ncapable of holding out
for such a walk. Our alternative was to go to the port of Yalahao,
which, the reader will see by the map, is almost at right angles from
Tancah, and thence take a canoa. This would subject us to the necessity
of two voyages along the coast, going and returning, and would require,
perhaps, a fortnight to reach Tancah, which we had expected to arrive
at in three days; but there were villages and ranchos on the road, and
the chance of a canoa was so much greater that, under the
circumstances, we were glad of such an alternative.

In the midst of the vexation attending this derangement of our plan, we
were cheered by the comfortable appearance of the convent, and the warm
reception given us by the cura Garcia. The sala was furnished with
pictures and engravings from Scott's novels, made for the Spanish
market, with Spanish lettering; looking-glasses, with gilt frames, from
El Norte, and a large hand organ, horribly out of tune, which, in
compliment to us, the cura set to grinding out "God save the King!"
And, besides all this, the smiling faces of women were peeping at us
through the doors, who at length, unable to repress their curiosity,
crowded each other into the room. The cura sat with us till a late
hour, and when we retired followed us to our room, and stood by us till
we got into our hammocks. His curacy extended to the coast. The ruins
which we proposed visiting were within it, but he had never visited
that part, and now talked seriously of going with us.

The next day Dr. Cabot was taken with a fever, which the cura said he
was almost thankful for, and we were glad of an excuse for passing the
day with him. It was Sunday, and, dressed in his black gown, I never
saw a priest of more respectable appearance. And he was a politician as
well as priest. He had been a member of the convention that formed the
constitution of the state, had taken a prominent part in the
discussions, and distinguished himself by his strong and manly
eloquence. The constitution which he had assisted in forming debarred
priests from holding civil offices, but through the loophole of his
retreat he looked out upon the politics of the world. The relations
between Mexico and Texas were at that time most interesting to him; he
had received a Merida paper, containing a translation in full of
President Houston's inaugural address; and often repeated, "not a
dollar in the treasury, and ten to fifteen millions of debt." He
p