--Monument and Inscription.--Convent.--Character of the
Cura Carillo.--The Date of the Construction of the Convent
unknown.--Probably built with the Materials furnished by the Ruins of
former Cities.--Archives of the Convent.

In the account of my former visit to the ruins of Uxmal, I mentioned
the fact that this city was entirely destitute of apparent means for
obtaining water. Within the whole circumference there is no well,
stream, or fountain, and nothing which bears the appearance of having
been used for supplying or obtaining water, except the subterraneous
chambers before referred to; which, supposing them to have been
intended for that purpose, would probably not have been sufficient,
however numerous, to supply the wants of so large a population.

All the water required for our own use we were obliged to procure from
the hacienda. We felt the inconvenience of this during the whole of our
residence at the ruins, and very often, in spite of all our care to
keep a supply on hand, we came in, after hard work in the sun, and,
parched with thirst, were obliged to wait till we could send an Indian
to the hacienda, a distance, going and returning, of three miles.

[Engraving 16: Aguada at Uxmal]

Very soon after our arrival our attention and inquiries were directed
particularly to this subject and we were not long in satisfying
ourselves that the principal supply had been drawn from aguadas, or
ponds in the neighbourhood. These aguadas are now neglected and
overgrown, and perhaps, to a certain extent, are the cause of the
unhealthiness of Uxmal. The principal of them we saw first from the top
of the House of the Dwarf, bearing west, and perhaps a mile and a half
distant. We visited it under the guidance of the mayoral, with some
Indians to clear the way. The whole intervening space was overgrown
with woods, the ground was low and muddy, and, as the rains still
continued, the aguada was at that time a fine sheet of water. It was
completely imbosomed among trees, still and desolate, with tracks of
deer on its banks; a few ducks were swimming on its surface, and a
kingfisher was sitting on the bough of an overhanging tree, watching
for his prey. The mayoral told us that this aguada was connected with
another more to the south, and that they continued, one after the
other, to a great distance; to use his own expression, which, however,
I did not understand literally, there were a hundred of them.

The general opinio