V—ARGENTINA
Argentina is one of the wonders of the new world, so rapid has been its rise from obscurity to immense material importance. It is considered the first of the South American states. Study the singular mingling of the races which has produced an entirely new type of nationality and patriotism.
The subject of ranches and the life there may be the topic of one paper; another may take up the life in the capital, Buenos Ayres, with its contrasts between great poverty and greater wealth, for the ports are filled with steamers from all parts of the world, and the docks crowded with the very poorest Italian immigrants. The wide boulevards, theaters, opera house, clubs, newspaper offices, and public buildings are on a scale of unusual magnificence. Notice that in many respects the city is like Paris.
Speak of the pleasure-loving character of the people, of horse-races and lotteries, of extravagance in all kinds of sport. Notice the excellent sanitation and the unusually high cost of living. Follow with a description of the other two river republics, and compare with Argentina. Have a paper here on Patagonia.
VI—PERU
The republics of the Andes are less important commercially than those of the lower lands, but in many respects they are of greater interest. The mountains give to them their distinctive character and importance; they are the great storehouse of the people, giving them mineral wealth, forests, and, on the slopes, fertile tracts of land, except on the coastward side, where the peculiarity of the lack of rain makes the country sterile. In Peru the whites and Indians and half-breeds form three distinct classes, and this is true of all the republics of the Andes.
Give a description of Lima, the quaint city which dates from the time of Pizarro, show pictures of the old cathedral and the plaza of infamous memories of persecutions, existing from 1573 until 1813. Contrast this simple, and by no means wealthy, city with those of the Plate country.
Close with a sketch of Cuzco, the capital of the old Inca empire, built almost twelve thousand feet high on a mountain top, and speak of the railroad which goes there, and of the wonderful mountain bridges.
VII—ECUADOR
Ecuador, the smallest of the mountain republics, is a land of contrasts: of volcanoes, mountain gorges, tropical forests and snowfields, bleak plains and fertile valleys. Its chief city, Quito, lies exactly on the Equator; it is a city built in the old Moorish style, with red-tiled roofs and narrow streets. The character of its people is interesting, for picturesque Indians in native dress throng the town on feast days, mingling with the very poor natives and the richer class who wear Paris costumes. The republic is not in a high state of development, but the Panama Canal is expected to bring prosperity to it.