298 



Monthly Review of Literature, 



[SEPT. 



ing among them to make the country 

 ring with the sounds of labour, and the 

 purses of the natives rattle with the pre- 

 cious metal, which they were themselves 

 unable any longer to wrench from their 

 own mountains. Every where, however, 

 Capt. Andrews was obliged to have his eyes 

 about him ; for every where the confound- 

 ed Buenos Ayres speculators were before- 

 hand with him, and buying 1 up the mines, 

 to secure for themselves a monopoly price 

 from the greedy and spendthrift compa- 

 nies of England. But he was too canny 

 for them ; he was tiware of these forestal- 

 Jers and intriguers too old a bird to be 

 caught with straws. He knew they must 

 eventually disgorge, and he held off ac- 

 cordingly. He succeeds in making 1 ca- 

 pital bargains ; but all his gast-drawn 

 schemes have exploded, and left not a 

 wreck behind. We really cannot forbear 

 pitying the disappointment of the hopes he 

 entertained of one day himself blowing up 

 the rock of Potosi. Only listen : 



At Potosi (says lie) there is plenty of virgin 

 ground untouched, perhaps full three-fourths. A 

 million sterling might be embarked, though one- 

 third would answer every end required. I had 

 projected, while examining the mountain, the re- 

 duction of the peak of it downwards. The que- 

 bradas around it are deep, and seem adapted to 

 receive the rubbish by their capacity. The crater 

 at the top is open, ready to receive 2 or 3,000 bar- 

 rels of gunpowder, which would send the peak 

 into the air, and possibly open the hill to the gal- 

 leries of the uppermost mines. I have often thought 

 what a sight it would be from the city heights to 

 witness such an explosion ! 



Go where he will, Captain Andrews' 

 indignation is raised against fat and luxu- 

 rious monks ; and he rails against them, 

 not only as the encouragers of superstition, 

 which may be safely allowed, but as the 

 promoters of all sorts of immoralities for 

 the indulgence of their own profligate 

 passions which looks very like the sug- 

 gestion of indiscriminating prejudice. 

 Even the lascivious dances, in which 

 .all classes seem inclined to indulge, 

 he imputes to the monks, from the 

 same lustful motives. The nunneries, 

 too, in his account, are mere brothels. 

 Surely here is a little extravagance ! 

 But every where, at the same time, 

 he has the satisfaction of believing the 

 reign of superstition and of the monks 

 is shaken : the men, at least, universally 

 deride the mummeries and pageantries of 

 the Catholic worship ; and the women 

 beautiful, graceful, accomplished, as he 

 almost every where finds them will 

 surely grow wiser in time. 



The English, it seems, are every where 

 in the provinces in good odour. The alarm 

 about them, as heretics, is fast wearing 

 away. The ladies eye them, and find Ihey 

 really have no tails and may he as much 



men as the Spaniards themselves ; and 

 English customs are rapidly spreading 

 among them, in spite of the monks and 

 the donnas. 



Oh, my dear girls (said a mother to her daughter) 

 we are all ruined undone. 



Daughters. How, dear mamma, what is the 

 matter? 



Donna, Oh, my dear children, matter enough ; 

 Pad re M. says the heretics are coming to take pos- 

 session of our mines first, and afterwards of the 

 whole country. Oh, my dears, what will become 

 of us all. 



Eldest. Daughter. Oh, mamma, is that all ? I 

 feared there was something worse ; if they do 

 come, be comforted, mamma, they will not hurt us. 



Donna. I do not know that (wiping a tear 

 from her parental eye) I do not know that 

 (almost overcome with her anxiety.) 



Youngest Daughter. Oh, don't be alarmed, 

 my dear mamma, we must not believe half that 

 stupid old Padre says about the English. I re- 

 member you told us when we were little girls, and 

 on the authority of the same holy Padre, too, that 

 the English had tails like devils, or monkeys at 

 least. 



Eldest Daughter. I remember it too, mamma. 

 And now, my dear mamma, we have often seen 

 Englishmen, have you ever observed tails to them? 



Donna. It is true, my dear, that I never did, 

 and that I must have been imposed upon by such 

 a story. They look much as other men. Still, my 

 dears, I am convinced there is much danger from 

 them. 



Daughters. Why so, mamma? If the first 

 story is nonsense, the second is likely to be so 

 too. 



Donna. No, no, my dears. Do you think the 

 Padre would have come, and even gone upon his 

 knees to me, to solicit my influence against them 

 if there is no danger? Neither he, nor the father 

 Jesuit, would have done so before the business in 

 the Sala came on, if there had not been some rea- 

 son for it. 



Eldest Daughter. Oh, mamma, but do listen 

 to me. Do you see any thing so very dangerous 

 iu the persons or manners of these English ? 



Donna. None at all, my dear ; I like them 

 very much, they are very agreeable ; what a pity 

 they can never go to heaven I 



Youngest Daughter. So much their greater 

 misfortune, mamma ; but consider what with the 

 war and emigration to Buenos Ayres, there are ten 

 ladies to one gentleman left here ; and if the five 

 hundred English they talk of should come, we 

 shall perhaps some of us get husbands, and an 

 Englishman will be better than none, you know. 



Eldest Daughter. And only think, mamma, of 

 the merit and pleasure of converting a young here- 

 tic to the true faith. 



Donna. There is something in that, my dear, T 

 allow. Well, you will have it your own way, chil- 

 dren, I perceive. It is useless for me to argue the 

 matter with you any further. 



The interlocutors of this lively little 

 dialogue are Tucumane>e, and, pleased 

 as Captain Andrews is with the South 

 Americans every where, it is Tucuma- 

 nese and Tucumanese ladies he is most 



