126 



INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL. 



ever he may be found," was no less than I expected 

 from his character and station. I requested Don Mi- 

 guel to read it aloud, told the Indian to deliver our com- 

 pliments to General Cascara, and sent him to the vil- 

 lage to breakfast, with a donation which I knew would 

 make him publish the story with right emphasis and 

 discretion. Don Miguel smiled, his wife laughed, and 

 a few spots of white flashed along Bartalo's dirty skin. 

 Stocks rose, and I resolved to ride to the village, 

 strengthen the cords of friendship with Don Jose Maria, 

 visit our patients, defy Don Gregorio, and get up a 

 party in Copan. 



Mr. Catherwood went to the ruins to continue his 

 drawings, and I to the village, taking Augustin with me 

 to fire the Balize guns, and buy up eatables for a little 

 more than they were worth. My first visit was to Don 

 Jose Maria. After clearing up our character, I broached 

 » the subject of a purchase of the ruins ; told him that, on 

 account of my public business, I could not remain as 

 long as I desired, but wished to return with spades, 

 pickaxes, ladders, crowbars, and men, build a hut to 

 live in, and make a thorough exploration ; that I could 

 not incur the expense at the risk of being refused per- 

 mission to do so ; and, in short, in plain English, asked 

 him, What will you take for the ruins ? I think he was 

 not more surprised than if I had asked to buy his poor 

 old wife, our rheumatic patient, to practice medicine 

 upon. He seemed to doubt which of us was out of his 

 senses. The property was so utterly worthless that 

 my wanting to buy it seemed very suspicious. On ex- 

 amining the paper, I found that he did not own the fee, 

 but held under a lease from Don Bernardo de Aguila, 

 of which three years were unexpired. The tract con- 

 sisted of about six thousand acres, for which he paid 



