From GDP/57 James Bennetts Williams

James Bennetts Williams (1856-1924) worked in the Cornish tin mines. During the latter decades of the nineteenth century, the tin-mining industry in Cornwall went into decline. Looking for work, Williams emigrated to Bolivia. In this entry, he describes an encounter with a local woman during a journey by cart through the mountains.

Monday Dec 17 1883

We got up about 4A.M. could not sleep it was so bitterly cold but it is hot by day. The carts are now preparing to leave we shan’t be long we are now near the mountains the cartman is trying to get through a ravine with his mules but the sand has blown in the road they can scarcely get along, it must be very bad for the poor mules. After a long time we got on top we were travelling from 6A.M to 5P.M. we are now stopping on a plain with mountains on each side one side a burning mountain can see the smoke coming out the other side covered in snow. Just as we arrived a poor native woman came to know if we could baptize her infant. She was afraid it was going to die the child was crying we gave her to [sic] loaves of bread & she left again. If I understood their way, I would have done it for her. I thought on poor Hagar in the desert with Ishmael. I don’t know where she came from as there was not a house to be seen. She must have come a long way, they are taught that their children will be lost unless they are baptised. We shall leave here again about 10P.M. we have just roasted some beef, mutton, & duck for our supper we went to bed soon after.