"the mysterious city;" stories and rumors concerning it.—accounts of stephens and morelet.—fate of two young americans.—don pedro velasquez.—carmen and campeachy.—underground caves.—how logwood is gathered; its commercial importance.—the quezal and its wonderful plumage.—snakes and snake stories.—travellers' tales.—progreso and sisal.—how the yucatan railway was built.—agave sisalana.—discovery and conquest of yucatan.—a ferocious population.—rebellious indians in yucatan; how they treat visitors.—towns and villages depopulated.
while considering the accounts of the ruins of ancient cities in mexico and the countries bordering it, our young friends came upon allusions to a "mysterious city," somewhere in the unexplored region of tropical forests lying to the southward. their curiosity was excited, and they wondered if such a city really existed.
in the forest.
they found that two explorers, stephens and morelet, believed in its existence, and though they tried hard to reach it were unable to do so. stephens learned of it from the cura of quiche, a native town of guatemala,
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who claimed to have looked upon the city from the wall of rock surrounding the valley where it stands. he had heard of it many years before at the village of chajul. he was then young, and had climbed to the top of the ridge which the indians indicated, and from his elevated stand-point looked down upon the plain and the white walls and towers of the city glistening in the sun. it covered a large area, and its people were advanced in the arts and capable of making a vigorous defence against all intruders.
john l. stephens.
"wouldn't that be an expedition worth making?" said frank to fred, after they had read the account in mr. stephens's book. "just think of it! to be able to discover the mysterious city which no white man has ever returned from!"
"yes, that's the tradition concerning it," was the reply. "several white men have gone there, but no one has ever returned from it to tell the story of what he saw."
"writers on the subject are not very encouraging," said frank, "as they assert that the indians in this mysterious city murder every white man who comes within their boundaries. not even the spanish padres are permitted to enter, and they are usually able to go where no other white man dare try to penetrate."
frank read and reread all the attainable descriptions of the mysterious city, and his imagination was fired almost to the degree of explosion. "the inhabitants understand," he remarked, "that a white race has conquered the rest of the country, but they are determined not to be conquered. they have no coin or other circulating medium, no horses, cattle, mules, or other domestic animals except fowls, and they keep these underground so that the crowing of the cocks will not be heard."
probably frank's belief was largely influenced by the circumstance that such a careful explorer as stephens accepted the story as true; in speaking of it he uses these words: "i conceive it to be not impossible that in this secluded region may exist, at this day, unknown to white men,
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a living, aboriginal city, occupied by relics of the ancient race, who still worship in the temples of their fathers."
seeking the mysterious city.
in writing an introduction to the narrative of the travels of arthur morelet, who spent several years in that country, and evidently believed in the existence of the mysterious city, mr. e. g. squier says as follows:
"there is a region lying between chiapas, tabasco, yucatan, and the republic of guatemala, and comprising a considerable portion of each of those states, which, if not entirely blank, is only conjecturally filled up with mountains, lakes, and rivers. it is almost as unknown as the interior of africa itself.... within its depths, far off on some unknown tributary
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of the usumasinta, the popular tradition of guatemala and chiapas places the great aboriginal city, with its white walls shining like silver in the sun, which the cura of quiche affirmed he had seen with his own eyes from the tops of the mountains of quezaltenango."
a guatemalan gentleman, don pedro velasquez, claims to have accompanied two young gentlemen of baltimore, who succeeded in reaching the mysterious city a few years after the account of stephens was published. having once reached the city they were not harmed; but when they attempted to escape they were seized, and one of them was sacrificed on the altar of the sun, after the manner of the aztec sacrifices already described. the other made his escape, but was so badly wounded that he died in the forest. don pedro and a few indians who accompanied the young gentlemen managed to get away with their lives, but only by running great risks. the account he gives of their adventures is not very clear, and it has not secured a prominent place in the history of scientific explorations.
a few years ago an enterprising american naturalist, mr. f. a. ober, was on the borders of this unexplored region, and was greatly tempted to venture alone in search of the mysterious city, and particularly to learn about the fauna and flora that abound in its vicinity. it would have been madness for him to have undertaken the journey, and he wisely refrained from doing so; he is still of opinion that the examination of this unknown and unconquered region offers a fine field for the naturalist, and for societies engaged in promoting scientific investigation.
after mature deliberation frank and fred concluded that the exploration of this unknown region was not practicable just at that time, but they would keep it in mind, and perhaps might lead an expedition thither at some future day.
doctor bronson suggested that in the mean while they could amuse themselves by reading "the phantom city," a romance based upon the stories told by stephens and others. he thought that the romance might contain hints which would be useful in case they should fit out their expedition. "at all events," said he, "it is an interesting story, and will well repay perusal."
the steamer made a brief halt at carmen, an insignificant town on an island on the coast, and then proceeded to campeachy, where she anchored about five miles from shore. there was quite a ground-swell on the sea, which would have made a journey to the shore somewhat uncomfortable, with the possibility, in case the wind increased, of being detained there until the next steamer happened along. so our friends concluded to acquaint
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themselves with campeachy by looking at it from the deck of the vessel; all day they lay there, and long before the sun went down the youths were impatient to be on their way.
as they looked upon the white walls of the city glistening in the sun, it was no great stretch of the imagination for them to believe they were repeating the experience of the cura of quiche, and gazing from the top of the mountain chain which he claims to have ascended. they learned that campeachy was once of more importance than it is to-day; it has a population of 20,000, and is built of a white limestone that is very abundant in the neighborhood. its houses are nearly all of but one story in height, and the city is surrounded by walls which were built by the spaniards when they founded a settlement here.
an interesting feature of campeachy is the great number of subterranean caves in the hills on which it stands, some of them natural and some artificial. these caves were made by the indians long ago; most of them have been explored in search of treasure, of which very little was obtained. numerous skulls and skeletons were found there, and it is evident that the caves were used as burial-places, and are much like the catacombs of oriental countries. a few of them have been utilized as cellars by the inhabitants, but only a few; the indians of to-day have a good many
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superstitions concerning the caves, and look with an unfriendly eye upon any one who desecrates them.
campeachy tobacco.
a lighter came alongside with some cargo for the steamer, and frank made a note of what it brought. there were hides of cattle, deer-skins, sugar in bags made of the pita plant, bales of that textile product, beeswax, and a considerable quantity of campeachy cigars. the tobacco grown in the states of campeachy and tabasco is of very good quality, and the cigars are often sold for "havanas" in foreign markets.
frank learned that logwood is an important article of trade on this part of the coast, but it is mostly shipped on sailing-vessels, on account of the lower charge for freight. carmen has a considerable commerce in logwood, which grows so extensively that there is no immediate danger of the exhaustion of the supply, especially as its cultivation has extended to other countries by planting the seed or transplanting the young trees.
"logwood is used for dyeing purposes," wrote frank, after he had informed himself concerning it, "and also in medicine. there is a belief that it is used by wine-makers in coloring claret quite as much as for dyeing cloth or leather. the tree is usually about twenty-five feet high and fifteen inches in diameter. only the 'heart' of the trunk contains the dyeing substance, and this is the part exported, the outer sap-wood being cut off in the forest as soon as the tree is felled. the logwood-cutters have a hard life, and their business is less profitable of late years, owing to the extensive use of aniline dyes."
the quezal.
a passenger who came on board the steamer at campeachy had as part of his baggage a cage containing a bird of remarkable plumage. it presented a variety of colors—green, golden, red, and white—and its tail feathers were so long that they seemed out of all proportion to the size of the creature's body. frank and fred were immediately attracted to it, and asked what it was.
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"it is a quezal, or quetzal," was the reply, "which was at one time the sacred and imperial bird of mexico. the one you see here is not a fine specimen. sometimes you find these birds with the tail feathers four feet long; and in ancient times none but the emperors were permitted to wear them. perhaps you saw the feather cloak of montezuma in the museum at the capital? well, the feathers that adorn that cloak came from the quezal, and the bird is so rare that it takes a long time to gather feathers enough to make a single garment.
difficulties of travel in campeachy.
"the quezal is still regarded with much respect by the indians of this part of the country and of central america, but less so than in the days of the montezumas. as it darts through the forest its feathers flash like a moving rainbow, and remind us of the accounts that eastern travellers have given of the bird-of-paradise. it is rarely taken alive, and is so shy that the hunter can only approach it with difficulty.
"this region abounds in birds," continued his informant, "and also with less pleasing things to meet—snakes. some of the serpents are large and others are venomous. it is a fortunate thing for travellers in the forest that the snake seeks safety in flight when he can do so, and does not voluntarily attack man. birds and small animals are his prey, and he takes them after the same fashion as the serpents of the rest of the world."
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fred asked what was the most dangerous of the serpents of this tropical region.
"the worst i know of," was the reply, "is the vivora de sangre, which causes the blood of man or beast to sweat through the pores of the body until the veins are exhausted and the victim dies in a state of utter weakness. it is literally a case of bleeding to death, though not in the ordinary way of opening the veins."
then he told of another serpent called the mica, or whipping-snake, which when irritated flattens its head upon the ground and seems to fasten it there. then it lashes on either side with its tail like a whip, and it strikes a blow of wonderful force when its size is considered.
then followed an extended conversation upon the natural history of campeachy and the regions bordering it, but the youths did not take further notes, and so we are unable to repeat what was said. some of the stories of the traveller were impressed on the mind of frank more on account of their improbability than for any other peculiarity.
he told about serpents thirty feet long that suspended themselves from trees which overhung path-ways, and swooped down upon cattle, sheep, and other animals that came within their reach. frank asked if human beings were exempt from their attacks, and the stranger replied that those who ate plenty of chili colorado with their food were not disturbed, or at any rate the snake would not swallow them, as he wasn't fond of red pepper. he might kill them before finding out the fact, but as soon as he had done so he would respectfully turn aside and seek other game.
then followed a story about another variety of snake that kills a bird on its nest and then proceeds to coil affectionately about the eggs and hatch them out. when the young birds appear he cares for them tenderly, bringing them food in the daytime, and at night nestling over them to protect their unfeathered bodies from the cold and dampness.
"and i suppose," said frank, "that when he has reared them to a suitable size he proceeds to eat them up."
as to that the stranger could give no information, and accordingly the youth concluded that the narrative was not based upon personal observation.
from campeachy the steamer held her course to progreso, the principal port of yucatan. that honor formerly belonged to sisal, but the advantages of progreso caused it to be preferred, and now it is the seat of commerce. not that the harbor amounts to much, as the shallow coast prevents vessels of more than a few feet draught from coming anywhere near it. the passengers were landed in a large row-boat that danced very
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uneasily upon the waves and disturbed the digestion of some who thus far had borne the movements of the sea without objection. it was a long pull to the shore, but they reached it in safety and resigned themselves to the custom-house officials who were waiting at the landing-place.
the inspection was not very rigorous, as the passengers were from another mexican port and not from foreign lands; in fact it was nothing more than a form, and was quickly over. then the strangers had a half-hour in which to inspect the town of progreso; they inspected it and had fifteen minutes to spare. the place is simply a shipping-point, and nobody lives there except those whose business connects them with marine matters. it is surrounded by swamps and is damp and unhealthy. it was desirable to get away from it as soon as possible, as it seemed an excellent spot for incorporating fever-germs into the system. the population is less
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than 2000, not including the tenants of the cemetery, which is said to be liberally patronized.
tropical railway train and station.
merida, the capital, is about thirty miles from progreso, and connected with it by railway. the train rolled slowly along, taking nearly three hours for the journey; but as it has no competition it has no occasion to hurry. passengers sometimes complain of the snail-like speed, and are told that they can possibly do better by getting out and walking. our friends made no complaint, as they realized that even at a pace not exceeding ten miles an hour it was much better than no railway at all. the engine and cars were of american make, and the conductor was a new yorker who had become so bronzed by the sun as to be readily taken for a mexican.
"this railway was built like a good many other lines in mexico," said a passenger on the train who fell into conversation with doctor bronson and the youths. "all the material was brought from foreign countries and landed at progreso; it was then hauled in carts to merida, and the line was built from merida towards the sea. the same ideas prevailed as
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in the case of the line between vera cruz and the city of mexico; the peace of the country would be endangered if the railway should be constructed from the sea-coast inland.
"the story goes that the contractor received a liberal subsidy from the government only on condition that he built from merida, and as he began to use the line as soon as he had five or six miles completed, he made money by the operation. there is another story, that he was allowed to charge a high price for passengers while the road was under construction, but must come down to a low figure when it was completed.
"the result was that the contractor stopped work before reaching the coast, and did not resume for a long time; there was a mile or so of unfinished road, and this gave him an excuse for exorbitant rates for passengers. complaints were so numerous that the government was obliged to interfere and compel him to carry out the spirit as well as the letter of his contract."
flock of pelicans.
frank watched from one side of the train while fred kept a sharp eye out on the other. soon after starting, the train passed a lagoon which abounded in aquatic birds—duck, teal, egrets, herons, curlews, snipe, pelicans, and the like. were it not for the liability to fevers, owing to the unhealthy miasmas rising from the lagoon, the region would be an attractive one for sportsmen. even with its drawbacks a fair number of hunters find their way there, and some of them praise the locality in glowing terms. after passing the lagoon the road reaches the coral rock which is the foundation of yucatan and supports a thin and rather dry soil.
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the youths thought they were again among fields of the maguey plant and haciendas for pulque-making as soon as the solid ground was reached, but their new acquaintance undeceived them.
sisal-hemp.
"these fields that stretch for miles in every direction between the coast and the capital," said he, "are not covered with the maguey from which pulque is made, but with henequin. henequin belongs to the aloe family, as does the maguey, and it is from this plant that a variety of fibre like hemp is produced. when sisal was the seaport the product took its name; it is known in commerce as sisal-hemp, though very little of it comes directly from that place at present. it grows, like the maguey, on rocks or very thin soil where nothing else can flourish, and it requires no water or but very little. take away the henequin plant and the fibre made from it, and yucatan would be seriously crippled in its commerce. considerable corn is raised, but it is mostly needed for home consumption. the value of the sisal-hemp export is above three millions of dollare annually, sometimes exceeding and sometimes falling below that figure.
"yucatan has no rivers," he continued, "and the planters depend entirely upon rains for irrigation. these are supplied by the moisture from the gulf of mexico, and if this should fail the country would soon become a desert."
the gentleman then gave some information relative to the cultivation of henequin and the preparation of the fibre which we will reserve for a later page, when the youths have had an opportunity to see the process. fred made note of the fact that the plant was indigenous to yucatan, and used for the production of fibre long before the advent of the whites. its exportation in large quantities is a matter of recent times, and is steadily increasing.
henequin is grown from shoots which are cut from the base of the old plants. three years after the shoots are set out the plant is large enough for a first crop of leaves to be cut; the cutting goes on for twelve or fifteen years, and in the mean time new shoots are set out every year, so that a plantation is constantly being renewed. when the plant is at its
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full size the leaves are four or five feet long. after a plantation is fairly under way, and producing regularly, it requires very little attention.
indians of yucatan.
the scientific name of sisal-hemp is agave sisalensis or agave sisolana; properly speaking, it is not hemp at all, and reminds us of the peddler of "hot mutton-pies" who replied, when a customer complained that his wares were frozen, "hot mutton-pies is the name of 'em." the true hemp is an annual plant, supposed to be a native of india, whence its culture has spread through the world, and it has no resemblance whatever to henequin, or agave sisalana.
while we have been talking on this and other topics the train has been rolling on towards merida. frank recorded in his note-book that yucatan was first seen by the eye of a white man in 1506, and was first
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visited and partially explored in 1517 by hernandez de cordova. the visit of cordova was not altogether encouraging, as the indians killed or wounded all but one of his companions, among the wounded being bernal diaz, the historian of cortez. not discouraged by his injuries, diaz came the following year to yucatan with grijalva, and in 1519 with cortez to the same country and mexico.
mexico and its treasures attracted attention for the next decade or two, and very little thought was given to yucatan. in 1537 a settlement was effected; but the spaniards were opposed by a ferocious people, and found time for nothing but fighting until 1540, when they defeated the natives in a great battle on the present site of merida. after conquering the country they found they had achieved a barren victory, as yucatan contained neither gold nor silver, the object of all the spanish conquests in the new world.
after their defeat the indians seem to have accepted the situation, and acknowledged themselves vassals of the spaniards. they became christians, like the people of mexico, and though they may have been somewhat perplexed in their endeavors to reconcile the precepts and practices of the religion of the white men from beyond the sea, they did not find it worth while to argue vigorously with their masters. from an exceedingly warlike race they became a peaceable one, though they might have been otherwise had their country contained gold and silver mines, in which they would have been put to work as slaves.
according to history, they did not forget all the arts of war or lose their instinct for it. in 1761, and again in 1847, they rebelled against the government and made a great deal of trouble; and even at the present time there is a section of the country where the indians are living in open hostility to the authorities. a few thousand of them in the eastern part of yucatan have made a great deal of trouble, causing towns and villages to be abandoned in consequence of the raids which they make at irregular intervals. several times they have come into the neighborhood of merida and caused a great deal of excitement.
frank and fred heard terrible stories about these indians, and were cautioned not to go anywhere near their country. "if they get hold of a white man," said their informant, "they cut him to pieces immediately without waiting for any explanation, or else they take him to one of their villages and torture him in the most cruel manner for the amusement of the women and children. they live among the hills, swamps, and forests of the south-eastern part of the country, and though several expeditions have been sent against them, it seems impossible to penetrate to their
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retreats. they have a very little trade with the english residents of british honduras, but refuse to allow them to enter their country; one englishman who had dealt with them for several years ventured to go there, and was never seen or heard of again.
"they are constantly making threats of destroying merida, and as these stories are circulated they greatly alarm the timid portion of the inhabitants. it is not likely that they really intend anything of the kind, as they would probably be defeated, but they know the value of rumors and keep them constantly circulating. in this way they have diminished the population and business of valladolid more than one-half. it was once a prosperous city, but is now languishing, and many of its houses are in ruins."
