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TEE AMERICAN MUSEUM JOURNAL 



presaged the downfall of all this great- 

 ness and splendor. The fatal appari- 

 tion quickly assumed the form of 

 bearded strangers, some of whom were 

 mounted on terrible beasts which filled 

 the ranks of the Indian warriors with 

 panic, and who seemed to have suc- 

 ceeded in harnessing the lightning and 

 thunder for the furtherance of their 

 wicked designs. Suffice it to say that 

 before the avarice of the Spaniards had 

 been abated, eight million subjects of 

 the Inca perished and the organization 

 of the nation was destroyed. With the 

 single exception of the Aztecs of j\Iex- 

 ico, who were practically exterminated 

 by the same people, there has never 

 been another example of such rapid and 

 complete devastation in the history of 

 the world. 



The Quichua of today is a cowed, al- 

 most pathetic individual ; he has been 

 kicked about by the descendants of the 

 conquistador es until he has learned to 

 become reconciled to Ids lot ; l)ut while 

 it seems as if this resignation nnght. 

 in many instances at least, give way to 

 despair, such is not the case. 



During the year 1916, the writer and 

 his companion, Mr. Howarth S. Boyle, 

 spent a number of months in the high- 

 lands of Bolivia ; and while engaged, 

 primarily, in zoological researches, it 

 was impossible not to take cognizance 

 of the Indians populating the higher 

 valleys and table-lands. 



The high plateau of Bolivia is natur- 

 ally arid ; but the Quichuas are masters 

 in the art of husbanding the scant sup- 

 ply of water coming from the melting 

 snows of the high Andean peaks, and 

 thus irrigate extensive areas for cidti- 

 vation. In most instances the dwell- 

 ings of the Indians are scattered about 

 some distance apart in sheltered little 

 valleys, and the fields lie on the slopes 

 higher up ; to these fields the men, and 



often the women also, go each day to 

 Avork, while the children care for the 

 flocks of sheep which nibble on the 

 sparse vegetation growing in the waste 

 places. The density of the popidation 

 is surprising; the number of in- 

 dividuals to the square mile is greater 

 tlian that in the hot, tropical lowlands. 



Ignoring the fact that Indians com- 

 prise the larger part of the inhabitants 

 of practically every Bolivian town and 

 cit}^, there are nevertheless many strictly 

 Indian settlements, some of consider- 

 able size; these consist of rows of low 

 liouses crudely l)uilt of stones or of 

 blocks of adol)e ; the roofs are of grass 

 thatch, or, where this is not available, 

 of a mixture of earth and chopped 

 straw covered with pebbles. Little 

 -Imps are scattered here and there, but 

 usually tlie \ariety of articles offered 

 for sale is small. ChirJta, or corn beer, 

 however, is to be had almost every- 

 where, and even after the traveler in 

 this country is aware of the process of 

 its manufacture, he is invariably glad 

 to stop at some small wayside hut where 

 a white rag fluttering from a tall pole 

 announces to the passerby that the na- 

 tional refreshment is for sale within. 



At least one day of each week is set 

 aside as market day. The Indians 

 the]i come from far and near, driving a 

 few burros or llamas, or carrying packs 

 on their backs. They bring beans, oats, 

 potatoes, milk, cheese, and many other 

 products; also apricots, strawberries, 

 and flowers. Arrived at the place, 

 each woman sqiuits on the ground and 

 s])reads her wares out in front of her, 

 waiting for customers. Apparently this 

 is a most enjoyable procedure; for, if 

 stopped on the way to market, she in- 

 variably refuses to sell anything, even 

 though it might save her a long walk 

 and relieve her of a heavy burden. 



Among the things that appealed to 



