HACIENDA OF SANTA MARIA. 



243 



lot is a necessity that takes the husband from his 

 home. 



In the suburbs of the village we commenced as- 

 cending the sierra, from the top of which we saw 

 at the foot the hacienda of Santa Maria. Behind 

 it rose a high mound, surrounded by trees, indicating 

 that here too were the ruins of an ancient city. 



Descending the sierra, we rode up to the hacien- 

 da, and saw three gentlemen sitting under a shed 

 breakfasting. One of them had on a fur hat, a mark 

 of civiUzation which w^e had not seen for a long 

 time ; an indication that he was from the city of 

 Tekax, and had merely come out for a morning 

 ride. 



The proprietor came out to receive us, and, 

 pointing to the mound, we made some inquiry about 

 the building, but he did not comprehend us, and, 

 supposing that we meant some old ranchos in that 

 direction, said that they were for the servants. Al- 

 bino explained that we were travelUng over the 

 country in search of ruins, and the gentleman look- 

 ed at him perhaps somewhat as the inn-keeper 

 looked at Sancho Panza when he explained that 

 his master was a knight-errant travelhng to redress 

 grievances. We succeeded, however, in coming to 

 an understanding about the mound, and the master 

 told us that he had never been to it ; that there was 

 no path ; that if we attempted to go to it we should 

 be eaten up by garrapatas, and he called some In- 

 dians, who said that it was entirely in ruins. This 



