1832.] IGNORANCE OF THE PEOPLE. 39 



collection of the animals, birds, and reptiles, was procured. Before 

 making any observations respecting them, I will give an account of 

 a little excursion I made as far as the river Polanco, which is about 

 seventy miles distant, in a northerly direction. I may mention, as 

 a proof how cheap everything is in this country, that I paid 

 only two dollars a day, or eight shillings, for two men, together 

 with a troop of about a dozen riding-horses. My companions were 

 well armed with pistols and sabres; a precaution which I thought 

 rather unnecessary ; but the first piece of news we heard was, that, 

 the day before, a traveller from Mo ate Video had been found dead 

 on the road, with his throat cut. This happened close to a cross, 

 the record of a former murder. 



On the first night we slept at a retired little country-house; and 

 there I soon found out that I possessed two or three articles* 

 especially a pocket compass, which created unbounded astonish- 

 ment. In every house I was asked to show the compass, and by 

 its aid, together with a map, to point out the direction of various 

 places. It excited the liveliest admiration that I, a perfect stranger, 

 should know the road (for direction and road are synonymous in this 

 open country) to places where I had never been. At one house a 

 young woman, who was ill in bed, sent to entreat me to come and show 

 her the compass. If their surprise was great, mine was greater, to 

 find such ignorance among people who possessed their thousands of 

 cattle, and "estancias" of great extent. It can only be accounted 

 for by the circumstance that this retired part of the country is 

 seldom visited by foreigners. I was asked whether the earth or 

 sun moved; whether it was hotter or colder to the north; where 

 Spain was, and many other such questions. The greater number 

 of the inhabitants had an indistinct idea that England, London, 

 and North America, were different names for the same place ; but 

 the better informed well knew that London and North America 

 were separate countries close together, and that England was a 

 large town in London ! I carried with me some promethean matches, 

 which I ignited by biting ; it was thought so wonderful that a man 

 should strike fire with his teeth, that it was usual to collect the 

 whole family to see it : I was once offered a dollar for a single one. 

 Washing my face in the morning caused much speculation at the 

 village of Las Minas ; a superior tradesman closely cross-questioned 

 me about so singular a practice ; and likewise why on board we 

 wore our beards ; for he had heard from my guide that we did so. 



