,000 inhabitants, in the north; Bahia Blanca, where there is the largest wheat elevator in the world, in the south, and Mendoza, at

drawn by eight, ten, or more bullocks, as the weight warrants, and are provided with two very strong wheels, without tires, and often standing eight and ten feet high. The patient animals, by me

ust sleep amongst the baggage in the cart, or on the broader bed of the ground, wh

low animal, and these never travel m

t. The words, "With patience we

countryman is

on: "Why don't you work?" One said: "The days a

it is begun when the moon is on the increas

stand your haste, and the bulloc

painful and disfiguring process. You must carry with you sufficient food for the journey, or it may happen that, like me, you ar

leasure give you a sheep. If you killed one without permission you

od where the animal has left its footprint. Lifting this out, he will cut a cross on it and

ustr

f superstitious faith that the testimony of his own eyes will not convince him of the absurdity of his belief. As he stoops over the fire you will notice on his breast some trinket or relic-anything will do if blessed by the priest-and that, he assures you, will save him from every unknown and unseen danger in his land voyage. The

beyond without first providing himself with an owl's skin. This tied on his breast, he tells you, will

s phenomenon turned out to be millions of white butterflies of large size. Some of these, when measured, I found to be four and five in

ting on them perhaps longer turns than the female, but the weather is so hot that little brooding is required. I have had them on the shelf of my cupboard for a week, when the little ones have forced their way out Forty days is the time of incubation, so, naturally, those must have been already sat on for thirty-three days. With open wings these giant birds often manage to cover from twenty-five to forty-five eggs, although, I think, they seldom bring out more

s your longing gaze on the far horizon. The village churches are always whitewashed,

the same aspect of indolent repose, and each was built in exact imitation of the other. Each town posse

ts in a most disgraceful condition, and at night beneath the heavy foliage of the trees Egyptian darkness reigns. Except in daylight, it is difficult to walk those wretched roads, where a goat often finds progress a difficulty. Rotten fruit, branches of trees, ashes, etc., all go on the streets. A hole is often bridged over by a putrefyi

o an open drain while passing down one of the principal streets. The night was intensely dark, and yet the

m Mars or some other planet. When I spoke to them in their language they were delighted, and respectfully hung on my words with bared heads. When, how

ozy substance for hours to mix it well. The poorer people build ranches of long, slender canes or Indian cornstalks tied together by

rated windows, giving them a prison-like appearance. The window-panes are sometimes made of mica. Over the front doors of some of the better houses are pictures of the Vir

erve you with máté, and quickly rolls a cigar, which she hands to you from her mouth, where she has already lighted it by a live ember of charcoal taken from the fire with a spoon. Matches can be bought, but they cost

den is surrounded by a hedge of cacti or other kindred plants. The prickly pear tree of that family is one of the strangest I have seen. On the leaves, which are an inch or more in thickness, grows the fruit, and I have counted as ma

twelve cents, and good beef at four cents a pound. Their favorite wine, Lag

so much for this girl, and was so anxious to keep her ever pure and innocent, that they had gone to live in the depths of a forest. The man was very, very poor, but willingly gave his heavenly visitors the best he could, killing in their honor the only hen he possessed, which served for supper. Noting this action, God asked St. Peter and St. John, when they were alone, what they would do if they were Him. They both answered Him that they would largely reward such an unselfish host. Bringing him to their presence, God addressed him in these words: 'Thou who art poor hast been generous, and I will reward thee for it. Thou hast a daughter who is pure and innocent, and whom thou greatly lovest. I will make her immortal, and she sha

Semper Idem," but adapts i

ugh a golden bombilla, to his servant, who is content with a small gourd, which everywhere grows wild, and a tin tube. Tea, a

pomegranate, or any colored picture or bright tin. Descending from the ridiculous to the gruesome, I have known a mother scrape and clean the bones of her dead daughter in order that they might be given a place on the altar. Round this venerated spot the goodwife, with her palm-leaf broom, sweeps with assiduous care, and afterwards carefully dusts her crucifix and other devotional objects with her brush of ostrich feathers. Here she kneels in prayer to the different saints. God Himself is never invoked. Saint Anthony interests himself in finding her lost ring, and Saint Roque is a wonderful physicia

is affairs? These latter are innumerable, and whatever may be their position in the minds of Romanists in other lands,

ages has passed very pleasantly. The people live in great simplicit

them. That is an act of worship, for the priest puts his hand on each lamb and blesses it. A velorio for the

east it should be

of the Catho

re Shrove Tuies

ke their fill

tance ere the

eir rank or low

easting, dancing,

s which may be

easons of the year the streets are quiet, and after the rural pursuits of the day are over, the guitar is brought out, and the evening breeze wafts waves of music to each listening ear. The guitar is in all South America what the bag-pipes are to Scotland-the national musical instrument of the people. The Criollo plays m

and it might almost be said of some that time itself seems at a standstill. During the heat of the day the streets are entirely deserted; s

y the familiar maple, but with huge dust-covered cactus plants, The bullocks all draw with their horns, and the indolent driver sits on the yoke, urging forward his sleepy animals with a poke of his cane, on the end of which he has fastened a sharp n

inned maid bearing a sumptuously upholstered chair on her head. The middle classes carry their own, and the very poor take with them a palm-leaf mat of their own manufacture. When mass is over religion is over for the day. After service they make their way down to the river or pond, carrying on their heads the soiled linen. Standing wai

al king, who bears in his hands the destinies of the living and the dead. These men are the potentates of the people, who refer everything

feed until his return, that they might change to butterflies. When this was rumored through the village, priest and governo

o the superstitious people. I have been stoned and spat upon, hurled to the ground, had half-wild dogs set on me, and my horse frightened that he might throw me. I have been refused police help, or been called to the office to give an account of myself, all because I was a Protestant, or infidel, as they prefer to term it. At those times great patience was needed, for at the least sign of

he barber would not cut my hair or the butcher sell me his meat! Many a mother has hurriedly called her children in and precipitately shut the door, that my shadow in passing might not enter and pollute her home. Perhaps a senorita, more venturesome, with her black hair hanging in two long plaits behind each shoulder, has run to her iron-barred window to smile at me,

moths, are ever

is way where sera

Ave Marias or Paternosters. Poor deluded creature! Her sin only consiste

to get a new license to commit sin. One woman, to whom we offered a tract, refused it, a

e he knew it was against the Church of Rome. The mass of the people have not the slightest notion of goodness, as we cou

divorces morals and religion. It is quite possible to break every command of the Decalogue and yet be a

d gods of the Indians as saints, and we find idolatrous superstition and Catholic display blended together. The most ignorant are invariably the

in. It preaches Mary, whom it proclaims from the lips of thousands of lecherous priests to be of perpetual virginity. And it is by its deliberate falsehood and deceit, as well as by its misrepresentation,

desecrate the altar. If I have touched the font of holy water, instead of it purifying me, I have defiled it for their use; and when I have looked at the images of th

lunge too well completes his task; but an old Paraguayan friend then with me sprang upon him and dashed the knife to the ground, thus leaving my heart's blood warm within me, and not on the pavement. I admired my antagonist for the strength of his convictions-true loyalty he displayed for his goddess, who, however, does not, I am sure, teach her devotees to assassin

und one morning a written pape

VIRGEN CON TO

nts!" That paper I took from the door

or harm, for the masses of the people are utterly unlettered. All Protestant literature stolen into the town is invariably gathered an

nse stone is so evenly poised that the wind or the slightest touch of the hand

ly that she does not persecute saints. She punishes heretics-a very different thing. In the Rhemish New Testament there is a note on the words, 'drunken with the blood of saints,' which runs as follows: 'Protestants foolishly expound this

Cordoba publicly stated that if he had his way he

from authorized documents, la

adherents that it is a sacre

ree that the murder of

murderers who, burning

t the excommunicate, m

ootnote: "Romanism

uestion is, "What name does it bring?" The baby may have chosen to come at a time when the calendar shows an undesirable name, still the parents grumble not, for a saint is a saint, and whatever names they bear must be good. The child is, th

e?" I should answer, "Very little," for in South America the most insolent thief will often boast in the appellation of Don Justice, and the lowest girl in the village may be Se?orita Celestial. Don Jesus may be found incarcerated for riotous conduct, and I have known Don Saviour throw his unfortunate wife and

eople-Rome's

ountry? Ans., Spain. Who is the greatest man?

e came from God, "a light to lighten the Gentiles," and He said, "I am the Li

no longer pursues the railway train at thundering pace to lasso it because the priest raved again

entine, wrote: "Spanish America reduced to Catholicism, with the exclusion of any other cult, represents a solitary and silent convent