THE TOWN OF CART AGO AND ITS LIFE 43 



boulevard, etc. The diameter of the enclosure was not 

 much over thirty feet; its contents formed a curious 

 mixture. 



This shrine marks the place where a healing spring mi- 

 raculously appeared in the early eighteenth century, bub- 

 bling through a hole in a round flat rock on which was found 

 a small image of the Virgin. The image was often famil- 

 iarly and affectionately known as "La Negrita" because it 

 appeared in a part of the old settlement occupied by the 

 poorer people and such few negro slaves as there were. Both 

 image and spring have always been endowed with miracu- 

 lous healing powers and the fame of Nuestra Sefiora de los 

 Angeles spread In time to Guatemala and even to Mexico 

 and Peru. Many pilgrims traveled long distances to ar- 

 rive in Cartago on August second, when La Negrita made a 

 formal procession from some strange church (to which she 

 was translated at midnight of August first) back to her own 

 church. The pilgrims joined in the procession escorting 

 the image and many strange vows were performed which 

 had been promised if a cure was eflfected. Some of these 

 were highly ridiculous such as painting the face strange 

 colors, neglecting to shave, dressing like women or carrying 

 heavy stones on the head. The more usual vow took the 

 form of offering a gold or silver (preferably gold) replica of 

 the afflicted organ. There was a wonderful collection of 

 silver arms, legs, heads, hands, feet, ears, eyes, livers, and 

 almost every part of the human anatomy, in glass cases 

 (well fenced in) and some years ago there were also many 

 gold ones but a German bishop gathered up the best of 

 them and took them to the Berlin Museum. This proces- 

 sion was held annually until a few years ago, when a more 

 intelligent Cura opposed the custom and it was finally abol- 

 ished. The spring still bubbles through the circular stone, 

 and in former years there were many precious bits of stone 



