ry only a few
months, and despises it heartily. He was sitting at table with two young
men, who had accompanied him from Spain, and who love Yucatan no better
than he. He greeted us most heartily, and was interested in our plan of
work. He sent at once for the judge of the _registro civil_, who could
tell us many curious things about the indians, and, as soon as the old
man came, the good priest ordered chocolate to be served. We chatted for
some time, when, seeing that the _jefe's_ office was open, I suggested
that I had better go to present my letters. The _cura_ and the judge at
once began to abuse that official roundly for his sins of commission,
and particularly for those of omission, and told me that I should have
him summoned; that it was much better than to trouble myself by going
to his office, where I had already been twice in vain; it was but right
that he should attend to business; he ought to be in his office when
visitors came to see him. Accordingly a messenger was sent and the
_jefe_ summoned.

He seemed a rather nice young fellow, and was much impressed by the
letter from his governor; he expressed himself as ready and anxious to
serve us in every way, and made arrangements for us to begin work in
the town-house, where, before dark, we had taken fifteen sets of
measurements. This was a capital beginning, but the next two days our
work fell flat. It was necessary to keep constantly at the _jefe_,
and it soon became plain that he was making no great effort to secure
subjects for us, on the assumption that we had better wait until Sunday,
when there would be plenty of people without trouble to the police.

It was useless to urge effort, and we spent the time talking with the
old judge in regard to the habits and superstitions of the indians and
in walking with the judge of _primera instancia_ up to the ridge which
overlooked the town, and which was crowned by a little _hermita_. The
population of Yucatan is still, for the most part, pure indian of Maya
blood and speech. The former importance of this people is well known;
they had made the greatest progress of any North American population,
and the ruins of their old towns have often been described. They
built temples and public buildings of stone and with elaborate carved
decorations; they ornamented walls with stucco, often worked into
remarkable figures; they cast copper and gold; they hived bees, and used
both wax and honey in religious ceremonial. The