146 



MARKET PLACE. 



CHAPTER VI. 



Market place — Cinchona bank — Funeral ceremonies — Longevity — Kindness of 

 British and Brazilian ministers— French schoolmistresses — Ancient habitar 

 tion — Sucre, the capital — Departments of Chuquisaca and Tarija— River Ber- 

 mejo — Distribution of vegetable life — Visit to Lake Uarauara — Snow line — 

 Balls — Theatre— Department of Santa Cruz — Creole population — Daily life — 

 Province of Chiquitos — Indians— Labors of the Jesuits — Paraguay river. 



On the regular days the market place is crowded with Indians selling, 

 while Creoles are the principal buyers. The market is conveniently 

 arranged ; on one side are the dry-goods huxters ; on another, those 

 with shoes and beads. Beef, mutton, and pork are kept by themselves, 

 while fruits occupy a separate part. In the centre a number of women 

 cook chupe for those who are from home. In the street stand droves 

 of jackasses patiently waiting with forefeet hobbled. Children sleep 

 while slung to their mothers' backs. The gay laugh of the Indian girls 

 often makes the country boys sputter their chupe. Small bundles' of 

 wood and charcoal are brought from the further side of the ridge. In- 

 dians leave town with the setting sun and return during the night, driv- 

 ing donkeys loaded with snow to be sold to the ice-cream facturers. 

 These various businesses are on a small scale, but all contribute their 

 mite, and the market of Cochabamba is well supplied with everything 

 the inhabitants need. The candle-makers do a good business. Oil 

 costs so much after the transit across the mountains that it is seldom 

 used. We were present when a merchant unpacked some boxes of 

 French wines and sweet oil. Every fourth bottle was broken, and some 

 bottles empty. This loss was deducted from the pay of the arriero. The 

 poor man looked sad at the smallness of his receipts after fourteen days 

 labor over the mountains from the coast. French articles excite the 

 fancy of the people very much, such as work-boxes, cigar cases, fancy 

 lace. The women sometimes buy, for the sake of getting the pretty 

 paper boxes the French put their goods in. Very common glassware 

 sells well, but costly articles are more or les3 injured by the journey, and 

 find few purchasers here. The people are more fond of trade than any 

 other employment ; they seem to take pleasure in buying and selling 

 again, and to possess an active industry seldom met with. 



The great business house in Cochabamba is the bank for the deposit 

 and purchase of cinchona bark, gathered along the northeast side of a 



