un’s rays and suffered burns which turned into sores that took a long time to heal。 Over the protests of his wife； who was alarmed at such a dangerous invention； at one point he was ready to set the house on fire。 He would spend hours on end in his room； calculating the strategic possibilities of his novel weapon until he succeeded in putting together a manual of startling instructional clarity and an irresistible power of conviction。 He sent it to the government； acpanied by numerous descriptions of his experiments and several pages of explanatory sketches； by a messenger who crossed the mountains； got lost in measureless swamps； forded stormy rivers； and was on the point of perishing under the lash of despair； plague； and wild beasts until he found a route that joined the one used by the mules that carried the mail。 In spite of the fact that a trip to the capital was little less than impossible at that time； Jos？Arcadio Buendía promised to undertake it as soon as the government ordered him to so that he could put on some practical demonstrations of his invention for the military authorities and could train them himself in the plicated art of solar war。 For several years he waited for an answer。 Finally； tired of waiting； he bemoaned to Melquíades the failure of his project and the gypsy then gave him a convincing proof of his honesty： he gave him back the doubloons in exchange for the magnifying glass； and he left him in addition some Portuguese maps and several instruments of navigation。 In his own handwriting he set down a concise synthesis of the studies by Monk Hermann。 which he left Jos？Arcadio so that he would be able to make use of the astrolabe； the pass； and the sextant。 Jos？Arcadio Buendía spent the long months of the rainy season shut up in a small room that he had built in the rear of the house so that no one would disturb his experiments。 Having pletely abandoned his domestic obligations； he spent entire nights in the courtyard watching the course of the stars and he almost contracted sunstroke from trying to establish an exact method to ascertain noon。 When he became an expert in the use and manipulation of his instruments； he conceived a notion of space that allowed him to navigate across unknown seas； to visit uninhabited territories； and to establish relations with splendid beings without having to leave his study。 That was the period in which he acquired the habit of talking to himself； of walking through the house without paying attention to anyone； as ？rsula and the children broke their backs in the garden； growing banana and caladium； cassava and yams； ahuyama roots and eggplants。 Suddenly； without warning； his feverish activity was interrupted and was replaced by a kind of fascination。 He spent several days as if he were bewitched； softly repeating to himself a string of fearful conjectures without giving credit to his own understanding。 Finally； one Tuesday in December； at lunchtime； all at once he released the whole weight of his torment。 The children would remember for the rest of their lives the august solemnity with which their father； devastated by his prolonged vigil and by the wrath of his imagination； revealed his discovery to them：
“The earth is round； like an orange。？
？rsula lost her patience。 “If you have to go crazy； please go crazy all by yourself！？she shouted。 “But don’t try to put your gypsy ideas into the heads of the children。？Jos？Arcadio Buendía； impassive； did not let himself be frightened by the desperation of his wife； who； in a seizure of rage； mashed the astrolabe against the floor。 He built another one； he gathered the men of the village in his little room； and he demonstrated to them； with theories that none of them could understand； the possibility of returning to where one had set out by consistently sailing east。 The whole village was convinced that Jos？Arcadio Buendía had lost his reason； when Melquíades returned to set things straight。 He gave public praise to the intelligence of a man who from pure astronomical speculation had evolved a theory that had already been proved in practice； although unknown in Macondo until then； and as a proof of his admiration he made him a gift that was to have a profound influence on the future of the village： the laboratory of an alchemist。
By then Melquíades had aged with surprising rapidity。 On his first trips he seemed to be the same age as Jos？Arcadio Buendía。 But while the latter had preserved his extraordinary strength； which permitted him to pull down a horse by grabbing its ears； the gypsy seemed to have been worn dowse by some tenacious illness。 It was； in reality； the result of multiple and rare diseases contracted on his innumerable trips around the world。 According to what he himself said as he spoke to Jos？Arcadio Buendía while helping him set up the laboratory； death followed him everywhere； sniffing at the cuffs of his pants； but never deciding to give him the final clutch of its claws。 He was a fugitive from all the plagues and catastrophes that had ever lashed mankind。 He had survived pellagra in Persia； scurvy in the Malayan archipelago； leprosy in Alexandria； beriberi in Japan； bubonic plague in Madagascar； an earthquake in Sicily； and a disastrous shipwreck in the Strait of Magellan。 That prodigious creature； said to possess the keys of Nostradamus； was a gloomy man； enveloped in a sad aura； with an Asiatic look that seemed to know what there was on the other side of things。 He wore a large black hat that looked like a raven with widespread wings； and a velvet vest across which the patina of the centuries had skated。 But in spite of his immense wisdom and his mysterious breadth； he had a human burden； an earthly condition that kept him involved in the small problems of daily life。 He would plain of the ailments of old age； he suffered from the most insignificant economic difficulties； and he had stopped laughing a long time back because scurvy had made his teeth drop out。 On that suffocating noontime when the gypsy revealed his secrets； Jos？Arcadio Buendía had the certainty that it was the beginning of a great friendship。 The children were startled by his fantastic stories。 Aureliano； who could not have been more than five at the time； would remember him for the rest of his life as he saw him that afternoon； sitting against the metallic and quivering light from the window； lighting up with his deep organ voice the darkest reaches of the imagination； while down over his temples there flowed the grease that was being melted by the heat。 Jos？Arcadio； his older brother； would pass on that wonderful image as a hereditary memory to all of his descendants。 ？rsula on the other hand； held a bad memory of that visit； for she had entered the room just as Melquíades had carelessly broken a flask of bichloride of mercury。
“It’s the smell of the devil；？she said。
“Not at all；？Melquíades corrected her。 “It has been proven that the devil has sulphuric properties and this is just a little corrosive sublimate。？
Always didactic； he went into a learned exposition of the diabolical properties of cinnabar； but ？rsula paid no attention to him； although she took the children off to pray。 That biting odor