422 



INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL. 



elude the next day with a baile de dia, or ball by 

 daylight, at the place where it began, in the house 

 of the patron. We were busy in making prepara- 

 tions for our departure from Nohcacab, and, though 

 strongly solicited, I was the only one of our party 

 able to attend. Early in the morning the saint was 

 in its place at one end of the room, the altar was 

 adorned with fresh flowers, and the arbour for dan- 

 cing was covered with palm leaves to protect it 

 from the sun. Under a shed in the yard was a 

 crowd of Indian women making tortillas, and pre- 

 paring dishes of various kinds for a general village 

 feast. At twelve o'clock the ball began, a little be- 

 fore two the padrecito disappeared from my side, 

 and soon after the ball broke up, and all moved to- 

 ward the house. When I entered, the padrecito 

 was in his robes before the image of the saint, sing- 

 ing a salve. The Indian sexton was perfuming it 

 with incense, and the dancers were all on their 

 knees before it, each with a lighted candle in her 

 hand. This over, came the procession de las velas, 

 or of the candles. The cross led the way ; then 

 the figure of the saint, a drunken Indian sexton 

 perfuming it with incense. The padrecito, in ta- 

 king his place behind it, took my arm and carried 

 me along ; the patron of the saint supported me on 

 the other side. We were the only men in the pro- 

 cession. An irregular troop of women followed, all 

 in their ball dresses, and bearing long lighted can- 

 dles. Moving on to the church, we restored the 



