332 INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL. 



jects were in sight, one of which, grand in propor- 

 tions and loftily situated, was the great church I had 

 seen from the top of the sierra in coming from Ti- 

 cul ; the other was the noria, or well. This was an 

 oblong enclosure with high stone walls, and a roof 

 of palm leaves at one end, under which a mule was 

 going round continually with a beam, drawing water 

 into a large oblong basin cemented, from which the 

 women of the village were filling their water-jars. 



In our stroll out of doors our Indian carriers es- 

 pied us, and came staggering toward us in a body, 

 giving us to understand that they were overjoyed at 

 seeing us, and congratulating us upon our recovery. 

 They had not had a fair start with the Indians 

 of the village, but they had been expeditious, and, by 

 making good use of their time and the money we 

 paid them, were as thoroughly intoxicated as the 

 best in Nohcacab. Still they were good-natured as 

 children, and, as usual, each one concluded his lit- 

 tle speech with begging a medio. 



The North American Indian is by drinking made 

 insolent, ferocious, and brutal, and with a knife in 

 his hand he is always a dangerous character; but 

 the Indians of Yucatan when intoxicated are onlv 

 more docile and submissive. All wear machetes, 

 but they never use them to do harm. 



We endeavoured to persuade our bearers to re- 

 turn to the hacienda before their money was all 

 spent, and at length, giving us to understand that it 

 was in obedience to us, they went away. We 



