A CHULPA.
A CHULPA.
A CHULPA.
The chulpas are of various heights, ranging from ten to twenty and occasionally thirty feet high, the difference arising probably from the more rapid decay of the shorter ones. In shape they are at the ground line generally about fifteen feet wide by six feet broad, outside measurements, and as the walls are twelve to fifteen inches in thickness, the inside forms a long and very narrow parallelogram. The doors all have a lintel of stone, and are in every case turned to the east, doubtless in connection with the rising sun, as even when the chulpas are found in groups (although they are generally placed singly or in pairs) I observed they were always pitched so that the eastward view for each one of them was quite uninterrupted. Towards the top the walls gradually approach each other, but as I could not find one that was quite closed in, it is impossible to be certain whether the top was flat, or formed by bringing all the walls together in a point. A remarkable thing about these chulpas is the excellent quality of the adobes of which they are constructed. These are evidently only sun-dried mud or common earth, and have very little straw or fibrous matter in them, yet they must have lasted for many centuries, and will, as they are protected as far as possible, both by the authorities and by the traditions of the Indian inhabitants of the district, probably last for centuries yet to come, and this, notwithstanding the fierce storms that sweep over the desolate plains of the altaplanicia of Bolivia, and the extreme alternations of heat and cold which occur in almost each successive day and night. So wonderful is the tenacity of the material of which these adobes arecomposed, that I question whether kiln-dried bricks would have any chance of equalling their durability. By some people these chulpas are set down as tombs, but I have not heard of any bones having been discovered in them, although gold and silver ornaments, as well as pottery have frequently been found. One of our mozos told us that there was a tradition that the builders of these chulpas, whoever they were, at the approach of death caused themselves to be walled up in them without food, in the belief that after death they would be transported to new life, in a land which they called by the name of “Buenos Ayres,” but as this tale was told me by our Argentino Marco, perhaps it was an invention of his own, and only served to show the ready wit of a gaucho.
Arriving at the posta of Catariri about 11 a.m., we halted for breakfast, and, changing our baggage mules, which got over the ground admirably although they were not promising animals to look at, we took the road again without much loss of time. From Catariri to Pazna, the next post, the road lies principally over the pampa of Aullagas, which is capital arable land, planted largely with barley and potatoes. Nearing Pazna, we approached more nearly to the lake of Aullagas, or, as it is called in most maps, the lake of Poopo, and saw a most beautiful mirage. Some distance in the lake are two small and hilly islands, and these appeared to be lifted high into the air, whilst on the western side of the lake a snow-covered mountain was raised quite into the clouds.
At Pazna we stayed only just long enough tochange our baggage mules, and got a couple of very young mules given us that gave much trouble at first start, as they wished, apparently, to travel any road but the one we wanted them to take. However, when once we got them on the right road they made very good progress, so that we finished our day’s run by six o’clock, having done sixteen leagues, say fifty miles, in about twelve hours, including our two stoppages, which occupied two out of the twelve; not bad work! Poopo is a miserable-looking place, built in a ravine, up which the houses are built on either side, the middle forming the “high street.” Nearly the whole village seemed to be in ruins, and, as it was New Year’s Day, all the inhabitants, at least the few to be seen about, were more or less intoxicated. I have already mentioned the prevalence of drunkenness in Bolivia, but certainly this vile habit seems to be even more general in the mining towns that in the purely agricultural ones. These latter also have better-built houses, and are altogether more cheerful looking than the former. Perhaps these differences may be somewhat accounted for by the dismal prospects that the working miners of Bolivia have before them, for although the mineral extracted is almost uniformly of great richness, the cost of carrying the article to a market is so great that little profit is left to the actual miner. There seems to be but small hope of better times for the mining industry until good roads are made and a route for exportation completed in an eastward direction. At Poopo there are a few mines in which tin, or “estaño,” seems to be the principal mineral found. The altitude of Poopo above sea-level is given byHugo Reck at 378 metres, equal to 12,431 feet. The posta was in as ruinous a condition as the other houses, and a small church seemed to be the only building that had a complete roof to it. No provisions were obtainable, so we had to content ourselves with a tin ofrognons sautéfrom our travelling stores, and had it not been for this resource we should have remained supperless after our long day’s ride.
The next morning we left Poopo early, with very good posta mules and travelled well, the whole of the road to the next station, called Machacamarca, distant about six leagues, being over pampa land. At Machacamarca we breakfasted and were preparing to start, when a party, consisting of three Bolivians and two ladies, rode up from Oruro. The boss of the party stared hard at me, and then claimed acquaintance as having met me in Sucre. I did not recollect him, so he told me his name, and that he was a proprietor of tin mines at Poopo. He confirmed the rumours that we had heard along the road for the past two or three days, of a revolution in La Paz, in favour of General Quintin Quevedo, and told me that he had received a letter from the general, telling him that he wasen routefor La Paz, to put himself at the head of the movement. This news caused me to give up all idea of visiting La Paz, as the roads between Oruro and that city were in the possession of General Daza and his officers, who, I feared, would not scruple to take my mules from me, and leave me without means of travelling. The only plan I could adopt, was to push on for Oruro with all speed, in hope of being able to arrange for a continuance ofmy journey to Tacna before Daza or any of his men arrived there. We therefore made all possible haste, but were much delayed by encountering a very heavy storm of wind, hail, and rain, which drove over the pampa with great violence. Before the storm, the mirage on the pampa was the finest I have ever seen. The hill at the foot of which Oruro lies appeared to be separated from us by a lake, and I said to Alfredo that we should have to go round it. The droves of llamas and their attendants seemed to be walking in the lake, but as we approached the water seemed to disappear gradually, at about the distance of a quarter of a mile only from us. I have never seen such a distinct and clear effect on any other occasion, and could not but conjecture that the coming storm had something to do with it.
We arrived at Oruro about 4 p.m., having travelled thirteen leagues during the day, and put up at the house of the Peruvian consul (Señor Urquidi) to whom my young travelling-companion was recommended. The consul received us very kindly, giving us a capital room in his house, and a good corral for our animals, so that our mules were comparatively safe for the present.