160 



INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL. 



moment an air of additional dreariness. The sky 

 was overcast, and portended the coming of another 

 Norte. The wind swept over the ruined building, 

 so that in places we were obliged to cling to the 

 branches of the trees to save ourselves from falling. 

 An eagle stayed his flight through the air and hov- 

 ered over our heads. At a great height Doctor Ca- 

 bot recognised it as one of a rare species, the first 

 which he had seen in the country, and stood with his 

 gun ready, hoping to carry it home with him as a 

 memorial of the place ; but the proud bird soared 

 away. 



It seemed almost sacrilege to disturb the repose in 

 which this building lay, and to remove its burial 

 shroud, but soon, amid the ringing of the axe and 

 machete, and the crash of falling trees, this feeling 

 wore away. We had thirty Indians, who, working 

 under the direction of the major domo, were equal 

 to forty or fifty in our hands, and there was the 

 most glorious excitement I had experienced in walk- 

 ing along these terraces, with Albino and the ma- 

 jor domo to convey my directions to the Indians. 

 Indeed, I can hardly imagine a higher excitement 

 than to go through that country with a strong 

 force, time, and means at command, to lay bare the 

 whole region in which so many ruined cities are 

 now buried. 



In the mean time Mr. Catherwood, still an inva- 

 lid, and deprived of sleep the night before, had his 

 hammock slung in an apartment at the top of the 



