ARRIVAL AT JALACHO. 



189 



families lying down by the roadside to sleep, with- 

 out any fear of molestation from the rest. 



At half past eleven we reached the village of Be- 

 cal, conspicuous, like all the others, for a large pla- 

 za and church with two towers. In the suburbs the 

 mayoral and I interchanged sentiments about break- 

 fast, and, after making a circle in the plaza, he struck 

 off direct for the house of the cura. I do not think 

 the cura could have been expecting me, but if so, he 

 could not have provided a better breakfast, or at 

 shorter notice. Besides the breakfast, the cura told 

 me of ruins on his hacienda which he had never vis- 

 ited, but which he promised to have cleared away, 

 and be ready to show me on my return. Circum- 

 stances occurred to prevent my returning by the same 

 road, but the cura, having had the ruins cleared away, 

 visited them himself, and I afterward heard that I had 

 lost something by not seeing them. I took leave of 

 him with the buoyancy of old times, breakfast se- 

 cured, and a prospect of another ruined city. 



In an hour I reached Jalacho, where I met Don 

 Simon and two of his brothers, with whom I was 

 not yet acquainted ; Don Lorenzo, who had a ha- 

 cienda in that neighbourhood, and Don Alonzo, then 

 living in Campeachy, who was educated in New- 

 York, and spoke English remarkably well. 



The village of Jalacho lies on the main road 

 from Merida to Campeachy, and, next to that of 

 Yzamal, its fair is the greatest in Yucatan, while in 



