348 



INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL. 



way to any place of general resort, and is not worth 

 stopping at on its own account. Notwithstanding 

 the commencement of improvements, it was the 

 most backward and thoroughly Indian of any vil- 

 lage we had visited. Merida was too far off for the 

 Indians to think of; but few of the vecinos ever 

 reached it, and Ticul was their capital. Every- 

 thing that was deficient in the village they told us 

 was to be had at Ticul, and the sexton, who went 

 over once a week for the holy wafer, was always 

 charged with some errand for us. 



The first place which we proposed visiting was 

 the ruins of Xcoch, and in the very beginning of 

 our researches in this neighbourhood we found that 

 we were upon entirely new ground. The attention 

 of the people had never been turned to the subject 

 of the ruins in the neighbourhood. Xcoch was but 

 a league distant, and, besides the ruins of buildings, 

 it contained an ancient poso, or well, of mysterious 

 and marvellous reputation, the fame of which was 

 in everybody's mouth. This well was said to be a 

 vast subterraneous structure, adorned with sculptur- 

 ed figures, an immense table of polished stone, and 

 a plaza with columns supporting a vaulted roof, and 

 it was said to have a subterraneous road, which led 

 to the village of Mani, twenty-seven miles distant. 



Notwithstanding this wondrous reputation and 

 the publicity of the details, and although within 

 three miles of Nohcacab, the intelligence we re- 

 ceived was so vague and uncertain that we were at 



