Note 6 — Chapter X · THE ATHENS OF SOUTH AMERICA
Reading edition
“Why do you plant these eucalyptus trees around your houses?” I asked of a peon one day. “Para evitar la fiebre, Sumerced,” to prevent fever, your honor. The “Sumerced,” in this reply, is only one of many indications of deference on the part of the common people in their intercourse with strangers, or with those whom they regard as their superiors. It is an echo of the courtly language employed in the days of the viceroyalty. ↑