THE COPPER MINES. 
289 
which, unfortunately, would not fit our axle. Hoping 
to repair our damage at Pronteras, now twenty miles 
distant, we put the corn into the other wagons, and 
trussed the broken one up in a way that would enable 
us to get there with it. 
June 7 th. No event of interest occurred to-day : 
the broken wagon was brought along very well, and 
we reached Pronteras early in the afternoon. 
June I applied to a blacksmith the first thing 
this morning to repair our broken wheel ; but as it 
was some Saint’s day, nothing could induce him to 
work, and he even expressed some doubts about under- 
taking it on the morrow. In the afternoon the fellow 
came to my tent, and had the impudence to ask for a 
couple of dollars to spend at a fandango in the even- 
ing, in which case I should have his services on the 
wheel the next day — of course by paying for them. 
I was so completely in the fellow’s power, for the order 
of the commandante had no effect upon him, that I 
gave him the two dollars, and took the risk of getting- 
the work done. 
The day was one of great jollity among the whole 
population ; and as they had been for a day or two 
engaged in distilling mezcal, or aguardiente, from the 
agave, they succeeded in getting gloriously drunk. 
But there is a wonderful difference between a Mex- 
ican and an Irishman in this, predicament. The latter 
when intoxicated, however mild his natural disposi- 
tion, becomes frantic and is ready for a fight or any 
kind of violence. The Mexican, on the contrary, 
though boisterous, is seldom vicious or troublesome. 
His desire is then for fun and frolic ; and nothing can 
VOL. I. — 19 
