52 



CHARLES DARWIN 



North America were separate countries close together, and 



that England was a large town in London ! I carried with 

 me some promethean matches, which I ignited by biting ; it 

 was thought so wonderful that a man should strike fire with 

 his teeth, that it was usual to collect the whole family to see 

 it: I was once offered a dollar for a single one. Washing 

 my face in the morning caused much speculation at the vil- 

 lage of Las Minas; a superior tradesman closely cross-ques- 

 tioned me about so singular a practice ; and likewise why on 

 board we wore our beards ; for he had heard from my guide 

 that we did so. He eyed me with much suspicion ; perhaps 

 he had heard of ablutions in the Mahomedan religion, and 

 knowing me to be a heretick, probably he came to the con- 

 clusion that all hereticks were Turks. It is the general cus- 

 tom in this country to ask for a night's lodging at the first 

 convenient house. The astonishment at the compass, and 

 my other feats of jugglery, was to a certain degree advan- 

 tageous, as with that, and the long stories my guides told 

 of my breaking stones, knowing venomous from harmless 

 snakes, collecting insects, etc., I repaid them for their hospi- 

 tality. I am writing as if I had been among the inhabitants 

 of central Africa : Banda Oriental would not be flattered by 

 the comparison ; but such were my feelings at the time. 



The next day we rode to the village of Las Minas. The 

 country was rather more hilly, but otherwise continued the 

 same; an inhabitant of the Pampas no doubt would have 

 considered it as truly Alpine. The country is so thinly in- 

 habited, that during the whole day we scarcely met a single 

 person. Las Minas is much smaller even than Maldonado. 

 It is seated on a little plain, and is surrounded by low rocky 

 mountains. It is of the usual symmetrical form; and with 

 its whitewashed church standing in the centre, had rather 

 a pretty appearance. The outsorting houses rose out of the 

 plain like isolated beings, without the accompaniment of 

 gardens or courtyards. This is generally the case in the 

 country, and all the houses have, in consequence, an uncom- 

 fortable aspect. At night we stopped at a pulperia, or drink- 

 ing-shop. During the evening a great number of Gauchos 

 came in to drink spirits and smoke cigars : their appearance 

 is very striking; they are generally, tall and handsome, but 



