DE  MENONVILLE's  TRAVELS  TO GUAXACA                              t$l
While threading a narrow path cut out of the rock, I had a fingular rencounter : it
was of an Indian who was driving two hogs to Guaxaca. They were of monftrous fize;
and I was obliged to ftand afide, in order to allow them to pafs ; while, in confequence,
I was attentively looking at them, I obferved, and not without a hearty laugh at the
whim, that they had pumps, or rather boots on. What, faid I to myfelf, a hog in pumps,
while the poor Indian that drives them is barefoot I The hogs had, really, on each of
the joints of their parted hoof, a boot with a fole of ftrong leather; and the whole fo
neatly fewed, and fitting with fuch exactitude, that at firft I thought them natural appen-
dages belonging to the animal. It was in vain for me to puzzle my brain for the reafon of
fuch a whim, and I was fain to apply for information to the Indian. For him, he feemed
to pity my ignorance, aftonifhment, and laughter ; and in a very phlegmatic manner
anfwered, that it was to prevent their becoming foot-fore. Reflection made the motive
feem but reafonable, for the animals were fo fat, and are naturally fo lazy, that if they
had not been booted, having a journey to make of five and twenty leagues, and fhould!
wound their feet, they would have fallen away, and even have remained on the road.
When at dinner, at an after period, with the intendant of St. Domingo-, on his afking me
refpedting the roads in Mexico, I felt a ftrong inclination of relating this fadt, in order
to qualify him to form himfeif an opinion ; but as there was a large company at table*
to whom I was unknown, I was fearful, on giving account of a circumftance fo fingular,
to pafs for an inventor of fables ; I therefore merely anfwered his interrogation by-
telling him in general terms, that I found them very bad ; and in good truth, though;
the road I was now travelling was that of Guatimala, and the only highway on which
is tranfported the various produce of a valley, which extends four hundred and eighty-
leagues, I did not find thirty leagues of road on which a carriage could pafs.
After a long journey of fixteen*larger leagues, I again revifited my charming hamlet
of Galiatitlan. I faluted it on my arrival full of gratitude, for its having firft prefented
me with the delightful fpectacle of a plantation of nopals. It was too late, and I was too
much fatigued, to vifit the Indian into whofe grounds I had entered on my way to
Guaxaca ; I therefore thought only of getting my fupper, and retiring to reft. I flept
but little. I had judged it requifite to give air to my plants y and for the purpofe placed
my boxes, opened, in the court of the cafa reale, and every half hour paid them a vifit
In the intervals between I took a walk in the church-yard, which was at no great diftance.
A beautiful moon light fhewed me the way ; and with pleafure I collected the roots of
amary uidas from the tomb. At this inftant, calling to mind the Night Thoughts of
Young, I faid to myfelf, Is it then really confequent that reflexion on the immortality
of the foul fhould give rife to melancholy, as the cafe with that gloomy doctor ?. By no
means, but rather
Let us while through- this vale we fpeed*
Cull every flowret in our way.
At two in the morning, I again clofed my cafes, carried themn-doors, and laid down
to fleep till dawn.                                                                                                      *
As foon as I arofe, I haftened to the garden of my Indian. The cochineal harveft had
been gathered ; and I merely took from him four plants of the nopal, which had already-
rooted, and for which I gave him fix reals.
It is to be obferved that I burthened myfelf with thefe nopals, and with four other
plants which I collected at Sant Antonio de Los Cues, apparently from an excefs of
caution, and that I might not have any thing wherewith to blame myfelf r but how wife*
this caution will be feen y for of all the branches loaded with cochineal, which I had-
boughfc