THE ROAD TO BOLIVIA 279 



•oracle seated an image of the mother of Christ, more renowned than 

 an}' other effig}' in America, and made her shrine the scene of the 

 annual festivals which called together the inhabitants of the entire 

 Andean region. Farmers, merchants, and manufacturers for hun- 

 dreds of miles take advantage of the gathering to drive in llama 

 trains laden with merchandise of all sorts. The people of the north 

 exchange products with the people of the south, and the barter 

 amounts to hundreds of thousands of dollars every year. 



The great church, built early in the seventeenth centurv, must 

 have been a beautiful sti'ucture when new, and even in its present 

 state of deca}' and neglect it is imposing and attractive. Befofe each 

 altar is a table with a tin recei)tacle for candles, the smallest offering 

 that a poor devotee may make to his patron saint, and thousands of 

 them are constantlv burning during the festival week. Here and 

 there is a pathetic evidence of penitence in the form of wild flowers 

 laid by the hand of some maiden upon the altar of the Holy jNIother. 



The image of the Virgin of Copacabana, the patron saint of Bolivia, 

 stands upon an altar in a little chapel reached by a narrow stairAvay. 

 The hollows in the steps tell of the millions of feet that have turned 

 that way during the centuries she has been enthroned there, and her 

 immense wardrobe, including many rare examples of embroidery and 

 lace, and her large collection of jewels indicate the value })laced upon 

 her blessing. One of her rubies, fully an inch and a half long b}' an 

 inch in thickness, curiously enough, was presented by a Turk who 

 spent some years in Bolivia. It is said to be one of the finest rubies 

 in the world. She has also a valuable collection of pearls. The 

 image is al)Out three feet in height, and, with the exception of the 

 face and hands, is covered Avith embroidered robes and decorations 

 of gold and silver of elaborate and artistic designs. The crown of 

 gold, heavily set Avith jewels, is an elaborate piece of Avork, and the 

 halo of the same metal, at least a foot in diameter, is encircled by 

 ten diamond stars. In her hand the Virgin holds a candlestick and 

 her arm supports a basket of gold filigree AVork, Avhich is filled Avith 

 costly jewels. The buckle of her belt is a cluster of large diamonds 

 and her rol»e sparkles with other gems. 



The i)eculiarity of the image, Avhich is considered proof of its 



miraculous origin and attributes, is its i)OW('r to emit light. I was 



not there in the evening and cannot Ix-ar personal testimony as to 



the i)henomenon ; l)ut Professor Bandelierand others entirely worthy 



• of confidence declare that after dark the little chapel is always 



