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The Indian corn is ground by a horizontal water-wheel, which 

 acquires great velocity from the rush of water upon it. On the 

 upper end is fixed the mill-stone, which makes from fifty to sixty 

 revolutions in a minute. They have likewise a mode of pounding 

 the corn into flour, by a machine called a sloth. Near a current of 

 ivater a large wooden mortar is placed, the pestle of which is mor- 

 tised into the end of a lever twenty-five or thirty feet long, resting 

 upon a fulcrum at five-eights of its length. The extremity of the 

 shorter arm of this beam is scooped out, so as to receive a sufficient 

 weight of water to raise the other end, to which appends the pestle, 

 and to discharge itself when it has sunk to a given point. The 

 alternate emptying and fiUing of this cavity cause the elevation and 

 fall of the pestle, which take place about four times per minute. 

 This contrivance surpasses all others in simplicity, and in a place 

 where the waste of water is of no consequence it completely answers 

 its purpose. 



Having finished my affairs at Canta Gallo, I set out on my return 

 to the capital, accompanied for about a league of the road by the 

 worthy governor, the captain, the treasurer, and almost all the in- 

 habitants. During a residence of about fifteen days among these 

 excellent men, my table had been sumptuously supplied without 

 cost, and I had been treated with a degree of respect far exceeding 

 my expectations or merits. I took leave of them with regret, wishing 

 most sincerely that it might be in my power to be of service to them 

 at court, by making representations in their favour. 



I arrived at Moro Quemado at night, after a journey of thirty- 

 four miles*, and on the next day, in good time, reached the house 



* In one part of the road we passed a nest of insects (called mirabunde) which ate ex- 

 tremely troublesome to cattle, and cause the mules to be very violent and unruly. They 

 attack with great pertinacity, and pursue to a considerable distance ; we took a devious route 

 to get rid of them, but I was followed by some which stung me as painfully as an irritated 

 wasp could have done. There is a singular variety of them having a horny pointed pro- 

 boscis, with which they pierce most keenly and give intolerable pain. 



