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result that we pulled up at the extremest edge of nothingness; indeed; it seemed to me that when our slide came to its end all the creature’s four feet were gathered in a round that might have been covered by a Mexican priest’s hat。 Afterwards that same mule; the most inpetent surely of all its kind; fell with me in the midst of a flooded river。
Another such river we were obliged to cross seated in a loop of string which was slung upon a rope; quite an exciting mode of progression。 Upon the occasion of Mr。 Jebb’s previous visit to this mine either the loop or the rope broke; and the cook who was making the journey went to a watery grave。
We slept a night in a saw…mill that had been established by the mining pany upon the banks of a great river。 I remember that at dawn I went to bathe in this river; and was struck with the marvellous beauty of the scene。 The face of the water was covered with clouds of floating mist; while above; rising in tiers from the steep banks of the river; appeared the motionless; solemn trees。 And then the indescribable silence and the utter loneliness。 The great primeval forest beyond this river was very wonderful; at any rate to me who had never seen its like。 Here grew vast trees with rib…like roots that ran far up the trunk; and between the trees imperable thickets of Indian Shot — Canna; I think; is the right name — twenty feet and more in height。 When the Indians wish to grow a crop of maize they burn a patch of this Canna scrub and sow the seed in the rich ash…fertilised soil; where it bears abundantly。
These Indians of remoter Mexico are strange; sad creatures whose demeanour suggests that the woes and wickedness heaped upon their forefathers by the cruel Spaniards have never faded from the minds of the descendants。
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