Devotion to the Priests 215 
already spent so much, could not be finished without lime. 
Then and there they determined themselves to carry the 
limestone from the quarries, near Ocotal, ten miles distant. 
Next morning, before daylight, the whole village set out, 
and at night a long line of men, women, and children came 
staggering back into Totagalpa, every one with a block of 
limestone; and so zealous were they to bring as large stones 
as they could carry, that some of them had great sores worn 
between their shoulders where they carried their loads, slung, 
Indian fashion, from their foreheads. Here survives the 
same old Indian spirit, only turned in another direction, 
that impelled their forefathers, with great labour and 
patience, to bring from a distance and pile up great cairns 
of stones over the graves of their chieftains. 
This care of their church is quite spontaneous on their 
part, as they have no padre; indeed, from my experience 
of the priests in other towns, I think it likely that if they 
had one, he would intercept most of the offerings expended 
on the church and images. There are exceptions, but 
generally the padres of Central America are rapacious and 
immoral. They are much now as they were in Thomas 
Gage’s time, more than two hundred years ago, and the 
poor Indians are just as humble and respectful to them. 
In his quaint book, A New Survey of the West Indies, he says: 
‘* Above all, to their priest they are very respectful; and 
when they come to speak to him put on their best clothes 
and study their words and compliments to please him. They 
yielded to the popish religion, especially to the worshipping 
of saints’ images, because they look upon them as much like 
their forefathers’ idols. Out of the smallest of their means 
they will be sure to buy some of these saints, and bring them 
to the church that they may stand and be worshipped by 
them and others. The churches are full of them, and they 
are placed upon stands, gilded and painted, to be carried 
in procession on their proper day. And hence comes no 
small profit to the priests; for on such saints’ days the 
owner of the saint makes a great feast in the town, and 
presents the priest sometimes two or three, sometimes four 
or five crowns for his mass and sermon, besides a turkey and 
three or four fowls, with as much cacao as will make him 
chocolate for all the octave or eight days following. The 
