Chile may be reached by taking any line from New York to Buenos Aires, then crossing via the Trans-Andean road to Santiago or Valparaiso, or by any line of steamers sailing for Colon, thence via train to Panama from where English, German, Chilean or Peruvian steamers sail weekly, touching at all the leading coast ports. There are also English and German ships direct from Europe, which pass through Smythe Channel on the southwest coast of Chile and touch at all its ports on both the outward and return voyage.
VII
BOLIVIA
Bolivia, the fourth largest of the South American republics, extending over an area of 708,195 square miles, is without a seacoast, having lost control of her ports on the Pacific Ocean as a result of the war between Peru and Chile. This country occupies as much territory as all of the states east of the Mississippi, excepting those of New England, or is as large as the combined areas of California, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Arizona, Utah and Nevada, and is bounded on the north and east by Brazil, the south by Paraguay, Argentine and Chile, while her western boundary is made up by Peru and Chile.
After Pizarro discovered Peru, he organized an expedition, explored Bolivia, and annexed it to the Spanish crown, which controlled its destinies until all of Latin America revolted against the home government. In 1809 the Spanish authorities were deposed and independence declared in 1825, as a result of the Battle of Ayacucho, fought on Dec. 9, 1824, when the Spanish forces were totally defeated.
Simon Bolivar, the hero of the rebellion against Spain, drafted its constitution which provided for a President, two Vice-Presidents, and two houses of Congress—composed of a Senate and a Chamber of Deputies.
Although Bolivia is entirely within the Tropic Zone, it is blessed with a variety of climates, due chiefly to its altitude. There are two seasons, the rainy from December to May and the dry covering the remainder of the year.
Owing to some gigantic convulsion of Nature, ages ago, what evidently was the bottom of the ocean was forced upward, and now forms an enormous plateau over 500 miles in length, covering more than 60,000 square miles, at an average altitude of 12,000 feet. This is a comparatively barren stretch of land with little vegetation, but is extremely rich in mineral deposits.
Running north and south, and at the east and west sides of this vast plateau are two ranges of the Andes, the distance between them being about 85 miles. In addition to these main ranges are many others which criss-cross the country in numerous directions. In but few, if any, countries of the world is there to be found such a wealth of scenery, Bolivia possessing three of the highest peaks in this hemisphere, namely Illampu, Sorata and Illimani, the sentinel of La Paz, whose snowcovered peak towers into space 22,500 feet.
As may be surmised the climate in the plateau and mountain regions is cool and invigorating most of the year, but extremely warm in the summer, while as the land descends toward Brazil and the upper Amazon region it becomes milder until it reaches tropic warmth.
On account of the high altitude of Bolivia, the traveler generally has attacks of what is known locally as “puno” or “sirroche”—or in plain English, mountain sickness, owing to the rarity of the atmosphere. While it is exceedingly unpleasant and may cause palpitation of the heart, shortness of breath, bleeding at the nose and ears, and other disagreeable symptoms, it seldom results fatally. Rest until acclimated and the use, under a physician’s direction, of some heart stimulant, are all that is necessary to restore the patient to his normal state. Stout persons are apt to suffer more than others and should exert themselves as little as possible. Compressed oxygen is carried in most of the passenger trains to give immediate relief in case of danger from mountain sickness, the train crew being instructed as to its administration.