CUAUTLA AMILPAS. 



195 



Like the generality of posadas, that in which we had 

 hired our two chambers was disposed in the form of a 

 hollow square, of which three sides were occupied by 

 the lodging rooms and stables, and the fourth opened into 

 a kind of paddock. The whole was surrounded by a 

 wall ; and a large gate formed the only mode of commu- 

 nication with the street. 



Don Juan, the master, was soon discovered to be a 

 churl, who, for some reason or other, had determined not 

 to give a civil answer to any question or any request we 

 made of him. Indeed insult and abuse were not spared. 

 Dona Dolores, his wife, and her female assistants, were 

 also evidently disposed, as far as was in their power, to 

 fall in with his humour ; and, far from performing the cus- 

 tomary offices for the traveller, in the hope of good pay- 

 ment, answered our request for food by jeering us, and 

 pointing to the door. They would give us nothing, not 

 even a glass of water. 



Our arriero and valets did not disguise their opinion 

 that we had fallen into bad hands ; but the mules were 

 unloaded — it was already dark — and altogether too late 

 to seek another lodging. 



After an hour of patient endurance, two of us sallied 

 forth on the scout ; and purchasing a pile of tortillas, and 

 a basin of frijoles, with sundry other nondescript eatables, 

 from the poor Indian women who occupied a corner of 

 the market place, returned with them to our companions. 

 The necessary information with reference to our route 

 for the morrow, towards Zacualpam Amilpas, and Cho- 

 lula, w 7 as with difficulty picked up in the shops which 

 we entered to make trifling purchases. 



Shortly after our return to our inhospitable quarters, 

 Don Juan, who seemed to be really possessed by a dia- 

 bolical spirit, and unable either to rest or to leave others 

 in repose, hit upon a method to provoke us to take a 

 more active part than hitherto in the quarrels which had 

 been incessant between his family and our servants, from 

 the hour of our arrival. At eight o'clock he locked the 

 gate of the posada, and refused the liberty of exit to any 

 of the party, stating that such was the order of the 



