LAS MINAS. 53 



perhaps lie had heard, of ablutions in the Moham- 

 medan religion, and knowing me to be a heretic, 

 probably he came to the conclusion that all here- 

 tics were Turks. It is the general custom in this 

 country to ask for a night's lodging at the first con- 

 venient house. The astonishment at the compass, 

 and my other feats in jugglery, was to a certain 

 degree advantageous, as with that, and the long 

 stories my guides told of my breaking stones, know- 

 ing venomous from harmless snakes, collecting in- 

 sects, &c., I repaid them for their hospitality. I 

 am wi'iting as if I had been among the inhabitants 

 of central Africa : Banda Oriental would not be 

 flattered by the comparison ; but such were my 

 feelings at the time. 



The next day we rode to the village of Las Mi- 

 nas. The country was rather more hilly, but oth- 

 erwise continued the same ; an inhabitant of the 

 Pampas no doubt would have considered it as truly 

 Alpine. The country is so thinly inhabited, that 

 during the whole day we scarcely met a single 

 person. Las Minas is much smaller even than 

 Maldonado. It is seated on a little plain, and is 

 surrounded by low rocky mountains. It is of the 

 usual symmetrical form ; and with its whitewashed 

 church standing in the centre, had rather a pretty 

 appearance. The outskiiting houses rose out of 

 the plain like isolated beings, without the accom- 

 paniment of gardens or courtyards. This is gen- 

 erally the case in the country, and all the houses 

 have, in consequence, an uncomfortable aspect. At 

 night we stopped at a pulperia, or drinking-shop. 

 During the evening a great number of Gauchos 

 came in to drink spirits and sinoke cigars : their 

 appearance is very striking ; they are generally 

 tall and handsome, but with a proud and dissolute 

 expression of countenance. They frequently wear 

 E2 



