6 I GENIUS IX 0BBC1 i:n V. 



rocks. The tide was risiiig rapidly, and narrowed the 

 road at every step. They at Length arrived at the foot 

 of the old castle of Araya, where they enjoyed a pr 

 pect that had in it something melancholy and romantic 

 The ruii d on a hare and arid mountain, which was 



crowned with agave, cactus, and thorny mimosas, and 

 bore less resemblance to the works of man, than to 

 in. if rock which were ruptured at the early revolu- 



tions of the globe. 



Among the mulattoes, whose lints surrounded the salt 

 lake, they found a shoemaker of Castilian descent. He 

 received them with an air of gravity and self-sufficiency. 

 II>' was employed in stretching the string of his bow, 

 and sharpening Ins arrows to shoot birds. His trade of 



shoemaker was not very lucrative in a country where 

 the greater pari of the inhabitants went barefooted; 

 ami h-' complained that, on account of the dearness of 

 E Lropean gunpowder, a man of his quality was reduced 



employ the same weapons as the Indians. lie was 

 the sage of the plain: he understood the formation of 

 the salt by the influence of the sun and full moon, the 

 symptoms of earthquakes, the marks by which mines of 



Id and silver were discovered, and the medicinal 



plants, which he classified into hot and c<>hK llavin<* 



I the traditions of the country, lie irave them 



trious accounts of the pearls of Cubagua, objects 



<>f luxury, which he treated with the utmost contempt 



To show the travellers how familiar to him were the 



cred writings he took a pride in reminding them that 

 .1-!. preferred wisdom to all the pearls of the Indies. 

 His philosophy was circumscrihed to the narrow circle 

 of the want.- of Life, The possession of a very strong 



