A YOUNG NATURALIST. 163 



skulls, symmetrically arranged, seemed to glare at me througli 

 their empty orbits. 



" father ! " cried Liicien, " are we in a cemetery % " 



" Yes, my boy ; I think this must be a Chichimec burial- 

 place. This nation, which preceded the Toltecs and Aztecs in 

 Mexico, was in the habit of depositing their dead in caverns." 



Sumiohrast examined a skull which he had picked up ; its 

 white and perfect teeth showed that it must have belonged to a 

 man who died young. A few paces farther on, five or six more 

 skulls lay on the surface of the ground ; they were enclosed in 

 by fine stalactites, and appeared as if they were grinning at us 

 through the bars of a dungeon. 



For more than a thousand years, perhaps, these skulls had 

 reposed in the niches which had evidently been hollowed out on 

 purpose for them. The soil of the grotto had apparently risen 

 at a subsequent period. What revelations as to the ancient 

 history of Mexico might be contained in this cave ! Without 

 much difficulty, I'Encuerado broke through the upper calcareous 

 layer, and brought to light some loamy earth, out of which he 

 procured a small cup of baked clay. I then began digging ; 

 my fingers soon touched some hard object ; it was a small stone 

 statuette. I had scarcely loosened my discovery from the earth, 

 before Lucien also plunged his arm into the hole and brought 

 out a little fancifully-shaped tortoise, the tail of which had been 

 used as a whistle. Enticed on by these successes, we knelt 

 down so as to break through a wider extent of the calcareous 

 stratum ; but our torches began to burn palely, and the close 

 chamber, now filled with a thick smoke, was no longer bearable. 

 Sumichrast complained of humming in his ears, and I also felt 

 uncomfortable ; so, much against our inclination, I gave the signal 

 of departure. The lamp was dying out, and was filling tlie 

 outer chamber with a nasty smell, which gave the finishing 

 stroke to our unpleasant feelings. L'Encuerado and Lucien were 

 the first to leave the cave ; from it I afterwards emerged with 

 Sumichrast, both being quite blinded, when we reached the 

 open air, by the overpowering rays of the sun. 



Shouts of laughter resounded on all sides ; we had the appear- 



