ORNITHOLOGY OF YUCATAN. 



275 



CHAPTER XVL 



Departure from Mani. — Ornithology of Yucatan. — Discoveries of 

 Doctor Cabot. — Village of Tixmeach. — Peto. — Church and Con- 

 vent. — News from Home. — Don Pio Perez. — Indian Almanac. 

 — A Fragment of Maya Manuscript. — Journey resumed. — 

 Taihxiu. — Yaxcala. — Piste. — Arrival at Chichen, — First Sight 

 of the Ruins. — The Hacienda. — A strange Reception. — Lodg- 

 ings. — Situation of the Ruins. — Mr. Burke. — Magnificent Ap- 

 pearance of the Ruins. — Derivation of the Word Chichen. — Se- 

 notes. — Different from those before presented. — Mischievous 

 Boys. — Failure of the Corn Crop. 



Monday, March 7. Before daylight the next 

 morning we left Mani. 



Our present mode of travelling favoured Doctor 

 Cabot's particular objects. His best chance for pro- 

 curing birds was always on the road, the time pass- 

 ed at ruins, on account of the density of the woods 

 and underbrush, being in a great measure lost to 

 him. Yucatan had never before been explored or- 

 nithologically ; or, to speak more correctly, the only 

 person who had given any attention to that branch 

 of its natural history, a German, died in the country ; 

 his collections were scattered and his notes lost. 

 Doctor Cabot's field of operations, therefore, was, 

 like our own, entirely new ; and our attention be- 



