36 



INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL. 



of this country, and they were all like English turn- 

 pikes compared with that upon which we entered on 

 leaving this rancho. In fact, it was a mere path 

 through the woods, the branches of the trees being 

 trimmed away to a height barely sufficient to admit 

 of an Indian passing under with a load of maize 

 on his back. We were advised that it would be 

 very difficult to get through on horseback, and were 

 obliged to keep dodging the head and bending the 

 body to avoid the branches, and at times we were 

 brought to a stand by some overhanging arm of a 

 tree, and obliged to dismount. 



At the distance of two leagues we reached the 

 rancho of Sannacte, the Indians of which were the 

 wildest people in appearance we had yet seen. As 

 we rode through, the women ran away and hid 

 themselves, and the men crouched on the ground 

 bareheaded, with long black hair hanging over their 

 eyes, gazing at us in stupid astonishment. The 

 same scarcity of water still continued. The ran- 

 cho was entirely destitute ; it had no pozo or well of 

 any kind, either ancient or modern, and the inhabi- 

 tants procured their whole supply from the village of 

 Sabachshe, two leagues, or six miles, distant! This 

 supply, too, was brought daily on the backs of In- 

 dians ; but again in this arid and destitute region 

 was still another evidence of ancient population — 

 another desolate and ruined city. 



Beyond the outskirts of the rancho was a large 

 clearing for a milpa, within which, naked and ex- 



