416 



INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL. 



enters into the service of a new master. There is but 

 little chance of his ever paying off the smallest debt. 

 He will never work merely to clear off the encum- 

 brance, considers all he can get on his body clear gain, 

 and virtually, from the time he receives his first dollar, 

 goes through life in bondage, varied only by an occa- 

 sional change of masters. In general they are mild, 

 amiable, and very docile ; bear no malice ; and when 

 one of them is whipped and smarting under stripes, with 

 tears in his eyes he makes a bow to the major-domo, 

 and says "buenos tarde, senor;" "good evening, sir." 

 But they require to be dealt with sternly, and kept at a 

 distance ; are uncertain, and completely the creatures 

 of impulse ; and one bad Indian or a bad Mestitzo may 

 ruin a whole hacienda. They inherit all the indolence 

 of their ancestors, are wedded to old usages, and un- 

 willing to be taught anything new. Don Simon has 

 attempted to introduce improvements in agriculture, but 

 in vain ; they cannot work except in their own old way. 

 Don Simon brought out the common churn from the 

 United States, and attempted to introduce the making 

 of butter and cheese ; but the Indians could not be 

 taught the use of them, the churns were thrown aside, 

 and hundreds of cows wander in the woods unmilked. 

 The master is not obliged to maintain the Indian when 

 sick ; though, as he derives a profit from his labour, it is 

 his interest to do so ; and, on broad grounds, as it is an 

 object always to increase his labr adores, it is his inter- 

 est to treat them in such a manner as to acquire among 

 the Indians a reputation as a good master. 



In the course of the morning I visited many of the 

 huts of the Indians. They were built in an oblong 

 form, of round poles set upright in the ground and 

 thatched, and some appeared clean and comfortable. 



