54 CENTRAL AMERICA. 



the hopes of living well for the remainder of 

 the year. The man is always within sight 

 of the hut, in case assistance be wanted in 

 such a wild spot ; and he digs holes into the 

 ground near the stream, and after having 

 piled up a heap of earth close to the water, 

 washes it in the half gourds, when, after 

 repeated changes of water, and the spot 

 chosen having proved a good one, a little fine 

 gold dust is often visible in the gourd. It 

 requires a great deal of nicety to balance the 

 gourd backwards and forwards, up and down, 

 and round about, so as to get rid of the 

 earth ; and it is still more difficult at the last 

 washing, to manage to leave the gold alto- 

 gether, at the very end of the remaining 

 deposit, which is generally of a black or dark 

 grey colour. The grains of gold are often 

 large enough to be picked out after one or 

 two washings, and often of a size to be dis- 

 cerned whilst digging, and a man in good 

 luck may find enough gold in a week to keep 

 him comfortably the whole year ; but money 

 easily got generally soon goes ; and on the 

 return of the lucky pair to their town, it is 

 too often quickly spent in gambling and low 

 debauchery. 



The adventure altogether is a sort of 



