68 INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL. 



SO wild that even yet we had doubts, and hardly be- 

 lieved that such a path could lead to a village or 

 rancho ; but, withal, there w^as one interesting cir- 

 cumstance. In our desolate and w^andering path 

 we had seen in different places, at a distance, and 

 inaccessible, five high mounds, holding aloft the ru- 

 ins of ancient buildings ; and doubtless there were 

 more buried in the woods. At three o'clock we 

 entered a dense forest, and came suddenly upon the 

 casa real of Kewick, standing alone, almost buried 

 among trees, the only habitation of any kind in 



