Ill IGNORANCE OF THE PEOPLE 43 



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 viH^ge 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. He 

 eyed me with much suspicion ; perhaps he had heard of 

 ablutions in the Mahomedan religion, and knowing me to be a 

 heretic, probably he came to the conclusion that all heretics 

 were Turks. It is the general custom in this country to ask for 

 a night's lodging at the first convenient house. The astonish- 

 ment 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, knowing venomous 

 from harmless snakes, collecting insects, etc., I repaid them for 

 their hospitality. I am writing 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 Minas. The 

 country was rather more hilly, but otherwise continued the 



