children, took
possession of the plaza, set up the figure of Santa Ana, pelted him
with stones, put some bullets into him, burned him to ashes, and
shouted "Viva la independencia." But few of them had ever heard of
Santa Ana, but this was no reason why they should not pelt him with
stones and burn him in effigy. They knew nothing of the relations
between Yucatan and Mexico, and by the cry of independencia they meant
a release from tribute to the government and debts to masters. With but
little practice in revolutions, they made a fair start by turning out
the alcaldes and levying contributions upon political opponents, and
threw out the formidable threat that they would march three hundred men
against the capital, and compel a declaration of independence.
Intelligence of these movements soon reached Merida, and fearful
menaces of war were bandied from one city to the other. Each waited for
the other to make the first demonstration, but at length the capital
sent forth its army, which leached Ticul the day after I left at the
conclusion of my first visit, and while Doctor Cabot was still there.
It was then within one day's march of the seat of rebellion, but halted
to rest, and to let the moral effect of its approach go on before. The
reader has perhaps never before heard of Tekax; nevertheless, a year
has not elapsed since the patriotic, half-naked band in arms for
independence thought that the eyes of the whole world were upon them.
In three days the regular army resumed its march, with cannon in front,
colours flying, drums beating, and the women of Ticul laughing, sure
that there would be no bloodshed. The same day it reached Tekax, and
the next morning, instead of falling upon each other like so many wild
beasts, the officers and the three patriot leaders were seen walking
arm in arm together in the plaza. The former promised good offices to
their new friends, two reales apiece to the Indians, and the revolution
was crushed. All dispersed, ready to take up arms again upon the same
terms whenever their country's good should so require.

Such were the accounts we had received, always coupled with sweeping
denunciations of the population of Tekax as revolutionary and radical,
and the rabble of Yucatan. Having somewhat of a leaning to revolutions
in the abstract, I was happy to find that, with such a bad reputation,
its appearance was finer, and more promising than that of any town I
had seen, and I could not but think