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INCIDENTS OP TRAVEL. 



CHAPTER XXVII. 



Journey to Merida. — Village of Moona. — A Pond of Water, a Curiosity. — Aboula. 

 — Indian Runners. — Merida. — Departure. — Hunucama. — Siege of Campeachy. 

 — Embarcation for Havana. — Incidents of the Passage.— Fourth of July at Sea. 

 — Shark-fishing. — Getting lost at Sea. — Relieved by the Helen Maria. — Pas- 

 sage to New-York. — Arrival.— Conclusion. 



But to return to ourselves. At three, by the light of 

 the moon, we left Uxmal by the most direct road for Me- 

 rida, Mr. Catherwood in a coach and I on horseback, 

 charged with a letter from the junior major-domo to his 

 compatriot and friend, Delmonico's head chocolate-ma- 

 ker. As I followed Mr. C. through the woods, borne on 

 the shoulders of Indians, the stillness broken only by the 

 shuffle of their feet, and under my great apprehensions for 

 his health, it almost seemed as if I were following his bier. 

 At the distance of three leagues we entered the village of 

 Moona, where, though a fine village, having white peo- 

 ple and Mestitzoes among its inhabitants, travellers were 

 more rare than in the interior of Central America. We 

 were detained two hours at the casa real, waiting for a 

 relief coach. At a short distance beyond, my guide 

 led me out of the road to show me a pond of water, 

 which in that country was a curiosity. It was sur- 

 rounded by woods ; wild cattle were drinking on the 

 borders, and started like deer at our approach. At the 

 distance of four leagues we reached the village of 

 Aboula, with a plaza enclosed by a rough picket-fence, 

 a good casa real and fine old alcalde, who knew our 

 servant as belonging to the Peon family. 



There was no intermediate village, and he undertook 



