THE REGIONS OF PERU 5 



ble questions we had finished the food and had gathered a heap 

 of tola bushes for a fire. The arriero (muleteer) brought water 

 from a spring in the hollow below us. Though the snow thick- 

 ened, the wind fell. We were comfortable, even at 16,000 feet, 

 and called the place "The Salamanca Club." Then I questioned 

 him, and this is what he said: 



"I live in the deep valley of Cotahuasi, but my lands lie chiefly 

 up here on the plateau. My family has held title to this puna ever 

 since the Wars of Liberation, except for a few years after one of 

 our early revolutions. I travel about a great deal looking after 

 my flocks. Only Indians live up here. Away off yonder beyond 

 that dark gorge is a group of their huts, and on the bright days 

 of summer you may see their sheep, llamas, and alpacas up here, 

 for on the floors of the watered valleys that girdle these volcanoes 

 there are more tender grasses than grow on this despoblado. I 

 give them corn and barley from my irrigated fields in the valley ; 

 they give me wool and meat. The alpaca wool is most valuable. 

 It is hard to get, for the alpaca requires short grasses and plenty 

 of water, and you see there is only coarse tufted ichu grass about 

 us, and there are no streams. It is all right for llamas, but alpacas 

 require better forage! 



' ' No one can imagine the poverty and ignorance of these moun- 

 tain shepherds. They are filthier than beasts. I have to watch 

 them constantly or they would sell parts of the flocks, which 

 do not belong to them, or try to exchange the valuable alpaca wool 

 for coca leaves in distant towns. They are frequently drunk." 



"But where do they get the drink? " I asked. "And what do 

 you pay them? " 



' ' Oh, the drink is chiefly imported alcohol, and also chicha made 

 from corn. They insist on having it, and do better when I bring 

 them a little now and then. They get much more from the deal- 

 ers in the towns. As for pay, I do not pay them anything in 

 money except when they bring meat to the valley. Then I give 

 them a few reales apiece for the sheep and a little more for the 

 llamas. The flocks all belong to me really, but of course the poor 

 Indian must have a little money. Besides, I let him have a part 



