OANN] MAYA INDIANS OF YUCATAN AND BRITISH HONDURAS 41 



go into caves or burial chambers in mounds. Many curious super- 

 stitions hang about tlie ruins found throughout the countiy. I was 

 assured by an Indian at Benque Viejo that lie had gone on one 

 occasion to the ruins situated near the village, and seeing a pigeon 

 seated on a tree, raised his gun to shoot it; before he could do so, 

 however, the pigeon turned into a cock, and this almost imme- 

 diately into an eagle, which flew at him, driving him away. There 

 is another superstition about these ruins to the effect that when 

 the first settlers came to Benque Viejo they wished to build the 

 village near the ruins, where the land is very good for growing com, 

 but were repeatedly driven off by a little old man with a long gray 

 beard. At last, giving up the idea, they contented themselves with 

 the present site for the village. 



For many years, between the expulsion of the Yucatecans from 

 Bacalar by the Indians and the conquest of the latter by the Mexican 

 troops, some 12 years ago, no Catholic priests were permitted to 

 visit the Santa Cruz country. The Indians, however, appointed 

 priests from among themselves, who carried out, so far as can be 

 ascertained from those of their number who left the territory and 

 settled in British Honduras, a sort of travesty of the rites of the 

 Roman Catholic Church freely interspersed with many of those of 

 their ancient religion, which had survived. The headquarters of 

 this religious cult was the capital, where it centered around what 

 was known as the "Santa Cruz," a plain wooden cross, 2 to 3 feet 

 high, which had probably been removed from some church after 

 the expulsion of the Spaniards. This cross was supposed to be 

 gifted with the power of speech (a belief arising no doubt from the 

 exercise of ventriloquial powers by one of the priests), and acted as 

 a sort of oracle, to whom all matters of importance — civil, military, 

 and religious — were submitted for decision. It need hardly be said 

 that the cross never failed to return an answer to all these questions, 

 in entire conformity with the wishes of the chief .^ 



» In 1859 a mission was dispatched by the superintendent of British Honduras to the chiefs of the Santa 

 Cruz, with the object of rescuing Spanish prisoners held by them. The following accoimt is from " A 

 narrative of a journey across the unexplored portion of British Honduras, with a sketch of the history 

 and resources of the colony," by Henry Fowler, colonial secretary (Belize, 1879): 



"That night as usual all the availaljle Indians in Bacalar arrived in front of the home where the Santa 

 Cruz is kept. The boy attendants or sentries on the idol, called angels, were in front of it and the drums 

 and bugles sounded at recurring parts of the song. The chief was inside with the image and the angels. 

 The subordinate chiefs and soldiers knelt outside, and did not rise until the service was over, when they 

 crossed themselves and rubbed their foreheads in the dust. About 11 o'clock the Indians were heard 

 running backward and forward, and an order was given to bring out the prisoners, who were placed in a 

 line before the Santa Cruz, and a large body of soldiers were placed with them. They all knelt down in 

 the road. There were about 40 female prisoners, with one arm tied to the side, and 12 or 14 men pinioned 

 by both arms. All were calm, except the children, although it was known Santa Cruz was pronouncing 

 their doom. A squeaking whistling noise was heard issuing from the oracle, and when it ceased it was 

 known the Santa Cruz wanted a higher ransom from the prisoners. * * * 



"Some of the women and children were separated from the rest, amongst whom was a young Spanish 

 girl well known in high circles. A procession was then formed and marched olT to the east gate; first came 

 a strong body of troops, then alternately in Indian file, a male prisoner and his executioner, who droye nim 

 on with his machete, holding him by a rope; next came the women, 35 in number, driven and held in a 



