Here
wool-buyers come to bid for the clip. The high prices which alpaca
fleece commands have brought prosperity. Excellent blankets, renowned
in southern Peru for their weight and texture, are made here on hand
looms. Notwithstanding the altitude--nearly as great as the top of
Pike's Peak--the stocky inhabitants of Santa Rosa are hardy, vigorous,
and energetic. Ricardo Charaja, the best Quichua assistant we ever had,
came from Santa Rosa. Nearly all the citizens are of pure Indian stock.

They own many fine llamas. There is abundant pasturage and the llamas
are well cared for by the Indians, who become personally attached to
their flocks and are loath to part with any of the individuals. Once I
attempted through a Cuzco acquaintance to secure the skin and skeleton
of a fine llama for the Yale Museum. My friend was favorably known
and spoke the Quichua language fluently. He offered a good price and
obtained from various llama owners promises to bring the hide and bones
of one of their "camels" for shipment; but they never did. Apparently
they regarded it as unlucky to kill a llama, and none happened to die
at the right time. The llamas never show affection for their masters,
as horses often do. On the other hand I have never seen a llama kick
or bite at his owner.

The llama was the only beast of burden known in either North or South
America before Columbus. It was found by the Spaniards in all parts of
Inca Land. Its small two-toed feet, with their rough pads, enable it
to walk easily on slopes too rough or steep for even a nimble-footed,
mountain-bred mule. It has the reputation of being an unpleasant pet,
due to its ability to sneeze or spit for a considerable distance
a small quantity of acrid saliva. When I was in college Barnum's
Circus came to town. The menagerie included a dozen llamas, whose
supercilious expression, inoffensive looks, and small size--they are
only three feet high at the shoulder

tempted some little urchins to tease them. When the llamas felt
that the time had come for reprisals, their aim was straight and the
result a precipitate retreat. Their tormentors, howling and rubbing
their eyes, had to run home and wash their faces. Curiously enough,
in the two years which I have spent in the Peruvian highlands I have
never seen a llama so attack a single human being. On the other hand,
when I was in Santa Rosa in 1915 some one had a tame vicuna which was
perfectly willing to sneeze straight at any