T I X M E A C H. P E T O. 



277 



been described ; and a third class, more important 

 to the naturahst than either of the others, compri- 

 sing birds entirely unknown until discovered by him 

 in Yucatan. The memorandum is accompanied 

 by a few notes referring to the places and circum- 

 stances under which they were procured ; and in 

 referring to them in the Appendix, I would take 

 occasion to say that some of the most really import- 

 ant matter in this work is to be found in that place, 

 for the sake of which I have considered it expedi- 

 ent materially to abridge my narrative. 



But to resume. We stopped that night at Tix- 

 meach, eight leagues distant, a neat village with a 

 well one hundred and forty-four feet deep, at which 

 every woman drawing from it left a handful of maize 

 for a cantaro of w^ater, and we paid a medio for wa- 

 tering our horses ; and setting out before daylight 

 the next morning, at half past nine we reached 

 Peto, where we found Mr. Catherwood and our 

 luggage on the hands of our friend Don Pio Perez. 



Peto is the head of a department, of which Don 

 Pio Perez was gefe politico. It was a well-built 

 town, with streets indicated, as at Merida, by figures 

 on the tops of the houses. The church and con- 

 vent were large and imposing edifices, and the living 

 of the cura one of the most valuable in the church, 

 being worth six or seven thousand dollars per an- 

 num. 



At this place we found letters and packets of 

 newspapers from home, forwarded to us from Meri- 

 II 24 



