175 



rangue, that the poor man took us for sick 

 persons, who were come to stay near the spring. 

 His counsels and offers of hospitality were not 

 altogether disinterested. He entitled himself 

 u the inspector of the waters, and pulpero * of 

 the place." Accordingly all his obliging atten- 

 tions to us ceased, as soon as he heard, that we 

 were simply come to satisfy our curiosity ; or as 

 they express it in the colonies, which are the 

 land of idleness, para ver, no mas, " to see and 

 nothing more." 



The waters of Mariara are used with success 

 in rheumatic swellings, old ulcers, and those 

 horrible affections of the skin called bubas, the 

 origin of which is not always siphylitic. As 

 the waters are but very feebly impregnated with 

 sulphuretted hydrogen, it is necessary to bathe 

 at the spot whence they gush out. Farther on, 

 these small waters are employed for the irriga- 

 tion of fields of indigo. The wealthy proprietor 

 of Mariara, Don Domingo Tovar, had formed 

 the project of erecting a bathing-house, and an 

 establishment, which would furnish people in 

 easy circumstances with a few more resources 

 than lizard's flesh for food, and leather stretched 

 on a bench for their repose. 



On the 21st of February in the evening we 



■* Proprietor of a pulperia, or little shop, where eatable** 

 and drinkables are sold, 



