16 Gardiner G. Huhhard — South America. 



and on the Atlantic a population which is Spanish-Indian, Spanish- 

 Negro, and Negro -Indian, occupies a zone from twenty to one 

 hundred miles wide. Beyond the first zone a few Spanish fami- 

 lies and foreigners are found at the gold and silver mines, on 

 the pampas, at the cattle ranches, and on a few haciendas in 

 Peru and Chili. In Brazil the Portuguese and some Englishmen 

 and Germans raise coffee and sugar, and oversee the diamond 

 and gold fields. On the Amazon there are a few small settle- 

 ments to collect the India rubber and cacao of that valley. 



Save these sparse settlements, the interior of South America is 

 inhabited by wild tribes of Indians, uncivilized save for the pres- 

 ence of a few Catholic priests, who have given the Indians the 

 cross and the image of the Virgin Mary, which they worship, 

 mingling the Catholic religion with their old idolatries and bar- 

 barous rites. The natives are believed to be more idle and less 

 civilized than when the Spaniards discovered America. 



The Spaniards are the grandees of the country ; too proud to 

 work, they leave all business to the foreigners and all labor to the 

 Indians, retaining in connection with the half-breeds all political 

 power. When the regents appointed by Spain were expelled 

 in the early part of the present century, republics were established, 

 but they were republics only in name ; the people were neither 

 educated nor fitted for self-government. Their presidents gener- 

 ally exercised the powers of dictators and often assumed that 

 title. They have rarely enjoyed a long rule, for their power and 

 position were sought by others. Revolution in these countries 

 has passed from the acute to the chronic stage. 



A recent traveller in Peru, who wished to inspect its railroad 

 system, was informed that only 26 miles were in running order, 

 the remainder being under the control of the revolutionists who 

 were then less than 80 miles from the capital. He asked why 

 the rebels did not take Lima, the capital, and was told, "because 

 there is no unanimity among them ; they are suspicious of each 

 other, and cannot depend upon any one man." Instead of 

 being anxious to serve their country they are only interested 

 in robbing her. 



Another traveller in Bolivia, who witnessed some of these revo- 

 lutions, says they sometimes occurred three times in as many 

 weeks, and that it would have been ludicrous had not their results 

 been often violent and tragic. There has been no settled govern- 

 ment, no continued peace, no permanent policy, in any Spanish 



