emorable one. We were so scourged by
fleas that sleep was impossible. Mr. Catherwood and Dr. Cabot resorted
to the Central American practice of sewing up the sheets into a bag,
and all night we were in a fever.

The next morning we started for the ruins of Labphak, taking care to
carry our luggage with, us, and not intending, under any circumstances,
to return. The major domo accompanied us. It was luxurious to ride on a
road free from stones. In an hour we entered a forest of fine trees,
and a league beyond found a party of Indians, who pointed us to a
narrow path just opened, wilder than anything we had yet travelled.
After following this some distance, the Indians stopped, and made signs
to us to dismount. Securing the horses, and again following the
Indians, in a few minutes we saw peering through the trees the white
front of a lofty building, which, in the imperfect view we had of it,
seemed the grandest we had seen in the country. It had three stories,
the uppermost consisting of a bare dead wall, without any doorways,
being, the Indians told us, the casa cerrada, or closed house, which
the cura and alcalde intended to open con bombas. The whole building,
with all its terraces, was overgrown with gigantic trees. The Indians
cutting a path along the front, we moved on from door to door, and
wandered through its desolate chambers. For the first time in the
country we found interior staircases, one of which was entire, every
step being in its place. The stones were worn, and we almost expected
to see the foot-prints of the former occupants. With hurried interest
we moved on till we reached the top. This commanded an extensive view
over a great wooded and desolate plain, to which the appearance of the
heavens gave at the moment an air of additional dreariness. The sky was
overcast, and portended the coming of another Norte. The wind swept
over the ruined building, so that in places we were obliged to cling to
the branches of the trees to save ourselves from falling. An eagle
stayed his flight through the air and hovered over our heads. At a
great height Doctor Cabot recognised it as one of a rare species, the
first which he had seen in the country, and stood with his gun ready,
hoping to carry it home with him as a memorial of the place; but the
proud bird soared away.

It seemed almost sacrilege to disturb the repose in which this building
lay, and to remove its burial shroud, but soon, amid the ringing of the
axe