ntre was an ancient
well, unchanged from the time of its construction, and then, as for an
unknown length of time before, supplying water to the inhabitants.
There could be no question about the antiquity of this well; the people
all said that it was a work of the antiguos, and paid respect to it and
valued it highly on that account, for it had saved them the labour and
expense of digging a new one for themselves.

It was about a yard and a quarter wide at the month, and seven or eight
yards in depth, circular, and constructed of stones laid without
plaster or cement of any kind. The stones were all firmly in their
places, and had a polish which with creases made by ropes in the
platform at the top, indicated the great length of time that water had
been drawn from it.

Besides these memorials, from a street communicating with the plaza we
saw a range of great mounds, the ruins of the ancient city of
Zibilnocac, which had brought us to Iturbide.

Don Juan was ready to accompany us to the ruins, and while he was
waiting at our door, one person and another came along and joined him,
until we had an assemblage of all the respectable citizens, apparently
just risen from the gambling-table, of wan and miserable aspect, and,
though they had ponchas wrapped about them, shivering with cold.

On the way to the ruins we passed another ancient well, of the same
construction with that in the plaza, but filled up with rubbish, and
useless. The Indians called it Stu-kum, from a subject familiar to
them, and presenting not a bad idea of a useless well; the word meaning
a calabash with the seeds dried up. A short walk brought us into an
open country, and among the towering ruins of another ancient city. The
field was in many places clear of trees, and covered only with
plantations of tobacco, and studding it all over were lofty ranges and
mounds, enshrouded in woods, through which white masses of stone were
glimmering, and rising in such quick succession, and so many at once,
that Mr. Catherwood, in no good condition for work, said, almost
despondingly, that the labours of Uxmal were to begin again.

Among them was one long edifice, having at each end what seemed a
tower; and, attended by our numerous escort, we approached it first. It
was difficult to imagine what could have procured us the honour of
their company. They evidently took no interest in the ruins, could give
us no information about them, nor even knew the paths that l