1832.] IGNORANCE OF THE PEOPLE. 41 
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 trocp of about a dozen riding- 
horses. My companions were well armed with pistols and 
gabres; a precaution which I thought rather unnecessary; but 
the first piece of news we heard was, that, the day before, a tra- 
veller from Monte 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 ; 
nd 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 syno- 
nymous 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 cansed much speculation at the village 
