286 



INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL. 



would have been interesting to meet a countryman of 

 his stamp in that quiet corner of the world. 



The prefeto was well versed in the history of Palen- 

 que. It is in the province of Tzendales, and for a cen- 

 tury after the conquest of Chiapas it remained in pos- 

 session of the Indians. Two centuries ago, Lorenzo 

 Mugil, an emissary direct from Rome, set up among 

 them the standard of the cross. The Indians still pre- 

 serve his dress as a sacred relic, but they are jealous 

 of showing it to strangers, and I could not obtain a 

 sight of it. The bell of the church, too, was sent from 

 the holy city. The Indians submitted to the dominion 

 of the Spaniards until the year 1700, when the whole 

 province revolted, and in Chillon, Tumbala, and Pa- 

 lenque they apostatized from Christianity, murdered 

 the priests, profaned the churches, paid impious adora- 

 tion to an Indian female, massacred the white men, and 

 took the women for their wives. But , as soon as the in- 

 telligence reached Guatimala, a strong force was sent 

 against them, the revolted towns were reduced and re- 

 covered to the Catholic faith, and tranquillity was re- 

 stored. The right of the Indians, however, to the own- 

 ership of the soil was still recognised, and down to the 

 time of the Mexican Independence they received rent 

 for land in the villages and the milpas in the neigh- 

 bourhood. 



A short distance from Palenque the River Chacamal 

 separates it from the country of the unbaptized Indians, 

 who are here called Caribs. Fifty years ago the Pa- 

 dre Calderon, an uncle of the prefeto's wife, attended 

 by his sacristan, an Indian, was bathing in the river, 

 when the latter cried out in alarm that some Caribs 

 were looking at them, and attempted to fly; but the 

 padre took his cane and went toward them. The Ca- 



