254 



DISEASES AN INDIAN FAMILY. 



Loreto has somewhat a ruinous appearance. The streets and plaza are 

 filled with grass, on which hogs, goats, and sheep pasture. A small stream 

 rums close by the town, and supplies the people with water. A wooden 

 bridge is thrown across it, over which the Indians pass to their chacras. 

 There are but few Creoles living among them. The population is poor, 

 and the hospital filled with cases of small-pox. While walking through 

 the town we saw too men evidently affected with consumption — one 

 of them a silversmith. We met an old woman ninety years of age, 

 without teeth, her hair as white as snow ; she embraced us all. Don 

 Antonio returned the compliment with so much warmth, that the old 

 woman's life seemed in danger, to the great amusement of all the 'young 

 girls. 



There were a number of cases of chills and fever, one of them a black 

 man. There are said to be about two thousand fugitive slaves from 

 Brazil in the territory of Bolivia. By the first article of the last con- 

 stitution they are free and equal with the white people the moment they 

 enter. The negro of Brazil, in Bolivia, has more rights and privileges 

 granted to him by law, than the Indian on his own soil. 



We visited an old Indian woman with a house full of daughters ; 

 these Indian girls are beautiful and much respected; several of the 

 Creoles have desired to marry them, but the father is displeased with 

 the whites, and refuses to permit his daughter to marry any but a man 

 of their own race. The house was furnished better than any Indian's 

 house we had met ; their beds were neatly curtained ; floors partly car- 

 peted ; neat white hamacs and table clotljs. One of the daughters was 

 decidedly beautiful ; her complexion white and clear, with regular fea- 

 tures ; her eyes large and deep black, like her hair ; she was of middle 

 size, with a most perfect figure ; hands and feet exquisitely shaped, and 

 teeth perfectly white ; her manner was modest and shrinking, while, at 

 the same time, she spoke Spanish remarkably well ; attention had been 

 paid to her education. This family of Indians were more respected by 

 both white and red than any other in the Beni ; yet the father would 

 have as little to do as possible with the authorities. He was a leading 

 man among the Indians, and did not hesitate to make them acquainted 

 with his opinion of the wrongs every day practised against the tribe. 

 We were unfortunate in not seeing this man ; upon inquiring, it was 

 found he would not remain at his farm, but was visiting about the coun- 

 try among the Indians. 



Near the town there is a grove of large tamarind trees, planted by 

 the Jesuits. Under the shade of one of them some carpenters were 



