to ask him to view the object, feeling convinced that his own curiosity would induce him to make the request. After I had gazed attentively for a few seconds, Juan asked what I was looking at, and I told him that I had an instrument which made a flea look as large as a mule and showed me his whole conformation. He immediately expressed a desire to see this monster, and after being accorded a good, long look, he exclaimed: "'Madre de Dios, que cosa tan hororosa!"—which means, mother of God, what a horrible thing. In this manner we went through half a dozen objects, each of which elicited expressions of unbounded surprise from Juan, who commenced to regard me as a magician of power and influence. In this way the train was laid for further confidence on the part of the savages, to whom Juan related the whole affair, because I had never employed such means to assert claims to their respect, and had apparently striven to keep my possession of them from their knowledge. They seemed to have got their information by accident, and I allowed them to press me frequently before I yielded to their request for a look through the wonderful instrument of which they had heard from Juan. Their admiration was also excited by the burning-glass, field-glass, etc.; and when I took out the maps and explained to them all about portions of the country which they knew well, but I had never visited, they began to think that nothing was hidden from our knowledge if we only took the pains to consult our magical instruments.
During all the time of our intimate relations, I was as great an inquirer into their funds of information as they were into that which I possessed. I was regularly inducted into their modes of hunting, and taught where and when the desired game might be expected. The art
