THE CACTUS FORESTS OF CENTRAL BOLIVIA 331 



less leading to the Ichilo or some other navigable stream, 

 has been forgotten. 



A few of the older families of Comarapa possess wonder- 

 ful collections of ancient silverware made by the Spaniards 

 centuries ago. One finds it difficult to refrain from openly 

 admiring the massive ladles, bowls, plates, and cups that 

 are unostentatiously placed on the table before the guest, 

 but such a procedure would be considered unpardonable, as 

 any comment on such possessions is looked upon with sus- 

 picion. To attempt to purchase an article of this kind is 

 regarded as a very grave breach of etiquette; but not in- 

 frequently the owners of these treasures experience the 

 need of ready money and will offer them for a fraction of 

 their value. 



The elevation of Comarapa is six thousand six hundred 

 feet. But a short distance away rises the first outUer of 

 the Andean Range, eight thousand three hundred feet high; 

 from its summit we could see two other ridges, both of 

 greater height, that must be crossed before reaching the 

 forested slopes on the eastern side; and there may be more. 

 We descended one thousand seven hundred feet into a small 

 valley called California, settled by a few Quechua families. 

 These people were squalid beyond description. Their dilapi- 

 dated huts swarmed with fleas, and vermin of many kinds was 

 so numerous that during the three days and nights we spent 

 in the valley, no member of the party found it possible to 

 get an hour's sleep altogether. We left sooner than we 

 had expected, as the insect plague drove us to the verge of 

 exhaustion. Practically all the Indians we saw were suf- 

 fering from consumption. Many of them had lost the sight 

 of one eye, and I was told that in fighting among them- 

 selves they invariably try to gouge out one another's eyes 

 with their thumbs. 



From a short distance the valley and the slopes above 

 California appear to be heavily forested, but a* close in- 

 spection showed that there was but a dense growth of low, 

 diy woods, the trees not exceeding forty feet in height; 



