lO TRAVELS THROUGH 



gold ; though, as Jofepk d^AcoJla fays, in his 

 iiniverfal hiftory of the Indies, " it is true that 

 *' then* avarice was not arrived to that pitch 

 *' where ours is ; and that, notwithftanding 

 *' their being idolaters, they never have worfhip- 

 " ped gold and filver fo much as feme bad 

 *' Chriflians have done, who have committed 

 *' the mod atrocious crimes for the fake of that 

 « metal." 



The fame author relates the following anec- 

 dote, which perfed:ly charadlerizes man's llupid 

 defire after riches. ^' A Spanifli monk, confi- 

 " dering the height of the famous volcano of 

 " Guatimala, took it into his head, that that 

 " which he faw inflamed muft needs be a mafs of 

 " gold, fince it had burnt for many ages toge- 

 *^ ther without being cohfumed. Mifled by this 

 ^•^ falfe principle, he invented fome kettles, 

 " chains, and other inftruments, with which 

 ^' he intended to draw the liquid gold from this 

 '* kind of well : but the fire difappointed him ; 

 *' for the chain and kettle were fcarce entered 

 *' into this infernal orifice, but they immediate- 

 *' ly melted down. However," fays our author, 

 " this man perfifled in inventing new methods 

 *' for fetching up the gold after which he thirfled 

 *' fo much •, but one day happening to come too 

 «' near the mouth of the volcano, the exhalations 



*' frpti^ 



