158 



of dogmas to neophytes, especially when they 

 have bat a very imperfect knowledge of the 

 Spanish language. On the other hand, the 

 monks are at present almost totally ignorant 

 of the idiom of the C hay in as ; and the resem- 

 blance of sounds confuses the minds of these 

 poor Indians so much, that it awakens in them 

 the most whimsical ideas. I shall cite only one 

 example. I beheld a missionary violently agi- 

 tated in proving, that Infierno, Hell, and invier- 

 no, winter, were not the same thing ; but that 

 they were as different as heat and cold. The 

 Chaymas are acquainted with no other winter, 

 than the season of rains ; and the Hell of the 

 whites appeared to them a place, where the 

 wicked are exposed to frequent showers. The 

 missionary harangued to no purpose: it was 

 impossible to efface the first impressions, pro- 

 duced by the analogy between the two conso- 

 nants : and he could not separate in the minds 

 of the neophytes the ideas of rain and Hell, in- 

 vierno, and Infierno. 



After having* passed almost the whole of the 

 day in the open air, we employed our evenings, 

 when returned to the convent, in making notes, 

 drying our plants, and sketching those that 

 appeared to form new genera. The monk? left 

 us to enjoy our full liberty, and we recollect with 

 much satisfaction an abode at once agreeable 

 and advantageous to our researches, Unfortu- 



