414 



INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL. 



had no spurs ; my horse seemed to know my condi- 

 tion, and went on a slow walk, nibbling at every 

 bush. The fever came on, and I was obliged to 

 dismount and lie down under a bush ; but the gar- 

 rapatas drove me away. At length I reached the 

 village, and this was my last visit to Kabah ; but I 

 have already finished a description of its ruins. 

 Doubtless more lie buried in the woods, and the 

 next visiter, beginning where we left off, if he be at 

 all imbued with interest in this subject, will push his 

 investigations much farther. We were groping in 

 the dark. Since the hour of their desolation and 

 wo came upon them, these buildings had remained 

 unknown. Except the cura Carillo, who first in- 

 formed us of them, perhaps no white man had wan- 

 dered through their silent chambers. We were the 

 first to throw open the portals of their grave, and 

 they are now for the first time presented to the pub- 

 lic. 



But I can do little more than state the naked fact 

 of their existence. The cloud which hangs over 

 their history is much darker than that resting over 

 the ruins of Uxmal. I can only say of them that 

 they lie on the common lands of the village of Noh- 

 cacab. Perhaps they have been known to the In- 

 dians from time immemorial ; but, as the padrecito 

 told us, until the opening of the camino real to Bo- 

 lonchen they were utterly unknown to the white 

 inhabitants. This road passed through the ancient 

 city, and discovered the great buildings, overgrown, 



