This morning, at the usual breakfast hour, I left the “vestry” for the house. On the way thither I was met by the major-domo, who, I observed, was very polite indeed—unusually so. He took my hand and led me into the dwelling, where the best hammock was opened for my reception. I sat down and took a swing. Presently the lady of the mansion, who had arrived “by coach” the previous evening, made her appearance, dropping me one of her sweetest courtesies, and passed out at another door. The children all followed in slow procession, giving me a similar salutation; until, eventually, I was left alone in silent astonishment. During this ceremony the Indians were peeping in at the doors, apparently awaiting their turn; and, sure enough, it came. They approached in single file, to the number of some thirty, and, as they marched past, partially knelt, and made all sorts of obeisances; which were acknowledged with as much form as my inexperienced greatness could command. I was lost in amazement. I began to survey the room in search of a mirror, to see what change had taken place in my person; and the fact stared me in the face. It was my black suit, that I had put on in the morning (not being on fatigue duty to-day,) that had given this first impression of my importance—having, heretofore, only appeared in my working guise before them. In my future rambles, I shall benefit by my experience in this little affair; and would recommend it to the careful consideration of all who may hereafter travel in these parts. After breakfast I stepped aside, and examined the coat more particularly, to ascertain how long its newly discovered virtues might be expected to abide with it. I was delighted to find that it would probably supply me with all the dignity I should require during my residence in the country.
This (Sunday) has been a lovely day, so far as nature was concerned. Nothing but the continuation of the dancing and the wild music, interrupted at times by the revelry of drunken Indians, could be heard, except the services at the church by the same actors! At vespers, the principal officiate was so drunk that he dropped the incense-cup, and broke it all to pieces. Unfortunately for his dignity, it fell upon my foot; whereat I was so vexed, that I trundled the old reprobate most unceremoniously out of the sanctuary, and performed the ceremonies myself, as well as I knew how, and dismissed the congregation. If the pope has any gratitude he will send me a cardinal’s hat, at least, for this interference.
There are about eighty Indians attached to this estate. Their wages is one dollar per month and a sack of corn, which contains about two bushels, worth here from thirty-seven and a half to fifty cents per sack; but the amount of wages varies in different parts of the country. In some sections laborers are employed by the job—so much for cutting down wood, the work being measured out; so much for planting an acre; and in the same way for taking in the crops, &c., the prices of which are regulated by custom; but they are all under as abject bondage at present as if they had been born slaves. Their wages, low as they are—owing to the few wants of these people—more than cover their necessary expenses; but the taxes, and the feasts of the church, absorb all the surplus. I have known an Indian to expend his month’s pay, and all he was possessed of besides, in the purchase of candles and trinkets for a single festival day; the former to burn before, and the latter to decorate, his tutelar saint.
They are permitted to build their huts on the lands of the estate without cost. Among those I visited, the best were miserable enough; consisting merely of poles driven perpendicularly into the ground, to support a thatched roof. Although plenty of soil is allowed them, they cultivate nothing for themselves Everything around them indicates indolence and squalid poverty.
In my rambles in the neighborhood of the hacienda, I discovered, at about the distance of a mile, a sonata, situated in a dell of the most romantic appearance; the sides, rising to the height of a hundred feet, are circular, and are formed of broken and cragged rocks, overgrown with trees, bushes, and vines. The water is about ten fathoms deep, clear and good; and always remains without fluctuation except once or twice a year, in seasons of heavy rains or extreme drought. There appears to be but one place at the margin where the water is accessible. A part of a stone wall is here perceptible, and also steps beneath the surface. Less romantic places than this have made more than one chapter in the mythology of the ancient Greeks.
While I was thinking that this might be the scene where many a tender tale of love may have been whispered, a thousand years ago, by the simple swain and artless damsel who dwelt near its margin—that here the proud cacique may once have loitered with the lovely mistress of his affections—while I was meditating over the probability, the almost certainty of these things, something of a parallel nature was, in reality, transpiring in my immediate vicinity. My right-hand man, José, whose peculiar propensity has before been hinted at, was pouring out his heart to a beautiful Indian girl a few rods distant, and she was listening to his story of love with all the attention that the most faithful passion could deserve. They were not, however, permitted to dream themselves into an undisturbed state of happiness. It is said that love is jealous as well as watchful. They had been observed by a rival, who suddenly breaking in upon their stolen moments, threatened total annihilation to all their blissful anticipations. José manfully contended for his rights; but, had I not come up at the critical instant, there is no telling to what extent the rupture might have been carried. My presence, however, soon allayed the excitement. It was not difficult to discern that José was the preferred one. I learned from him that the fair cause of his trouble was from the neighborhood of Merida, an old acquaintance; and that pledges of love had long since been exchanged between them; but circumstances had removed her from his vicinity, he knew not whither, until the present accidental meeting had again thrown them into each other’s arms. Such being the case, I promised to intercede with the major-domo in their behalf, which I subsequently did, but without the entire success that I had anticipated.
Having concluded my visit at Chi-Chen, and my curiosity being fully satisfied, I was ready at an early hour to continue my journey westward. The Indians, to the number of fifty or sixty, had collected to witness our departure. They had been very civil to us during our stay; and, to express our acknowledgments, I knew no better way than to make them a few presents, with which they appeared to be highly pleased. We took leave of our kind host and hostess with regret. They had taken great pains to make my stay comfortable among them, and I shall always remember them with gratitude. By eight o’clock we were out of sight of castles and palaces, and buried in the thick woods of the country. Our route lay over a narrow stony path, through the small Indian town of Piste to Yacaba—a distance of about nine leagues; where we arrived at two o’clock, rode up to the Casa-real, and dismounted in the square. The church occupied one side of it, and public offices and dwellings the others. The square is spacious, and comprises nearly the whole town. Many of the houses are uninhabited and going to ruin. It had rained heavily during the morning, and the rooms of the Casa-real, as usual, did not present a very favorable aspect to the wet and fatigued traveller. However, we got our horses taken care of, and succeeded in obtaining a tolerable breakfast. By five o’clock the inhabitants began to leave their hammocks, and made their way to the Casa-real, knowing, apparently, by instinct, or some faculty peculiar to the inhabitants of small towns, that strangers had arrived. In this instance, we were glad to see them; for we were sadly in want of a dry place to rest in. They offered to do every thing for us. We told them our wants, by showing them the rooms of the Casa-real. They promised to get others, appeared glad to serve us, and treated us with great politeness. Off they started, as we supposed, to fit us out for the night; and that is the last we ever saw of them. This is mentioned merely to show a marked characteristic of the people. A stranger, with a sanguine temperament, in this province, must suffer!
We were obliged, as usual, to depend upon ourselves for quarters; and, after much research, and disturbing the quiet of many poor old women in their hammocks, we found a store-house, in which we became somewhat comfortably accommodated for the night. Shortly after sunrise, on the following morning, we continued our journey to Tabi, a distance of two leagues. At this place we spent an hour in visiting a sonato, one of the most celebrated in the country. It had been the scene of some miracle, the particulars of which we were unable to learn, and is therefore held in much reverence by the Indians. The circumference is about fifty feet, and it is about seventy to the surface of the water from the top of the ground. The water is said to be about a hundred feet deep, and has a subterraneous channel, the extent of which is unknown. A small chapel is erected upon its border. In the absence of all rivers in this country, these watering-places, or natural wells, seem to be one of the most striking gifts of God’s beneficence. Near this chapel is a tree of the mammee species, peculiar to the province, of extraordinary dimensions, growing, apparently, out of a solid rock.
This town is principally inhabited by Indians. The few whites here, as is usual in many other places, principally maintain themselves by selling small articles, cotton cloth, and liquors to the Indians. Save a church, there were no public buildings in the place. No animation or purpose was to be seen among these listless Indians, who in that, as in other particulars, resembled all of their race whom I had yet seen.
We continued our journey on to Sotuta, a distance of three leagues, where we arrived at eleven o’clock, over a good road, upon which the Indians were at that time engaged in working out their road-tax.