RUINS OF QUTRIGUA. 



119 



Payes, and had taken such interest in the subject as to 

 inquire for and obtain the details of particular monu- 

 ments. Three sons of Seiior Payes had succeeded to 

 his estate, and at my request Don Carlos called with me 

 upon them. Neither of the sons had ever seen the ruins 

 or even visited the estate. It was an immense tract of 

 wild land, which had come into their father's hands 

 many years before for a mere trifle. He had visited it 

 once ; and they too had heard him speak of these ruins. 

 Lately the spirit of speculation had reached that coun- 

 try ; and from its fertility and position on the bank of a 

 navigable river contiguous to the ocean, the tract had 

 been made the subject of a prospectus, to be sold on 

 shares in England. The prospectus set forth the great 

 natural advantages of the location, and the inducements 

 held out to emigrants, in terms and phrases that might 

 have issued from a laboratory in New-York before the 

 crash. The Senores Payes were in the first stage of an- 

 ticipated wealth, and talked in the familiar strains of 

 city builders at home. They were roused by the pros- 

 pect of any indirect addition to the value of their real 

 estate ; told me that two of them were then making ar- 

 rangements to visit the tract, and immediately proposed 

 that I should accompany them. Mr. Catherwood, on 

 his road from Copan, had fallen in with a person at 

 Chiquimula who told him of such ruins, with the addi- 

 tion that Colonel Galindo was then at work among them. 

 Being in the neighbourhood, he had some idea of going 

 to visit them ; but, being much worn with his labours at 

 Copan, and knowing that the story was untrue as re- 

 garded Colonel Galindo, whom he knew to be in a dif- 

 ferent section of the country, he was incredulous as to 

 the whole. We had some doubt whether they would 

 repay the labour ; but as there was no occasion for him 



