RUINS OF LABPHAK. 



159 



phak, taking care to carry our luggage with us, and not 

 intending, under any circumstances, to return. The 

 major domo accompanied us. It was hixurious to ride 

 on a road free from stones. In an hour we entered 

 a forest of fine trees, and a league beyond found a 

 party of Indians, who pointed us to a narrow path 

 just opened, wilder than anything we had yet travel- 

 led. After following this some distance, the Indians 

 stopped, and made signs to us to dismount. Secu- 

 ring the horses, and again following the Indians, in 

 a few minutes we saw peering:: through the trees the 

 white front of a lofty building, which, in the imper- 

 fect view we had of it, seemed the grandest we had 

 seen in the country. It had three stories, the up- 

 permost consisting of a bare dead wall, without any 

 doorways, being, the Indians told us, the casa cerra- 

 da, or closed house, which the cura and alcalde 

 intended to open con bombas. The whole build- 

 ing, with all its terraces, was overgrown with gigan- 

 tic trees. The Indians cutting a path along the 

 front, we moved on from door to door, and wan- 

 dered through its desolate chambers. For the first 

 time in the country we found interior staircases, 

 one of which was entire, every step being in its 

 place. The stones were worn, and we almost ex- 

 pected to see the foot-prints of the former occu- 

 pants. With hurried interest we moved on till we 

 reached the top. This commanded an extensive 

 view over a great wooded and desolate plain, to 

 which the appearance of the heavens gave at the 



