CHAPTER XXII 



SUCRE, THE RIO PILCOMAYO, AND THE UPLAND 

 DESERT TO THE ARGENTINE FRONTIER 



The inhabitants of Sucre insist that their city is still 

 the capital of the country, . and that the removal of the 

 government to La Paz is temporary only, owing to the 

 greater accessibility of the latter place. They are confident 

 that with the completion of the railroad from Potosi the 

 old regime will return, and with it the gayety and activi- 

 ties that such an event occasions. This, however, does 

 not seem probable. 



The city is built on a plateau over nine thousand feet 

 up, on the site of an ancient Indian village known as Cho- 

 quesaka. Its climate is that of perpetual spring. The 

 streets are very wide, paved with cobblestones, and are 

 kept exceedingly clean. The buildings are, for the greater 

 part, low, although edifices of pretentious dimensions and 

 imposing appearance are not lacking, and niunbers of most 

 attractive summer homes dot the surrounding country. 

 The Medical Institute is well-known throughout the neigh- 

 boring repubhcs, and annually supplies them with thou- 

 sands of tubes of vaccine. The markets are abundantly 

 suppUed with provisions of all kinds, at reasonable prices, 

 including many fruits and vegetables of a temperate cli- 

 mate — ^brought from the eastern lowlands. 



The inhabitants of the upper class are well educated, 

 refined, and charming. There is a total population of about 

 twenty-five thousand, but by far the greater part of it con- 

 sists of Quechuas and Cholos. As a whole, Sucre is one of 

 the most delightful spots in aU Bolivia and, when the vast 

 country to the east with its unlimited resources is made 

 accessible, the city will imquestionably enjoy the growth 

 and prosperity to which it is so well entitled, 



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