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PREFACE
PREFACE
I n September, 1908, I left New York as a delegate of the United States Government and of Yale University to the First Pan-American Scientific Congress, held at Santiago, Chile, in December and January, 1908-09. Before attending the Congress I touched at Rio de Janeiro and the principal coast cities of Brazil, crossed the Argentine Republic from Buenos Aires to the Bolivian frontier, rode on mule-back through southern Bolivia, visiting both Potosí and Sucre, went by rail from Oruro to Antofagast
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CHAPTER I PERNAMBUCO AND BAHIA
CHAPTER I PERNAMBUCO AND BAHIA
T here are two ways of going to the east coast of South America. The traveller can sail from New York in the monthly boats of the direct line or, if he misses that boat, as I did, and is pressed for time, he can go to Southampton or Cherbourg and be sure of an excellent steamer every week. The old story that one was obliged to go by way of Europe to get to Brazil is no longer true, although this pleasing fiction is still maintained by a few officials when they are ordered to go from Lima on the
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CHAPTER II RIO, SANTOS, AND BRAZILIAN TRADE
CHAPTER II RIO, SANTOS, AND BRAZILIAN TRADE
T wo days’ sail from Bahia brought us within sight of the wonderful mountains that mark the entrance to the Bay of Rio de Janeiro. As one approaches land, the first thing that catches the eye is the far-famed Sugar Loaf Mountain which seems to guard the southern side of the entrance. Back of it is a region even more romantic, a cluster of higher mountains, green to their tops, yet with sides so precipitous and pinnacles so sharp one wonders how anything can grow on them. The region presents, in
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CHAPTER III BUENOS AIRES
CHAPTER III BUENOS AIRES
W e left Santos late on a Tuesday afternoon, and after two pleasant days at sea entered the harbor of Montevideo on Friday morning. It was crowded with ships of all nations, and we were particularly delighted to see the American flag flying from three small steamers. Could it be possible that the flag which had been so conspicuous for its absence from South American waters, was regaining in the twentieth century the preëminence it had in the early years of the nineteenth? Alas, no; the boats wer
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CHAPTER IV ARGENTINE INDEPENDENCE AND SPANISH-AMERICAN SOLIDARITY
CHAPTER IV ARGENTINE INDEPENDENCE AND SPANISH-AMERICAN SOLIDARITY
O n the 25th of May, 1910, the Argentine nation in general, and Buenos Aires in particular, observed with appropriate ceremonies the one hundredth anniversary of their independence. Great preparations were made to insure a celebration that should suitably represent the importance of the event. In 1810 Buenos Aires had been a Spanish colony for two hundred and fifty years following her foundation in the sixteenth century. But the Spanish crown had never valued highly the great rolling prairies dr
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CHAPTER V THE TUCUMAN EXPRESS
CHAPTER V THE TUCUMAN EXPRESS
F or nearly three centuries the most important trade-route in South America was the overland trail from Buenos Aires to Lima by way of the silver mines of Potosí. The system of travel for both passengers and freight was well established. In 1773 there was published a little book called “El Lazarillo,” “The Blind Man’s Guide,” which contains full information for travellers going from Buenos Aires to Lima with exact itineraries and “with some useful notes for those new business men who traffic by
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CHAPTER VI THROUGH THE ARGENTINE HIGHLANDS
CHAPTER VI THROUGH THE ARGENTINE HIGHLANDS
A t Tucuman we left the broad gauge of the British-built Buenos Aires and Rosario R. R. for the metre gauge of the North Central Railway, an Argentine Government line, that runs to Jujuy and has recently been continued northward to La Quiaca, on the Bolivian frontier. The distance from Buenos Aires to La Quiaca is 1150 miles. Of this we had done 700 miles in the first twenty-four hours. The last 450 miles required another twenty-four hours, divided into two daylight periods, as sleeping-cars are
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CHAPTER VII ACROSS THE BOLIVIAN FRONTIER
CHAPTER VII ACROSS THE BOLIVIAN FRONTIER
S oon after our arrival at La Quiaca, at 9 P.M. on November 15, 1908, we received a call from two rough-looking Anglo-Saxons who told us hair-raising stories of the dangers of the Bolivian roads where highway robbers driven out of the United States by the force of law and order and hounded to death all over the world by Pinkerton detectives, had found a pleasant resting-place in which to pursue their chosen occupation without let or hindrance. We found out afterwards that one of our informants w
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CHAPTER VIII TUPIZA TO COTAGAITA
CHAPTER VIII TUPIZA TO COTAGAITA
W e found that the Bolivian government had recently subsidized a weekly stage line from Tupiza to Uyuni on the Antofagasta railway and another from Tupiza to Potosí, our next objective point. The fare to Potosí is twenty-two dollars, and the journey takes only four days. But we had enough of being shaken to pieces in a stage-coach, and decided we could see the country better and be more independent if we used saddle mules. Two weeks before our arrival a couple of bandits, one of whom had been hu
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CHAPTER IX ESCARA TO LAJA TAMBO
CHAPTER IX ESCARA TO LAJA TAMBO
W e got up early enough the next morning to witness a phase of Bolivian life which we had heard of but had not as yet seen. An officer and two soldiers of the Bolivian army, travelling southward, had spent the night at Escara and desired to proceed promptly. The postes are subsidized by the Government on the understanding that all travelling government officials shall be furnished with mules and a man. Each poste has three or four guides called postillons , connected with it. This morning things
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CHAPTER X POTOSÍ
CHAPTER X POTOSÍ
W e had not been in Potosí many hours before we realized that it was a most fascinating place with an atmosphere all its own. By the time we had been here a week we were ready to agree with those who call it the most interesting city in South America. The prestige of its former wealth, the evidence on every side of former Spanish magnificence, the picturesquely clad Indians and the troops of graceful, inquisitive llamas in the streets, aroused to the utmost our curiosity and interest. Our first
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CHAPTER XI SUCRE THE DE JURE CAPITAL OF BOLIVIA
CHAPTER XI SUCRE THE DE JURE CAPITAL OF BOLIVIA
P otosí was an irresistible attraction to thousands, but the dreadful climate, the high altitude, the cold winds, and the chilling rains drove away those who could afford it to the more hospitable valleys a few days’ journey eastward where, with an abundant water-supply at an elevation of eight thousand feet, charming villas sprang up surrounded by attractive plantations, the present suburbs of Sucre. A fairly good coach road has recently been completed, and a weekly stage carries mail and passe
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CHAPTER XII THE ROAD TO CHALLAPATA
CHAPTER XII THE ROAD TO CHALLAPATA
W e were not sorry when the time came to leave Sucre. It not infrequently happens that interior provincial cities of considerable local political importance are not very lenient toward strangers, particularly if the latter are dressed in breeches that seem at all outlandish to the provincial mind. I understand that Chinese have found this to be true in the capitals of our Western States. The thing had happened to me before in Tunja, the capital of the province of Boyacá, Colombia. And it happene
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CHAPTER XIII ORURO TO ANTOFAGASTA AND VALPARAISO
CHAPTER XIII ORURO TO ANTOFAGASTA AND VALPARAISO
N otwithstanding its comfortable beds, wash-stands, and billiard-table, we were glad enough to leave the hotel at Challapata and take the train for Oruro. Our only regret was that we had to say good-by to old Fermin whose faithfulness in his care not only of the mules but of ourselves, had made us grow very fond of him. We gave him a little gratuity which he almost immediately offered to Mr. Smith in exchange for a cheap silver watch the latter had purchased in Jujuy! On our way northward to Oru
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CHAPTER XIV SANTIAGO AND THE FIRST PAN-AMERICAN SCIENTIFIC CONGRESS
CHAPTER XIV SANTIAGO AND THE FIRST PAN-AMERICAN SCIENTIFIC CONGRESS
F rom the railway station to the centre of Santiago is a two-mile ride on a fine parkway, the Alameda de las Deliciosas. It has rows of trees, muddy little brooks, and a shady promenade. Statues to some of Chile’s more famous heroes have been placed in the centre of the promenade, and stone benches, more artistic than comfortable, line its sides near the brook. This sounds rather romantic, but the waters of the stream, which is in reality a ditch two feet wide, are so dirty that it suggests an o
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CHAPTER XV NORTHERN CHILE
CHAPTER XV NORTHERN CHILE
T wo days after the closing banquet, we rose early and hurried down to the station to take the morning express for Valparaiso. Notwithstanding the unseasonableness of the hour and the fatigue of recent entertainments, a large number of the hospitable folk of Santiago were on hand to bid us “Godspeed” on our journey. It is an extremely pleasant custom, this taking the trouble to welcome the coming and speed the parting guest by going out of your way to greet him at the railway station, or if in t
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CHAPTER XVI SOUTHERN PERU
CHAPTER XVI SOUTHERN PERU
M ollendo is one of those places where nature never intended man to live. The natural port, and the one that was used for centuries, is the bay of Islay, a few miles north. As a matter of fact, this was to have been the terminus of the Southern Railway of Peru, the outlet for the commerce of the Lake Titicaca region. But the owners of real estate at Islay were so convinced that there had arrived that “tide in the affairs of men which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune,” that they attempted
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CHAPTER XVII LA PAZ, THE DE FACTO CAPITAL OF BOLIVIA
CHAPTER XVII LA PAZ, THE DE FACTO CAPITAL OF BOLIVIA
I t is a twelve hours’ run from Arequipa to the wharf at Puno where one takes the steamer across Lake Titicaca. The distance is only two hundred and eighteen miles, but there are fifteen or twenty stops, and there is no hurry. Our train was mixed passenger and freight and one first-class coach was amply sufficient to accommodate everybody. Shortly after ten o’clock, we stopped for breakfast at a primitive little railway inn, where, although we had good appetites and were accustomed to native far
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CHAPTER XVIII THE BOLIVIA RAILWAY AND TIAHUANACO
CHAPTER XVIII THE BOLIVIA RAILWAY AND TIAHUANACO
I n order to attend the Scientific Congress, I had been obliged to interrupt my journey from Buenos Aires to Lima and had left my saddles and impedimenta at Oruro. It was now necessary to return thither and pick up the overland trail. Leaving La Paz early one morning by the electric train for the Alto, we took the Guaqui train as far as Viacha, the northern terminus of the Bolivia Railway. This railway was built to order for the Bolivian Government by an American syndicate, and we found it equip
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CHAPTER XIX CUZCO
CHAPTER XIX CUZCO
W e left La Paz on January 26, 1909, at 8.30 A.M. When we reached Guaqui we found that our steamer was to be the old Yavarí that we had before. She was late in arriving from Puno; the afternoon was spent in unloading her cargo; and we did not sail until eight o’clock that evening. The night was wet and chilly. Thunder-storms and squalls made the lake quite rough and we had the usual discomforts. The storm and the late start kept us from reaching Puno before 11 A.M. The regular train had gone, bu
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CHAPTER XX SACSAHUAMAN
CHAPTER XX SACSAHUAMAN
T o defend Cuzco from attack by enemies coming from the north, the Incas built a great fortress on a hill overlooking the city. To reach it, the easiest way is to take a mule and ride through Cuzco’s narrow streets, up the ravine to the ancient gateway in the east side of the hill. At first sight it might seem ridiculous not to walk, as the fortress in only 600 feet above the city. But Cuzco has an elevation of 11,500 feet, and hill-climbing at this altitude is best done on mule-back. The Prefec
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CHAPTER XXI THE INCA ROAD TO ABANCAY
CHAPTER XXI THE INCA ROAD TO ABANCAY
T here are several ways of going from Cuzco to Lima. The easiest and most frequented now is by rail to Mollendo and then by steamer to Callao, the seaport of Lima. Before the days of railroads the common route was by mule via Ayacucho, Pisco, and the Coast. Since the building of the Oroya railroad and more particularly since the extension of the line south to Huancayo, instead of going west to the coast from Ayacucho the overland traveller continues north to the Jauja valley until he meets the r
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CHAPTER XXII THE CLIMB TO CHOQQUEQUIRAU
CHAPTER XXII THE CLIMB TO CHOQQUEQUIRAU
T he next morning, accompanied by a large cavalcade, we started for Choqquequirau. Most of our escort contented themselves with a mile or so, and then wishing us good luck, returned to Abancay. We did not blame them. Owing to unusually heavy rains, the trail was in a frightful state. Well-nigh impassable bogs, swollen torrents, avalanches of boulders and trees, besides the usual concomitants of a Peruvian bridle-path, cheered us on our way. Soon after leaving our friends we had to ford a particu
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CHAPTER XXIII CHOQQUEQUIRAU
CHAPTER XXIII CHOQQUEQUIRAU
T he next morning we began at once to take measurements and get what pictures we could. We found that the ruins were clustered in several groups both on terraces and natural shelves, reached by winding paths or stairways. Some buildings were long and narrow and of one story; others of a story and a half with tall gables. The buildings were placed close together, probably in order to economize all the available space. It is likely that every square yard that could be given to agriculture was cult
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CHAPTER XXIV ABANCAY TO CHINCHEROS
CHAPTER XXIV ABANCAY TO CHINCHEROS
O ne of the conditions on which we had based our decision to visit Choqquequirau was that the Prefect was to see to it that animals should be ready for our departure as soon as we got back, and that his officials along the road should facilitate our progress in every possible manner. To his credit be it said that he kept his promise faithfully, notwithstanding all the rules in the books to the effect that a South American rarely remembers his promise. The next day after our return to Abancay, we
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CHAPTER XXV BOMBON TO THE BATTLEFIELD OF AYACUCHO
CHAPTER XXV BOMBON TO THE BATTLEFIELD OF AYACUCHO
T he next morning we were furnished fresh horses by our kind hosts, and accompanied by five or six of them, climbed out of the beautiful valley of Chincheros up to the heights of Bombon overlooking the river Pampas. Here in 1824, the patriot forces under General Sucre, marching along this road to Lima, encountered the Royalists under La Serna, trying to cut off their retreat. The advance guard of each army met on the 20th of November on the heights of Bombon. The Royalists were driven down into
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CHAPTER XXVI AYACUCHO TO LIMA
CHAPTER XXVI AYACUCHO TO LIMA
E very one had told us that it would be “absolutely impossible” to leave Ayacucho until two or three days had elapsed after the end of the Carnival. Possibly because we were a trifle homesick, and possibly because we had been assured so positively that it could not be done, we determined to try to leave Ayacucho on the last day of the three devoted to Carnival. I must confess that it was rather cruel, not only to the two soldiers who were ordered to accompany us, but also the arriero who was inf
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CHAPTER XXVII CERTAIN SOUTH AMERICAN TRAITS
CHAPTER XXVII CERTAIN SOUTH AMERICAN TRAITS
A s one travels through the various South American republics, becomes acquainted with their political and social conditions, reads their literature, and talks with other American travellers, there are a number of adverse criticisms that frequently arise. I shall attempt here to enumerate some of them, to account for a few, and to compare others with criticisms that were made of the people of the United States, half a century ago, by a distinguished English visitor. Although it is true that the h
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