A DESERTED VILLAGE. 



79 



seventh we had seen that day, and, coming upon them 

 in a region of desolation, and by mountain paths which 

 human hands had never attempted to improve, their co- 

 lossal grandeur and costliness were startling, and gave 

 evidence of a retrograding and expiring people. This 

 stood in a more desolate place than any we had yet 

 seen. The grass was green, the sod unbroken even by 

 a mule path, not a human being was in sight, and even 

 the gratings of the prison had no one looking through 

 them. It was, in fact, a picture of a deserted village. 

 We rode up to the cabildo, the door of which was fast- 

 ened and the shed barricaded, probably to prevent the 

 entrance of straggling cattle. We tore away the fast- 

 enings, broke open the door, and, unloading the mules, 

 sent Augustin on a foraging expedition. In half an 

 hour he returned with one egg, being all that he was 

 able to procure ; but he had waked up the village, and 

 the alcalde, an Indian with a silver-headed cane, and 

 several alguazils with long thin rods or wands of office, 

 came down to examine us. We showed them our pass- 

 port, and told them where we were going, at which, 

 with their characteristic indifference of manner, they 

 expressed no surprise. They could not read the pass- 

 port, but they examined the seal and returned it. We 

 asked them for eggs, fowls, milk, &c., to all of which 

 they answered, what afterward became but too familiar, 

 " no hay," there is none," and in a few minutes they 

 retired and left u^ to ourselves. 



The cabildo was about forty feet long and twenty 

 broad, with plastered walls ; its furniture consisted of 

 a large table and two benches with high backs, and the 

 alcalde sent us a jar of water. We abused the mule- 

 teer for stopping at a place where we could get nothing 

 to eat, and made our dinner and supper upon bread and 



