Chap. XIV. 



USE OF COCA BY INDIANS. 



237 



annual yield of coca throughout South America, including 

 Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Pasto, may be estimated at more 

 than 30,000,000 lbs. At Tacna the tamhor of 50 lbs. is worth 

 9 to 12 dollars, the fluctuations in price being caused by 

 the perishable nature of the article, Avhicli cannot be kept 

 in stock for any length of time. The average duration of 

 coca in a sound state, on the coast, is about five months, after 

 which tune it is said to lose flavour, and is rejected by the 

 Indians as worthless. 



The reliance on the extraordinary virtues of the coca-leaf, 

 amongst the Peruvian Indians, is so strong, that, in the 

 Huanuco province, they believe that, if a dying man can taste 

 a leaf placed on his tongue, it is a sure sign of his future hap- 

 piness.^ 



No Indian is without his chuspa or coca-bag, made of lla- 

 ma-cloth, dyed red and blue in patterns, with woollen tassels 

 hanging from it. He carries it over one shoulder, suspended 

 at his side ; and, in taking coca, he sits down, puts his 

 chuspa before him, and places the leaves in his mouth one 

 by one, chewing and turning them till he forms a ball. He 

 then applies a small quantity of carbonate of potash, iire- 

 pared by burning the stalk of the quinoa-plant, and mixing 

 the ashes with lime and water ; thus forming cakes called 

 Uijjta, which are dried for use, and also kept in the chuspa} 

 This operation is called acullicar in Bolivia and Southern 

 Peru, and chacchar in the North. They usually perform it 

 three times in a day's work, and every Indian consumes two 

 or tliree ounces of coca daily. 



In the mines of the cold region of the Andes the Indians 

 derive great enjoyment from the use of coca ; the running 



^ Poeppig, Reise, ii. p. 252 ; also 

 Van Tschiidi, p. 455. 



1 In Caravaya the lUpta is made 

 into a pointed limip, and kept in a 

 horn, or sometimes in a silver recep- 

 tacle, in the chuspa. With it there is 



also a pointed instrmuent, with which 

 the Ilipta is scratclied, and the powder 

 is applied to the pellet of cwa-leaves. 

 In some provinces they keep a small 

 calabash full of lime in tlioir chunpas, 

 called iscupurus. 



