BOLIVIA A FIELD FOR LARGE ENTERPRISES--NATURAL
CONDITIONS--IMMIGRATION--CLIMATE
[Illustration: PICTURESQUE SCENE IN THE RUBBER REGION.]
With a larger territory than that covered by France, Germany, and Spain
together, and a smaller population than the French capital claims,
Bolivia certainly seems to offer plenty of scope for the development
of large enterprises. Colonization presents an inviting opportunity,
and immigration may be fostered with golden results to the individual
as well as to the state. To the natural advantages of a productive
soil and healthful climate are added those which arise from a great
variety of resources. Bolivia is comprised in three well-defined
regions: the Altaplanicie, about five hundred miles long and eighty
miles wide, which extends from Lake Titicaca to the southern boundary
of the republic; the great system of the Royal Range, which includes
the _serranias_ that are its offshoots, and their fertile valleys;
and the vast plains, grassy or forest-grown, which stretch away from
the Andes to the eastern and northern boundaries, and are noted for the
valuable rubber trees that make this section one of the most important
centres of Bolivian industry. In each of these regions there is a great
deal of territory unoccupied, and very rich in the products peculiar
to its locality. Of the Altaplanicie, the northern part is famous as
the centre of the copper-mining district of Corocoro in the department
of La Paz; in its central province of Carangas are located some of the
most valuable silver and tin deposits of the department of Oruro; and
the southern district, included in the department of Potosí, is rich
in borax and other saline products. Deposits of borax are found not
only in the southern part, where the Lago de Sal, or “Salt Lake,” is
situated, but also in the central and northern sections, especially
in the province of Carangas, where the salt marsh of Coipasa covers a
territory of fifty square kilomètres. A subterranean river connects
Coipasa with Lake Poopo, or Pampa-Aullagas, as it is also called.
The Altaplanicie is not entirely level, an occasional mountain peak,
usually of conical form, giving a pleasing variety to its landscape.
Some of the mountains are snow-capped, and others appear like irregular
brown rocks set up on the plains. A curious freak of nature is seen
in the sinking ground of the Cerro Milluni, near Huayna Potosí, where
great rugged monoliths are brought into picturesque relief by the
sinking sand.
The Altaplanicie is not only productive in minerals, as the wealth of
Corocoro and Carangas proves, but it yields good harvests of barley,
maize, and potatoes in the more sheltered regions, and provides
pasturage for large flocks of sheep and goats. The inhabitants regard
the _chalona_, or salted mutton, of the plateau as an excellent
food, and the cheese known as _queso de Paria_ is esteemed
a delicacy throughout western Bolivia. Alpacas are found on the
Titicaca plateau in large numbers near the eastern slope of the Royal
range, and a few are to be seen in every province, from Pacajes and
Sicasica in the department of La Paz to Porco, Chichas, and Lipez in
the department of Potosí. This valuable wool-bearing animal seeks
the coldest and loneliest regions, where snow falls instead of rain,
on the slopes of the high _serranias_ and in the clefts of the
Cordilleras. The raising and shearing of the alpaca is in the hands
of the Indians, who by their patient methods succeed better than any
other class of shepherds in getting good results from the care of these
animals. Alpacas are black, white, brown, or yellow in color, and
yield wool of very fine quality. They are sheared every other year,
the fibre being sometimes a foot in length, and a shearing amounts to
as much as fifteen pounds. As the demand for this wool increases in
the European markets, greater attention is paid to the industry, but
it has never occupied the place it deserves, and the output might be
made many times what it is to-day,--about two million pounds. In form
and size the alpaca resembles a large sheep, though its neck is long
like that of the llama, to which it is similar in general appearance,
but having shorter legs and a less graceful form. The alpaca is
never used as a beast of burden, but is reared only for its wool.
The vicuña,--_camelus vicogna_,--a smaller and more delicately
proportioned animal than either the llama or the alpaca, though it
bears some resemblance to both, is highly prized for its valuable
coat, vicuña furs being very much appreciated by connoisseurs, because
of their fineness of texture, their extremely light weight, and the
exquisite tones of mauve and tan that distinguish their color. They are
particularly suitable for rugs, carriage robes, and automobile coats.
In all South American countries the _ponchos_ woven of vicuña wool
are greatly valued and bring a high price. The vicuña is about the
size of a young fawn and quite as timid. Its favorite haunts are above
the region of perpetual snow, and it is seldom seen on the highways of
travel. It is more frequently met with than the alpaca, on the Bolivian
highlands, especially in the departments of La Paz and Oruro. On the
higher Andes, in the departments of La Paz, Oruro, and Potosí, the
precious little chinchilla is also found, on the high slopes. It is
very difficult to catch and is becoming rarer every year. It feeds on
small grasses and herbs with the dew on them, but it drinks no water
from other sources. The chinchilla is about the size of a mouse, which
it resembles, though its color is a light blue-gray.
[Illustration: VINEYARDS OF PARANÍ, DEPARTMENT OF LA PAZ.]
None of the resources of the Altaplanicie have been fully developed,
and there are still possibilities for the acquirement of wealth in its
mines and borax fields, as well as in its pasture lands. The climate is
severe, but healthy, and for immigrants who come from cold countries
it has advantages over the more enervating climates of a warmer zone.
The average altitude of the Altaplanicie is twelve thousand feet
above sea level. In the south, a _serrania_ of the Occidental,
or Coast Range, crosses the plateau and unites with the Royal Range
in what is known as the Cordillera de los Frailes, one of the most
majestic snow ranges of the whole chain of the Andes. It divides the
departments of Potosí and Oruro south of Lake Poopo, and is an imposing
sight as viewed either from the city of Potosí, from which it appears
in the distance like a bank of fleecy clouds against the purple of
lower peaks, or as seen from the Oruro side of the range, where the
view, though of different aspect, is one of enchanting beauty. The
name, which means the “Friars’ Range,” is said to have been given to
commemorate the expulsion of the Jesuits in 1767, when many of their
number died from exhaustion and exposure while trying to find their way
across its frozen passes.
The most thickly settled and generally developed region of Bolivia
is that which belongs to the division of the country made by the
Cordillera Real and its fertile valleys. From the Yungas of La Paz and
Cochabamba on the north to the _serranias_ of Tarija on the south,
the vast riches of this wonderful region have been exploited, to some
extent, in its mines, agricultural industries, and other productions;
yet there are mineral districts which have never been explored, and
fertile tracts of farm land that remain untouched by the plow. Almost
every kind of mineral may be found in the mountains of the Royal Range.
Besides the more important gold, silver, tin, copper, and bismuth
mines, there are indications which point to extensive deposits of coal
in the departments of La Paz, Chuquisaca, and Santa Cruz. Anthracite
coal has been discovered in large quantities near the Argentine
boundary, which, it is claimed, is of a quality to compete with the
best in the market. Iron is found in the departments of Santa Cruz,
Oruro, La Paz, and the Beni, but the deposits have never been worked
to any extent. Antimony is exported from Oruro, Potosí, and La Paz.
An excellent quality of marble comes from the neighborhood of La Paz,
as well as from several districts between La Paz and Cochabamba. Of
precious stones, the amethyst, emerald, opal, topaz, and turquoise are
found in the departments of La Paz, Potosí, and Santa Cruz.
[Illustration: ENTRANCE TO CACHIMAYO HACIENDA, NEAR SUCRE.]
Nearly all writers on the subject of Bolivia’s natural resources and
the opportunities they present to the foreign capitalist emphasize
the riches of Bolivian mines, but very few call attention to the
enormous wealth which may be gained by investing in large agricultural
projects. It is true that enterprises which involve the occupation and
development of vast tracts of land can only be successfully promoted
where the advantages of railway transportation are assured; and this
fact no doubt accounts, in a measure, for the indifference shown to
colonization in Bolivia in the past. But now that a complete railway
system is under construction, the greatest obstacle to investment
in farm lands is being removed. Already there is a tendency among
Bolivians to give greater attention than ever before to the agriculture
of the country, and to investigate the possibilities of this industry,
which has hitherto been practically ignored except in the most favored
sections along the highways of travel. One hears a great deal of the
fertile lands of the Yungas, Santa Cruz, Cochabamba, and the Beni,
and their productions are shipped to all parts of the country. But
though tobacco, rice, sugar, wheat, corn, and other products have been
harvested in increasing quantities from year to year, not one of them
is cultivated to the extent possible in the fertile region where it
grows.
[Illustration: FERTILE VALLEY ON THE ROUTE OF THE ARICA AND
LA PAZ RAILWAY.]
Viticulture promises to be an important source of revenue, when it
is given the attention it merits; and from the beautiful vineyards
of Parani and elsewhere, in the departments of La Paz, Cochabamba,
and Chuquisaca, wine may some day be manufactured in sufficient
abundance and of a quality to compete with the best vintage of other
countries. There are fertile valleys in every part of the republic
which require only small investment to make them yield abundantly.
Even the suburbs of La Paz, though on the border of the Altaplanicie,
are dotted with pretty gardens, especially along the coach road to
Obrajes, and the valley of Sopocachi is a typical agricultural scene as
it lies blooming in the beauty of green fields and orchards. The new
railroads pass through valleys not only picturesque but fertile, many
prosperous-looking farms lying along the line of the La Paz and Arica
Railway, in the lower slopes. Between Cochabamba and Sucre there is
apparently no limit to the possibilities for industrial development.
The flourishing haciendas in the neighborhood of Sucre are a proof of
what may be done toward making this region one of the richest farming
districts in the world. Everything that is planted on the Cachimayo
hacienda grows in abundance, and is of superior quality, and there is
not a more prosperous-looking country place to be seen anywhere. Not
only its farm products, but also its fruits and wines are of excellent
quality. Cattle raising is a profitable industry, and fine specimens
are seen at the annual _ferias_ in the chief cities. The large
haciendas of Chuquisaca are divided into cattle ranges, farm lands,
and fruit orchards, the estates in some cases covering many square
leagues. Further in the interior eastward, in the province called
La Cordillera, large tracts of land are given up to cattle raising
exclusively, especially along the valley of the Parapiti River, a
branch of the Otuquis, which is one of the chief affluents of the
Paraguay. This section of the country is only partly settled, much of
it is still unexplored, and, where cattle roam its wilds no boundaries
are established to limit the range. It is very like what western Texas,
in the United States, was before the railroads crossed it, though it
nowhere presents the arid wastes which are to be found in some parts of
the Lone Star State. There is, however, a marked resemblance between
these two cattle-raising countries. Not less extensive than the ranges
of Chuquisaca are those of Tarija, Cochabamba, and Santa Cruz, the
lower slopes of the _serranias_ supplying fine pasturage. But
very little attention has been paid to this important industry, which
is still in its infancy. When once these ranges are well stocked and
properly irrigated, the results will be astonishing, as the grass lands
are as good here as in some of the best grazing districts of Argentina.
[Illustration: CATTLE FAIR IN SUCRE.]
At present, the cultivation of cereals and fruits receives more
attention than cattle raising, and the markets of all the principal
cities of the central valley are usually thronged with vendors of
oranges, lemons, bananas, pineapples, and other varieties of fruits.
The Cochabamba marketwoman is a particularly contented-looking creature
as she seats herself behind her pile of fruit with her baby by her
side. Except for the difference in the appearance of the vendors, the
Cochabamba market looks much the same as that of La Paz, but every
department shows something distinct from all others in the dress of
the Indians and _cholas_, giving an individuality to the type in
each locality. The La Paz _cholas_ are noted for their coquetry in
dress, and even when trudging along the country roads from Obrajes and
other points to the city, they have a jaunty air and carry their load
with an indifference to its weight that attracts attention.
[Illustration: COACH ROAD TO OBRAJES, NEAR LA PAZ.]
[Illustration: VALLEY OF SOPOCACHI, NEAR LA PAZ.]
The region which extends from the Royal Range eastward and northward to
the boundary of the republic is destined to be the centre of industrial
activity in Bolivia when the means of communication are established
between this rich country and the outside world. Its western border is
marked by the eastern limits of the department of La Paz, Cochabamba,
and part of Tarija, its northern boundary by the Peruvian frontier and
its southern limits by the Argentine republic. It is not all level
land, but generally rolling plain, broken at intervals by scattered
ranges and groups of hills, which in some places reach an altitude of
four thousand feet above sea level, though the whole territory slopes
gently from an altitude of two thousand feet at the eastern foothills
of the Royal range to about four hundred feet above the sea on the
Brazilian and Paraguayan borders. As the drainage of the great Andean
chain is chiefly toward the Atlantic Ocean, eastern Bolivia is watered
by important tributaries of the Amazon and La Plata River systems.
The Paraguay River forms the eastern, and the Guaporé, or Iténez,
River the northeastern boundary, the northwestern limit being still
unsettled between Bolivia and Peru, though Bolivia claims as this
limit the Acre River from its headwaters to Riosino and a line thence
eastward to the Madeira River, near the confluence of the Beni and the
Mamoré. The river Beni, with its great tributary the Madre de Dios;
the Mamoré, with its affluents the Guaporé and the Rio Grande; and the
Paraguay, into which flow the Pilcomayo and the Otuquis, or Rio Negro,
with their tributaries, supply irrigation for the whole vast region of
eastern and northern Bolivia. Of these rivers the Rio Grande, with the
Mamoré, has the longest and most circuitous route, having its source in
the _serranias_ between Oruro and Cochabamba and watering, with
its numerous tributaries, the departments of Cochabamba, Chuquisaca,
Santa Cruz, and the Beni. At its source the Rio Grande is a turbulent
stream, and in the rainy season swells to a fierce torrent, destroying
everything in its way as it rushes down through the _quebradas_,
widening and deepening its channel, until it reaches a breadth of
nearly a mile a few leagues to the east of the city of Santa Cruz de
la Sierra, where it sweeps northward to pour its surging tide into the
Mamoré. During the dry season, it is confined in a narrower channel,
and is a placid, gently flowing stream. This changing character of the
Rio Grande is common to all the rivers that water the same region.
The Pilcomayo, which rises in the Cordillera near Sucre, receives
many foaming mountain streams on its way to the plains of the Chaco,
and in rainy weather it is a formidable flood, but it diminishes in
volume during its progress through the Chaco, where it widens in some
places to more than a mile. After a course of two hundred leagues, it
enters the Paraguay a sluggish and shallow river, navigable only for
small steamers of two hundred tons, and lighter vessels. Navigation in
steam launches is the general method of transportation on the Madre
de Dios, Beni, Mamoré, and Guaporé Rivers in the summer months, from
December to May, and even in June and July these launches can still
be used, but with greater difficulties and delays; during the rest of
the year small craft have to take their place. The trip up the river
is much slower and more tedious than the descent, though the latter
is sometimes dreaded because of the swift currents. It is impossible
to have a schedule for river steamers, as everything depends on the
condition of the river, and in the dry season boulders and other
obstacles may entirely block the channel for an indefinite period, so
that even small boats cannot pass. With the increase of industrial
development in this part of Bolivia, greater attention is being paid to
the condition of the rivers and streams, with a view to utilizing their
overflow and providing against blockade. The summer and autumn months,
particularly the latter, are usually chosen by travellers in eastern
and northern Bolivia, because, although the land journey may be less
agreeable on account of bad roads or swollen streams, the rivers are
in better condition for navigation. A vast extent of fine forest and
rich soil stretches out for many leagues along the course of the rivers
of eastern Bolivia, probably fifty per cent of the whole country being
forest. The scenery in some parts is very beautiful. Mr. John Minchin,
president of the municipality of Oruro, who has lived in Bolivia for
many years and has travelled from one end of its vast territory to the
other, gives a charming description of a journey from Cochabamba to
Santa Cruz, when, he says, “after nine days’ travelling on muleback
from Cochabamba, and on reaching the summit of the last range, the eye
rests with delight on the dark green forest-clad eastern plains, some
thousands of feet below, forming an horizon like that of the ocean,
and stretching out, almost without interruption, to the banks of the
distant Paraguay. From this point, in the early morning, the wide
channel of the Rio Grande, some fifty miles away, winds like a white
ribbon through the forest, the river itself, like a silver thread,
flashing back the rays of the rising sun.”
[Illustration: SINKING GROUND, CERRO DE MILLUNI.]
It is in the vast region of virgin forest and grassy plain that the
Bolivian government most desires to establish foreign colonies, and
it is for the purpose of developing its enormous resources that
immigration to this part of the country is being encouraged by every
possible means. At present the population is extremely sparse, probably
not exceeding four hundred thousand inhabitants altogether, in a
territory covering about one million square kilomètres. The prospect
is brighter now than it has ever been for the realization of ambitious
plans in this direction, as the tide of civilization has for some years
been moving northward over the plains of Argentina, and, with the
increased facilities which the new railroad system guarantees, it can
be only a question of a few years when these vast and fertile solitudes
will be peopled, not only from neighboring states, but from foreign
lands. The teeming millions of overcrowded Europe, who look toward
America as their haven of content and prosperity, are already beginning
to turn their eyes from the popular goal so long sought in the United
States and to shape their course toward a shore where the restrictions
upon foreign immigration are less rigorous than those that now govern
the laws of the great North American republic. Also, the opportunities
offered to immigrants by the United States are lessening with the
increasing population; and this fact cannot fail to have its effect in
turning the tide to South America, where competition is not so great,
and independence is equally assured by the very liberal laws made for
the benefit of the foreign citizens. Especially is it true of Bolivia,
as foreigners who live in this country invariably testify, that foreign
residents are treated with the greatest consideration and enjoy the
full benefits of the liberal constitution which governs the Bolivian
nation.
In August, 1903, the department of colonization issued a statement
of the regulations governing the acquirement of lands for colonizing
purposes, which shows the generous opportunity offered to immigrants.
Allotments are made free under special circumstances, such as
previous occupation for ten years, or the conditions of applicants
who are natives of the place, and of settlers who contribute to and
increase agricultural and other industries. Lands may be assigned,
on application, to enterprises having in view their cultivation and
settlement, subject to regulations previously stated as governing
their purchase. For immigrants who wish to go to the country as
workmen or as colonists, the acquisition of lands is facilitated,
payments are made easy by a system of instalments, and possession is
guaranteed. The government frankly states that only colonists who are
accustomed to work are desired, especially those who will advance
agriculture and aid in developing the rubber industry, and no effort
is made to force immigration except where it means assured industrial
progress. Immigrants who possess no capital may acquire lands for
permanent settlement, if industrious and enterprising; and to those
who have families, or are in charge of a group of settlers employed
in the cultivation and exploitation of lands, especial facilities and
advantages are afforded, both for the acquisition and payment of lands.
[Illustration: SHEEP RANCH ON THE BOLIVIAN PLATEAU.]
[Illustration: THE MARKET PLACE, COCHABAMBA.]
One of the first questions asked by foreigners when inquiring about
the countries of South America is: “What is the climate?” and there
seems to be a general impression that the climate of the whole South
American continent is tropical and more or less unhealthy. Yet,
with the exception of some localities in the equatorial region, the
conditions are as healthful as those prevailing in North America.
Bolivia lies within the torrid zone, but its climate depends upon the
altitude rather than upon the latitude of the various localities.
The temperature lowers in proportion as the altitudes become higher,
and varies with the latitude; for each six hundred feet of height,
a degree less--centigrade--is observed in the temperature. The
modifications which are due to altitude are no doubt responsible for
the notable and sudden changes between the temperature in the daytime
and at night, varying in colder and warmer zones. In the course of
a few hours the thermometer daily runs a scale of from thirteen to
seventeen degrees centigrade in the valleys and from eight to fifteen
degrees in places close to the Cordilleras. The Oficina Nacional de
Inmigracion, Estadistica y Propaganda Geografica describes the climatic
conditions of Bolivia in accordance with six divisions of altitude:
the region of perpetual snow, at seventeen thousand feet and upward,
has an annual average temperature of one degree centigrade; on the
highest _puna_, or tableland, with an altitude of sixteen thousand
feet, the annual average is six degrees; the Altaplanicie, fourteen
thousand feet high, shows an average temperature of twelve degrees;
in the upper valleys, where the altitude is about ten thousand feet,
the average temperature registers fifteen degrees; the more fertile
valleys in the lower _serranias_, eight thousand feet above sea
level, are subject to a medium temperature of eighteen degrees; and
in the Yungas, where the altitude is not more than six thousand feet,
the thermometer marks about twenty-one degrees on an annual average.
In the region of perpetual snow, the temperature ranges annually from
twenty-seven degrees to zero, with an average, as previously stated,
of one degree centigrade. Referring to the seasons, the same authority
says: “The thermic periods do not coincide with the astronomical
seasons, the meteorological changes being totally different from those
occurring outside of the tropics, not only because the country lies
within the torrid zone, but from other causes. The spring months are
August, September, and October; those of summer are November, December,
and January; autumn extends through February, March, and April;
and winter, through May, June, and July. Summer is divided into two
periods, the first being hot and dry, and the second rainy. The heat is
excessive, even in high altitudes, where, during the first two months,
the atmosphere is heavily charged with electricity, the rains beginning
during the third month. Autumn weather is really experienced only
during the months of March and April, the summer rains usually lasting
through February; and even during the autumn, the humid atmosphere
makes the season only a modified summer. In the Yungas and in the level
regions of eastern and northeastern Bolivia winter is not known, the
only change of climate being marked by a wet and a dry season, but in
the higher altitudes frosts are continuous, and snow falls.”
The climate of Bolivia is, in general, extremely favorable, and there
are no regions totally unhealthful. On the high tablelands, illness
from causes of climate are practically unknown, except in a few
instances where heart trouble is developed by too vigorous exercise at
this altitude. In the valleys of the Cordillera Real the only illness
is from occasional intermittent fevers in the summer season, though
these are no more frequent than in the semi-tropical regions of Europe
and North America. Only in the wet season are the _tercianas_, or
intermittent fevers of the Beni, developed, and, taken altogether, the
great sloping plains between the Andes and the eastern and northern
borders of Bolivia are desirable places to live in, the inhabitants,
both native and foreign, declaring that, with a few exceptions along
the lower levels that border the Madeira and the Mamoré, this region
has one of the most delightful climates in the world.
A very important field for the promotion of various industries is now
opening up in Bolivia, and not only the people themselves, but their
neighbors and the outside world in general, are taking a greater
interest than ever before in investigating its natural resources.
[Illustration: FRUIT VENDOR OF COCHABAMBA.]
[Illustration: PATIO OF THE NATIONAL MINT, POTOSÍ.]