Industrial and commercial South America

by Annie S. Peck

The Indians on the uplands are similar to those on the Peruvian Plateau, timid and distrustful of foreigners, including the native whites. They constitute the greater part of the laboring class and while not slaves in name they are forced to work for a pittance, and they live as a rule in extreme poverty and ignorance. Laws for their protection are generally ignored, and throughout the entire Andine region they are undoubtedly in a far lower condition than when the Spaniards invaded the country. The mestizos, instead of sympathizing with them, generally treat them worse than do the whites, some of whom recognize the abuses to which the Indians are subject and desire to improve their condition. The Indians are strong and vigorous, especially as to carrying heavy burdens for great distances. Like many other persons they have an unfortunate weakness for alcohol. The men wear short loose trousers or drawers of linen or cotton, a shirt, and most important, a woolen poncho. They go much with bare feet, but usually have sandals made of maguey fibre or rawhide. The women wear a skirt, a cloth covering the body, and a manta or shawl in which the baby (there usually is one) or some other object is carried. With a little education, kind, just treatment, and decent wages, these people would be converted into a working class of far greater value than at present, highly serviceable for the development and progress of the various countries.

Totally dissimilar are the Indians of the Amazonian forest, of whom there are 46 tribes north of the Marañón, though the differences among them are ascribed to environment, rather than to diversity of race. These wear no clothing or a loin cloth. Many are fairly light colored and in general they are well formed. Their weapons are bows and arrows, and the blowpipe used also by the Cayapas. Some of the tribes are especially savage, as the Jíbaros and the Huambisa Indians. The former in early times destroyed the Spanish colonies on the Amazon affluents, while the latter in 1599 seized the Spanish women after sacking Sevilla de Oro. Both of these tribes have a considerable admixture of Spanish blood and are sometimes fair skinned. They have a reputation for treachery and cruelty, but it is said that their savage deeds are in retaliation for countless wrongs previously inflicted by white men, as in the case of recent atrocities.

The mestizos who live among the whites and intermarry with them class themselves with them whenever their economic position permits. Dwelling in remote regions and in villages among the Indians they tend to revert to the Indian type. Until they acquire wealth they form the artisan element, the traders, and the shopkeepers.

Education

Primary education is free and obligatory, but the number of schools is insufficient, and a large part of the people are indifferent. Eighty thousand pupils are in attendance, and 4500 more in the secondary schools. There are universities at Quito, Guayaquil, and Cuenca; six Schools of Arts and Trades, also Schools of Agriculture, and other institutions of a technical or professional character. The machinery of education is equal to that of its neighbors if not in advance, but too many professional men are found in all the countries.

Press, Religion, etc.

Press. Excellent newspapers exist, notably in Guayaquil and Quito, influencing civic progress.

Religion. In 1904 the Church was placed under the control of the State, and all religions were made equal before the law. The women are devoted to the Catholic Church, as in all the South American countries, but the educated men are largely materialists. Civil marriage and divorce were established in 1904.

Telegraph. There are several thousand telephones, mostly in Guayaquil, and about 6000 miles of telegraph wire. The rates are 10 cents for 10 words, and 5 cents for 10 words additional. Cable connection is made at Santa Elena on the Pacific, which has also a wireless station.

Money. A condor is a gold coin equal to an English pound, and to 10 sucres. A sucre is therefore 48.6 cents. The sucre equals 100 centavos. The sucres and some smaller coins are silver. The coinage of Peru is similar. It is easy to remember that a sucre or a Peruvian sol is about half a dollar, a centavo half a cent.