DEPARTURE FROM CHICHEN. 



325 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



Departure from Chichen.— Village of Kaua.—Cuncunul.-— Arrival 

 at Valladolid. — An Accident. — Appearance of the City. — Don 

 Pedro Baranda's Cotton Factory. — A Countryman. — Mexican 

 Revolution. — The Indians as Soldiers. — Adventures of a Demo- 

 nio. — Character of the People. — Gamecocks. — Difficulty of ob- 

 taining Information in regard to the Route. — Departure for the 

 Coast. — Party of Indians. — Village of Chemax. — Fate of Molas 

 the Pirate. — Discouraging Accounts.—Plans deranged. — The 

 Convent. — The Cura. — Population of the Village. — Its early 

 History. — Ruins of Coba. — Indian Sepulchre. — Relics. — A Pen- 

 knife found in the Sepulchre. 



On Tuesday, the twenty-ninth of March, we left 

 Chichen. It was still in the gray of the morning 

 when we caught our last view of the great buildings, 

 and as we turned away we felt that the few short 

 months of our journey had been a time of interest 

 and wonder, such as rarely occurs in life. At nine 

 o'clock we reached the village of Kaua, six leagues 

 distant, and at half past eleven the small village of 

 Cuncunul, within an hour's ride of Valladolid, and 

 there we determined to dine, and wait for the ser- 

 vants and carriers. 



We remained till four o'clock, and then set out 

 for Valladolid. As far as the suburbs the road was 

 broken and stony. We entered by the great Church 

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