VINCHUTA. 



197 



until the governor came to his post to discharge a large canoe which 

 was ready to leave for Trinidad, the capital of the department, and in 

 which consisted our only way of proceeding, 



A message was sent to the governor, who was at the small town of 

 Chimore, where the Indians had collected as a retreat from the small- 

 pox, and where there was a padre. 



Vinchuta is the point at which the traders in the cacao of the province 

 of Mojos reach those of Cochabamba with salt. A cake of salt, cut out 

 of the Lakes of Oruro or Potosi, brought down to Cochabamba, is worth 

 thirty-seven and a half cents. When that cake reaches Trinidad, it 

 is worth two dollars. A mule carries eight cakes, or six arrobas — 

 one hundred and fifty pounds. Salt sells, therefore, in this department 

 at a little over ten cents a pound. The freight to Vinchuta from Cocha - 

 bamba is eight dollars the mule load. "We have made the journey in 

 ten days, which is about the average passage; the return train is a couple 

 of days longer, but it has been made in ten days back. 



Cacao is bought in Trinidad at from one dollar and fifty cents to two 

 dollars and fifty cents the arroba, or twenty-five pounds. The market 

 price in Cochabamba is usually six dollars. Chocolate may be had, then, 

 in Trinidad at six cents a pound, while in Cochabamba it costs twenty- 

 four. 



The houses were surrounded by the primitive forest, the only land 

 cleared being the space of ground in the centre, where there was a 

 growth of grass showing what beautiful pasture lands these flats would 

 make were the forests cleared away. We observed a single papaya and 

 a few pepper plants by one of the houses. The mules were turned into 

 the woods, and we towards our baggage for supper. As the young creole 

 and his sick "servant" were without provisions, they appeared glad to 

 see us. 



We found the Creole was a schoolmaster, going down to one of the 

 small towns in the country, to teach young Indians Spanish. The gov- 

 ernment supports, upon a very small pay, Jeachers in all the towns to 

 instruct the Indian. 



The next morning the governor made his appearance, read our pass- 

 ports, and said there was a large canoe ready for us ; that she might go 

 off to morrow. He seemed to be an active little man and very obliging; 

 wanted to know all the news from Cochabamba, and was constantly 

 complaining he had nothing nice to give us, besides which he was very 

 particular to let us know he had the roads put in fine order, as he had 

 been ordered to do by the prefect of his department, as they knew we 

 were coming. We found the roads at best shockingly bad. 



