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Scientific Reviews. 189 
to medical science. There are cases, as, for example, to save our, 
life with the Arab, or to assist the suffering native, that it is phi- 
lanthropic to become a doctor ; but there are also cases in which 
such a character may become extremely ridiculous. ‘Though your 
patient has bad assistance, yet you may give her worse, and the 
traveller had always better hold a course by which, whatever may 
be the result, his conscience remains clear. 
- The other case is that in which we hear a man talking of mines 
which had been so much worked that there is still suficient metal 
left to make a copper saucepan or two! or, as at another place, 
* Our host was an odd old fellow, and particularly curious about 
the object of our journey, which he concluded could be none other 
than a search after mines. He told us that he never knew of any 
‘mineral’ in the neighbourhood, but he was certain there must be 
some, as a gentleman only a few days before, and who dined at his 
house, was most particular in his inquiries about one! We resolved 
hot to undeceive him, but requested, if he should come to the know- 
ledge of any that he would send us word, to No. 18. Calle de Val- 
vaniero, in Mexico ; a street which had only seventeen houses in 
it.” After reading this attentively, which we have printed in its 
original types, we remain in the same doubt as to where the wit 
lays, but not so as to where the nonsense. 
Leaving travellers who wish to be thought doctors and mineralo- 
gists, and while we contemn the folly of constantly endeavouring to 
be witty upon very insignificant subjects, a style which takes much 
from the value of our author’s descriptions, we may mention that 
in several parts.of the work there are some excellent portraits ; 
and as we are in the land of gold and pearls, we shall extract a sketch 
of a miser : | | 
« * At four Pp. M., we came to the Hacienda of Don Pedro Negrete, a native of 
Biscay, to whom I brought a letter of introduction from one of the Deputies of 
Guadalaxara. He was so polite as to receive me with as much coolness as if I 
had-come to ask payment of an old bill! We found him sitting at the door of his 
one-room-house, superintending the repairs of an old box, which, judging from 
its venerable appearance, might have served Noah for a sea-chest. He is of mid- 
dling stature, with a red visage; wears spectacles, stuck on, as in olden time, at 
the extremity of his pointed nose. He had on no jacket, and the sleeves of his 
shirt were turned up to the elbow; nor did he disdain to confine his half-grey 
locks of hair in an old pocket-handkerchief. His age might be about forty-five, 
and from the nervous irritability which his small grey eyes expressed, combined 
with his odd figure and odd occupation, he showed that the love of gain was the 
most predominating passion in his breast. 
* He seemed not to wnderstand the import of a letter of introduction, the study 
of which engrossed him so completely, that for a long time he did not even offer 
us a seat.on a block of timber which was placed by the side of his house, to serve 
the purpose either of a bench or a bed. It evidently annoyed him very consider- 
ably, and he presently left us to our reflections, and began bellowing like a mad 
bull, to his labourers, by way of taking off the rough edge of his passion. He 
was tranquillized, however, when we assured him that every thing should be paid 
for. To obtain this assurance, probably, he had acted the madman, and now 
that the paroxysm was over, he suddenly became very attentive. He gave us a 
pad dinner’; and afterwards showed us his sugar mills and boilers, which he said 
yielded a good profit. After supper he ordered my bed to be made up in the ins 
