Chunhuhu; and it shows the difficulty I had in ascertaining the
juxtaposition of places, that though this was one of the places which I
intended to visit, until this man mentioned it I had not been able to
learn that it lay in the same neighbourhood. I determined at once to
continue on, and it was what I saw on that occasion that now put our
whole body in motion in this direction.

To return. It was late in the afternoon when we reached the savanna of
Chunhuhu, and rode up to the hut at which I had tied my horse on my
former visit.

The hut was built of upright poles, had a steep projecting roof
thatched with palm leaves, and the sides protected by the same
material; as we stopped in front, we saw a woman within mashing maize
for tortillas, which promised a speedy supper. She said her husband was
away; but this made no difference to us, and, after a few more words,
we all entered, the woman at the moment bolting for the door, and
leaving us in exclusive possession. Very soon, however, a little boy,
about eight years old, came down and demanded the maize, which we were
loth to give up, but did not consider ourselves authorized to retain.
Albino followed him, in hopes of persuading the woman to return; but as
soon as she caught a glimpse of him she ran into the woods.

The hut of which we thus became the sudden and involuntary masters was
furnished with three stones for a fireplace, a wooden horse for
kneading maize upon, a comal for baking tortillas, an earthen olla, or
pot, for cooking, three or four waccals, or gourds, for drinking-cups,
and two small Indian hammocks, which also were demanded and given up.
Besides these, there was a circular dining-table about a foot and a
half in diameter, supported by three pegs about eight inches high, and
some blocks of wood about the same height for seats. Overhead;
suspended from the rafters, were three large bundles of corn in the
husk and two of beans in the pod; and on each string, about a foot
above these eatables, was half a calabash or squash, with the rounded
side up, like the shade over a lamp, which, besides being ornamental,
filled the office of a rat-trap; for these vermin, in springing from
the rafters to reach the corn and beans, would strike upon the
calabash, and fall to the ground.

Being provided for ourselves, we next looked to our horses. There was
no difficulty about their food, for a supply of corn had fallen into
our hands, and the grass on the savanna