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 invited us to walk in, and we accepted
his invitation, and entertained ourselves with examining the progress
made by his boys in their studies, and in replies to his numerous
questions put respecting the battle of Ayacucho, the death of Olaneta,
and the termination of the war in Peru. He asked if it was true, that
the English were coming to settle in the country, with many similar
questions. In answer to our inquiries about himself, he said he was born
on the spot, lame as he was, and had never quitted it; he had given his
mind to study, but his profession was (as it is everywhere else) "muy
pobre;" that the price of a school education there, was from two to four