626 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 28 



It was not until Gen Don Eomiilo Diaz de la Vega assumed com- 

 mand in Yucatan that the Avar was carried on with greater energ}^ 

 by the Mexicans. This general marched by way of Chan Santa Cruz, 

 the " sacred city " of the eastern Indians, to Bacalar, where he arrived 

 on March 1, 1852. The southern Indians, whom the Mexicans had 

 defeated, now ofTered to negotiate for peace with the Yucatecos, 

 which enraged the eastern Mayas, who turned against them, unex- 

 pectedly attacked their principal town, Chichanha, and almost 

 entirely destroyed it. But soon afterward (July, 1S52) Diaz de la 

 Vega surprised the principal town of the eastern Indians, Chan Santa 

 Cruz, which had been fortified in the meantime, and in this engage- 

 ment the dreaded chief, Venancio Pec, and his adjutant, Juan 

 Bautista Yam, fell. The Mexicans, however, were not able to achicA^e 

 a permanent A'ictory over the eastern Ma^^as, to Avhom, in the year 

 1858, they finally lost Bacalar, which has now become an important 

 base of operations and rallying point for these Indians. In 1871'^ the 

 Mexicans made another armed incursion into the territory of the 

 eastern tribes, again captured tlieir principal city, Chan Santa Cruz, 

 and again withdrew without the slightest permanent success. After 

 the withdrawal of the Mexican troops the Indians quietly returned to 

 their former habitations, and occupy to-day the same territory that 

 they formerly occupied. From time to time they make predatory 

 expeditions into the Mexican territory of Yucatan or Into the terri- 

 tories of the southern tribes; but their military operations no longer 

 aim at great enterprises, and seem to be directed only to the occa- 

 sional acquisition of rich booty. 



Thus, while the eastern tribes have stood uninterruptedly on a war 

 footing with the Mexican GoA^ernment since the year 1847, the chiefs 

 of the southern tribes, Jose Maria Tzuz, Andres Tzima, and Juan 

 Jose Cal, concluded a treaty of peace as early as 1853 Avith the Mexi- 

 can agents, Doctor Canton, Colonel Lopez, and P. Peralta, through 

 the instrumentality of the English superintendent at Belize, Ph. Ed. 

 AVoodhouse, the conditions of Avhich Avere recorded in both the Span- 

 ish and Maya languages. Unfortunately, 1 have not been able to 

 examine the terms of this treaty; but the conditions actually existing 

 indicate that full independence in the conduct of their internal affairs 

 (civil and judicial administration, etc.) was guaranteed to the In- 

 dians, AA'hile the latter formally recognized the suzerainty of Mexico, 

 and their caciques have to be confirmed by the Mexican Government, 

 that is, the gobernador of the state of Campeche. 



The southern tribes are divided into two distinct states, Avhose 

 chief toAvns at present are Ixkanha, in central Yucatan, and Icaiche, 

 in southern Yucatan. Both states, in the main, have faithfully kept 



" See A. Woeikof, Reise durch Yucatan und die siid-ostlichen Provinzen von Mexiko In 

 I'etermanDS MitteUun^en, 1879, v. 25, p. 203. 



