2 PALENQUE. 



the first night in torment. Above this narrow passage the river widens out, and, after 

 passing the fork above Palisada (whence half the water flows out into the Gulf by the 

 Frontera mouth), the Usumacinta is a magnificent broad river. 



We parted with M. Chambon at Monte Cristo, as he was to continue his voyage in 

 the steamer as far as Tenosique, on his way to visit the ruins of Menche, which are 

 now much more easily accessible than when I visited them from Guatemala in 1882. 



At Monte Cristo I met with much kindness and assistance from Don Carlos Majarres 

 and Don Adolfo Erezuma. When all my baggage was safely housed I looked about 

 for means of transport to the village of Santo Domingo de Palenque, distant about 

 thirty miles inland. 



Here I was met by fresh difficulties. The natives rely almost entirely on the network 

 of rivers and lagoons for the carriage of their goods, and our course lay away from the 

 river-system. It is true that I could have availed myself of water carriage as far as the 

 lagoon of Catasaja, but this would have involved a long detour, and we should still have 

 been distant about fifteen miles from our destination. There were no Indian carriers 

 to be found in Monte Cristo or its near neighbourhood, and the half-castes are not 

 accustomed to carrying loads on their backs. We were indeed offered the use of two 

 cargo-mules, but these were of little use to us, as there was no such thing as a pack- 

 saddle in the village. A messenger was then despatched to Santo Domingo to see if 

 cargadores or pack-mules could be obtained at that village, and after waiting a few 

 days three wretched-looking beasts of burden with old rotten pack-saddles made their 

 appearance accompanied by a few Indian carriers. With these were despatched the 

 first instalment of the baggage, and we then had to wait patiently for their return. At 

 the end of ten days, by pressing into our service some Tumbala Indians who had 

 brought the produce of their gardens for sale in Monte Cristo, and were returning to 

 their homes by way of Palenque, and by putting my own three pack-saddles on to the 

 mules we could hire in the village, we were able to make a start for Santo Domingo. 



The weather had been lovely since our arrival at Laguna ; but the season of 

 " Northers " was not yet over, and heavy rain had been falling in the direction of the 

 mountains, and we found the track so bad that it was necessary to make a considerable 

 detour and to stop for the night at the cattle-ranche of San Filipi, the only habitation 

 on the road. The track is fairly level, passing alternately through patches of forest 

 and open savannah. The ground very gradually rises from the valley of the Usuma- 

 cinta towards San Filipi, and then dips again to the course of a small stream before 

 rising to the village of Santo Domingo, which is picturesquely situated in a clearing 

 of considerable size carpeted with short grass, which grows right up to the doors of the 

 houses. All around is thick woodland, but to the south the land again falls, and there 

 is a good view across the valley of the Chacamas river to the Sierra, which begins to 

 rise at the distance of about half a league. 



Many years ago Santo Domingo de Palenque was a place of importance, as it stood 



