as a reproach. History,
dark as it is on other points, shows clearly enough that this now
abject and degraded race did cling with desperate and fatal tenacity to
the memory of those ancestors whom they know not now; the records of
their conquerors show the ruthless and savage policy pursued by the
Spaniards to root this memory from their minds; and here, in this very
town of Mani, we have a dark and memorable instance.

In 1571, twenty-nine years after the foundation of Merida, some Indians
of Mani relapsed and became idolaters, practising in secret their
ancient rites.

Intelligence of their backsliding reached the ears of the provincial in
Merida, who came to Mani in person, and forthwith established himself
as inquisitor. Some who had died obstinately in the secret practice of
idolatrous rites had been buried in sacred ground; he ordered their
bodies to be dug up, and their bones thrown into the fields; and, in
order to strike terror into the minds of the Indians, and root out the
memory of their ancient rites, on a day appointed for that purpose,
attended by the principal of the Spanish nobility, and in the presence
of a great multitude of Indians, he made them bring together all their
books and ancient characters, and publicly burned them, thus destroying
at once the history of their antiquities. Those envious of the blessed
father, says the historian, gave him the title of cruel; but very
differently thought of the action the Doctor Don Pedro Sanchez de
Aguilar, in his information against the idolaters of this country.

The sight of this painting made me more earnest in pushing my inquiries
for other memorials, but this was all; the Indians had no more to show,
and I then inquired of the alcalde for ancient archives. He knew
nothing about them, but said we could examine for ourselves, and the
key of the apartment in which they were kept was with the second
alcalde.

The schoolmaster of the village, who had received a letter in our
behalf from our friend the cura Carillo of Ticul, accompanied me to
look for the second alcalde, and, after tracing him to several places,
we procured the keys, and returned to the casa real, and when we
unlocked the door we had thirty or forty persons to enter with us. The
books and archives of the municipality were in the back room, and among
them was one large volume which had an ancient and venerable appearance
being bound in parchment, tattered, and worm-eaten, and having a flap