The Bolivians produce eight to ten million pounds of coca leaves
annually. The telegraph system of portions of this region is made up of
fleet-footed Indians and it is said that with a supply of coca leaves
and parched corn they can run fifty miles a day.

Here too grows the quinna which is not only a substitute for wheat but
more nutritious and easier raised if reports are true. Cotton and sugar
are produced in Bolivia as are the nutmeg and castor bean. Oranges and
all such fruit are also grown in some parts of this country. But the
supply and variety of medicinal plants is remarkable. The list includes
aconite, arnica, absinthe, belladonna, camphor, cocaine, ginger, ipecac,
opium, sarsaparilla and a lot of others.

But this great inland country is noted the world around for its rich
mines. Mount Potosi is often spoken of as a mountain of silver. It is
said that not only millions but billions of dollars worth of silver have
been taken from this one mountain. There are said to be six thousand
abandoned mines on its slopes to say nothing of the hundreds that are
being worked today. The city of Potosi used to be the largest city in
the western hemisphere and was ten times its present size when the early
settlements of the United States were but small villages.

While the silver in this mountain is not nearly exhausted by any means,
yet it was discovered that deeper down is a mountain of tin. Bolivia has
been furnishing more than one-fourth of the world's supply of tin for
many years.

On the hills back of the city of Potosi can still be seen the thirty-two
lakes or reservoirs that used to furnish water for the city and mines.
It took half a century to complete this great ancient water system. The
largest of these lakes is three miles in circumference and thirty feet
deep. Each lake is surrounded by five sets of walls and two of these
reservoirs are sixteen thousand feet above sea level. All this mighty
work was done before railroads were ever dreamed of. Only recently a
railroad was built into this mining city and many of these abandoned
mines are being opened again.

The capital of Bolivia used to be Sucre. In fact, it is still the
nominal capital of the republic. Here live many of the wealthy mine
owners of the region. The Supreme Court is held here and the new
government palace is a stately building. The richest cathedral in
Bolivia is here and the image of the Virgin in it is made of solid gold
adorned with jewel