1^09 mnW mmvmxi^ f ttt^tg THE GIFT OF 2041 ,w A Galifornian in SoutK America A REPORT ON THE VISIT dF PROFESSOR CHARLES EDWARD CHAPMAN OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALI- FORNIA TO SOUTH AMERICA UPON T^E OCCASION' OF THE AMERICAN CONGRESS OF BIBLIOGRAPHY ' AND HISTORY HELD AT BUEiJOS AIRES IN JULY, -:.-: me, in commemoration of the declaration OF INDEPENDENCE OF, THE ARGENTINE REPUBLIC, ' JULY 9, 1816. , PtTBLISHED BY LEDEHER, StREET & ZeUS Co. 2161 Center StEeet-, Berkeley, California 1917 Cornell University Library The original of tiiis book is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924020428557 A Californian in South America A REPORT ON THE VISIT OF PROFESSOR CHARLES EDWARD CHAPMAN OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALI- FORNIA TO SOUTH AMERICA UPON THE OCCASION OF THE AMERICAN CONGRESS OF BIBLIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY HELD AT BUENOS AIRES IN JULY, 1916, IN COMMEMORATION OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE OF THE ARGENTINE REPUBLIC, JULY 9, 1816. In order that a report on the representation of the Uni- versity of California by Professor Charles Edward Chapman at the American Congress of Bibliography and History, held at Buenos Aires in 1916, may be fittingly presented, I have asked Mr. Herbert I. Priestley to prepare the following official account of Professor Chapman's visit to South America. Henry Morse Stephens. i^.3106e2, INTRODUCTION. The Argentine Declaration of Independence from Spain was proclaimed July 9, 1816. To commemorate the event, a series of centennial celebrations, both popular and intellectual, was held in Buenos Aires during July, 1916. Among the series was the American Congress of Bibliography and His- tory, to which the University of California was, in September, 1915, invited to send a delegate. The President of the Uni- versity, Benjamin Ide Wheeler, in consultation with Henry Morse Stephens, Head of History, appointed Professor Charles Edward Chapman to represent the University at the Congress. The choice was logical, inasmuch as Dr. Chapman had been for eight years identified with study of the history of Spain and Spanish America in this University, and was at the time assistant professor of those subjects. It had, fur- thermore, been demonstrated during Dr. Chapman's residence in Spain for two years as Traveling Fellow of the Native Sons of the Golden West, that he could represent California with dignity and sympathetic understanding of the thought and temperament of Spanish speaking peoples. "Muy sim- patico" is the term, devoid of tinge of insincerity, which "Don Carlos" wins at once in his dealings with Spanish speaking peoples. His experiences and his reception on the island of Majorca in 1914, upon the occasion of the unveiling of a statue to Junipero Serra, the Majorcan apostle of California, show that his presence there as representative of the University and the State contributed special significance to the cordial relations between Spaniards and Californians. Chapman's facile use of Castilian and his knowledge of Spanish manners and customs served to make his delegation successful where men with lack of that insight have failed. His visit to South America will be productive of increased sympathy and under- standing between the people of Argentina and the United States, that being the purpose of the establishment of the Latin-American Review, for which Chapman made himself such a zealous propagandist upon his return to the United States. It is to serve as a responsible record of that visit, and to preserve in collected form the documentary history of Call- 4 A Californian in South America fornia's participation in the international celebrations at Buenos Aires that this report is issued. Professor Chapman left Berkeley early in May, 1916, and sailed from New York on June 3. The southward voyage was broken by brief stops at Bahia, Rio de Janeiro, and Monte- video. Buenos Aires was reached June 25. Attendance upon the Congress and visits to Tigre and La Plata occupied the time until July 31. On August i, a railway journey termi- nated at Santiago de Chile, where Chapman remained until August 10. His visit in Santiago was made pleasant by a meet- ing with the distinguished bibliographer, Don Jose Toribio Medina and the eminent historian, now president of the Uni- versity of Chile, Senor Amunategui Solar. Valparaiso was visited from August 10 to 12, after which the slow coasting steamer Maipo was taken for Callao. Stops were made at Coquimbo, the chief naval port of Chile, at Huasco, Carrizal, Caldera, Chanaral, Taltal, Antofagasta (the busiest port in Chile, through which is had its principal con- nection with Bolivia), Gatico, Tocopilla, the great nitrate port of Iquique, Caleta Buena, Pisagua, and Arica. These are all Chilean ports, their chief business being derived from the copper mines of the interior mountains. This coasting voyage was devoid of incident save upon the occasion when, as the vessel was leaving Caldera, a piston- head broke, entailing a delay of nine days. The indefatigable voyager utilized this enforced delay by beginning work upon his forthcoming history of Spain, for which he had accessible certain materials. From Callao to Lima by the five-mile railway on Sep- tember I. Here Chapman remained until October 26. The intensely hospitable nature of the South Americans made it impossible to work, if once it was known that the Californian had arrived ; hence it was necessary to remain incognito dur- ing the greater part of the visit to the City of the Kings. Material was gathered for study of the relations between the United States and Latin America, and chapters were added to the projected text of Spanish history. The incognito pre- served in a Peruvian pension was broken just at the close of Introduction 5 the visit by meetings with the Senores Don Carlos Weisse and Don Carlos Romero, Peruvian historians. From Lima the homeward stretch was enlivened by stops at Salaverry and Payta (home of the genuine "Panama" hat), Panama, Colon, and Havana; northward, to Boston, the "home port," the journey from Key West was made by rail, via St. Augustine, Jacksonville, Richmond, Washington, and New York. On the Atlantic seaboard. Professor Chapman devoted his energies to the propaganda for a Latin-American Historical Review, of which further notice appears in subsequent pages of this report. There, also, were composed the article on the South American archives and the speech at Cincinnati, which also appear on subsequent pages. It is of passing interest to note that this journey of Dr. Chapman's, in connection with his previous journeys, has brought him into direct touch with the peoples of thirty na- tionalities of the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa. On his return trip to California he at last gratified a long cherished ambition to set foot in the only remaining unvisited state of the Union — Arkansas. The welcome accorded to Dr. Chapman in Buenos Aires and other South American cities where he represented the University of California was, both in point of personal atten- tions and in the reception given to the ideas which he sug- gested concerning future relations between the learned groups of the two continents, attestation of the fact that his errand was timely and propitious, and that it was executed with tact and taste. In subsequent pages more specific attention will be given to this phase of the journey; it is pertinent to notice here, nevertheless, some of the distinctive honors which were conferred upon him by his Latin-American confreres. Dr. Chapman was made honorary president of one of the sessions of the Congress, an honor accorded only to national delegates and to him; he was also made a member of the permanent Council of the Congress and of the Bibliographical Institute in the character of suplente or supernumerary. The active membership was appointed exclusively from among scholars 6 A Californian in South America living in or near Buenos Aires, and only four persons shared with him the honor of being named a suplente. The documents which form the body of this report are, with their brief prefatory notes, self-explanatory, and it is unnecessary to comment upon any of them at length. Herbert Ingram Priestley. Berkeley, April, 1917. DOCUMENT I. Opening Address at the Formal Inauguration of the American Congress of Bibliography and History at Buenos Aires. This meeting was opened by the Argentine Minister of the Interior. The address was delivered by Dr. Chapman in Spanish. It will be published in Spanish in the volume which will record the acts and proceedings of the Congress. Most Excellent Minister, Mr. President, Fellow-Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen: I desire, in the first place, in the name of California, whose University I represent on this occasion, to felicitate the Argen- tine Republic upon having completed, with such happy fortune, one hundred years since the Declaration of her Independence. Well may you felicitate yourselves, for the history of the world does not record a more stupendous advance than that which Argentina has made since those memorable years when, under Liniers, she repulsed the attacks of a foreign power which was trying to take possession of her. Then, for the first time, Argentina was revealed to herself, and it was a matter of a few years for a Belgrano, a San Martin, and other illustrious gen- erals, to assure the independence of the country. It is difficult for me, a historian by profession, to leap from that moment to the present, without reminding you of the great men, well known though they be, who contributed, by their fervent patriotism and warlike valor, to the growth of this powerful Republic, whose greatest blasonry finds itself represented in this magnificent city of today. Argentina's mighty forward advance along the highway of progress is indisputably the determining cause why this Re- public, which, a hundred years ago, possessed little more than the potential wealth of its soil and the valor of its men, may today preside over an intellectual Congress, whose results may be of transcendent importance for the entire world. Nobody will deny that the object of the intellectual world is to seek for the truth. But I believe that the truth, once found and demonstrated, will permit the world in some com- ing, though distant, century, to live even in a kind of brother- 8 A Californian in South America hood. When the intellect shall be able to dominate egotism and the emotions, or rather direct them by secure ways, then it will be possible to say that civilization has arrived at the age of manhood, after a stormy youth. Every century marks an advance toward that ideal, and, though we may never achieve it, it is worth while to seek it, in order to approach it as nearly as possible. One of the truths which is most worth while to learn, is the truth in regard to neighboring, though foreign, peoples. The Americas ought to know one another more and better than they have heretofore. Ladies and gentlemen, I assure you that we in North America^ are seeking, at the present time, a more accurate knowledge of you. This is evident, not only in our extraordinary development of the study of the Spanish language, but also in many other ways. The most interesting of this order is the great impulse there toward the study of the Latin American countries. A few years ago, not many universities had such courses in their curriculums. Today those which do are numerous, and there are others which are only waiting to find an authoritative teacher of that subject matter. In order that you may better understand this, I ought to remind you that there are more than a hundred universities^ in the United States, without mentioning many others of lesser grade, and that university education is almost general. By way of illustration, I beg permission to submit for your consideration some data about my own University, that of the greatest fame, in territory formerly Spanish, of the universities of North America — the University of California. During the almost twenty years of the presidency of Dr. Benjamin Ide Wheeler, the University of California has grown to such a point that, last year, there were more than ten thou- sand students there, with some eight hundred professors,^ with courses in all the branches of human knowledge. Among these are courses in Latin American studies. In the History Department, presided over by the notable historian. Professor ^The United States is habitually referred to as North America. ^The word "universities" is used to include ''colleges," since that is the Argentine acceptance of the word. opening Address 9 H. Morse Stephens, ex-president of the American Historical Association, there are ten professors, of whom four teach material relative to Latin America. Among these there stands out Professor Bolton, one of the great historians, in my opinion, of the United States. Furthermore, there are other professors in other departments who teach closely related ma- terial on Latin America, as for example in the departments of Political Science and Economics. Probably we are some- what more advanced in Latin American studies than the ma- jority of the other universities. Nevertheless, it is the tend- ency of the day, everywhere, to devote more and more at- tention to the study of the countries to the south of our own. As for the means of bringing about a more effective de- velopment of our knowledge of one another, three methods occur to me. The first, at the same time the most important and the most urgent, would be the founding of a quarterly bibliographical review, concerning history, political science, and economics, with reference to Latin America. I can promise you the cordial co-operation of the universities and intellectual societies of the United States for this review. In the second and third places I suggest respectively the idea of an inter- change of professors and students between the Americas, which would greatly conduce, I believe, to a better mutual under- standing. Ladies and gentlemen, I should like to have more time to tell you of what we wish to learn from you, of how we desire to assimilate those fine intuitions and that good taste which you inherited with your Latin blood ! How I would rejoice to express myself to the full about the very favourable impression created by Argentina's representation at our Panama- Pacific Exposition ! At any rate, I can do no less than tell you that Argentina was very fortunate in the selection of the men in charge of her representation, not only in that of Senor Anasagasti and the two Senores Nelson, whom I had the good fortune to know, but also in that of the other representatives, with whom I was not so fortunate as to become acquainted ! ^The word "professors" is used to include any member of the teaching staff, that being the use of the word in Argentina. 10 A Californian in South America Would that I could explain to you how sincerely we desire your cordial friendship ! But I have already abused your at- tention a considerable time, and I end with the desire that the good results which are to be expected from this Congress, in consequence of the well meditated preparations of the executive committee, may be fruitful for the good of humanity, and thanking you warmly for the kindness with which you have listened to the words of this sincere partisan, the same as all of you, of the brotherhood of the American countries. That is all. DOCUMENT II. Resolutions Prepared by the Delegate From the Univer- sity OF California for the American Congress OF Bibliography and History at Buenos Aires, and Their Reception by the Congress. Resolutions. 1. That a Latin American review of a bibliographical na- ture should be established; That its scope should be limited to history and kindred subjects, such as political science and economics. Failing that, that it be lim- ited to material of a serious nature, excluding the purely diverting. 2. That space in the review, if established, be set aside for descriptions of archives, indi- cating the principal divisions of documents in them, their state of preservation, the means fa- cilitated for their use, and any further information of utility in first instance to the investi- gator. 3. That, in hopes of a great- er mutual understanding be- tween the two Americas, the Congress declare itself in favor of a propoganda for: An interchange of professors between the universities of North America (the United States) and Latin America. A formal interchange of stu- dents between universities of the said countries. Reception. The principle of my resolu- tion was accepted, but, though I was the first to present it, I cannot claim to have been the only one who came to the Con- gress with this idea. The idea evolved itself into the founding of the Bibliographical Institute with its review, described below, in Document V. The resolution about archive descriptions was extended to include a recommendation that other reviews, as well as that of the Institute, should pub- lish them, and the words "in first instance" were omitted. This resolution was amended so as to read "between the countries of the two Ameri- cas" in the first paragraph, and at the end of the second the words "and between the Latin American countries themselves" were added. 12 A Californian in South America Dr. Chapman's second resolution gave the Congress' an impulse toward "the document," and thereafter that subject, always referred to as if it were his special property, became one of the most prominent ideas of the Congress. For an- other resolution (introduced by Dr. Sarmiento) see Docu- ment V. DOCUMENT III. Latin American Traits. An address by the delegate from the University of California at the banquet of the American Congress of Bibliography and History, at the close of the business sessions. The address was delivered in Spanish, and was published in Spanish in La Republica, La Plata, Argentina, July, 1916. It will also appear in the memorial volume of the Congress. More fitting would it have been for my distinguished fellow-countryman. Dr. Robertson,^ to speak in my place. A hundred times more learned than I, he has become one of our notable historians, seeking the history of South America as a field for the exercise of his talents. The author of the life of Miranda, a work which shared the first prize with another for the best volume of history in the year of its publication — such a learned historian would be able to speak with a vast knowledge of your own history. Nevertheless, with the permission of my friend. Dr. Robertson, I, the small- est star in our constellation, am remaining on my feet to speak, because I have had the good fortune to know the members of this Congress some ten days longer than my friend. There are others who have spoken and who will speak of the results which are to be expected from this Congress, chief among which is, perhaps, the very important founding of the American Bibliographical Institute. But since I am a North American, I have thought it well to touch another string of the guitar, and tell you of some other advantages for me, which this Congress has had — and even in some small degree, as you will see, for you. In the University of California I have the good fortune ^Dr. Robertson arrived the day before the close of the Congress as representative of the University of Ilhnois. Latin American Traits 13 to teach the history of Spain, Portugal, and Latin America. Each year, there come to my class some two hundred pupils who take for gold, that which many times is far from being so — the poor words which I speak to them. Now, I am indeed going to offer them gold ! In this Congress I have seen many intellectual men of Latin America at work. Now I can, with some certainty, depict Latin American traits for the better understanding of two hundred pupils, who will be succeeded by another two hundred, and so on in the years to come. What am I going to say? In the first place it will occur to me to say that there are in South America vast material riches, a necessary precursor of the diffusion of culture, and that there are wealthy and at the same time cultivated men who devote themselves to that very diffusion; that in South America you have at least a beginning of a happy marriage of wealth with intellectuality. For an example, then, of whom shall I think if not of the notable initiator of this Congress? Doctor Nicanor Sarmiento, — I felicitate myself upon having met a gentleman who combines the above-named qualities with a complete unselfishness for his own account. For you, Doctor Sarmiento, — ^nothing was of any importance except the success of the Congress. Worthy possessor of an illustrious name,^ I have learned from you some Latin traits. And there are men who contribute, by their intellectuality, by their executive ability, and by their untiring labor, to the good of the world. Many have I known in this Congress who enter into this category, but among them I would like to speak of one, who seems to me to have been born to direct even other intellectual men themselves, laying aside his worldly tasks to aid with enthusiasm in the development of an ideal of the highest culture. Doctor David Pefia, — your nomhre is Tact; your apellido, common-sense; and you are a cahallero of Good Heart; and bear away with you my own.' ^Doctor Sarmiento is a descendant of a former president of the same name, one of the most illustrious in the history of Argentina. ^The description of Doctor Pena falls "flat" in English. Nombre means Christian name ; apellido, family name ; cahallero is gentleman, but carries also the significance of a title, which was its use here. 14 A Californian in South America There remain other traits to talk about, and I would like to make individual mention of all who exemplify them, but the minutes are few during which I ought to speak. On this account I shall go on telling what I have learned without indicating the many men who have taught me. I shall speak to my pupils of the excellent universities of Argentina, whose professors have a clarity of mind and of words like the purity of a mountain brook; or they are enthusiastic battlers for science, or notable librarians. There are also Latin Americans who, however good historians or good bibliograph- ers they may be, are in equal degree lovable. There is some- thing in these men with that sympathetic trait that makes me think of drinking mate, eating churrasco, and dancing the tango to make myself a Creole !■• I shall speak of some re- publics, which are not as broad in territories as others, but which are notable among all for their good laws and ad- vancement in social problems ;^ republics represented in this Congress by men who rank with the most cultivated, hard- working, and brainy ; symbols, as it were, of their father- land. One cannot calculate nations in terms of leagues for they may have men in the first grade of intellectuality. Thus it is that they are without boundaries, but reach to the poles. I have noted men of dignity and of handsome bearing, beau- tiful traits which are very general in this part of the world. And eloquence, yes ; everybody agrees that the Latin American has it. What eloquent paragraphs we have had the indis- putable pleasure of hearing! Well and good ! But besides this there exists what the world has not known so well, but it exists, and it is a pro- found basis of common-sense. There have been men in this Congress who show with clearness the roots of things, giving short speeches when the circumstances required it, and there are others, or even the same men, who in two words hit the ^'Mate is a Paraguayan tea ; churrasco is a native Argentine dish ; a Creole is not a negro or an Indian, but a native born Argentine of white blood. Whoever drinks mate, eats churrasco, and dances the Argentine tango, will remain in Argentina forever ; so goes the refrain. ^A reference to Uruguay. Latin American Traits 15 mark. Bibliographers, historians, musicians,^ devotees of cul- ture, dearly-beloved friends ! What, in fine, is the cultivated Latin American! Through your Latin blood I find that you conceive and see with more clearness than the people of the north. I see that you feel and aspire with more ardor of the soul than they. But if the Latin blood is lacking at times in perseverance, then may we repair to the second part of your name, for you are not only Latins, but also, like my country- men — Americans! In this hemisphere we have a new world, younger than the other, but more wholesome and more cap- able. If my eyes do not deceive me, that perseverance is here. Has it been lacking in Nicanor Sarmiento? Has it lacked in David Pefia? No — nor in the other, very much esteemed by me, American brothers of our Congress. I am grateful for the many words which have been spoken about the breadth of our culture in North America. But I wish to inform you that it was not a matter of great importance until thirty years ago, and by -that many, and a few more, we have had an ad- vantage over you, in that our independence was declared be- fore yours. Long live our Institute of Buenos Aires ! May others spring up in other lands ! Then indeed, within a few years we shall all see one another as friendly rivals in culture, and brothers in life. Does it seem good to you what I am going to say to those two hundred pupils? Have I justified the expense necessary for a journey from California to Buenos Aires? Well and good ! But may you do the same — come to Cali- fornia! I shall show you that class of two hundred, half of whom are young ladies. How would you like to look into two hundred eyes — without paying any attention to the other two hundred — eyes that are blue, as well as brown? And that reminds me of the young ladies who have attended this Congress. Although they are not present I can do no less than recall their beauty, the smiles on their lips, and their perfect harmony in an atmosphere of intellectuality. Gentlemen, I thank you with all my heart for your cour- *A reference to the man who sat opposite me, Senor Menchaca, inventor of a new system of musical notation. i6 A Californian in South America teous attentions, and I invite you, whenever you are able, to come to the University of California, — for there in my house, you will find your own. DOCUMENT IV. California. Translation of a talk given by Dr. Charles E. Chapman, delegate from the University of California, to the American Congress of Bib- liography and History, at a literary function of the Congress in the Ateneo Nacional of Buenos Aires. The original Spanish was pub- lished in La Manana, Buenos Aires, July, 1916. After a few preliminary remarks, without announcing his subject, the speaker proceeded as follows : I am going to speak of a land, half real, half fabled, as notable in romance as it is beautiful in life. Let us see if you recognize it. It is divided into counties, or departments, among which are those of San Luis Obispo, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara, Salinas, Tulares,^ Monterey, Marin and Sonoma. Now hear the names of some of the towns, such as Vallejo, Coronado, San Jose, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, San Juan Bau- tista, San Luis Rey, San Miguel, Santa Ines, San Rafael. San Juan Capistrano, Santa Lucia, San Pablo, San Gabriel, San Fernando, Purisima Concepcion, Carmelo, Alameda, Palo Alto, Pajaro, Saucelito,^ Escondido, Ventura, even Pozo, — and so many others, what with names of men and saints and those of a descriptive nature, that one could go on with the list for half an hour. Now, do you know the land to which I refer? Well then, I am going to tell you of four of the five greatest cities in that land, in reverse order of their size. The fifth in rank is called San Diego; the fourth, Sacramento, is the capital; jumping the third we come to Los Angeles, the second in size, with a population of about four hundred thousand ; and the first, a city of nearly half a million inhabitants, is San Francisco. Now you know the land of which I am talking., and that it iSince "Tulare" is not correct Spanish, it vyas deemed better to use "Tulares," the plural of tular. -"Saucelito" is the former name of "Sausalito" and being a Spanish word, which "Sausalito" is not, was preferred in this account. California 17 is not in Spain, nor yet in Latin America, for it is no other than the State of California in North America, — toward which I ask permission to direct your kind attention. Speaking of the real, the present day California, I could use the whole night in recording its almost unique beauties, its mild climate, its romantic history, and the ardent affection of its inhabitants for everything that reminds them of the former dominion of Spain. California is only one of the forty- eight United States, but, within that Union, is a little world somewhat different from the rest of the country, and so alluring that it is the most preferred land of recreation in North America. Its mountains are the highest in the United States, and some of its valleys descend even below the level of the sea. Its trees are at the same time the largest, and, in my opinion, the most beautiful in the world. Its high- ways are as excellent as might be expected in a land where one person in every thirteen is the possessor of an automobile — there are about 180,000 machines in a population of about 2,750,000. Very rich, too, is California in products of the soil, and so too in the dwellings of its inhabitants, many of whom have made their millions in the eastern part of North America, to enjoy them later in the smiling land that looks out upon the Pacific Ocean. This is the real, the present-day California. But what of the California of fable? For centuries the name California has had a romantic meaning, as of an unknown land, of fabulous wealth. The most notable description in this sense was that of the illustrious author of novels of chivalry, Mon- talvo. You will remember that celebrated series of novels about the feats of Amadis de Gaula, Lisuarte de Grecla, and other heroes of the romances so caricatured and condemned by the immortal Cervantes in Don Quijote. One of that series was Las Sergas de Esplandian, the already-mentioned work of Montalvo, published about the year 1500. This novel deals with a tremendous mythical struggle, although the author pretends that it occurred in fact, between all the Christian and infidel peoples before Constantinople, and among the latter there figured the queen, Calafia, of an island, California. 1 8 A Calif ornian in South America Know, said Montalvo,' that to the west of the Indies, very near the terrestrial paradise, there is an island California, which is inhabited only by women. Their arms and utensils are of gold, for in all the island there is no other metal, but this exists in the greatest abundance. To aid them in their wars, he said, the women of California make use of griffins, which live on the flesh of men, but which are absolutely tame and obedient to the women. The women are among the most beautiful in the world, and especially the splendid queen Calafia. Montalvo said much more, but among other things, he said one thing that does not sound so romantic today, and that is, that those extremely beautiful Califomians — were negroes ! I would like to tell you of the part, very amusing to read today, which Calafia and her Califomians played in the supposed battle of Constantinople, and of their final conver- sion to Christianity and their marriages with the white Christian heroes. I would like, too, to speak to you of the influence of this novel on the soldiers of Cortes, and the search for such a California in the Pacific, to the west of the Indies, as Mon- talvo said. In order not to take more time, I shall tell you that the name was given to the land which now bears it in the belief that it was rich in gold — and well did history justify the naming when, in 1848, there occurred in California the famous discovery of that metal. And now, as I am about to close, just a word of a re- cent discovery, not of gold, but of a little fact of history, with which discovery the humble individual who is addressing you is in a measure connected. It seems that the use of the name California by Montalvo in 1500 was not the first. In the Chanson de Roland, the famous epic poem of the French, the word appears in almost the same form, and included in a list of infidel lands. Thus it seems that the California of fable was already in existence at the close of the eleventh century, when the Mohammedans were still powerful in Spain. We are now asking ourselves in California : \'\'hat, after all, was California? \^'as it a land of the caliphs of Djimascus, or '^Allowance for possible inaccuracies must be made, since no data were at hand for the preparation of this paper. American Congress of Bibliography and History 19 nothing more than a preoccupation of the poets? But you will agree, will you not, that the story is romantic, — just as the present-day land which bears the name California is rich, smiling, and happy. DOCUMENT' V. The American Congress of Bibliography and History at Buenos Aires. This report was first published in the October number of the American Historical Review, 1916. On the 9th of July, 1816, a formal Declaration of In- dependence of the Spanish Colonies of the Rio de la Plata was made by a Congress in session at Tucuman. In conse- quence, a series of celebrations was organized in Argentina for the month of July, 1916, in honor of the one hundredth anniversary of the declaration of Tucuman, and as part of the program a number of congresses, embracing a variety of subjects, such as the congress "of the child," that of social science, and many others, were held. One of those congresses was the one with which it is proposed to deal in this article. It is open to question whether any other congress of the centenary accomplished more of real value than did the Ameri- can Congress of Bibliography and History. Its success was due in large measure to the untiring efforts through two years of the organizer of the congress, Dr. Nicanor Sarmiento, member of the distinguished family of the former president of that name, and to the extremely efficient direction of the congress by its presiding officer, Dr. David Pefia, founder of the Ateneo Nacional of the Argentine Republic, and one of the leading intellectual luminaries of South America. Of no small importance, too, was the fact that the congress held its meetings at the Ateneo Nacional in Buenos Aires, instead of going to Tucuman, thus being free to devote its time to busi- ness, rather than to the round of ceremonies which formed a delightful, but somewhat too diverting, feature of the exer- cises at Tucuman. The congress began its sessions on July 5, and, except for the 9th of July, met every day, often morning. 20 A Californian in South America afternoon, and night, until July 14, a supplementary meet- ing taking place the night of July 18. One day was given over to an excursion to the city of La Plata, but all the other meetings were confined to business. Historical and biblio- graphical papers were not read in open session, but were re- ferred respectively to two committees, and summaries only were submitted to the congress. Thus a vast amount of time was saved, which was utilized to the full, for the business proper of the congress. The congress was attended by 225 delegates, representing institutions in almost every country of the Americas. As was to be expected, however, the greater number came from Argentina. The delegates represented a wide variety of in- terests, not only historians proper, but also bibliographers, librarians, teachers, and men who were none of these, but who were interested in the subject matter, being among those in attendance. National delegates were present from Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Paraguay, Peru, San Salvador, Spain, and Uruguay. The writer of this article was formally a representative of the University of California, but was accorded the privileges and recognition of a national delegate. During the greater part of the meetings he was the only North American present, but in the closing days of the congress. Dr. William Spence Robertson, whose boat was late, arrived with the representation of the University of Illinois. It was unfortunate that more North Americans could not have been present, although the writer feels justified in saying that the mere presence of one, and at length two, was not without its efi^ect in the deliberations of the sessions. Other North American universities which signified their adhesion to the congress were the following : Cornell, Chicago, Harvard Louisiana, Minnesota, Tulane, and Yale. The following insti- tutions did likewise : Academy of Political Science of Phila- delphia, American Association for International Peace, Ameri- can Historical Association, Library of Congress, Pan-American Union, and the Smithsonian Institution. The most important business concerned the organization of the congress as a permanent body, and the founding of a American Congress of Bibliography and History 21 bibliographical institute, both measures being prepared by a special committee of which the writer was a member. A permanent council of the congress was established, and pro- vision was made for a meeting of the congress at least once every three years, although the intention is that it shall take place every year. The next meeting is to be held at Monte- video on August 16, 1917, that date being the national holiday of the Republic of Uruguay. The founding of the Institute calls for more extended comment. The American Institute of Bibliography was founded, and the Ateneo Nacional of Buenos Aires was named the central and directing body, that society having already accumulated a considerable fund for this very purpose. It aims to get together the most ample data concerning books and articles about the Americas or by a citizen of any of the American republics, and to supply such information, at moderate prices, to any who may desire it. The central institution plans to publish a monthly bibliographical review, charging from 12 to 15 pesos ($5 or $6) for an annual subscription. It also proposes to edit works, publish documents, make translations of notable works, prepare catalogues and guides of archives, and acquire and exchange books. It was decided to recom- mend to the governments and important intellectual societies of the Americas that local bibliographical institutes be founded subordinate, in a measure, to the Ateneo Nacional of the Ar- gentine Republic, with a view to uniformity of objects and methods, the subordinate institutes maintaining correspondence with the central institute. Dr. David Peiia was named presi- dent of the Institute of the Ateneo Nacional. Although the program of the Institute is exceedingly broad, the writer is confident that a practical result of value to North American students may be obtained. This opinion he bases on the exceptional executive ability and scholarship of Dr. Pefia, and on the start that has already been made by the Ateneo Nacional on its own account. Of the other business of the congress the following reso- lutions embodied what is perhaps of most interest to North American scholars. 22 A Californian in South America That the bibliographical reviews now in existence and those which may be founded be urged to publish descriptions of archives of the Americas, indicating the principal divisions of documents, their state of preservation, the means facilitated for their use, and any further information of service to the investigator. That the national and local governments of the Americas be urged to publish documents concerning the history of the two continents, and the catalogues of their archives, sending a copy of such publications to the bibliographical institute of the Ateneo Nacional of the Argentine Republic. That steps be taken to urge the publication of national bibliographies on a similar plan, with a view to an eventual bibliography of the Americas. The scholarly proposer of this resolution, Seiior Dias Perez,, chief of the Biblioteca Nacional of Asuncion, has already prepared a select bibliography for Paraguay which will shortly be published. That, with a view to a broader, mutual understanding be- tween the various countries of the Americas, the congress de- clare itself in favour of : An exchange of professors between North America (the United States) and the Latin American countries, and of the latter among themselves ; a formal ex- change of students between the said countries. That institutions be urged to send copies of their publi- cations to the Ateneo Nacional of Buenos Aires, and to ex- change publications among themselves. That, in the same manner, the exchange of bibliographical catalogues, whether in book form or in pamphlet, be en- couraged. That a special prize be awarded for the best bibliographical work presented at each succeeding meeting of the congress. That the proceedings of the present congress be com- piled and published in book form. It is planned to include in this volume some of the shorter bibliographical and historical articles of outstanding merit among the many presented to the congress. In connection with the congress, throughout its sessions there was an exposition "of the book." Many institutions, in- A Latin American Historical Review 23 eluding some from North America, sent work for this expo- sition. Three were specially noteworthy for their amplitude and value, those of the University of Cordoba (Argentina), the Biblioteca Nacional of Asuncion, and the private collection of Sefior Corbacho of Lima. The last named consisted of manuscripts from the period of the conquistadores to the end of Spanish rule, a truly extraordinary and voluminous col- lection, and if there are many more of the same type in Lima, that city ought to become an attractive center for the inves- tigator who goes to the sources. DOCUMENT VL Anent the Founding of a Latin American Historical Review. This document appeared in the American Historical Review for October, 1916, page 217. The undersigned wish to suggest to the American His- torical Association, through the Review, that a section should be devoted at the next meeting of the Association to a dis- cussion of the feasibility of founding a Latin American His- torical Review. They believe that the publication of such a review would be possibly the most practical method for North American historical scholars to co-operate with the permanent congress and the American Bibliographical Institute, which have just been established by the Congreso Americano de Bibliografia e Historia at Buenos Aires. In connection with the project to found a new historical review, the under-signed wish to make the following tentative suggestions : 1. That the said review should be devoted to the history (political, economic, social, and diplomatic, as well as narra- tive) and institutions of Spain, Portugal, and the Latin Ameri- can states. 2. That it follow the general style and arrangement of the American Historical Review, but with more space allotted to bibliography. 3. That articles in Spanish and Portuguese be printed as well as those in EngHsh. 24 A Californian in South America 4. That the articles published be mainly those of such a character that they cannot find ready acceptance in the regional periodicals, which already exist. 5. That members of the American Historical Association who may be interested in the project, kindly consider it before the December meeting, with special attention to its financial aspects. Wm. Spence Robertson. Charles E. Chapman. DOCUMENT VII. Report by the Representative of the University of California of His Participation in the Congreso Americano de Bibliografia e Historia Held at Buenos Aires in July, 1916. To President Benjamin Ide Wheeler: Pursuant to your appointment and your personal in- struction the writer proceeded to Buenos Aires to attend the Congreso Americano de Bibliografia e Historia as the dele- gate of the University of California. Accompanying this re- port you will find an account of the principal achievements of that Congress (see Documents V and VI) ; here, it is pro- posed to deal solely with the part played by the delegate of the University of California. Your delegate was one of 225 who had come to the con- gress, a number of whom were the national representatives of most of the governments of the Americas. Though not the formal representative of the United States, the delegate from California was received as such, being accorded all the privi- leges and precedence that such a representation would have called for, due, no doubt, to the fact that during most of the congress he was the only North American in attendance, one other arriving for the later days of the meeting. On this account your delegate was asked to speak on all formal occa- sions, and did so. I wish to emphasize the fact that he was asked to speak, for on no occasion did he volunteer or sug- Report to the President of the University 25 gest that he would like to do so. There were four such occa- sions when it fell to the lot of your delegate to make a formal speech, each one being delivered in Spanish, to-wit: at the formal opening of the congress; at a luncheon given at the University of La Plata; at the banquet at the conclusion of the congress; at the formal closing, of a literary char- acter, of the congress. I append translations into English of the first, third, and fourth talks (Documents I, III and IV), and may let them speak for themselves. The writer wishes only to add, that in them as in all of his work with the con- gress he tried to bear in mind three things : that he repre- sented the interests of the State and University of California; that virtually he represented the United States; that he was in the presence of Latin Americans, more especially Argen- tinians. No translation is appended of his talk at the University of La Plata, since that was delivered extemporaneously. Your delegate extended cordial greetings to the University of La Plata in the name of the president and regents of the University of California, expressed his personal satisfaction at seeing a university which reminded him so much of his own (for the University of La Plata is deliberately modelled on the North American plan), and complimented the univer- sity and the Argentine Republic on the high educational ideals that the vice-president of the University of La Plata (in the absence of the president) had just set forth as the aim of his university. The vice-president took occasion to reply, expressing his thanks and saying that he would welcome the establishment of intellectual relations between the universities of La Plata and California. The first and third talks of your delegate will be published in the proceedings of the congress. The third has already been published in full in La Republica of La Plata, occupying most of the space devoted to the ban- quet of the congress. The greater part of the fourth talk was published in La Manana of Buenos Aires. The writer also proposes to append (Document VIII.) the translation into English of an article now being prepared for La Bpocn of Buenos Aires with the title (translated) "California's Place 26 A Californian in South America in Pan-American Relations." As the mail for North America leaves within a few days, it will be impossible to enclose the printed account, if in fact it shall appear. As for your delegate's work in the congress, this may be measured in part by a comparison of the projects that he pre- pared beforehand and presented to the congress with the re- sults that were actually obtained. A note is appended (Docu- ment II., see also Document V.) with the object of setting this forth. Here, it may be said that his objects were to pro- mote such measures as seemed to him best suited to meet the wishes of North American historical scholarship, and to foster any measure which might tend to a better mutual understand- ing of the United States and Latin America. Your delegate was also a member of the most important committee of the congress, the one which formulated what was to be its prin- cipal results. In debate he felt it best not to play too con- spicuous a part, and so spoke only in introducing his own resolutions or when specifically asked to do so by the president of the congress, something that happened on several occasions. This policy was justified, he believes, by the cordial reception that he never failed to get. Perhaps the greatest measure of a delegate's success, but the one which is the most difficult to describe, is the way in which he is received socially by his fellow-delegates and by prominent men of the city where a congress is held. Measured in terms of luncheons and dinners, the count is already not small with other functions yet to come. Your delegate also received invitations, which he was obliged to decline, owing to lack of time, to speak before the Ateneo Nacional and be- fore the Sociedad de Empleados de Banco (Bank Employees' Club). A better index, however, is that of the very agreeable personal relations of an informal character that he has had with members of the congress. The writer is more grateful than he can express for the kind attentions that have been showered upon him, especially by men who, like David Peiia, Nicanor Sarmiento, Viriato Diaz Perez, Carlos Salas, Alberto del Solar, and Jose Lestache, were outstanding figures of the congress. Your delegate would be happy if you might direct Report to the President of the University 27 a letter to Dr. David Pena (Ateneo Nacional, Charcas 1743, Buenos Aires), thanking him for the kindness which he per- sonally and so many others displayed toward your delegate. Such a letter, the writer believes, would not be unwelcome to the recipient and would redound to the credit of the University of California in the minds of Argentinians. To repeat what men have said of your delegate in open session or to him personally would be improper without documentary evidence, but in two instances this exists. One is a speech of Senor Menchaca and the other an address of Dr. Peiia. The pub- lished account of each is appended.'- The address of Dr. Pena is especially noteworthy, not only because of the position he occupied as president of the congress, but also because it was the principal address at the formal closing of the congress, in which Dr. Pena summed up its work. Not only is the reference to the University of California delegate a generous one, but also the amount of space is noteworthy, when one considers the number of delegates and the comparatively brief space given to most of the formally accredited national delegates. The paragraph may be translated freely as follows : "Among the outstanding figures of the congress there appeared from the very inaugural session that of Dr. Don Carlos E. Chapman, professor of the University of California. In a Spanish that was well dominated, as if his very pre- caution might have made it more firm and sure, he expresses his clear-cut ideas with that precision of the smith accus- tomed to the blows of the forge. A man worth while to those on this side of the Americas, he has been so in very truth for the objects of this congress, because of his character as a university professor and his exceptional dedication to the document ( i. e. emphasis on the importance of utilizing source materials in historical writings). Dr. Chapman has not so iPena's reference to Dr. Chapman is given in the body of this article. Menchaca included him in a paragraph in which he alluded to the "prominent men" in attendance at the Congress, describing him as "the simpatico delegate of the University of California, so fjr in , his judgments, and clear in his observations, who has furnish' J us with so much interesting data about the rich archive of the Indies at Seville, the result of his own researches therein." 28 A Californian in South America much as by a single gesture pretended to any superiority over us. I can in no better way eulogize his character as a man of the world and of talent." The remarks about your delegate's not having made any pretence of superiority will be understood by those well ac- quainted with Latin America, but require elucidation for the benefit of those who are not. The keen Latin perception de- tects the air of superiority if it exists, and often, perhaps, believes it to exist when the unfortunate North American has intended no such thing, but has merely expressed himself badly. The one or the other has happened so often that Latin Americans have come to regard us as apt to have opinions that are not very flattering to their own amour propre. The writer believes, therefore, that his own usefulness at the con- gress depended very largely on the fact that he did not, as indeed he could not, pretend to be a person of consequence, — added to a certain facility that he had in speaking and under- standing Spanish. Very respectfully, Charles E. Chapman. DOCUMENT VIIL California's Place in Pan-American Relations. The original Spanish was published in La Epoca, Buenos Aires, July, 1916. At the moment when we have just celebrated the happy completion of one hundred years of Argentine independence, it is fitting to stop a moment to pass in review and ponder what has happened in the many branches of Argentine life. In one comer of that life one finds the ideal of Pan-Ameri- canism, and, within that, the relations between Argentina and North America. It is of record that North America has two advantages in her development — that of a more happy colonial life, and that of having obtained her independence some forty years before Argentina. Nevertheless, in the memorable year of i8i6^ the two countries were alike in this, — that each had a iQn July 9, 1816, the independence of the Spanish colonies of the Rio de la Plata was declared at Tucuman. California's Place in Pan-American Relations 29 civilization markedly that of the mother country, but modified by the somewhat difficult conditions of the new world, and that each had the same ideals of government and of liberty. In everything else we were so far apart from one another that the two countries were almost the absolute opposite of each other. In addition to the difference of our English civiliza- tion from your Spanish, there were almost no relations between us, whether commercial or social. Now let us look at the result of an hundred years. The equality of conditions has continued in this, that each country possessed abundant lands and developed within itself, but with the important addition that very diverse influences from all parts of Europe have entered in both. Thus we have grad- ually approached each other, year after year. Today, Ar- gentina is to be seen with a civilization that it is not proper to call Spanish. Many Spanish elements still remain, but with the addition of others that are Italian, English, German, and French. All have combined to form what cannot be called anything but an Argentine civilization proper. In like man- ner has it passed with us. The North American is not Eng- lish, but a compound of the English with German, Scotch, Irish, Italian, French, and Spanish elements. This shows, I believe, that a strong basis of sympathy is developing in the two Americas — founded on much more than our similar forms of government. The basis is here, but relations with one an- other have little more than started. There is much yet that the two peoples can learn from each other, for the good of both. Laying aside commercial affairs and political treaties, which can indeed be amplified, there still remains that which is more properly of a social character, to which it is worth while to refer. The notable English historian, Mr. Martin A. S. Hume, wrote an article a while ago in which he expressed an opinion that the very differences between the North American and the Spaniard are of a character which attracts the one to the other, rather than the reverse. Mr. Hume was writing of the Spaniard, but dealt with characteristics which are equally Ar- gentine, so that the argument serves for Argentinian-North 30 A Calif ornian in South America American relations. Not to delay too much over the article by Mr. Hume, I shall point out what he said — that the Spaniard (like the Argentinian) has some extremely sympathetic traits but does not reject the practical, and that the North American, at the same time that he is very practical, is very fond of anyone who possesses such sympathetic traits as does the Spaniard, — and as also the Argentinian does. Thus it is, that only a better understanding is lacking, arid that calls for a greater opportunity for the exercise of friendly rela- tions — and nothing more. Speaking in the American Congress of Bibliography and History, I pointed out how eagerly we are seeking a better understanding with the Latin Americans. I referred to the extraordinary development of the study of Spanish in North America, and to the tremendous impulse toward the study of Latin American countries. Nowhere in the United States have these tendencies been stronger than in the State of Cali- fornia, in the extreme west of the country. There more than anywhere else, the spirit of the former Spanish civilization has remained; there one finds a fond, even enthusiastic, love for all that reminds one of the Spanish influence, and, by association of ideas, for everything Hispanic and Latin Ameri- can. The old Franciscan missions are preserved with the most affectionate care ; there are many who possess two native tongues — the Spanish and the English, and the former is studied in the secondary schools by nearly everybody, — much more than French or German; and there we have the great University of California, with its ten thousand pupils and eight hundred teachers, devoting itself in large measure to Hispanic and Latin American studies, more than in the other universities of North America. Does it not prove something that the University of California has sent the writer of this article on a journey of 16,000 kilometres (and double that, with the return journey), to take part in a congress of history and bibliography in Buenos Aires? If it had any further object, it was only that it desired me to study Latin America from close at hand, in order to teach it later to my pupils, with greater knowledge and more sympathy. A Visit with Jose Torihio Medina 31 In fine, I believe that California, because of its history and traditions, because of its blood and language, and be- cause of the studies of its greatest university, is the most suitable medium in North America for the development of a better understanding between North America and the ' sister republics to the south, — and, as the principal interest of Ar- gentinians, between North America and the very sympathetic and powerful Republic of Argentina. DOCUMENT IX. A Visit With Jose Toribio Medina By Charles E. Chapman, Assistant Professor of History, University of California. This article has been accepted for publication in the May, 1917, Overland. In Chile one hears a great deal of the heroes of the war of independence against Spain. O'Higgins, Cochrane and San Martin, of the beloved hero of the war of 1879 with Peru, Arturo Prat, of the poet Bello, and of the historians Vicuna Mackenna and Claudio Gay. These are but dimly known names in the northern world, except to men who have special- ized in the Latin American field, but where will one go in the scholarly world and find a man who has not heard of the colossus of bibliographical lore, Jose Toribio Medina of San- tiago de Chile ?^ It was with something of the feelings of a pilgrim entering Jerusalem or Mecca that I approached the Calle Doce de Febrero, in which street, at number 49, is the house of Senor Medina. A sumptuous and elegant street? Far from it ! There were only two houses in the block that were two stories high, and neither bore the number 49. The servant girl who took my card when I had reached the house, informed me that Sefior Medina was not at home, but if I would come the next morning at eight, I would certainly find II have borrowed freely, especially for exact biographical data, from a pamphlet of Armando Donoso entitled : Vida y Viajes de un erudito Jose Toribio Medina. (Santiago, 1915). I have used noth- ng, however, that did not come up in my conversations with Seiior Medina. 32 A Californian in South America him. I half wondered if he had given orders to return that answer to all who called, — so as not to be disturbed in his invaluable work, or so as to test their sincerity, — but I re- solved to make a supreme effort and be there next morning at eight. Later on, this day, I paid a visit to the Biblioteca Nacional. As I was taking my leave of Seiior Laval, one of the librarians, he asked me to meet Seiior Blanchard-Chessi, head of one of the most important sections of the library. We went into the latter's office, and I was presented in due form. "Perhaps you would like to meet this gentlemen who is working here," said Seiior Laval, in an absolutely casual tone, indicating a little old gentleman who had three or four vol- umes open before him. "Seiior Medina, permit me !" Seiior Medina, indeed! Perhaps, I did want to meet him! There was nothing in Santiago I wanted more ! I nearly "jumped out of my boots" with enthusiasm. So I sat down and chatted awhile with Medina and Blanchard-Chessi, and pretty soon I prepared to leave, for it seemed almost criminal to take the time of Jose Toribio Medina. But no, — he would not have it ! On the contrary, he said that he had done enough work for one day, and suggested that we stroll down to his house, where he could show me his library and his printing establishment. So we walked down, — went all through the house, — were joined by Sefiora Medina and had tea. Nor was this all, for I was invited to come to luncheon next day, an opportunity of which I most certainly availed myself. I had visualized Medina as a man of tremendous, almost forbidding erudition, cold and precise in speech, and bent in figure with the weight of his learning. I was right, certainly, as to the vastness of his knowledge, but in everything else I was wide of the mark. At the time I visited him (in August, 1916) he was not quite 64, (born October 21, 1852), a small man, certainly not over five feet four inches tall, and with a youthful vigor and a pair of eyes of such exceptional keen- ness that one might place him in the forties, despite the par- tial appearance of gray hair. His conversation too, has a lively sparkle, full of anecdote and jovial reminiscence. Withal, he A Visit with lose Toribio Medina 33 is a simple and modest man. He has been told of his world- wide fame, but hardly seems to realize it; he views his repu- tation as if it belonged to another man, related in some inde- finable manner to himself. And yet what a life this man has had, and what a work he has done ! His life in large measure explains his work, and is perhaps a very worthy lesson in the science of biblio- graphy. His father, though a man of literary talent himself, frowned on the similar aspirations of his son, planning for him instead a career of practical utility in the field of law and politics. Medina, in fact, became a lawyer, and a national deputy and secretary of his party, but even in these active years he was preparing himself for his later career. He read with avidity the old chroniclers of the colonial era, and by way of variety displayed an interest in literature in general, in folklore, and in ethnology, writing several articles on these subjects, among which may be noted his translation of Long- fellow's "Evangeline." In succeeding years, too, he studied not a little in the field of natural science and astronomy, all of which subjects he considers to have been of great help to him in his historical deductions. In 1874 he was appointed secretary of the Chilean legation in Lima, a fortunate appoint- ment which marked the turning-point of his career. Despite the hard work of the legation, Medina found time to visit the libraries and archives of Lima, and to publish several historical studies. In 1876, he decided to visit the United States, in order to attend the Centennial Exposition at Philadelphia, and although this necessitated his resignation from the service, he carried his resolution into effect. For three months he was in the United States. By this time he had made up his mind to follow the career toward which he had all along been in- clined; so he now set out for a journey of study in Europe. For several months he was in London, working by the side of Pascual de Gayangos in the British museum. He then went to Paris, where he frequented the Bibliotheque Nationale, going later to Spain, where he stayed, on this occasion, but a short time. In June, 1877, he was back again in Chile, and in the 34 ^ Californian in South America following year he published his three volume Historia de la Literatura Colonial, the fruits of his journey to Europe. Possibly the keenest and most persistent desire of Medina's literary career, cherished since boyhood, and only now about to be realized with the publication of the third and fourth volumes of his work, has been the study of the life of Ercilla, author of the famous poem, La Araucana. It was this which led him soon to undertake a dangerous journey to Araucania in Southern Chile, a journey rendered difficult, not only by the lack of means of communication in that day, but also by the hostility of the Araucanian Indians, whom he came to study at close range. Upon his return, Medina plunged into his work, which was to appear later as Los Ahorigenes de Chile, but, before he could finish it, war broke out, in 1879, against Peru and Bolivia. At first, Medina was connected with the manufacture of cartridges for the army, but, having invented a method which facilitated that manufacture, he was promoted and sent north to Iquique. His principal service in that region was as judge of the district, a post which he held for a year and a half. A fortunate acquaintance in Iquique with Patricio Lynch procured for Medina an appointment as secretary of legation in Madrid when the former was sent as minister to Spain. For several years, Medina made the most of the opportunity which had been given to him, being encouraged in his re- searches by the Chilean government, which granted a small sum of money for the making of copies. No less than 365 volumes of copies, of 500 pages each, were the result of his labors. Furthermore, he formed valuable friendships at this time with men like the Duke of T 'Serclaes and the Marquis of Jerez de los Caballeros, with Monsignor Delia Chiesa (now Pope Benedict XV), and especially with men of letters like Menendez y Pelayo, Campoamor, Nufiez de Arce, Tamayo y Baus, Fernandez Guerra, Zaragoza, Fernandez Duro, and a host of others. Laden with rich materials Medina returned to Chile in 1886, in which year he married Mercedes Ibanez y Rondizzoni. From that year until 1892 he was engaged in a mad fever of publication, no less than 24 volumes appearing A Visit with Jose Toribio Medina 35 over his name, among them his Historia del Tribunal del Santo Oficio de la Inquisicion en Lima (2 v.), Histuria del Tribunal del Santo Oficio de la Inquisicion en Chile (2 v.), Coleccion de Documentos para la Historia de Chile (4 v.), Coleccion de Historiadores de Chile y Documentos Relativos a la Historia Nacional (4 v.), and various of his Imprenta series and other bibliographical works. In the midst of his work there came the Chilean revolu- tion of 1891. As a partisan of the Liberal president, Balma- ceda, he was regarded with suspicion by the other side, and his house was searched three times in the belief that it was his printing press which was publishing the Balmacedan literature being circulated in Santiago. At length, Medina was obhged to take refuge in Argentina. Eight months he remained in Argentina an exile, but in this period he became the friend of General Bartolome Mitre and other outstanding figures in the scholarly ranks of that country, besides preparing his Historia y Bibliografia de la Imprenta en el Antiguo Virreinato del Rio de la Plata. In October, 1892, he went again to Spain, where he remained four years. If his previous journey had been remarkable in its results, this was even more so. Not to mention several works of his that appeared while he was still in Spain, he published, in the seven years following his return to Chile in 1896, no less than 78 volumes. Some of these were documents, with notes by Medina; others, works of bib- liography; and still others, volumes of history proper. Late in 1902 he left Chile on a new voyage of discovery, going successively to Lima, Guatemala and to various cities of Mexico, always in search of bibliographical data and always adding new friends, such for example, as Presidents Estrada Cabrera and Porfirio Diaz of Guatemala and Mexico, and the Mexican scholars Vicente Andrade, Nicolas Leon, Genaro Garcia, and others. Then he went to France, and later on to Italy, working, among other places, in the library of the Vati- can. In 1904 he was in Chile again, with the materials for a fresh campaign of pubHcation. In the next eight years he pub- lished more than 60 volumes, bringing to a close his monu- mental works on the bibliography of the Americas. 36 A Californian in South America In 1912 Medina made a fourth visit to Spain, this time resolved to realize his ambition of procuring materials about the poet Ercilla. After overcoming innumerable difficulties, he was successful in his task, and the years since 1913 have seen the preparation of his four volume work on Ercilla, two of which have already appeared, while the other two were in page proof at the time of my visit with Medina. Naturally, this phenomenon who exudes publications has put forth several other volumes in the past three years. By a narrow margin Senor Medina missed yet another long trip, in 191 5. In that year. President H. Morse Stephens of the American Historical Association invited him to attend the meeting of the associa- tion in San Francisco, offering to pay the cost of the journey. When the letter came, the Medinas were in the country at a point where mails arrived very infrequently. Thus it was that the invitation was received too late. Otherwise, according to Medina himself, he would have accepted. And now the house. Although it is but one story high on the street front, it gets to be quite big, farther back. The greater part of it is devoted to Medina's library and his print- ing establishment. Naturally, Medina could not afford a first- class printing-press, for he is not a wealthy man. His is noth- ing more than a hand-press, the third which he has had since 1877, and from these three have issued the greater number of Medina's works. Ordinarily, he employs three or four men in his printing establishment, and sometimes many more, when there is a pressure of work, but on this day, a Monday, there was only one man at work, for Monday in Chile "is a day lost" said Medina, the national curse of a drunken week-end requir- ing an extra day to get over the effects. The great Medina himself often sets type and turns the wheel of the hand-press. What a sensation every lover of learning must feel to be in this house which has meant so much to the world, where miracles have been wrought in the face of tremendous diffi- culties ! As Medina stood by his hand-press talking with me, it seemed as if I were in the house of a Gutenberg, with Gutenberg himself accompanying me. In another room we found a quantity of paper to be used in future volumes. The A Visit with Jose Toribio Medina 37 present scarcity of paper, due to the European war, has not affected Senor Medina. "I foresaw what was going to hap- pen," he said, "and procured an extra supply." Medina's library, or rather his series of libraries, is one of extraordinary interest and value. Of books of a general nature there are few. One room is devoted to his own publi- cations, and others to his bibliographical treasures and manu- scripts. Each room has little more than a passage way, for the books have overflowed from the stacks into huge piles on the floor. He has accumulated about 12,000 volumes of other men's works, virtually all of them being of a date prior to the end of Spanish rule on the American continents, a hun- dred years ago. On Mexico alone he has no less than 8,000 volumes, all pubHshed before 1821. His particular hobby has been the collectipn of editions of Ercilla's La Araucana, al- though he has not been able to get all of them. Many other rare works are in his possession, such, for example, as the Thesoro Spiritual de pobres en lenguas Michuacal, published in Mexico in 1575, of which only four copies are known to be in existence, and even more the Manuale Sacramentorum and the Ceremonial y Ruhricas Generates, published in Mexico, respectively in 1568 and 1579, and each, so far as can be as- certained, the only known copy in the world. "What a task you must have had," I said, "not only to collect this wonderful library, but also to get the bibliographical data about the other volumes referred to in your works !" "Yes," he said, "but the hardest work is not collecting; rather, it is in verifying references to books or editions of doubtful authenticity. One item may require the work of a historical monograph, — and then you reject it." An account of the life of Medina, or even of such a visit as I had, would be incomplete if it should fail to give generous space to Dona Mercedes Ibanez de Medina, wife of the great bibliographer. The Ibafiez family claim descent from the Marquises of Mondejar, a noble Spanish house, but they are famous on their own account, because of their participation in the political life of Chile. Seiiora Medina had travelled widely before her marriage, for her father was in the diplo- 38 ' A Californian in South America matic service. For a year she was in Washington, during Grant's administration, where she learned to speak English. President Grant once talked with her for half an hour at a reception, which was the longest he had ever spoken with any one person at such an affair, according to the next day's papers. "I was only a little girl then," she said, and indeed she looks as if she were still in the forties. She is both im- mensely proud of her husband and unaffectedly devoted to him. "The two principal duties of a wife," she said, "are to help her husband when she can, and not to disturb him at other times." She herself reads proof, makes out bibliographical cards, and in fine does every little bit of intellectual drudgery within her power, to help the work along. One day an Ameri- can professor and his wife came to the house when Medina was out, whereupon the Senora showed them about. She did it with such enthusiasm and understanding that the gentle- man said, "I now understand why Seilor Medina has been able to do so much work. He is two." It is at the table that one sees Jose Toribio Medina at his best.^ There he is full of joviality and anecdote. "Did you know that I came near being an American?" he said. And then he told how he and a friend took rooms with a private family in Philadelphia, the year he went to the expo- sition. For the fifteen nights that they were there, neither went out of the house a night, so attractive were the two daughters of the family. Medina's friend, a well known diplo- mat today, married one of the young ladies. Medina likes to talk of the American scholars he has known, such as Bingham, Coolidge, Lichtenstein, Moses, Rowe, and Shepherd. "Most travellers who come to Santiago go to the hill of Santa Lucia," said Senora Medina, "but the Americans come here." Re- ferring to his copy of the Laudationes quinque of Bernabe Echeiiique, published at Cordoba in 1766, the first work in ^As we were finishing our luncheon Senor Don Domingo Amu- nategui Solar, President of the University of Chile, came in. He has been in the habit of dropping in for a moment at this hour, every day for the past twenty years, for a word or two with his friends, the Medinas. Senor Amunategui is not only a university president, but also a distinguished historian. A Visit with Jose Toribio Medina 39 the history of printing in Argentina, he told the following curious tale of how he came to acquire it. During his stay in Argentina he became intimately acquainted with a biblio- maniac whose instinct for collection was so great that he did not refrain from stealing rare volumes, when other means of acquiring them failed. One day, this man visited the rich library of the Franciscans of Cordoba. He wa§ shown about the library, but as his habits were not unknown to the friars, the attendant who went with him was told not to leave him for an instant. At length, in an out-of-the-way corner, he saw no less than five copies of the Laudationes quinque, which he felt that he must obtain. How to get rid of the attendant was the question. An idea occurred to him; he pretended to faint, and fell like one dead to the floor. The startled attendant ran for help — and the bibliophile pocketed all five of the rare volumes. One of these he gave to General Mitre who in turn gave it to Medina. While he was in Guatemala, Medina worked in a building which was only a step from police head- quarters. Now and then, his bibliographical toil was inter- rupted by the sound of shots at the latter edifice, for people were executed there almost daily. One day, he was invited to an audience with President Estrada Cabrera. A friend told him that various officers were posted behind curtains in the audience hall, with revolvers cocked, ready to shoot any visitor who made the least motion which seemed to them suspicious, — whereupon Medina did not accept the invitation. As evidence of the unstable state of affairs at that time, Medina tells of having to get a permit from the Minister of the Interior to leave the country, and in order to embark at San Jose, a tele- gram from the president was necessary. Nobody was excepted from these requirements, not even foreign diplomats. Of an- other type is the story he told about the poet Bello. Bello married an English girl who never learned to speak Spanish well, in particular mixing her genders, using the masculine when she should have used the feminine, and vice-versa. On one occasion, when she said la caballa (for el cahallo), Bello said to her, "For Heaven's sake, woman, either use the mascu- 40 A Californian in South America line all the time or the feminine all the time, and then occa- sionally you will hit it right." These anecdotes tell something of the nature of this amiable gentleman, but there were others which tend to prove that the man who is recognized abroad as possibly the greatest that Chile has produced, is not fully appreciated in his own land. On one occasion a distinguished foreigner came to Santiago, and desired to call on Senor Medina. "Do you know where Jose Toribio Medina lives?" he asked a cab driver. "Cer- tainly," was the reply. It did not seem strange, even that a cab driver should know the residence of Chile's great man; so the gentleman said no more. Presently he arrived at the house of Sefior Medina, but it proved to be, not that of Jose Toribio, but that of a certain Medina, widely known as a proprietor of race-horses. Gradually, due to the honors ac- corded him in foreign countries, a realization is dawning in Chile that Jose Toribio Medina is a man of note. This feeling has not gone very far, however. On several occasions the government has given small sums to assist his publications, but on several others it has promised funds, and then with- drawn them. The government's action in the case of the Ercilla documents is in point. In 1903 the owner of the docu- ments offered to grant the privilege of copying them for 6000 francs. A bill for that sum in the Chilean congress failed, on the ground that it was a useless expense. Several years later, that sum was voted by the government, but not paid over. After Medina had completed his work and published two of the volumes, the government withdrew the grant, on grounds of economy, leaving Medina to pay the bills. Verily, a prophet is without honor in his own countrj'. "I sometimes wish my husband had been bom in England or in the United States," said Seiiora Medina; "there they esteem a man for his work, but here if one says nothing about himself, people think he does not amount to anything. My husband is too modest; he will not praise himself." One wonders at the short-sightedness of the Chilean millionaires who have lost a chance to im- mortalize themselves by failing to finance this man whose reputation will live when even their family names will have A Field for an Historical Survey 41 passed away. "If some wealthy Americans, like Carnegie or Huntington, could be brought to realize under what difficulties you are doing your work," said James Bryce, on the occasion of his visit to the house of Medina, "they would almost cer- tainly want to assist you financially." A Chilean senator was present at the time. "No," said Medina, "it is not neces- sary; the Chilean government gives me all I need." "Out of patriotism," said Senora Medina, who was telling the story, "he would not tell the truth, which was quite different." "Furthermore," added Medina, with a twinkle in his eye, "I was trying to produce an effect on Senator X, — but it did not work." And yet could Jose Toribio Medina have done much more under any circumstances? Up to two years ago, he had pub- lished 226 volumes, since which time a number of others have appeared, to say nothing, not only of his collection of books and manuscripts, but also of his collections of medals, coins and what not. It is wonderful to have done so much in any event, and still more wonderful to have done it in far-away Chile, with such slight means at hand. If Chile and the Chileans have done little to help, it is to be hoped that they will make amends, some day, by recognizing the merit of this extra- ordinary man. DOCUMENT X. South America as a Field for an Historical Survey. This article has been accepted for publication in the Report of the PubHc Archives Commission, in the Annual Report of the American Historical Association. There can be no quesfron that the excellent series of guides to material in foreign archives for the history of the United States, published by the Carnegie Institution, has already re- sulted in contributions to history, of recognized value, and enhanced our reputation in the world of scholarship, and will do so yet more in the future. It is hardly necessary to argue the value of these publications. A very real question arises, however, when one asks where such historical surveys ought now to be undertaken^ whatever may be the institution or insti- tutions to engage in the work. While the great war lasts, 42 A Californian in South America and perhaps for a number of years after its close, it will hardly be worth while to send men to Europe, and the same thing is true ,in only less degree as regards Asia. It is the purpose of this article to argue for a campaign in South America, and to present certain data to show that the countries of the neigh- boring continent are apt to yield a rich harvest of valuable manuscript material, of which historians have as yet made little use. A preliminary question remains as to the method to be followed. The plan of the Carnegie Institution has been to seek only such material as related directly to the history of what now constitutes the United States, and to make general descrip- tions of the archives and bundles, or volumes, in which it is found, selecting only what seemed to be the more important American items for individual mention, and omitting material, however important for other purposes, if it had no direct bear- ing on the history of the United States. The omission was justifiable in the case of guides to European archives, for it certainly is not necessary for American historians to do pioneer work in European history, or in the case of such works as Bolton's guide to materials in Mexico, where the purely local items concerning the United States were so numerous as to require a volume in themselves. As for Central and South America and the Caribbean area, however, it would seem well to modify the system thus far employed by the Carnegie Insti- tution to the extent of making general descriptions of all of the material, with an inclusion in the individually mentioned items of the more important documents with regard to the lands themselves where they are found, as well as those related directly to the United States. Not much of the necessary pioneer work has yet been done in Latin America, and no people are better equipped with men and funds than our- selves, and except for Latin Americans, no others are more interested than we are. Many will agree with the writer that the two Americas are indissolubly bound up with each other, whether they like it or not, commercially, politically, and per- haps in yet other ways. It is becoming generally recognized that the United States cannot live unto itself, as it has been A Field for an Historical Survey 43 doing in the past, and- — is it not well that our historical work should follow the trend of the present and probable future in- terests of the country? Who will deny that Latin America is a vital factor of inestimable importance in the foreign rela- tions of this country? Is it not desirable, then, in our own interests, as well as in theirs, and in the interests of historical scholarship in general, that we should seek a better under- standing of the Latin American countries through the study of their past? During a visit of nearly six months in South America, in the year 1916, the writer had an opportunity to make a superficial survey of a number of important archives. The result of his investigations in Buenos Aires, Santiago, and Lima will now be set forth, not that they constitute a guide to the archives of those cities, although they may be useful as a preliminary, and without any assertion of entire accuracy 01 due proportion, but as some evidence to show that a South American historical survey, on the broad basis suggested in this article, would bring a rich return. A. BUENOS AIRES I. Archivo General de la Nacion. This is one of the most important archives in South America, and the conditions for work are of the best. Nothing could exceed the courtesy of its chief, Jose I. Biedma, or its secretary, Augusto S. Mallie. Permission to work must be obtained from the Sub- Secretario de Instruccion Publica, on previous advice of the head of the archive, but any duly accredited scholar may be almost sure of obtaining the necessary permit. Few archives are so entirely at the disposal of investigators, for all docu- ments, without limitation as to date, are available, except such as may injure a third party. By law, all ministries of the government are required to send their papers to the archive when they are five years old, but the law has not been very well complied with. There are perhaps ten thousand or more bundles^ in the lA "bundle" or legajo, as used in this article, may be estimated to contain about two thousand pages of material, for a page of about SYz by 11 inches. 44 A Californian in South America archive, and they are gradually being bound into volumes, three men being employed on the work. By far the greater part of the documents relate to the colonial period, and in this respect the archive is extraordinarily rich; Senor Biedma be- lieves it to be the richest archive in South America for Spanish colonial material, in part because the documents cover the whole region of the Rio de la Plata country, extending even into Bolivia, and in part due to the scattering of the formerly much richer archives of Peru. The collection here is especially valuable for matters of real hacienda, or finance, which, of course, was the foundation stone of Spanish colonial adminis- tration. There is a most praiseworthy spirit of co-operation on the part of the archivists with historical workers ; Biedma him- self is a veritable enthusiast. Two volumes of documents have already been published by the archive, one of the revolutionary period, and the other of royal decrees (cedulas) from 1580 to near the close of the seventeenth century. Incidentally, a heater was installed in the room for investigators, — a luxury that the archivists in other rooms, Biedma among them, did not enjoy for themselves. 2. Museo del General Mitre. The valuable collections of this institution, which include books, coins, medals, and much else, as well as manuscripts, were given to the nation by General Mitre, who was not only an Argentine president, but an all-round scholar and historian as well. There are about one hundred thousand manuscripts of original correspondence, dating from the earliest colonial times, down to the year 1900. The Museo has published forty volumes of documents, but they are only a drop in the bucket, and relate almost wholly to Mitre's work. There is a one-volume index of colonial documents, but it is far from containing an indication of all the colonial documents in the collection. Investigators are free to use anything the Museo has, and a rough, temporary index of manuscript material has been provided for their use. They may be sure of the co-operation of archive officials, among whom is the well known Argentine scholar, Romulo Sabala, secretary of the Museo. A Field for an Historical Survey 45 3. Pacultad de Filosofia y Letras. This college of the University of Buenos Aires is worth mentioning, not for the number of its manuscripts, though it is appreciable, but be- cause of the work that it is doing, under the efficient direction of scholars like Doctor Molinari and others. Fourteen volumes of documents have already been published. 4. Other archives of Buenos Aires. Other archives, indi- cated to the writer as being particularly rich in manuscript materials, and more or less available to historical investigators, were those of the Biblioteca Nacional, Biblioteca del Congreso, Archive de Tribunales, Archivo de Correos, and the private collections of Enrique Pefia and Ramon Carcano. B. SANTIAGO. I. Biblioteca Nacional. The archive of this library is by far the most valuable in Chile for historical students, since certain other government archives are not open to the public. Conditions for investigators are nearly ideal. Permission to work is granted without any formalities whatever; all that one has to do is present himself and begin, and about the only rules are that one may not disfigure or steal a document. As yet, not many investigators have taken advantage of the op- portunity to use this archive, but they may be sure of a welcome when they do come. The director, Tomas Thayer, is not only one of the best known historical scholars in Chile, but is also the superlative of amiability and courtesy. North Americans have a certain claim on him, since he is descended from a Massachusetts family of the same name. His great- grandfather was captain of a "Boston ship," which came to an untimely end at Valparaiso, and Sehor Thayer's grand- father, who was also on board, took up his residence in Chile. The archive contains material dating from the coloniza- tion of Chile, in the sixteenth century, down to the year 1817. Naturally, most of the documents are for the eighteenth cen- tury, but there are also a great many for the earlier periods. All are in an excellent state of preservation, for destruction from humidity and the bookworm are unknown in the excellent climate of Santiago; the writing in documents two centuries old is as clear as if written but yesterday. In addition, the 46 A Californian in South America most commendable care is taken of the collection. There are about sixty-five hundred volumes, of approximately seven hun- dred pages each, which have already been bound. As much more material remains for binding. About three thousand volumes relate to Audiencias, — not to the territory embraced by the jurisdiction of an audiencia, as in the case of the well- known sets in the Archive General de Indias of Seville, Spain, but to acts of the audiencia itself, such as cases at law and residencias. A three-volume catalogue of this set has already been published. There are nearly a thousand volumes of Escribanos, a set rich in materials for the social and economic life of colonial Chile. The set called C ontaduria, dealing with affairs of real hacienda, contains about five thousand volumes, commencing with the year 1609. Over a thousand volumes are devoted to the correspondence of the captain-generals and related matters. There are about five hundred volumes con- cerning the Jesuits in Chile, and these papers are valuable for historical data with regard to the Philippines, Panama, Porto Rico, and Mexico, because of the ramifications of the Jesuit order. In addition, there is a miscellaneous aggregation of volumes which cannot be characterized by a single word or phrase. Among these are the documents on which the Chilean historians Gay and Vicuiia Mackenna relied, in writing their works. The miscellaneous group also includes about thirty volumes of copies procured at the Archivo General de Indias. Senior Thayer believes that the archive, over which he presides is the richest in South America in colonial material, — a belief in which Sefior Biedma of Buenos Aires would not share. 2. Archivo Jeneral de Gobierno, and other government archives. Except for matters related to courts of law, the official administrative papers of the Chilean government, from 1817 to 1902, are kept in the Archivo Jeneral de Gobierno. The papers of later date than 1902 are to be found in tne various ministries. Matters of justice are in the archive of the Tri- bunales de Justicia, where conditions are similar to those en- countered in the Archivo Jeneral. The last-named archive contains some thirty thousand volumes of about seven iiundred pages each, divided according to the ministry from which they A Field for an Historical Survey 47 came. All are well taken care of, and are kept in excellent, glass-fronted cases. A suitable person might obtain permis- sion to use the archive, by applying to the minister in charge of the department from which the papers had come, but the collection is considered a private archive of the government, and investigation is not invited. C. LIMA. 1. Scattered archives. The history of archives in Lima is a tale of the great number and extraordinary wealth of the documents, and of disintegration and lack of organization. Vast quantities of documents have undoubtedly been utterly lost, many have passed out of the country into foreign hands, and perhaps the majority that still remain have gone into private archives, which are usually inaccessible to historical scholars. Many notable Peruvian historians, such as Paz Soldan and Mendiburu, have relied upon documents belonging to them- selves in compiling their histories, but the great majority of these private collections have not been made use of at all. On October 9, 1916, while the writer was in Lima, a bill was introduced in the Peruvian congress for the formation of a national archive, for the custody, preservation, deciphering, cataloguing ,and publication of documents; documents of the colonial era and the first fifty years of the republic were to be gathered there, being taken from the ministries and other governmental depositories where they now exist, and docu- ments now in private hands were to be acquired, when possible. It is doubtful if anything comes of this, even if the bill is passed, for there is very little real interest in history in Peru, and no demand worth mentioning for organized historical or archival work.^ The bill itself calls for an appropriation of only one thousand pounds a year, out of which all expenses, salaries included, are to be taken. 2. The national archive. A national archive, though not ^Such were the views expressed to the writer by Dr. Carlos Wiesse, Professor of History at the famous University of San Marcos of Lima, and a historian of note, and by the indefatigable archaeologist and historical scholar, Carlos Romero, of the Biblioteca Nacional of Lima. 48 A Californian in South America as an organized, working institution, already exists, the docu- ments being in the care of the Biblioteca Nacional of Lima. The place where they are kept was closed, while the writer was in Lima, and no date seemed to have been set for its reopen- ing.' It contains what is left of the once great public archive of Lima, with documents dating from the earliest colonial times, down to the first year of the republic, in 1824. Since 1824, public documents have been kept in the different minis- tries of the government. The writer was told that existing archives would probably be open to students, but none of them ever come. Even before the close of Spanish rule, the dispersion of this wealth had begun, for retiring officials often carried away the documents that interested them. Under the republic, not much thought was given to archive material, and great loss occurred through unlawful sales by grafting officials, local dis- turbances, lack of care, and ravages of the bookworm, which is very active in Lima. In 1878, a definite attempt was made to organize the archive, and ten manuscript volumes of indices were prepared. At that time, there were 1401 bundles and 726 large folio volumes, principally devoted to Tabacos, with a considerable amount of material also under the headings of Inquisicion and Temporalidades — Jesuitas.* The work done in 1878 was rendered of no avail by the disastrous war with Chile, which broke out in 1879. The national archive did not suffer from spoliation by the Chileans so much as some other institutions did; nevertheless, a great many documents were mutilated, others carried away to Chile, and many sold in Lima which have since been added to private collections ; even the indices were lost. For several years the documents were thrown together almost utterly without care, ^The information set forth in this paragraph \vas taken from the Revista de archivos y hibliotccas nacionalcs (now defunct), v. I, No. 1, (1901), pp. XIX — LXXXXII (sic), supplemented by conversation with Seiior Carlos Romero. "'The figrures follow — Bundles: Temporalidadcs-Jesnitas, 239; In- quisicion, 361; Ccnsos, 57; Tabacos, about 446; Polvora, naipes, etc., about 64; Audiencia de Cu::co, 105. Folio volumes: Temporalidades, 79; Tabacos, (A7. A Field for an Historical Survey 49 but after the war was over, an attempt at the physical preser- vation of the documents was made. In 1890, valuable colonial materials were taken from other depositories, and added to the national archive. The principal sets in these acquisitions were Cajas Reales del Virreynato, Aduanas, Real Tribunal de Cuentas, and Tribunal del Consulado. Nobody seems to know how great a quantity of materials still remains in the archive, but there are probably upwards of two thousand bundles, and nearly a thousand folio volumes. 3. Biblioteca Nacional. This institution has a collection of 340 volumes of manuscripts, of which some three hundred were the selection of the eminent Peruvian scholar, Ricardo Palma, from the documents of the national archive.^ Naturally, these documents are of great value, and some of them are being published, from time to time, in the Coleccim de libros y documentos referentes a la historia del Peru, edited by Senor Romero. 4. Santo Domingo and San Francisco. The convents of these two orders, and those of other orders or churches, in less degree, have archives recording the activities of their or- ganizations in Peru, mostly in the colonial era. Santo Domingo has three hundred volumes of manuscripts, and San Francisco about half that number. Scholars would be permitted to use them. D. OTHER ARCHIVES. An indication has been given of only the principal archives of three South American capitals, and, in the case of those of Buenos Aires and Santiago, of those which are perhaps the best equipped and most progressive in the continent. If re- ports which the writer has heard on every hand may be be- lieved, particularly the references made at the Congress of Bibliography and History, held at Buenos Aires, in July, 1916, there are numerous repositories of unexplored material, scat- 5The forty odd volumes, other than those selected by Palma, are of a miscellaneous nature. There is one manuscript volume of cetreria, dated 1384. There is also a manuscript copy of about 14S0 of Lopez de Ayala's famous chronicle of the reigns of Pedro the Cruel and the kings immediately following. 50 A Californian in South America tered over the southern republics. One must not think, either, that all of the valuable materials are to be found in archives of the greater countries. For example, there are no less than six thousand bundles in the national archive of Paraguay, most of them bearing on the colonial period, according to Sefior Diaz Perez, head of the Biblioteca Nacional of Asuncion. In fine, materials in great quantity and probably of great value exist in South America. Publication of documents is going on at some of the principal archives, but even at the present commendable rate, it would take a great many years, perhaps centuries, before the greater part of available material of value could be published. Is it not worth our while to make an organized effort to find out what exists? DOCUMENT XI. Circular Letter Addressed to American Historians in the Latin American Field. 23 Hancock St., Winchester, Mass. November 25, 1916. "You may have seen the communication in the October number of the American Historical Review, in which Dr. Wil- liam S. Robertson and I propose the founding of a Latin American Historical Review, to deal principally with the history and institutions of Latin America. You will soon receive the printed program for this year's meeting of the American Historical Association at Cincinnati in which will be announced a dinner, Friday evening, December 29, for all who are interested in the project for the new re- view. I can assure you in advance that many of our leading Latin Americanists are in favor of the idea, and it is at the suggestion of some of them that I am writing this letter, ask- ing you to plan to be present at the dinner. If you know of anybody also interested in this matter, professors, students, or business men, who are likely to be in Cincinnati at the time, please tell them that we want as many as possible to attend. I cannot now state the price of the The Latin American Meeting at Cincinnati 5^ dinner or the place, but both, no doubt, will be satisfactorily arranged. Please write to me if you expect to attend, and all the more if you do not expect to; we want your views as to the desirability of this project, and similarly those of the other men to whom you may mention it. Very truly yours, Charles E. Chapman. DOCUMENT XII. Minutes of the Latin American Meeting, Cincinnati, December 29, 1916. The Group Dinner for those interested in Latin American history was attended by about thirty, two of whom were ladies. Dr. Justin H. Smith, of Boston, was requested by Dr. Charles E. Chapman to preside, and Dr. James A. Robertson, of Wash- ington, was appointed secretary of the meeting. Without any preliminaries, Dr. Chapman was called upon to outline the pro- ject for a Latin American Review. He did so as follows : The Project for a Review to deal with Latin American History. I. The need for such a Review : A great many American students in the Latin American field have for a long time wished that there might be some organ devoted to their interests. According to them, not only was there no single periodical adequate to their needs among the many who admit occasional Latin American material, but also a combination of all readily accessible periodicals of this nature would hardly suffice for their needs. In other words, the field of Latin American history was, and still is, almost wholly without organization. It would clearly be a great ad- vantage to our students to have an organ devoted principally to Latin American history, both as a medium for articles which do not find a necessary inclusion in periodicals already in existence, and especially for bibliographical and other technical information which is now difficult or impossible of access. Furthermore, many of our students have felt that the general subject of Latin America and the relations of the United 52 A Californian in South America States with, and with regard to, Latin America is important enough to merit a Review, and they are confident that it is a field which is going to advance out of its present relatively modest status into a leading position in our historical activities. II. How the idea arose : The definite project for such a Review, to be open also for material with regard to Spain and Portugal, and those parts of the United States once owned by Spain (but only so far as afifected by Spanish contact), first took shape in my mind at the suggestion of the great Spanish historian Rafael Altamira, during the special meeting of the American Histori- cal Association at San Francisco, in the summer of 191 5. A year later, in July, 1916, Dr. William Spence Robertson and I were delegates to the American Congress of Bibliography and History at Buenos Aires, and we found that such a Review would fit in with the projects discussed at that Congress, and would receive the hearty co-operation of Latin American schol- ars. We thereupon sent a communication to the October num- ber of the American Historical Review, proposing that a Re- view be founded, and suggesting the following editorial policy: (Dr. Chapman here read the communication, with several additions, as follows:) 1. That the said Review should be devoted to the his- tory (political, economic, social, and diplomatic, as well as narrative) and institutions of Spain, Portugal, and the Latin American states. {Addition : Latin America should form the principal field. The field should also extend to those parts of the United States once owned by Spain). 2. That it follow the general style and arrangement of the American Historical Review, but with more space allotted to bibliography. 3. That articles in Spanish and Portuguese be printed as well as those in English. {Addition: Articles in French also). 4. That the articles published be mainly those of such a character that they cannot find ready acceptance in the regional periodicals which already exist. {Addition : This Review The Latin American Meeting at Cincinnati 53 would not compete with any existing reviews, but would really be a help to them). Upon my return to this country a month ago, this dinner was arranged for the discussion of the project. III. The financial situation : On the advice of Dr. Jarneson and Dr. Turner, I made no attempt, before this meeting, to see whether financial support could be obtained, but I am able to present some data to you bearing upon that subject. {Dr. Chapman here read the pertinent parts of a letter from the Waverly Press of Baltimore, as follows) : Under separate cover we are sending sample copy of the Amercian Political Science Review, which em- bodies the general specifications we would recommend for your proposed publication. Regarding cost of such publication, based upon data given in your letter : 500 copies, 128 pages and cover, if set in 11 point type (foreign matter not to exceed 10%) would cost approximately $225.00 per issue. 500 additional copies would cost iic each. For pages set in smaller type there would, of course, be some additional charge. The cost of mailing an issue of 500 at second class rates would be about $3.25 to $3.50. Printed wrappers, $2.00. Wrapping and addressing, $3.25. These are approximate figures, but very close to actual. The paper which we use and which is shown in the sample volume is one which we have made specially according to a formula which we have long been using and which has been approved by the Bureau of Stan- dards and Arthur D. Little Co. of Boston. It would be possible to reduce the cost slightly by the use of cheaper paper, but not materially, and we feel that this would be unwise as your journal will contain material 54 A Californian in South America which you would desire preserved, and the chemists have advised us that the paper which we are using insures permanency of record. In addition comes the matter of editorial expense and cost of articles which I do not feel competent to estimate, although I believe a fairly generous allowance should be made for both. Over against this, there would be an income from subscriptions to the Review and from advertising. At the out- set this sum would not be very great. At $3.00 a year there might not be enough subscribers among men in the field and libraries to produce more than $500 a year, although you will perhaps be willing to agree with me that this is a conservative estimate. This would leave a deficit of from $500 to $1000 a year. If the Review should prove a success, however, the annual deficit would in time become much less through an in- crease in the number of subscribers, possibly more advertising, and a sale of the earlier numbers; but a subsidy will probably be necessary for many years in order to make expenses meet. The chances for a subsidy are perhaps better for a maga- zine in this field than for almost any other that might be de- sired at present; at any rate, that is the opinion of several men with whom I have talked. Mr. George P. Brett, president of the Macmillan Company, is among those who believe that the problem of financing this particular periodical is not a diffi- cult one at all. If the idea is taken up at this meeting, he offers to furnish our organizing committee with a list of all the men in New York who might be interested in the project. He also makes a further offer, which I think you will recognize is one of very definite advantage — the use of the Macmillan Company im- print for the periodical. Nothing could more clearly indicate his approval of the idea. IV. Symposium of the letters: I think the most interesting thing I have to tell you is to let you know how men in the American historical profession view this plan. I sent out 72 letters, nearly all of which went to members of the American Historical Association, believed to be interested in Latin American history. If I missed any- The Latin American Meeting at Cincinnati 55 body, the slight was unintentional. All but 12 answered — a praiseworthy record, I think. Of the 60 who did answer, 8 were non-committal, 6 were opposed, and 46 announced them- selves in favor of the project. The question most prominent with supporters of the plan was the financial one, and this was also alluded to by several of the opponents. I think it may be taken as the opinion of the writers that an adequate financial backing should be found before the magazine is launched. Another point discussed was that of the name of the Review. Many objections were made to the term "Ibero- American," originally proposed. Other names suggested were "Hispanic-American Historical Review," "Latin American His- torical Review/' "Spanish American Historical Journal," and "Journal of Spanish American History." Three of the men who oppose the founding of the Review — the only ones to state the ground of their objection — believe that there are not enough men and sufficient equipment in this coun- try to provide first-class articles for such a Review. On the other hand, letter upon letter expressed the opinion that on that score there could be no doubt of the success of the Re- view. It might also be argued that the very existence of the Review would result in an advance in our capacity to do good work; without the Review, it is difficult to measure up to even our present more or less latent capabilities. One prominent reason for supporting it was because of the relationships that it would engender with Latin America. Some viewed this matter from the standpoint of national affairs, and others from that of professional relations with Latin American historians. Several writers urged that articles from Latin Americans in their own language be printed frequently. A great many alluded to the purely professional advan- tages to our own men engaged in the Latin American his- torical field. V. (Continuing, Dr. Chapman read letters from the fol- lowing gentlemen, to- wit, Messrs. Lichtenstein (Northwestern), Klein (Harvard), Rowe (Pennsylvania), Bingham (Yale), 'Martin (Leland Stanford, Jr.), Bolton (California), Priestley (California), Shepherd (Columbia); from Willard Straight, 56 A Californian in South America Archer Huntington, John Barrett, Secretary McAdoo, and President Wilson. Of the latter Dr. Chapman said) : Finally, I wish to read you a letter of which we cannot fail to take notice, coming from the source it does. If the Re- view is founded, I would like to see this letter printed on the first page. President Wilson's letter expresses his "very sincere ap- proval of the project," and adds, "It is a most interesting one and ought to lead to very important results both for scholarship and for the increase of cordial feeling throughout the Americas." VI. Machinery for action : In conclusion, I wish to propose a resolution and two motions, all of which I think best to discuss together, although they may be voted separately. The resolution follows : Resolved, by members and guests of the American His- torical Association gathered at the Group Dinner to discuss the project to found a Latin American Review; That the general project for such a Review seems to them a desirable one, provided adequate financial backing can be procured. If you will pass this resolution, I shall feel that my efforts for the founding of the Review have not been wasted, whatever you may decide upon with regard to my motions. I move : I. That a committee of seven be chosen at this meeting, to be called the Committee on Organization, with power to take all steps which may in their judgment seem best to found a Review coming within the general objects proposed in the project for a Latin American Historical Review, their power to include : (a) A right and a duty to seek an endowment to guaran- tee its permanence. (b) A right to select a name for the periodical. (c) A right to define the mitial editorial policy of the Review. (d) A right and a duty to provide for its initial organ- ization and management. The Latin American Meeting at Cincinnati 57 (e) A right to set the date when publication shall begin, provided that date be not later than January, 1918. (f) A right to dissolve without founding the Review. (g) A right and a duty to do anything else which may seem desirable or necessary. 2. That a committee of three be chosen, to be called the Nominating Committee, with a single function, to be exercised once only, viz., a power, upon notification from the Committee on Organization, to make nominations for the first Board of Editors, who shall be elected in such manner as may be pre- scribed by the Committee on Organization. According to my views, members of this second committee should be men of high standing in the profession who are not however Latin Americanists. I regard such a committee as necessary, so as to allow members of the Committee on Organ- ization to work with an entirely free hand, free from suspicion that they are working in their own interests, and yet free when the time comes to accept an election to the Board of Editors. Thereupon, the resolution proposed by Dr. Chapman was unanimously approved. Following, Dr. Chapman moved his first motion, proposing as the Committee on Organization the following: For East — James A. Robertson, Washington, chairman; William R. Shepherd, Columbia; Edward L. Stevenson, His- panic Society; Hiram Bingham, Yale; JuHus Klein, Harvard. For Middle West — Isaac J. Cox, Cincinnati, or Roland G. Usher, Washington University. For West — Herbert E. Bolton, California. Dr. Cox immediately withdrew his name, leaving the name of Roland G. Usher. On being duly seconded, the motion (including names) was amended to read "That a Committee of Nine," and that the names of Charles E. Chapman, California, and C. L. Chandler, of Chattanooga, Tenn., South American representa- tive for freight traffic of the Southern Railway Co., and other then the original motion as amended, were passed. Dr. Chap- railways, be added to the committee. The amendments, and 58 A Californian in South America man attempted, without success, to withdraw, as he and Dr. William Spence Robertson had agreed only to set the ball rolling, and suggested that he would be embarrassed in re- porting the result of the meeting to his colleague in the pro- posal. Mr. Chapman formally moved his second suggestion, nam- ing as a Nominating Committee Drs. J. F. Jameson, F. J. Turner, and Justin H. Smith. The motion was passed unani- mously. Re, the first motion, on motion by Roland G. Usher, with the requisite second, it was resolved that a quorum in the Com- mittee on Organization should consist of three members. Idem, by motion of Dr. Chapman, duly seconded. That upon the resignation or death of any member, the other mem- bers be empowered to elect his successor. On motion by C. L. Chandler, duly seconded, it was unani- mously resolved that Dr. Chapman be instructed to write to Dr. William Spence Robertson, the appreciation of those present of his scholarship and work. On motion by Dr. Bonham of Louisiana, duly seconded, it was unanimously resolved that a vote of thanks be extended to Drs. Chapman and Smith. On motion, the meeting was adjourned sine die. Among those speaking on matters connected with the pro- ject were Drs. Jameson, Burr, Bonham, C. L. Chandler, and others. The meeting was deeply enthusiastic and purposeful. Those present, so far as they could be ascertained, were : Messrs. E. C. Barker, Austin, Texas ; E. J. Benton, Western Reserve; M. L. Bonham, Louisiana; E. W. Brandon, Oxford, Ohio; G. L. Burr, Cornell; C. L. Chandler, Chattanooga; C. E. Chapman, California ; A. H. Clark, Cleveland ; I. J. Cox, Cincin- nati ; G: S. Godard, Hartford ; F. H. Hodder, Kansas ; J. A. Jiames, Northwestern ; J. F. Jameson ; J. L. Kingsbury, Kirksville, Mo. ; J. G. McDonald, Bloomington; T. M. Marshall, Idaho; T. P. Martin, Cambridge; V. H. Paltsits, New York PuDlic Library; C. O. Paullin, Carnegie Institution; W. W. Pierson Jr., North Carolina ; James A. Robertson, Washington, D. C. ; W. L. The Latin American Meeting at Cincinnati 59 Schurz, Michigan; F. J. Turner, Harvard; Roland G. Usher, Washington University, St. Louis; Miss Irene T. Myers, Lexington, Ky. ; and Mrs. M. H. Stone, Saginaw, Mich. James A. Robertson, Secretary. Cornell University Library F 1405 1916 .Z5C46 A Callfornjan in South America; a report 3 1924 020 428 557