FEUDAL RELATIONS IN YUCATAN. 405 



of his skin ; but as the Indians are poor, thriftless, and 

 improvident, and never look beyond the immediate 

 hour, they are obliged to attach themselves to some ha- 

 cienda which can supply their wants ; and, in return for 

 the privilege of using the water, they come under cer- 

 tain obligations of. service to the master, which place 

 him in a lordly position ; and this state of things, grow- 

 ing out of the natural condition of the country, exists, I 

 believe, nowhere in Spanish America except in Yuca- 

 tan. Each hacienda has its major-domo, who attends 

 to all the details of the management of the estate, and 

 ill the absence of the master is his viceroy, and has the 

 same powers over the tenants. At this hacienda the 

 major-domo was a young Mestitzo, and had fallen into 

 his place in an easy and natural way by marrying his 

 predecessor's daughter, who had just enough white 

 blood to elevate the dulness of the Indian face into one 

 of softness and sweetness ; and yet it struck me that he 

 thought quite as much of the place he got with her as 

 of herself. 



It would have been a great satisfaction to pass sev- 

 eral days at this lordly hacienda ; but, not expecting 

 anything to interest us on the road, we had requested 

 Donna Joaquina to hurry us through, and the servant 

 told us that the senora's orders were to conduct us to 

 another hacienda of the family, about two leagues be- 

 yond, to sleep. At the moment we were particularly 

 loth to leave, on account of the fatigue of the previous 

 ride. The servant suggested to the major-domo llamar 

 un coche ; in English, to " call a coach," which the 

 latter proposed to do if we wished it. We made a few 

 inquiries, and said, unhesitatingly and peremptorily, in 

 effect, " Go call a coach, and let a coach be called." 

 The major-domo ascended by a flight of stone steps 



