USES OF THIS WELL. 



357 



drecito, and others to whom we communicated what 

 we saw, the next travellers will hear the same ac- 

 counts that we did. 



As we advanced, we remained a little while in 

 the cooler atmosphere before exposing ourselves to 

 the rush of cold air toward the mouth, and in an 

 hour and a half from the time of entering, we 

 emerged into the outer air. 



As a mere cave, this was extraordinary ; but as a 

 well or watering-place for an ancient city, it was 

 past belief, except for the proofs under our own 

 eyes. Around it were the ruins of a city without 

 any other visible means of supply, and, what rarely 

 happened, with the Indians it was matter of tradi- 

 tionary knowledge. They say that it was not dis- 

 covered by them ; it was used by their fathers ; they 

 did not know when it began to be used. They as- 

 cribe it to that remote people whom they refer to as 

 the antiguos. 



And a strong circumstance to induce the belief 

 that it was once used by the inhabitants of a popu- 

 lous city, is the deep track worn in the rock. For 

 ages the region around has been desolate, or occu- 

 pied only by a few Indians during the time of work-, 

 ing in the milpas. Their straggling footsteps would 

 never have made that deep track. It could only 

 have been made by the constant and long-contin- 

 ued tread of thousands. It must have been made 

 by the population of a city. 



In the grove surrounding the entrance we found 



