Ch. V.] NEGROES AND IXDIAXS. 63 



mines, they begin to wear better clothing, and may often 

 be seen with a new shirt, to show off which they wear it 

 hanging down outside, like a surtout coat. Amongst these 

 are many pure Indians, short sturdy men, who make the 

 steadiest workmen, patient and industrious, but with little 

 appreciation of the value of money, and spending the 

 whole of their wages at the end of the month, before 

 they resume work. At these times the commandant 

 comes in from the town of Libertad, about nine miles 

 distant, with about half-a-dozen, bare-footed soldiers 

 carrying old muskets on their shoulders, and levies 

 black mail upon the poor patient "Mosas," as they are 

 called, in the shape of a fine for drunkenness. But 

 the "aguardiente," a native-made rum, is nevertheless 

 always kept on hand, being a government monopoly, and 

 ever ready, so that the Mosas may have no excuse to be 

 sober and escape being fined. 



Even in their drink the poor Indians are not very 

 violent, and get intoxicated with surprising stolidity 

 and quietness. Amongst the half-breeds, especially 

 where the Negro element exists, there are often quarrel- 

 lings and rows, when they slash away at each other with 

 their long knives or " machetes,'' and get ugly cuts, 

 which however heal again quickty. 



Both the Negroes and Indians are decidedly inferior 

 to the whites in intellect ; but they do not differ so much 

 from the Europeans as they do from each other. The 

 Negro will work hard for a short while on rare occasions, 

 or when compelled by another, but is innately lazy. The 

 Indian is industrious by nature, and works steadily and 

 well for himself; but if compelled to work for another, 

 loses all heart, and pines away and dies. The Negro is 



