THE URUGUAYAN. 125 



URUGUAY. 



THE URUGUAYAN. 



the first night out from Maldonado we slept at a re- 

 tired little country-house, and there I soon found out that I 

 owned two or three articles, especially a pocket compass, 

 which created unbounded astonishment. 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 ex- 

 cited the liveliest admiration that I, a perfect stranger, should 

 know the road (for direction and road mean the same thing 

 in this open country) to places where I had never been. At 

 one house a young woman, who was ill in bed, sent to beg 

 me to come and show her the compass. If their surprise 

 was great, mine was greater to find such ignorance among 

 people owning thousands of cattle, and estancias of great 

 extent. It can only be explained by the circumstance that 

 this retired part of the country is seldom visited by foreign- 

 ers. 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 in- 

 habitants 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 Amer- 

 ica were separate countries, close together, and that England 

 was a large town in London ! I carried with me some pro- 

 methean matches, which I lighted 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 



