Inland South America Missionary Union 
Founded 1902 
UNITED STATES SECTION 
Incorporated 1921 
President, Rev. Kenneth Mackenzie 
First Vice-President, J. Harvey Borton 
Vice-Presiden ts 
A. J. Carr, Seattle, Wash. Rev. J. J. Staub, Portland, Ore. 
R. G. Deevers, Pittsburgh, Pa. Fred D. Taylor, Oakland, Calif. 
D. L. Foster, Chicago, 111. ^cr/' R Trowbridge ' Los An S eles ' 
Henry Hale, New York, N. Y. Ch ^ Gallaudet Trumbull, Phila., Pa. 
Douglas Ober, Baltimore, Md. Hugo Wurdack, St. Louis, Mo. 
Secretary, Rev. Joseph A. Davis Treasurer, Alfred H. Vroom 
Board of Directors 
Samuel R. Boggs 
J. Harvey Borton 
A. A. Clarke 
Rev. Joseph A. Davis 
Dr. George H. Dowkontt 
D. L. Foster 
Rev. Albert Dale Gantz, D.D. 
Henry Hale 
Adolph Hansen 
Rev. Kenneth Mackenzie 
W. G. A. Millar 
Harry D. Phillips 
Rev. VV. W. Rugh 
Norman D. Smith 
Rev. Jos. G. Snyder 
Rev. Benj. S. Stern, D.D. 
Rev. F. W. Troy 
Alfred H. Vroom 
Address all communications and send all checks, drafts, express or postal money 
orders to: Rev. Joseph A. Davis, Secretary. 113 Fulton Street, New York, N. Y. 
CANADIAN SECTION 
Office— 366 Bay Street, 
Toronto 2, Ontario 
President 
J. Martin Gardner, Toronto. 
Vice-President 
Rev. T. H. Ballentyne, Toronto 
Secretary-Treasurer 
Rev. W. J. Anderson 
W. J. Anderson, Toronto, Ont. 
E. H. Bawtinheimer, Vancouver, B. C. 
J, F. M. Bingham, Toronto, Ont. 
Rev. J. W. Boyd, Toronto, Ont. 
A. M. Gibson, St. John, N. B. 
V. E. Cough. Vancouver, B. C. 
J. Grant, Hamilton, Ont. 
Rev. John Gibson Inkster, Toronto, Ont. 
Rev. Jas. McFarlane, Hamilton, Ont. 
Rev. A. W. Roffe, Gravenhurst. Ont. 
BRITISH SECTION 
Office— 130 George Street, 
Edinburgh, Scotland 
Chairman — Rev. Jas. E. Houston, B.D 
Honorary Medical Advisor 
John M. Darling, Esq., D.S.O., M.A., 
M.B., F.R.C.S.E. 
Secre tary- Treasurer 
George U. Graham 
Vice-Presiden ts 
Rev. J. Stuart Holden, D.D., London 
W. Rounsfell Brown, Esq., B.L., Glasgow 
Rev. R. Wright Hay, London 
Rev. J. R. S. Wilson, B.D., Edinburgh 
Hon. Deputation Secretary for England 
Angus McKenzie, Esq., Liverpool 
Printed in the U. S. A. 
INLAND SOUTH AMERICA 
(Published Quarterly) 
Vol. XXVI, No. 3 June 15, 1931 
SOME INTERESTING FACTS CONCERNING INLAND 
SOUTH AMERICA 
The Peoples of South America 
The inhabitants of South America 
may be divided into three main 
classes: the Indians, descended from 
the early possessors of the soil; the 
Latin Americans, descended from the 
Spanish and Portuguese conquerors; 
and the immigrants. In addition to 
these, there is also, in Brazil, a con- 
siderable Negro element, which was 
introduced in the days of slavery. 
Between the first two classes, there 
is no distinct division, the one having 
to a considerable extent, merged into 
the other through intermarriage. Only 
in the cities of the coast and rivers 
are to be found those who at least 
call themselves pure descendants of 
the conquerors. As we advance in- 
land the predominance of the Indian 
soon becomes marked, civilization 
rapidly gives place to semi-civiliza- 
tion, and that again is superseded by 
the most primitive conditions of sav- 
agery as we penetrate into the unex- 
plored haunts of the pure wild Indian 
in the interior. 
The pure blood Indians readily di- 
vide into two classes: the Incas, 
the Quechuas, the Aymaras, and other 
descendants of the great nations, 
which may now be termed semi-civ- 
ilized, but whose civilization prior to 
the conquest, attained to a remarkably 
high degree of perfections and the 
savage Indians who roam through the 
great unexplored forest-and-marsh 
lands of the interior. 
The Indians have, from the days of 
the Conquistadores, been subjected to 
the greatest cruelty and oppression. 
They have been exploited, enslaved, 
or decimated, as best suited the pur- 
pose of their conquerors, and justice 
for them is, to this day, merelv a 
name, with the inevitable result that 
peoples who were once virile nations 
have become either utterly demoral- 
ized or bitterly hostile, and unap- 
proachable. 
Although the population of South 
America is commonly termed Latin, 
it is the Indian element that is gen- 
erally prevalent. In discussing this 
point, a South American writer says: 
"The ruling class has adopted the 
costume, the usages, and the laws of 
Europe; but the population which 
forms the national mass is Quechus, 
Aymara or Aztec. In Peru, in Bo- 
livia, and in Ecquador the Indian of 
pure race, not having as yet mingled 
his blood with that of the Spanish 
conquerors, constitutes the ethnic 
base. In the Sierra the people speak 
Quechua and Aymara; there also the 
vanquished races preserve their tradi- 
tional communism. Of the total pop- 
ulation of Peru and Ecquador the 
white element only attains to the fee- 
ble proportion of 6 per cent. The 
pure European element does not 
amount to 10 per cent of the popula- 
tion. 
Religious Beliefs 
Previous to the conquest of South 
America the beliefs of the Indian peo- 
ples were of the simple, animistic 
character common to the aborigines 
of both Americas; everything partook 
of a spiritual nature; animals, trees, 
mountains, the sun and even the ele- 
ments being placed in the spirit world, 
and regarded as possessing a sentient, 
thoughtful self, a soul. The beliefs 
of the various peoples were identical 
in their essence; they differed only in 
their practice, which varied from the 
mere domination of the witch doctor 
among the most primitive tribes to 
the elaborate ritual and organized 
priesthood of the Inca Worship of the 
Sun. 
To the present day the savage In- 
dians retain the crude superstitions 
of their ancestors, and their witch- 
doctors exercise an influence as great 
as that which distinguished their 
brethren of North America, but the 
Worship of the Sun, and the other be- 
liefs of the more civilized nations 
have, for the most part, been super- 
seded by the more idolatrous Wor- 
ship of Mary and the innumerable 
saints of Rome, modified by many 
superstitions retained from the for- 
mer faiths. 
