Sight in Savages. 169 



newspaper twisted into the shape of an extinguisher, 

 and puts it on his head. He looked at the other, 

 then at me, then stared all round him, with an expres- 

 sion of utter astonishment, and in the end burst out 

 in loud exclamations of delight. For, strange to 

 say, the glasses exactly suited his vision, which, 

 unknown to him, had probably been decaying for 

 years. "Angels of heaven, what is this I see !" 

 he shouted. " What makes the trees look so green 

 they were never so green before ! And so dis- 

 tinct I can count their leaves ! And the cart over 

 there why, it is red as blood ! " And to satisfy 

 himself that it had not just been freshly painted he 

 ran over to it and placed his hand on the wood. It 

 proved hard to convince him that objects had once 

 looked as distinct, and leaves as green, and the sky 

 as blue, and red paint as red, to his natural sight, 

 as they now did through those magical glasses. 

 The distinctness and brightness seemed artificial 

 and uncanny. But in the end he was convinced, 

 and then he wanted to keep the spectacles, and 

 pulled out his money to pay for them there and 

 then, and was very much put out when their owner 

 insisted on having them back. However, shortly 

 afterwards a pair was got for him ; and with these 

 on his nose he galloped about the country, exhibit- 

 ing them to all his neighbours, and boasting of the 

 miraculous power they imparted to his eyes of 

 seeing the world as no one else could see it. 



My Patagonian host and friend, whose intimate 

 knowledge of cards I have mentioned in a former 



