first night in the hammocks.—inspecting a cenoté.—underground watercourses and lakes.—how cenotés are formed.—a subterranean bath-house.—a noria.—water tax on a direct system.—native superstitions.—a lizard that shakes his tail off.—biting a shadow, and what comes of it.—journey to the ruins of uxmal.—a heetzmek.—yucateo mode of carrying infants.—breakfast at a hacienda.—garden at uayalké.—eating tropical lizards.—fred's opinion of lizard stews.—bees of the country.—superfluous industry of yucateo bees.—evening prayer at a hacienda.—arrival at uxmal.
"would you like to see a cenoté?" said mr. honradez, just before our friends retired for the night.
"certainly," replied doctor bronson for himself and the youths, while the latter wondered what a cenoté was.
a corner of the hacienda.
"well, i'll show you one in the morning," was the reply. then there was an exchange of wishes all around for a pleasant slumber, and in a little while everybody was in bed, or rather in hammock. our friends had brought their hammocks as part of their baggage, and when they were ready to retire they found those useful articles stretched in the corridor of
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the principal dwelling of the hacienda, in a place that afforded ample ventilation.
whether it was owing to the expected cenoté or the unrestful character of a night's novitiate in a hammock we are unable to say, but the youths were up somewhat earlier than usual and eager to begin the day. doctor bronson was not far behind them, and they did not have to wait long for their host. when he appeared he was followed by a mozo carrying an armful of towels, and after a hearty greeting led the way to a small house at a little distance from the stables of the hacienda.
fred suggested to his cousin, while their host was in conversation with doctor bronson, that the cenoté was probably some kind of game, and they would quite likely have it for breakfast. "perhaps," said he, "they keep it alive and kill it when wanted, and this house may be the place where it is shut up."
"i think it's something to wear," replied frank, "and the house is the store-room. possibly, though, it's some kind of vegetable like celery or onions. anyway, we'll find out soon."
they were speedily enlightened on the subject. on reaching the house in question, mr. honradez explained that it was the entrance to a private cenoté of his own.
"you are already aware," said he, "that there are no rivers in yucatan, and have learned from experience that we have plenty of water, notwithstanding the absence of streams. beneath the calcareous formation on which the whole of the peninsula stands there are streams and lakes
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of water, which are reached through natural or artificial openings in the surface rock. these openings, whether natural or artificial, are called cenotés, and some of them are of great depth. sometimes they are mere pits or wells, and, on the other hand, there are cenotés which form large grottos with lakes of considerable area. the water is clear and cool and entirely wholesome. we use the cenotés for obtaining our supply of water and also for bathing.
"this is our bathing-house," he continued, "and i've brought you here for your morning bath. you will find bathing-trousers in the rooms, and can undress and come down as soon as you like."
he showed them the way into their dressing-rooms, and then disappeared into a room of his own. when the youths reappeared, in appropriate
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costume, their host called to them from somewhere down in the interior of the earth, and they proceeded in the direction of the voice.
an underground walk.
by a sloping and slippery stair-way cut in the rock they descended some thirty-five or forty feet till they reached a pool of clear water over which the rock rounded in a high dome nearly to the surface. a hole two or three feet in diameter and covered with an iron grating opened in the centre of the dome, and gave light enough to show the interior of the place very fairly. many stalactites hung from the roof, and stalagmites stood up wherever they could find standing room. from the grotto where our friends found themselves little nooks and small grottos opened, so that the spot was by no means unattractive. numerous lizards clung to the rock or swam in the water; and these crawling and slimy things took away many of the merits the bathing-place might have possessed.
formation of stalactites.
"the lizards do no harm," said mr. honradez, "but they are not pleasant to look at, and we would gladly drive them out if we could. there is a curious bird called the 'toh' which lives in the cenotés; it has a soft plumage, and sports a long tail of only two feathers, which have nothing on their stems until the very tip is reached. if you look sharp you may possibly see an eyeless fish similar to the fishes which are found in the mammoth cave in kentucky."
the youths looked in every direction, and though frank thought he saw one of these strange members of the finny tribe he was unable to capture it. frank asked if the cenotés communicated with each other or were separately supplied from the rains sinking into the ground.
"we cannot say that all of them are connected," was the reply; "but it is certain that some of them are. many contain streams with perceptible currents, and it has been observed that at times the cenotés are full of alligators, while at others none can be found there. as the alligator cannot pierce its way through solid rock, there must be channels which connect with large bodies of water where the alligators live."
at the suggestion of alligators frank and fred intimated that they did not care to stay long in the water, and their search for eyeless fish was abandoned in favor of the larger game. mr. honradez laughed, and said there was not the slightest danger, as no alligator larger than a rat could possibly make its way into the place where they were, as all the entrance channels were very small.
thus reassured, they remained tranquil, and enjoyed the plunge and swim in the cool water. meanwhile their host explained that these sources of water supply had been known from very ancient times; long before the conquest the inhabitants built their towns near the water-holes, and at
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the present time any one desiring to establish a hacienda seeks first a good cenoté, and locates his buildings near it.
on returning from the bath the host showed them the well which supplied the hacienda with water. peons drew the water in buckets at the end of a long rope passing over a windlass, and poured it into a large trough, whence it was taken by the servants from the kitchen, or allowed to flow in pipes to the engine-house, stables, or wherever else it was needed.
at a noria.
"in nearly every village throughout yucatan," said mr. honradez, "you will find a well of this sort in the public square; it is called a noria, and the usual mode of drawing water is by an endless rope passing over a wheel and carrying small buckets. these bring up the water from below, and as they turn over the wheel they pour their contents into a trough. the system is almost an exact copy of that in use in egypt centuries before yucatan was heard of. the rude machine is propelled by a mule walking in a circle and driven by a boy. the mule is invariably an old one, fit for no other work, and sometimes a horse or ox, likewise old and poor, is found in its place."
"i suppose the village pays for the mule and the driver," one of the youths remarked.
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"yes," was the reply; "and the payment is by direct taxation. every person who takes a jar of water is expected to leave a handful of corn in payment. this corn goes for the support of the boy and the animal, and to judge by the condition of the beast, the lion's share of the tax is taken by the boy."
the conversation about the curious wells of yucatan came to an end with several stories concerning them. one was that in the town of tabi there is a large cenoté which shows down in the depths of the water when the sun is at the meridian the perfect figure of a palm-tree, trunk, leaves, and all being fully delineated. in another town there is a cenoté where, according to the early chroniclers, any one dies instantly who enters the water without holding his breath. it is needless to say that bathing there is not at all popular. other subterranean pools contain poisonous lizards which cause violent and even fatal headaches by merely biting the shadow of any person who passes them. another lizard, when wounded, is said to throw its tail at its assailant; it detaches and throws it a distance of several yards, and if it strikes the flesh will cause death. many of the cenotés are reputed to be the haunts of demons and fairies, the bad spirits being much more numerous than the good ones.
in the cool hours of the afternoon our friends started on their return to merida, and late in the evening drew up in front of the hotel. their host urged them to remain a week or two at the hacienda; with the politeness customary to the country, he told them that the place and everything about it were theirs—a declaration which was certainly in earnest, so far as a prolonged visit was concerned. but they were anxious to continue their investigations of yucatan, and having already arranged to go to uxmal with an american gentleman residing at merida, were unable to remain longer with mr. honradez.
at home in merida.
the second morning after their return they started for the ruins of uxmal, which are about sixty miles from merida. doctor bronson and mr. burbank, his american friend, rode in one volan coché, and frank and fred in another. a cart with the needed supply of provisions and cooking utensils had left on the previous day, and was to meet them at uxmal, which contains no hotel or other accommodation for travellers. lodgings are taken in some of the deserted and ruined buildings; and with a suitable equipment and a supply of food, one can get along very comfortably.
the road presented the same scenes as the one they had taken a few days before, and therefore does not need special description. at the first village on the road the vehicles halted to allow the panting mules to take
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breath and water, and our friends descended from their cramped positions to stretch their limbs. mr. burbank spoke a few words to some of the natives that gathered around them, and then asked the strangers to go with them to see a heetzmek.
scene of the heetzmek.
wondering what a heetzmek was, they followed to a house a few yards away, where a woman was walking around the dwelling carrying a very young child astride her hip. having completed the circuit, she repeated it again and again, till she had walked five times around the dwelling, carrying the child as before.
"this is a ceremony which corresponds to the christening of infants in other countries," said the gentleman. "the woman that you see is the baby's godmother; the position in which the yucateos carry their
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children astride the hip is like that of india and some other asiatic countries. the heetzmek is performed when the infant is about four months old.
"the natives believe in the magic of the number five. you have seen the woman walk five times around the house as she carries the child. five eggs have been buried in hot ashes, and as they break they will rouse the five senses of the infant; if they fail to open, it will be of only ordinary intelligence, but their breaking will insure extraordinary mental ability."
"probably," remarked frank, "they take good care to have the ashes hot enough to make sure that the eggs will burst."
"if they are as intelligent as they want the child to be, they certainly will," replied mr. burbank. "in addition to the egg test there is a further ceremony of putting into the infant's hands the implements it will use when matured. the godmother is held in great respect by the whole family, and especially by the child for whom she has stood sponsor."
the heetzmek over, the journey was continued, the mules having rested sufficiently.
it was nine o'clock in the forenoon, and about twenty-five miles of the
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journey had been made when the walls of the hacienda of uayalké came in sight. the appetites of the youths were on a keen edge, and frank remarked to fred that he could breakfast off the hind-leg of a donkey, if only that ordinarily unattractive viand were presented.
"i think i scent breakfast," responded fred. "they are famed for their hospitality in yucatan, and we'll probably find what we want at this hacienda."
his prediction was verified, for hardly had he ceased speaking when the foremost carriage turned towards the yard of the hacienda, followed very naturally by the other. the drivers unhitched their mules beneath a wide-spreading tree in front of the residence of the manager, and proceeded to make themselves at home. the mayordomo came out and welcomed the strangers, and without waiting for a suggestion from mr. burbank, whom he knew, he sent a servant to order breakfast. in a very short time it was ready, and the travellers sat down; tortillas, frijoles, stewed chicken, eggs, and fruit, disappeared in due course, and the keen appetites were keen no longer.
"how about the posterior limb of the equus asinus now?" whispered fred to frank, as they left the table.
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"non possumus," was the only answer that occurred to frank. his views on the subject of edible things had materially changed in the last hour.
the youths made note of the fact that the hacienda of uayalké was a large and evidently a very prosperous one. the manager told them that they had several thousand acres of land in henequin, and there were more than 1200 men and women employed about the establishment and in the fields. the engines and machinery were more ponderous and powerful than at the hacienda already described; and the buildings of the establishment, together with the huts of the laborers, formed quite a settlement. there was a deep cenoté, from which a troop of women were drawing water, by means of a wheel, with buckets on an endless rope; as fast as their jars were filled they carried them away in the direction of the garden, where the water was used for keeping bright the orange and other trees that cannot live without water.
garden of the hacienda.
the garden, thus invigorated, was like a spot of green in a desert, and reminded the youths of some of the oases they had visited in their oriental journeyings. frank compared it to biskra, in the great sahara, and fred declared that he saw a striking resemblance to some of the gardens at the edge of the libyan desert. beyond the garden in every direction was the dry and repellent land covered with the hardy henequin, which needs no water, or but the merest trifle of it.
they did not see an idler about the place, every one from the manager down seeming to be fully occupied. mr. burbank said that no hacienda in the whole country was better managed than this, and there was none where the laborers were better satisfied with their employer and employment. he added that here, as everywhere else in yucatan, the laborers were constantly in debt to the establishment, and therefore were unable to quit work suddenly or "go on strike." a laborer who is in debt cannot change employers, unless the new one assumes the responsibility of the obligation to the old; and to bring this about requires considerable negotiation.
after a stay of two hours and more at the hacienda, the journey was continued. six or seven miles farther on the travellers reached the cenoté of mucuyché, and made a brief halt to examine it. the cavern is about forty feet deep, and the entrance is surrounded by a garden kept green by the water drawn from the never-failing source. our friends descended by means of steps cut in the rock. these steps were overhung by stalactites, which furnished convenient holding-ground for nests of swallows and hornets in great numbers. what particularly pleased the youths
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was that they found here an abundance of the blind fishes that they sought in vain in their first exploration of underground yucatan. there was the same abundance and variety of lizards and other creeping things as before; some of them were of goodly size, and fred learned that they were iguanas, and that they often appeared at table.
"i suppose you drive them away as soon as possible," he replied. "they are not pleasant things to look at when one is eating."
"on the contrary," mr. burbank answered, "the iguana is a delicacy of which i have often partaken. he appears at table, not in his live state, but after passing through the hands of the cook."
native village near uxmal.
fred thought he did not want any iguana then or at any other time, and his mind was firmly made up on the subject. his views changed two or three days later when, after eating heartily of a delicious stew, which secured the praises of both frank and himself, he learned that the stew aforesaid was nothing less than the despised iguana. he quietly remarked that great allowance must be made for prejudice, and then dismissed the subject.
two hours before sunset they reached a hacienda, where they received
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the same cordial reception as at uayalké. it had been intended to complete the journey to uxmal that day, but as the hour was late and darkness would certainly overtake them before their destination could be reached, mr. burbank decided to accept the pressing invitation of the mayordomo to spend the night there.
hunting the iguana.
the mules were unharnessed and led away to the stables, where they were bountifully fed on fresh grass cut and brought by the peons. there was a fine garden here filled with all sorts of tropical trees; and not the
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least interesting sight in the place was a large number of beehives of a very primitive character. they were nothing else than sections of a hollow log cut off with a saw, and the ends closed with dried mud, or with boards fitted in, like the head of a barrel.
what perfumes the honey.
frank and fred stood at a respectful distance as they looked at the beehives. they were mindful of the proverb which refers to the prudence of the burnt child; and having been stung by the honey insects on several occasions, they did not wish a repetition of the experience. mr. burbank walked fearlessly up to the hives and called to the youths to follow him.
"please excuse us," replied frank; "the bees may recognize you, as you've been here before, but they don't know us."
"never mind them," the gentleman answered, with a laugh. "the bees in this country are stingless, and you run no risk in making their acquaintance."
thus assured, the youths advanced and found themselves unharmed. the bees circled about them in great numbers, but "left no sting behind." mr. burbank told them that the hives were emptied every six or eight weeks, and thus the bees were kept busy the year round. why they collect honey in a country where flowers are perpetually in bloom he could not understand. "it speaks well for the industry of the insect," he remarked; "he has no occasion to work, and only does so from the force of ancestral habit. he has some imitators among the human race, but by no means so generally as many of us might wish."
while discussing the subject of bee-keeping in yucatan they were called to supper, which was an excellent one, of purely mexican character. turtle soup, chile con carne, frijoles, tortillas, and other national dishes were served in abundance, and the meal ended with honey from the beehives which they had investigated. frank and fred had observed a delicious fragrance as they entered the room where supper was served, and were unable at first to discover its origin. all the scent of the finest
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flowers of yucatan seemed to be gathered there. they looked around for floral baskets or bouquets, but none were visible. when the honey was served they found that this it was which furnished the fragrance, and they asked mr. burbank about it.
"you are quite right," he answered; "it is the perfume of the honey that fills your nostrils. in some seasons of the year it is much greater than now; it spreads over the whole house, and is as powerful as musk or any other famous perfume of the old world."
the sierra from the garden of the hacienda.
just as they rose from the supper-table the bell of the chapel rang for oracion, or evening prayer, which was attended by our friends and all the laborers and everybody else about the establishment. when the service was ended each of the worshippers said "buenos noches, señor" (good-night, sir) to each of the strangers. everybody went early to bed, and by nine o'clock the whole place was in the deepest silence. this remark will not apply to all seasons of the year; during the periods of fiestas, or festivals, late hours are generally kept, and early rising is not assiduously practised.
the hammocks of the travellers were slung in a corridor, and the free
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circulation of air and the coolness of night, together with the fatigues of a long ride over rough roads, insured sound sleep. in the morning chocolate was served before six o'clock, and a little after that hour the carriages were on their way. no direct payment for the hospitality of the hacienda was in order, but indirect compensation was made in the shape of fees to the mayordomo and the servants who had waited upon the strangers.
soon after leaving the hacienda the road ascended, and frank ascertained from the driver, who spoke spanish fairly, that they were climbing the sierra, a hilly ridge hardly worthy the name of mountain, though called so by courtesy. it is the highest ground of yucatan, and therefore the inhabitants are to be excused for calling it a mountain, as they would otherwise be without one.
from the top of the ridge they looked over a considerable area of country covered with the scrub forest for which the country is noted, and dotted here and there with the ruins of cities, which indicate the existence of a numerous population in previous centuries. down the other side of the ridge they went at breakneck pace, the cochés being tossed from side to side with such violence that the youths were compelled to hang on with both hands to prevent being thrown out and left by the road-side. several times the vehicle narrowly escaped overturning; and this, too, close to chasms where an upset would have sent them almost perpendicularly down a hundred feet or so, and reduced vehicle, mules, passengers, and baggage to an average value of fifty cents a bushel. and the curious thing about the whole business was that on reaching level ground the driver reined in his team and proceeded at a more dignified pace.
