CAVALRY AND INFANTRY. 



135 



the United States, because we are all Americans. You may depend 

 upon me for aid and assistance in your enterprise." Upon the entrance 

 of some persons in uniform, we rose to take our leave. Before doing 

 so, however, I was introduced to the Minister of War, who was an older 

 looking soldier than the President himself. 



Upon inquiring how the President came by some wounds in his face, 

 1 was told that in September, 1850, Belzu was invited to take a walk 

 in the alameda of Sucre. A friend persuaded him to continue on out- 

 side the usual promenade, where they met some persons riding on horse- 

 back, upon the report of whose pistols Belzu fell, three balls having 

 entered his head. The ruffians escaped from the country; the friend 

 was shot in the plaza of the capitol before Belzu was well enough to 

 interfere in his behalf. The plan was well laid, and so sure were the 

 intended murderers that his days were ended, they rode off, leaving 

 him on the ground, shouting "viva Ballivian," an ex-president, who at 

 that time was known to be lingering along the boundary line between 

 Bolivia and the Argentine republic. 



This attempt to assassinate Belzu made him the more popular. The 

 country is taught that his escape was Providential, and he had been 

 spared for the good of the people. 



As we recrossed the plaza one thousand horsemen were waiting orders. 

 The horses small, but spirited, were in good order. The men, too, are 

 larger and a more daring-looking set of fellows than those of the in- 

 fantry we saw ; each man wore a small scarlet cloak, and upon close 

 examination I found every one of them had brass armor breast-plates", 

 such as we read were worn by the ancients. 



We visited the several ministers of the government, of whom there 

 are three, according to the last constitution. Their families are with 

 some of them, and government clerks travel about the country with the 

 President. A part of the standing army marches in advance, and a 

 part in the rear, as the administration winds along the narrow road 

 through the Andes. The artillery does not travel, the roads being too 

 narrow and rough for the cannon to pass on wheels. It may be taken 

 from Oruro to Cuzco through the Titicaca basin, for there the country 

 is level, and a railroad might be built without much expense for bridges 

 or cutting through hills. 



The arms used by this army are the old tower flint muskets, kept in 

 bad order. The cavalry have a short carbine slung to the saddle, and 

 carry a lance kept very bright and sharp, to which is attached a 

 small swallow-tailed red flag. They manoeuvre by the sound of the 

 bugle ; when in motion the noise made by enormous spurs and bridle- 



