340 INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL. 



Chemax contains nearly ten thousand inhabitants, 

 and was in existence at the time of the conquest. 

 Four years after the foundation of Merida tlie In- 

 dians in the neighbourhood of ValladoHd formed a 

 conspiracy to destroy the Spaniards, and the first 

 blow was struck at Chemax, where they caught two 

 brothers, whom they put upon crosses, and shot at 

 from a distance till they were covered with arrows. 

 At sunset they took down the bodies, dismembered 

 them, and sent the heads and limbs to different pla- 

 ces, to show that vengeance was begun. 



The curacy of Chemax comprehended within its 

 jurisdiction all between it and the sea. The cura 

 had drawn up a report, by order of the government, 

 of the condition and character of the region under 

 his charge, and its objects of curiosity and inter- 

 est, from which I copied the following notice in 

 regard to ruins known by the name of Coba. 



" In the eastern part of this village, at eight 

 leagues' distance, and fourteen from the head of the 

 district, near one of the three lagunas, is a building 

 that the indigenes call Monjas. It consists of va- 

 rious ranges of two stories, all covered with arches, 

 closed with masonry of rude stone, and each piece 

 is of six square yards. Its interior pavement is pre- 

 served entire, and on the walls of one, in the sec- 

 ond story, are some painted figures in different atti- 

 tudes, showing, without doubt, according to the sup- 

 position of the natives, that these are the remains 

 of that detestable worship so commonly found. 



