Peons going down the Cordilleras. Chile. South America. 1856.

Print of steel engraving titled „Peons descendant les Cordilleres“.

Drawn by Vernier.

Engraved by Montaut.

From „l‘Univers. Histoire et Description de tous les peuples. Amerique Meridionale, iles diverses de l‘Ocean et regions circompolaires. Chili, Paraguay, Uruguay, Buenos-Ayres, Patoganie, Terre-du-Feu et Archipel des Malouines, iles diverses“ by M. Cesar Famin, M. Frederic Lacroix. Published by Firmin Didot Freres, Editeurs. Paris. 1856.

A peon is a person subject to peonage a type of involuntary servitude of laborers (peons) having little control over their employment conditions. Peonage existed historically during the colonial period, especially in Latin America and areas of Spanish rule.

A cordillera is an extensive chain of mountains or mountain ranges. The term is a borrowing from Spanish, in which it has the same meaning. The Spanish word originates from cordilla, a diminutive of cuerda, or "rope". It is most commonly used in the field of physical geography. The term is particularly applied to the various ranges of the Andes of South America, and less frequently to other mountain ranges in the "ridge" which rims the Pacific Ocean. In Colombia and Venezuela the cordilleras are named according to their position: Cordillera Occidental, Central, and Oriental. Various local names identify the cordilleras in Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina.

Approx. image size 13, 9 x 9, 1/22, 3 x 13, 9 cm. Condition: good.