460 



INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL. 



knowing what he ought to receive himself, they discov- 

 ered that they had been paid two dollars short. The 

 price was twenty-five cents per man for the first, and 

 eighteen cents for every subsequent league, besides fifty 

 cents for making the coach ; so that, with four men for 

 relief, it was two dollars for the first league, and a dol- 

 lar and a half for every subsequent one ; and a calcula- 

 tion of the whole amount for nine leagues was rather 

 complicated. 



It was half past one when we reached Merida, and 

 we had been up and on the road since two in the morn- 

 ing. Fortunately, with the easy movement of the coach, 

 Mr. C. had suffered but little. I was tired beyond all 

 measure ; but I had, what enabled me to endure any 

 degree of fatigue, a good cot, and was soon asleep. 



The next morning we saw my friend Don Simon, 

 who was preparing to go back and join us. I cannot 

 sufficiently express my sense of the kindness we receiv- 

 ed from himself and his family, and only hope that I 

 may have an opportunity at some future time of return- 

 ing it in my own country. He promised, when we re- 

 turned, to go down with us and assist in a thorough 

 exploration of the ruins. The Spanish vessel was' to 

 sail the next day. Toward evening, after a heavy rain, 

 as the dark clouds were rolling away, and the setting 

 sun was tinging them with a rich golden border, we left 

 Merida. At eleven o'clock we reached Hunucama, 

 and stopped in the plaza two hours to feed the horses. 

 While here, a party of soldiers arrived from the port, 

 waving pine torches, having just returned victorious 

 from the siege of Campeachy. They were all young, 

 ardent, well dressed, and in fine spirits, and full of 

 praises of their general, who, they said, had remained 

 at Sisal to attend a ball, and was coming on as soon as 



