From Panama to Patagonia 



45 i 



From " Panama to Patagonia," by Charles M. Pepper. Copyright, 1906, by A. C. McClurg & Co. 



Cacao or Chocolate Trees, Ecuador 



One-third of the world's supply of chocolate comes from Ecuador 



death rate were almost balanced, since 

 the birth rate ranged from 35 to $J per 

 1,000. In 1895 the total births reported 

 were 110,000 and the deaths 92,000, 

 leaving an excess of 18,000 births over 

 deaths. In 1898 the birth excess was a 

 little larger; but in 1901 the births were 

 116,000 and the deaths 111,000, giving 

 an excess of only 5,000. In previous 

 years the births were not larger and 

 have even fallen below the deaths. In 

 a subsequent year a more normal con- 

 dition was shown, the births number- 

 ing 115,813 and the deaths 88,607. In 

 the two big cities no normal increase 

 was contributed to the population. In 

 Valparaiso 1'rovince, with 243,000 in- 

 habitants, during a twelve-month pe- 

 riod there were 9,475 births and 9,674 

 deaths. ( )ne year an epidemic of 

 measles caused frightful ravages. Tn 



the year 1900, in the city of Valparaiso, 

 the births were 5,610 and the deaths 

 7,170, and of the latter 2,245 were in- 

 fants under one year of age. During 

 this annual period the death rate per 

 1,000 in Valparaiso was 54.4. In San- 

 tiago Province, with a total population 

 of 434,000, the births numbered 16,074 

 and the deaths 17,798. This excess was 

 due to the city of Santiago, where there 

 were 11,000 births and 12,500 deaths in 

 a total urban population of 262,000. 

 The mean average death rate is a little 

 higher than in Valparaiso, though the 

 latter is subject to the vicissitudes of 

 seaports. In a given year only one city 

 of more than 10,000 inhabitants showed 

 a death rate of less than 50 for each 

 1,000. This was Antofagasta, in which 

 the proportion was 44 out of every 

 t .000. 



