SPECULATOR. 



293 



of the same family as religious or rather super- 

 stitious bigotry, which is carried to a greater ex- 

 tent in that part of the world than I have seen 

 anywhere else. I became well acquainted with 

 a priest at San Bias, a rational man on some 

 points, but who often entertained me with re- 

 lations of the numerous miracles which he himself 

 had actually witnessed, and, therefore, as he re- 

 peatedly told me, he, of course, most sincerely be- 

 lieved. He was a man of great influence amongst 

 the inhabitants of the town, who gave implicit 

 credit to every one of these stories ; and it was 

 really a melancholy sight to see the old man lead- 

 ing his whole congregation along with him in the 

 wildest absurdities, to most of which he bore per- 

 sonal testimony from the pulpit. He was a deep 

 speculator also in the mines, ajid being very cre- 

 dulous on every subject, was easily led astray, and 

 pillaged by profligate agents, who wrought upon 

 his mind by absurd prognostics of approaching 

 riches. He had long wearied out the patience of 

 all his friends, by his prosing, and I observed, that 

 he no sooner commenced the subject, by the 

 slightest allusion to a mine, than his audience im- 

 mediately moved off: he was, therefore, enchanted 



