OFFICIAL COURTESY. 



251 



ernment, which was imperative, and made no excep- 

 tions in favour of Special Confidential Agents. He 

 was really anxious, however, to serve us, said he was 

 willing to incur some responsibility, and would consult 

 with the commandant. We left him with a warm ap- 

 preciation of the civility and good feeling of the Mexi- 

 can officials, and satisfied that, whatever might be the 

 result, they were disposed to pay great respect to their 

 neighbours of the North. The next morning the prefeto 

 sent back the passport, with a courteous message that 

 they considered me in the same light as if I had come 

 accredited to their own government, would be happy to 

 render me every facility in their power, and that Mexico 

 was open to me to travel which way I pleased. Thus 

 one great difficulty was removed. I recommend all who 

 wish to travel to get an appointment from Washington. 



As to the revolutions, after having gone through 

 the crash of a Central American, we were not to be 

 put back by a Mexican. But the preventive order 

 against visiting the ruins of Palenque was not so easi- 

 ly disposed of. If we made an application for permis- 

 sion, we felt sure of the good disposition of the local au- 

 thorities ; but if they had no discretion, were bound by 

 imperative orders, and obliged to refuse, it would be 

 uncourteous and improper to make the attempt. At 

 the same time, it was discouraging, in the teeth of Dr. 

 M'Kinney's information, to undertake the journey with- 

 out. To be obliged to retrace our steps, and make the 

 long journey to the capital to ask permission, would be 

 terrible ; but we learned that the ruins were removed 

 some distance from any habitation ; we did not believe 

 that, in the midst of a formidable revolution, the gov- 

 ernment had any spare soldiers to station there as a 

 guard. From what we knew of other ruins, we had 



