AN ABRUPT TERMINATION. 



217 



rested without knowing any better than when I en- 

 tered to what point these passages led, or for what 

 purposes they had been constructed. My first im- 

 pulse was, not to turn back, but to begin immedi- 

 ately and dig a way through ; but the impossibility 

 of accomplishing anything in this way soon pre- 

 sented itself. For the Indians to carry out the earth 

 on their backs through all these passages would be 

 a never-ending work ; besides, I had no idea how 

 far the destruction extended, and, for the present at 

 least, nothing could be done. 



In a spirit of utter disappointment, I pointed out 

 to the Indians the mass of earth that, as it were, 

 maliciously cut off all my hopes, and told them to 

 put an end to their lying stories about the Laberinto 

 and its having no end ; and in my disappointment I 

 began to feel most sensibly the excessive heat and 

 closeness of the place, which I had hardly perceived 

 before, and which now became almost insufferable 

 from the smoke of the torches and the Indians cho- 

 king the narrow passage. 



All that I could do, and that was very unsatisfac- 

 tory, was to find out the plan of this subterraneous 

 structure. I had with me a pocket compass, and, 

 notwithstanding the heat and smoke, and the little 

 help that the Indians afforded me, under all annoy- 

 ances, and with the sweat dropping on my memo- 

 randum book, I measured back to the door. 



I remained outside a few moments for fresh air, 

 and entered again to explore the passage which 



Vol. L— E e 19 



