er luxuriance in the gardens
and hedge-rows of the cottages around, than at any place I had before
visited. "Industry is the first step to improvement, and education
follows hard upon it," thought I, as on foot, attracted by a busy hum
of voices, we made our way through an intervening copse towards the
spot whence it seemed to come. A fig-tree, the superincumbent branches
of which shaded a wide circuit of ground, arrested our progress; and
looking through an opening among the large green leaves, we espied
the village pedagogue, elevated on his authoritative seat, which was
attached to the trunk of the tree. He was reading a lecture on the heads
of his scholars--a phrenological dissertation, if one might judge from
its effects, with a wand long enough to bump the _caput_ of the
most remote offender. I began to think myself in some European district,
certainly not from the late samples I had seen of the country, in the
heart of the Columbian continent. There, however, I was in reality, and
in the fine province of Tucuman, with nearly half the globe's surface
between Europe and myself. The picture was a very striking one occurring
with these reflections. The beautiful vegetable-roofed school-room,
too, struck my fancy. What a delightful natural study!--the cool broad
leaves overarching it, and heightening the interest of the scene. The
striplings were seated, without regular order, on the grass, under a
rotunda of this magnificent foliage. Some were cross-legged, bawling Ba,
Be, Bi; others, with their knees for a table, seemed engraving rather
than writing, upon a wooden tablet, the size of a common slate. One or
two, who appeared to be more advanced in their studies, were furnished
with a copy-book, an expensive article in that place. Some were busy at
arithmetic, while, every moment, whack went the rod upon the crown of
the idler or yawner.

To us the sight was curious; we had seen none lately but what were the
reverse of carefully educated beings. But we had little time to think,
for a laugh burst forth at their perceiving us, which naturally
attracted the notice of the pedagogue, who took up his crutch to go and
examine the cause, for he was a cripple. We immediately came forward to
the only opening among the rich verdure, and meeting him, announced
ourselves as the intruders. He was as much surprised as his pupils had
been. His magisterial brow, for he was alcade as well as schoolmaster,
relaxed into a civil smile. He