JOURNEY TO PALENQUE. 



263 



narrow and difficult paths, which wind across mountains 

 and precipices, and which it is necessary to follow some- 

 times on mules, sometimes on foot, sometimes on the 

 shoulders of Indians, and sometimes in hammocks. In 

 some places it is necessary to pass on bridges, or, rather, 

 trunks of trees badly secured, and over lands covered 

 with wood, desert and dispeopled, and to sleep in the 

 open air, excepting a very few villages and huts. 



" We had with us thirty or forty vigorous Indians to 

 carry our luggage and hammocks. After having expe- 

 rienced in this long and painful journey every kind of 

 fatigue and discomfort, we arrived, thank God, at the 

 village of Palenque." 



This was now the journey before us ; and, according 

 to the stages we had arranged, to avoid sleeping out at 

 night, it was to be made in five instead of eight days. 

 The terrible, rains of the two preceding nights had in- 

 fected us with a sort of terror, and Pawling was com- 

 pletely shaken in his purpose of continuing with us. 

 The people of the village told him that after the rains 

 had fairly set in it would be impossible to return, and 

 in the morning, though reluctantly, he determined 

 abruptly to leave us and go back. We were very un- 

 willing to part with him, but, under the circumstances, 

 could not urge him to continue. Our luggage and lit- 

 tle traps, which we had used in common, were separa- 

 ted ; Mr. Catherwood bade him good-by and rode on ; 

 but while mounted, and in the act of shaking hands to 

 pursue our opposite roads, I made him a proposition 

 which induced him again to change his determination, 

 at the risk of remaining on the other side of the mount- 

 ains until the rainy season was over. In a few minutes 

 we overtook Mr. Catherwood. 



The fact is, we had some apprehensions from the 



