196 



INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL. 



quered the whole country around, and murder any 

 white man who attempts to enter their territory. They 

 have no coin or other circulating medium ; no horses, 

 cattle, mules, or other domestic animals except fowls, 

 and the cocks they keep under ground to prevent their 

 crowing being heard. 



There was a wild novelty — something that touched 

 the imagination — in every step of our journey in that 

 country ; the old padre, in the deep stillness of the 

 dimly-lighted convent, with his long black coat like a 

 robe, and his flashing eye, called up an image of the 

 bold and resolute priests who accompanied the armies 

 of the conquerors ; and as he drew a map on the table, 

 and pointed out the sierra to the top of which he had 

 climbed, and the position of the mysterious city, the in- 

 terest awakened in us was the most thrilling I ever ex- 

 perienced. One look at that city was worth ten years 

 of an every-day life. If he is right, a place is left where 

 Indians and an Indian city exist as Cortez and Alvarado 

 found them ; there are living men who can solve the 

 mystery that hangs over the ruined cities of America ; 

 perhaps who can go to Copan and read the inscriptions 

 on its monuments. No subject more exciting and at- 

 tractive presents itself to my mind, and the deep im- 

 pression of that night will never be effaced. 



Can it be true ? Being now in my sober senses, I do 

 verily believe there is much ground to suppose that what 

 the padre told us is authentic. That the region referred 

 to does not acknowledge the government of Guatimala, 

 has never been explored, and that no white man ever 

 pretends to enter it, I am satisfied. From other sour- 

 ces we heard that from that sierra a large ruined city 

 was visible, and we were told of another person who 

 had climbed to the top of the sierra, but, on account of 



