MINOR MISERIES. 



145 



I have omitted the particulars of our survey ; the dif- 

 ficulty and labour of opening lines through the trees ; 

 climbing up the sides of the ruined pyramids ; meas- 

 uring steps, and the aggravation of all these from our 

 want of materials and help, and our imperfect knowl- 

 edge of the language. The people of Copan could not 

 comprehend what we were about, and thought we were 

 practising some black art to discover hidden treasure. 

 Bruno and Francisco, our principal coadjutors, were 

 completely mystified, and even the monkeys seemed 

 embarrassed and confused ; these counterfeit present- 

 ments of ourselves aided not a little in keeping alive the 

 strange interest that hung over the place. They had 

 no monkey tricks,'' but were grave and solemn as if 

 officiating as the guardians of consecrated ground. In 

 the morning they were quiet, but in the afternoon they 

 came out for a promenade on the tops of the trees ; and 

 sometimes, as they looked steadfastly at us, they seemed 

 on the point of asking us why we disturbed the repose 

 of the ruins. I have omitted, too, what aggravated our 

 hardships and disturbed our sentiment, apprehensions 

 from scorpions, and bites of moschetoes and garrapatas 

 or ticks, the latter of which, in spite of precautions (pan- 

 taloons tied tight over our boots and coats buttoned 

 close in the throat), got under our clothes, and buried 

 themselves in the flesh; at night, moreover, the hut of 

 Don Miguel was alive with fleas, to protect ourselves 

 against which, on the third night of our arrival we 

 sewed up the sides and one end of our sheets, and 

 thrust ourselves into them as we would into a sack. 

 And while in the way of mentioning our troubles I may 

 add, that during this time the flour of the hacienda gave 

 out, we were cut off from bread, and brought down to 

 tortillas. 



Vol. I.— T 13 



