled to about 25,000.

Potosí stands on a barren terrace about
13,000 feet above sea level, and is one of the
highest towns in the world. It is 47 miles
southwest of Sucre in a direct line. The
famous Cerro Gordo (ser´-ro gor´-do; Spanish,
ther´-ro gor´-do) de Potosí rises above
the town to a height of 15,381 feet, a barren,
white capped mountain, honeycombed
with mining shafts. The town itself is laid
out regularly. A large plaza forms the center,
around which are grouped various
buildings, such as the government house,
national college, the old “Royal Mint,”
dating from 1585, and the treasury. The
city has a cathedral, which in part dates
from early colonial times. The water supply
is derived from a system of twenty-seven
artificial lakes, or reservoirs, and
aqueducts constructed by the Spanish
government during the years of the city’s
greatest prosperity.

Oruro (o-roo´-ro) is an important mining
town of about 20,000 people. During
the colonial period this town was noted
next to Potosí, for the richness and productiveness
of its mines. The mines in the
neighborhood are now worked principally,
though not entirely, for tin.

Oruro is 115 miles south-southeast in a
direct line from La Paz. It stands 12,250
feet above sea level, and its climate is characterized
by a short, cool summer and a
cold, rainy winter. Oruro is the Bolivian
terminus of the Antofagasta (ahn-toe-fah-gahs´-tah)
Railway, the first constructed
in Bolivia. In time the city promises to be
one of the most important railway centers
in the country.

Oruro contains many foreign residents,
and several clubs. The government palace
and the university building face the principal
plaza. Besides these, the city has a
theater, a public library and a mineralogical
museum, as well as the usual
churches, hospitals and schools.

There is one other region in Bolivia that
should be visited by all travelers interested
in the mysterious past of the country.
This region is called Tiahuanacu (tee-ah-wah-nah´-koo).
It is not far from La Paz,
and the ruins there were believed by Sir
Clements Markham to indicate the former
existence of a large city of the Incas. One
huge gateway, broken and apparently not
in its original position, is especially interesting.
This great piece of stone is 13 feet
wide, 7 feet above the ground, and 3 feet
thick. It is curiously and elaborately
carved. In the center is a human head,
supposed to represent the creator of the
universe. To this, other figures, partly
human and some with heads of condors,
seem to be offering worship.

Other stones in this region are remarkable
for their size and for the ornamental
carving that appears upon them. All the
ruins are apparently of great age. It is not
difficult to imagine a time when the city
was the home of thousands of human beings
in a very advanced stage of civilization.

PREPARED BY THE EDITORIAL STAFF OF THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION
ILLUSTRATION FOR THE MENTOR. VOL. 5, No. 18, SERIAL No. 142
COPYRIGHT, 1917, BY THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION, INC.

BOLIVIA

By E. M. NEWMAN

Lecturer and Traveler

Entered as second-class matter March 10, 1913, at the post-office at New York, N. Y., under the act of March 3, 1879. Copyright, 1917,
by The Mentor Association, Inc.

MENTOR
GRAVURES

A PACK TRAIN
OF LLAMAS IN LA PAZ

LA PAZ—FROM THE RIM
OF THE HEIGHTS

HOUSE OF CONGRESS
LA PAZ

MENTOR
GRAVURES

INCA TEMPLE OF THE
SUN, ON LAKE TITICACA

ORURO

STREET SCENE AND
MARKET, SUCRE

THE NATIVE BOLIVIAN INDIAN

Bolivia is another Thibet; one of the highest inhabited
plateaus in the world. It is one of the richest mineral
sections, as it now produces about one-third of the world’s
supply of tin, and contains vast wealth in its rich copper,
gold, and silver mines. Nearly ninety per cent. of its population
is of Indian origin, and to this fact may be attributed its
slow progress; as outside of its capital city, almost everything is still
in a primitive state.

Since its last war with Chile, it has been shut off from the sea-coast;
and to get to Bolivia one must now cross either Chile or Peru, which
necessitates a long journey by rail; and if the entrance be by way of the
Peruvian gateway, Mollendo, Lake Titicaca must also be crossed.

STEAMER ON LAKE TITICACA

The parts of this steamer were carried to the lake by rail and put together there

Lying in a valley, at an altitude of more than 12,000 feet above the
level of the sea, is the Bolivian capital, La Paz, the City of Peace. It is
picturesquely situated in a huge bowl, cut into the plateau; and to reach
it one must descend in an electric car, 1,300 feet down the steep slope,
where, at the bottom of the cup, lies a city of more than 150,000
people. In its situation, it is probably the most remarkable of
all capitals. Although called the City of Peace, it has been the scene
of turmoil and strife ever since the Spaniards invaded these solitudes.
Rising high above the
city is beautiful Illimani,
one of the highest
peaks of the Andes.
Perpetually clad in
snow, this magnificent
mountain dominates
the view, and is one
of the most striking
scenic features of
Bolivia.

In the central
square of La Paz rises
the cathedral, which
has been in process
of building for forty
years, and at the rate
it is progressing it will probably not be completed for another century.
On this same central square is the Bolivian House of Congress, nearly
all of its members of Indian origin. This plaza is the center of political
life, and radiating from it are the principal business thoroughfares.

Plaza San Francisco is another of the important squares of the city,
and takes its name from the magnificent church, one of the most artistic
structures in South America. Upon this square, at all hours of the day,
there is a fascinating panorama of life; for, passing constantly, are picturesque
Indians, clad in grotesque costumes, many of them driving
burros or the Andean beast of burden, the llama.

Native Costumes

In no other city of the world are the costumes worn by Indians as
elaborate as those seen in the streets of La Paz. The Cholo or half-breed
is resplendent in garments of the brightest colors. The women in particular
are gorgeously arrayed in silk skirts, kid boots and straw hats.

There is a curious custom which is rigidly observed. Full blooded
Indians must wear felt hats, and are looked upon as inferior in social
standing. The Cholos may always be distinguished by their straw
hats, which are never worn by the others. Having married a Bolivian,
or perhaps a white man, a Cholo woman considers herself quite a superior
being. She delights in patronizing the best shops, where she seeks only
the costliest silks, the gayest of shawls, and kid boots with high heels,
which are imported from France or from the United States.

When fully attired, she is a sight to behold. Arrayed in all her finery,
she promenades like a queen through the streets of the city; and yet, back
of it all, the influence of blood is evident. She may dress ever so elaborately,
but the old customs still cling; she still insists upon carrying her baby on
her back in good old Indian fashion, and she is not averse to carrying her
market basket when she goes to the market to make her purchases. Most
numerous among the Indians are the Aymaras, who, unlike the Quichua
Indians of Peru, are surly and inclined to hold aloof from the white man.
They are seemingly indifferent to the white man’s influence. For clothing,
the Aymará men wear shirts and trousers of a coarse cotton material;
and over their shoulders is thrown a poncho of heavy woolen cloth. Aside
from their poncho, the most attractive part of their costume is a curious
woolen head-covering, beautifully embroidered with beads in gay colors.
In a climate where it is always cold except at midday, these caps with their
long ear-muffs are very serviceable. Women who are wives of full-blooded
Indians make no pretension in the way of attire, and they accept without
question their social status, which relegates them to an inferior position.

ON LAKE TITICACA

BALSA BOAT

Native making the boat of reeds

Customs and Laws

Much of the trading carried on with the Indians is done by barter;
they bring their farm and garden produce to the city, and exchange it
with dealers for groceries or wearing apparel. Very few of them accumulate
money, and wealth is very rare.

Many of their laws are unique,
and are no doubt born of tribal customs
which have been handed down
for generations, and yet are usually
rigidly observed. If, for instance, a
doctor loses seven patients, Indian
law decrees that the career of the
doctor must terminate, and that his
life must be a forfeit for his failure
to save the lives of his patients.
After the Indian doctor has lost his
sixth patient, he usually departs for
some unknown place.

Although the Bolivian capital is
overwhelmingly Indian in point of
population, in appearance it is decidedly
modern. Its streets are paved
with cobblestones, but as a rule are
clean and kept in good condition.
The pavements may be rough, but
it must be borne in mind that there
are very few level thoroughfares;
most of the streets are very hilly,
and would be almost impossible to
navigate were it not for the cobblestones,
which permit men and beasts
to maintain a foothold. Municipal laws will not permit Indians to make
use of the thoroughfares for their llamas during business hours; they are
brought into the city early in the morning, remaining in some patio or
courtyard awaiting the evening hours, when their owners drive them
home. At sunset one may see long trains of these quaint animals driven
through the streets on their way back to the farms. The llama lends
picturesqueness to one of the most unusual cities on the face of
the globe.

LA PAZ, VIEWED FROM THE RIM—MT. ILLIMANI IN THE DISTANCE

THE EVENINGS ARE COLD IN LA PAZ

Little or no coal is burned, as it costs $60 per ton, and only the very
wealthy could afford to use it. There is no wood, so few of the houses are
heated. Most of the English and American residents use oil burners or
electric heaters in their homes; but even the principal hotel is so cold
that men usually go to dinner in their overcoats and the women enveloped
in furs. Most visitors usually retire immediately after dining, as the night
air is so cold that it can be endured only by those acclimated. It is no
uncommon thing for a guest at the hotel to pile upon his bed all the
available covering that he can obtain, including the carpet on the floor
of his room.

One might imagine that Cholo women are unusually corpulent; but
this is apparent only because of the fact that they don from twelve to
twenty skirts. At times, contests are held between Indian belles as to
which has the more gorgeous petticoats, and also the greater number.
A winner is said to have displayed
as many as twenty-four,
disclosing a collection of brilliantly
colored petticoats unequaled elsewhere
for variety.

A LEADING CITIZEN

Religion in Bolivia

Both Bolivians and Indians
are, as a rule, Catholics. On
Corpus Christi day, which is
religiously celebrated, there is a
curious procession in which thousands
of people take part, and a
strange combination of Cholos,
Aymaras and native Bolivians
wend their way through the various thoroughfares. In this parade, the
Cholo women discard their straw hats and wear their shawls instead.
Most of them belong to church societies, and these organizations are
indicated by ribbons worn around the neck, the color
denoting the society to which the wearer belongs.

THE FAITHFUL, HARDWORKING LLAMAS

All the dignitaries of the church take part in the
Corpus Christi day procession. Business is practically
suspended, and the President of the Republic, accompanied
by the members of the Houses of Congress and
all the officials of the Government, march to the
cathedral, where services are held. On various thoroughfares,
altars are erected, and these are usually
decorated by the members of the different ladies’
societies.

Religion has a strong hold on the people of Bolivia.
One not affiliated with the church is looked upon with
suspicion and becomes a social
outcast. In no other country
are the churches better attended.

Streets of La Paz

The most attractive of the
thoroughfares in the Bolivian
capital is the Alameda, a wide
avenue lined with trees, and having
in its center a promenade.
It is on this thoroughfare that
the various legation buildings are
situated. As usual, one may
walk along this street and seek
for the most unattractive
building and be quite sure
that it is the American legation
building. Almost every
government is here represented,
so that the Alameda
might be said to be the center
of diplomatic life.

A HILLY STREET IN LA PAZ

ALAMEDA, LA PAZ

Where the foreign Legation buildings are

CHURCH OF SAN FRANCISCO, LA PAZ

La Paz is surprisingly
modern in the architecture of
its business structures. Most
of the buildings are of brick,
plastered over and painted.
Many of its shops would be a
credit to an American city.
They are by no means mere
country stores, but carry an
astonishingly good class of
merchandise, and many of the
products of France and the
United States are displayed
for sale in the various shop windows. To leave the capital city, one
must ascend by electric railway to the plateau, where is situated the
railway depot. One may go directly south by rail all the way to Antofagasta,
Chile, where steamer connections are made for Valparaiso. On
this journey, one obtains a wonderful view of the back-bone of the Andes,
traveling along a plateau averaging in height about 14,000 feet above sea
level. The snow-clad summits of this mighty range of mountains are
constantly in sight. There are few cities along the railway. Perhaps the
most important of the Bolivian
towns is Oruro, which is in
the center of a very rich salt
country, and as the railroad
approaches the Chilean boundary
there are rich deposits
of borax and nitrate.

LOOKING DOWN THE ALAMEDA, LA PAZ

Many travelers experience
all the terrors of soroche or
mountain sickness when traveling
on the high Bolivian
plateau. The altitude is dangerous
for some people, and
in a few cases results fatally.
One whose heart is weak
should not attempt the journey,
as it is trying even upon
the strongest constitution, and such
evidences of altitude as nose-bleed
and dizzy spells afflict even those
who are accustomed to high altitudes.

Sucre

During the cold winter months,
many Bolivians descend the eastern
slope of the Andes to Sucre, which
has become a favorite winter resort
for diplomatic representatives. Sucre
is several thousand feet lower than
La Paz, and its climate is somewhat
milder. Lower down, toward
the Brazilian boundary, there are
tropical forests and a wild, uninhabited
country where disease lurks;
and here are great jungles and
swamps, making human habitation
almost impossible except for the
aboriginal tribes, which seem to be
immune to the fevers that infest this low-lying country. Among
other important cities in Bolivia are Potosí, and Cochabamba, where
there is an American school, a branch of the American Institute of
La Paz. A number of young American men and women have voluntarily
left home and friends and have gone to Bolivia to teach the
youth of that country. The best families send their children to the
American schools, and the Bolivian boys and girls are not only taught
the English language, but they are made familiar with the history of
the United States. It is the
ambition of many of the sons
of Bolivian parents to acquire
the language, so that they
may make their future home
in America. The American
teachers are unusually capable
young men and women, and
the standard of efficiency that
one finds in the American Institute
is a credit to the young
people who have made the
sacrifice of leaving home and
living in Bolivia.

The military system is
patterned after that of Germany,
as the soldiers
of the country
have been drilled by
German officers, and
their influence is
plainly evident in
the familiar goose-step
and the various
manœuvers that one
may observe in military
camps. The
Bolivian soldiers
have not the fighting
qualities of the
Chileans, and in past
wars have proved anything but a
match for their neighbors to the
south.

Lake Titicaca and Guaqui

In going from La Paz to Lake
Titicaca, one travels over a level
plateau, nearly three miles above the
sea. Little or nothing grows at this
altitude, and the few Indians living
on this plain must have their food
supply brought up from the valleys
below on the backs of llamas. Other
than mines, there is no inducement
for even an Indian to make his home
on this lofty plateau. There is no source of income other than working
in some of the gold, silver and copper mines which abound in these
altitudes.

BOLIVIAN INDIAN MOTHER

BOLIVIAN FARMERS

BOLIVIAN CHILDREN OF THE MOUNTAIN COUNTRY

Guaqui, a little town on the shores of Lake Titicaca, is the terminus of
the railway. A regiment of cavalry is stationed at this port, as it in
reality forms the boundary line of the country. In this little place, one
obtains his final glimpse of the picturesquely attired Cholo women, as
they are rarely seen outside of Bolivia. In their native country, their
appearance excites no unusual interest; but even in Peru they are subjected
to a certain amount of ridicule, which is displeasing to these
haughty belles.

Because of the intense cold, school children are often seen seated in
the open air, where they may enjoy the benefit of the warm sun. This
applies largely to the smaller towns and villages, as in the larger cities
the school houses are now quite comfortable.

STREET ALTAR, CORPUS CHRISTI DAY, LA PAZ

Lake Titicaca is a great inland sea, lying between the two ranges of
the Cordillera, and is very high above the ocean. Its area is about
one-third that of Lake Erie, and its present length is about 120 miles,
while its greatest width is about 41 miles. It is, without doubt, one
of the highest navigable bodies of water in the world.

Among the water plants that one sees growing in the lake is a sort
of rush, which abounds in shallow water from two to six feet in
depth, and rises several feet above the surface.

It is this material which the Indians,
having no wood, use to construct
their boats. In these apparently
frail craft, propelled by sails of
the same material, they traverse the
lake, carrying with them two or three
men, and in addition, a heavy load
of merchandise.

Balsa Boats

There is considerable skill exercised
in the making of the balsa, as these
reed-boats are called. Centuries of experience
have taught the Indians the
process, which has been developed to a
remarkable stage of perfection, enabling
them to defy the storms which are so
frequent. The short, heavy waves make
navigation dangerous even for much
larger boats than the native balsa.

CAPITOL BUILDING IN SUCRE

Like the waters of Lake
Superior, these are too cold
for the swimmer; but the
lack of bathing facilities gives
the Indian but little concern.
The greatest depth of the
lake is said to be about 600
feet. Fish are plentiful, and
the few Indians who live
around the shores of the lake
devote themselves principally
to fishing. As far as habitation
is concerned, other than
Puno on the Peruvian side
and Guaqui on the Bolivian,
there are but a few scattered
villages.

OPEN-AIR SCHOOL—GUAQUI, BOLIVIA

Four steamers ply to and fro between
these ports, connecting with
the train service. These boats were
brought from England, taken in sections
by railway and put together on
the shores of the lake. They are today
used to transfer freight, which
arrives by sea at a Peruvian or Chilean
port, and is carried by rail to Puno,
then across the lake to Bolivia.

ON THE STATE ROAD FROM POTOSÍ TO SUCRE

Numerous islands dot the surface
of the lake. One is of real interest. It is known as Titicaca Island. It
has a population of about 300, but of that number there is but one man
who can read and write. In all Bolivia, only 30,000 children attend school,
out of a total population of 2,000,000. The aborigines do not seem to
care for education, and the Bolivians of European race are few in number.

Inca Ruins

On a small island in Lake Titicaca is the ruined Temple of the Sun,
another reminder of the days of the Incas. When that empire flourished,
this portion of Bolivia was also under the domination of the Inca ruler;
and even today, in some parts of Bolivia, one still comes upon numerous
evidences of Inca rule, such as the ruins of buildings, temples and stone
images, which plainly indicate that they were the work of that remarkable,
ancient people. Inaccessible as is the country, for one who can
stand the journey it affords much of interest.
If there were nothing more in
Bolivia than the view afforded in looking
down from the rim of the cup upon La
Paz, this alone would tempt one to visit
the country. The buildings of this city
have the appearance of so many tea leaves
left in the bottom of a cup, so tiny do they
seem from above. Another glorious scene
is that of the encircling mountains that
surround Lake Titicaca, crowning it with a diadem of snow-covered
peaks—a view that is unsurpassed among the world’s natural wonders.

The Interior Waterways

Although Bolivia has no seaport, the country has a great network of
rivers. The entire length of Bolivia’s navigable streams is about 12,000
miles. These naturally provide excellent means of transportation and
communication. The Paraguay River is navigable for about 1,100 miles
for steamers of from eight to ten feet draft. The Itenes has about 1,000
miles of navigable water. Another river, the Beni, is navigable for 1,000
miles for steamers of six feet draft only. Other streams, such as the
Pilcomayo, Mamoré, Sara, and
Paragua Rivers can accommodate
light draft vessels for distances
varying from 200 to
1,000 miles.

From the ocean Bolivia can be
approached through the ports of
Mollendo, in Peru, or Arica and
Antofagasta in Chile. These are all
regular ports of call of the steamers
between Panama and Valparaiso.
From these ports there is railroad
communication to Bolivia.

CITY ADMINISTRATION BUILDING, SUCRE

THE PLAZA IN SUCRE

SUPPLEMENTARY READING

⁂ Information concerning the above books may be had on application to the Editor of The Mentor.

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