234 



INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL. 



a few grains of corn and covering them over. Once 

 in the ground, it is left to take care of itself, and if 

 it will not grow, it is considered that the land is not 

 worth having. The corn has a fair start with the 

 weeds, and they keep pace amicably together. The 

 hoe, plough, and harrow are entirely unknown ; in- 

 deed, in general neither of the last two could be 

 used, on account of the stony face of the country : 

 the machete is the only instrument employed. 



The milpa around the ruins of Uxmal had been 

 more than usually neglected ; the crop turned out 

 badly, but such as it was, the Indians from three of 

 Don Simon's adjoining haciendas, according to their 

 obligation to the master, were engaged in getting it 

 in. They were distributed in different parts of the 

 field ; and of those we came upon first, I counted 

 a small group of fifty-three. As we drew near, all 

 stopped working, approached Don Simon, bowed 

 respectfully to him, and then to us as his friends. 

 The corn had been gathered, and these men were 

 engaged in threshing it out. A space was cleared 

 of about a hundred feet square, and along the bor- 

 der of it was a line of small hammocks hanging on 

 stakes fixed in the ground, in which the Indians 

 slept during the whole time of the harvest, each with 

 a little fire underneath to warm him in the cool 

 night air, and drive away the moschetoes. 



Don Simon threw himself into one of the ham- 

 mocks, and held out one of his legs, which was cover- 

 ed with burrs and briers. These men were free and 



