76 



REAL DEL MONTE. 



The ascent of the great shaft of the Terreros, from the 

 depth of nearly a thousand feet below the surface, by 

 means of a series of perpendicular ladders, thirty-two in 

 number, was one of the most fatiguing exploits which I 

 ever undertook. We were, nevertheless, highly grati- 

 fied by our adventure. It may yet be mentioned that 

 the ore is transported to Regla, where it goes through 

 the necessary processes for being converted into bullion, 

 after which it is carried to the city of Mexico, and coined 

 into dollars at the government mint. In this form it is 

 exported. 



The lust for gold which possessed the souls of the con- 

 querors, condemned the aborigines of these central por- 

 tions of America, to a system of oppression and tyranny 

 in times past, which is almost inconceivable. As there 

 was no personal danger to which the quest after the 

 precious metals might expose the Spaniard that he would 

 not dare ; so there was no depth of cruelty to which he 

 would not descend to further his debasing passion. Of 

 this the traditions of the Indians preserve many striking 

 illustrations. 



I give you one anecdote — whether told before or not, 

 I do not know — which was related to me, with others of 

 the kind, in the mining district where such tales abound. 



In an Indian village, farther to the north, say the In- 

 dians, there lived in the old Spanish times a padre : a 

 man of simple and retired habits, who laboured to con- 

 vert and maintain the inhabitants in the Catholic faith. 



He was beloved by the simple tribe among whom he 

 was domesticated, and they did not fail to prove their 

 good will by frequent presents of such trifles as they 

 found were agreeable to him. They say that he was a 

 great writer ; and occasionally received from the Indians 

 of his parish a small quantity of finely coloured dust, 

 which he made use of to dry his sermons and letters. 

 Knowing how much the padre loved writing, they sel- 

 8om returned from the mountains without bringing him 

 some. It happened that once upon a time, he had occa- 

 sion to write to a friend of his, living in the capital, who 



