248 



INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL. 



CHAPTER XII. 



Means by which the City was supplied with Water. — Aguadas. — 

 A delightful Bathing-place. — Manner of Living at the Ruins. 

 — How to roast a Pig. — Nameless Mound.— Excavations made 

 in it. — Great Exertions. — A bitter Disappointment. — An Attack 

 of Fever. — Visit from the Cura of Ticul. — Departure for Ticul. 

 — A painful Journey. — Arrival at the Convent. — Arrival of Dr. 

 Cabot, ill with Fever. — Gloomy Prospects. — A simple Remedy 

 for Fever. — Aspect of Ticul. — The Church. — Funeral Urn. — 

 Monument and Inscription. — Convent. — Character of the Cura 

 Carillo. — The Date of the Construction of the Convent un- 

 known. — Probably built with the Materials furnished by the 

 Ruins of former Cities. — Archives of the Convent. 



In the account of my former visit to the rains of 

 Uxmal, I mentioned the fact that this city was en- 

 tirely destitute of apparent means for obtaining wa- 

 ter. Within the whole circumference there is no 

 well, stream, or fountain, and nothing which bears 

 the appearance of having been used for supplying 

 or obtaining water, except the subterraneous cham- 

 bers before referred to ; which, supposing them to 

 have been intended for that purpose, would probably 

 not have been sufficient, however numerous, to sup- 

 ply the wants of so large a population. 



All the water required for our own use we were 

 obliged to procure from the hacienda. We felt the 

 inconvenience of this during the whole of our resi- 

 dence at the ruins, and very often, in spite of all 

 our care to keep a supply on hand, we came in, af- 



