-9- 
In February I went north into MinaB, stopping bt various places, finelljr /jet- 
ting into the canipos where the high rolling hills are covered with all kinds"©? 
lovely grasses. I had a funny experience at one piece. Of course, people were 
always curious as to what I was doing. I explained as best I could but it was 
siroply incomprehensible. This time quite a crowd gathered, following me at a 
distance. When 1 sat down on the ground to j)ut my plants in press and write notes 
they squatted in a ring about me— I felt like an animal in the 7.00, I answered 
repeatedly that I was Dona Ignez, scientiste ^imericane. and so on but they only f.^? 
laughed. I started up hill and finally got away from them and was digging in ^ ^ 
peace when sane one reached over my shoulder and jerked my knife away."' It was 
a soldier and I was to c^e to the delgafe, whatever the t was. I told him where I 
was staying and that he was to take me there to let me get my passport. A second 
soldier came hurrying to Join him and between thera I returned to town. I hated 
to lose so much time ^ so I made thera walk fast/ As we climbed a steep road T walked 
at top speed just for meanness with those poor fel3.ows gasping for breeth* The 
delgado^ was the police station. The officer in nhaige said he had been told I had 
a big knife—the soldier had carried my digging knife. I showed him the edge 
dulled by digging. He grinned and gave it back to me and I went off again to the 
hills. AS I hurried beck that evening in the rain up the s^rae steep road I'd 
led the soldiers^ a boy ran out and offered me some bread. I thanked him but declined: 
he ran after repeating his offer. The next day I learned what it was ell about. 
Word had been brought to the delgado that there was a ^crazy woman in the hill 
eating grass and she had a big knife. 
