e reader so much as it did ourselves
and the half-breeds of Mani. These ascribed our curiosity to a much
less innocent motive than that of investigating the history of ancient
cities. In consequence of some recent difficulties, los Ingleses were
somewhat objects of suspicion; the idlers of Mani made close inquiries
of Albino touching our reasons for wanting the map, and, not being able
to comprehend his explanations, which were, perhaps, not very clear,
they said that we intended to seek out and seize the strong points for
fortifications; and, with a spirit unlike that of their warlike sires,
Spanish or Indian, quietly made up their minds that we intended to
reduce the country and make slaves of them.

Toward evening we strolled over to the church and convent, which are
among the grandest of these early structures erected in Yucatan, proud
monuments of the zeal and labour of the Franciscan friars. They were
built under the direction of Friar Juan of Merida, distinguished as a
warrior and conqueror, but who threw aside the sword and put on the
habit of a monk. According to Cogolludo, they were both finished in the
short space of seven months, the cacique who had been lord of that
country furnishing six thousand Indians. Built upon the ruins of
another race, they are now themselves tottering and going to decay.

The convent had two stories, with a great corridor all round; but the
doors were broken and the windows wide open, rain beat into the rooms,
and grass grew on the floor.

The roof of the church formed a grand promenade, commanding an almost
boundless view of the great region of country of which it was once the
chief place and centre. Far as the eye could reach was visible the
great sierra, running from east to west, a dark line along the plain.
All the rest was plain, dotted only by small clearings for villages. My
guide pointed out and named Tekax, Akil, Oxcutzcab, Schochnoche,
Pustonich, Ticul, Jan, Chapap, Mama, Tipika, Teab, the same villages
laid down in the ancient map, whose caciques came up, three hundred
years before, to settle the boundaries of their lands; and he told me
that, under a clearer atmosphere, more were visible. Some I had
visited, and had seen the crumbling remains of the ancient town; and
looking at them from the roof of the church, the old map gave them a
vividness, reality, and life, as they had been three hundred years
before, more exciting than the wildest speculations in regard to lo