196 ALEXANDER AGASSIZ 



opposite ; and last night beiug Tuesday and New Year's 

 Day, it was a very pretty sight to see all the Indians, 

 men and women, in their neat white dresses with ele- 

 gant embroidery, sitting around or walking about smok- 

 ing, chatting, and indulging in the usual lively Mexican 

 way. I never saw such a clean lot of people, all got up 

 in spotless white, well washed, well dressed, and evi- 

 dently well to do. It 's by far the best specimen of Span- 

 ish country I have ever seen ; it 's true it 's not Spanish, 

 but Indian. 



I am in luck. I met here Charnay, the Frenchman 

 sent out by Lorillard, who starts to-morrow on an ex- 

 pedition to Chichen, 1 where some of the finest ruins are 

 to be seen, and I am going with him to spend there a 

 couple of days. Had I known that Charnay was here and 

 that I should catch him, I would have let Mexico slide 

 and devoted myself to Yucatan, under conditions which 

 I fear are not likely to recur again for some time to come. 



Everybody here is very polite to me and I could have 

 anything I want, I think — or perhaps it 's because I 

 want nothing they are so polite. If you happen to see 

 Charles Norton, tell him of my good luck, and also tell 

 him the way for us to get Yucatan explored is to help 

 the American Consul here, Louis H. Ayme, who is an 

 enthusiast, and who will learn with Charnay on his ex- 

 pedition all the practical part of taking moulds, etc., etc. 



I am getting thoroughly rested. I sleep from nine 

 till seven every day, am out in the open air all day, and 

 I expect to get back from my expedition in tip-top con- 



1 Charles Eliot Norton writes Agassiz : " I am especially glad that you 

 have had so good an opportunity to see the ruins of Chichen. No other 

 living American, so far as I know, whose report could be trusted, has 

 visited them." 



