204 



DISPOSITION OF PUBLIC LANDS. 



strong enough to carry them, the roads are not wide enough to admit a 

 passage. # 



We saw an elephant travelling on the table-lands of Bolivia, who 

 walked through the Cordillera range of mountains at the pass of Anta- 

 rangua, sixteen thousand feet above the Pacific ocean. When he came 

 to the Apurimac suspension bridge, the tollman shut his door, and 

 refused positively to allow the elephant to attempt to cross over, even 

 if he could have done so. The keeper, a Yankee, swam him over the 

 stream. There were many places on the mountains where the rocks 

 were cut to admit a mule-load to pass, where the elephant scraped his 

 back and sides. 



Goods covered with raw-hide are preserved best from rain. It is 

 frequently thus used to protect bark, chocolate, sugar, and coffee. 



At the national convention of 1851, a grant of twelve square leagues, 

 in the province of Yuracares, excepting the cinchona trees upon the 

 soil, was made to Don Carlos Bridoux, upon condition that he would 

 exert himself to raise the indigo plant, cotton, tobacco, sugar, cacao, and 

 coffee ; provided he would take possession of the land within a certain 

 time. * 



By the same law, the executive was authorized to make grants to 

 citizens or foreigners of from one to twelve square leagues, in considera- 

 tion of advantages to be offered for the public benefit in working the 

 lands. Seiior Bridoux has selected his lands near the port of Vinchuta. 

 This gentleman was very kind to the expedition in Cochabamba. We 

 are indebted to hiiri for personal attention at his hospitable house. We 

 owe him many thanks for aid and assistance offered in a most generous 

 spirit. 



Citizens or foreigners wishing to cultivate the public lands of Bolivia, 

 may do so by a formal application to the prefect of the department in 

 which the lands are situated, and the prefect has authority, by custom, 

 to secure to the settler one square league. 



For the want of laws touching the sale of public lands, citizens or for- 

 eigners are deprived of the advantage of purchasing, but are at liberty 

 to settle where they please, so long as they do not interfere with others, 

 or the public treasury. 



So extensive are the public lands of Bolivia, and so few emigrants 

 enter the country, that the government has thought it policy to make 

 liberal grants to actual settlers, as well to citizens of other countries as 

 to their own. These valuable lands lie idle for the want of population. 



The men of intelligence in Bolivia received the idea of exploring their 



