82 



INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL. 



host, after providing a place for the beasts, to pay no 

 more attention to them. This might have brought on 

 a prematm*e explanation ; but presently four Indians 

 appeared, each with a great back-load of ramon. 

 We ventured to give a hint about maize, and in a 

 moment all anxiety about our horses was at an end, 

 and we had the whole evening to manage for our- 

 selves. 



Don Jose Gulielmo Roderigues, the cura of Xul, 

 was a Guachapino, or native of Old Spain, of which, 

 like all the old Spaniards in the country, he was 

 somewhat proud. He was educated a Franciscan 

 friar ; but thirty years before, on account of the rev- 

 olutions and the persecution of his order, he fled 

 from Spain, and took refuge in Yucatan. On the 

 destruction of the Franciscan Convent in Merida, 

 and the breaking up of the Franciscan monks, he 

 secularized, and entered the regular church ; had 

 been cura of Ticul and Nohcacab ; and about ten 

 years before had been appointed to the district of 

 Xul. His curacy was one of those called benefi- 

 ciaries ; i. e., in consideration of building the church, 

 keeping it in repair, and performing the duties and 

 services of a priest, the capitation tax paid by the 

 Indians, and the fees allowed for baptism, marriages, 

 masses, salves, and funeral services, after deducting 

 one seventh for the Church, belonged to himself per- 

 sonally. At the time of his appointment, the place 

 now occupied by the village was a mere Indian ran- 

 cho. The land comprehended in his district was, 



