200 



INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL. 



such late date as to leave but little room for error, 

 the Itzites, or people of Itza, w^ere originally from 

 the land of Maya, now Yucatan, and once formed 

 part of that nation. At the time of the insurrection 

 of the caciques of Maya, and the destruction of 

 Mayapan, Canek, one of the rebellious caciques, got 

 possession of the city of Chichen Itza. As it is 

 sometimes said, on account of the foretelling of the 

 arrival of the Spaniards by one of their prophets, 

 but more probably on account of the insecurity of 

 his possessions, he withdrew with his people from 

 the province of Chichen Itza to the most hidden 

 and impenetrable part of the mountains, and took 

 possession of the Lake of Peten, establishing his res- 

 idence on the large island which now bears that 

 name. This emigration, according to the history, 

 took place but about one hundred years before the ar- 

 rival of the Spaniards. It follows, therefore, that all 

 the adoratorios and temples which Don Martin Ur- 

 sua found on the island must have been erected with- 

 in that time. The conquest took place in March, 

 1697, and we have the interesting fact, that but about 

 one hundred and forty-five years ago, within the pe- 

 riod of two lives, a city existed occupied by unbap- 

 tized Indians, precisely in the same state as before 

 the arrival of the Spaniards, having kucs, adorato- 

 rios, and temples of the same general character with 

 the great structures now^ scattered in ruins all over 

 that country. This conclusion cannot be resisted 

 except by denying entirely the credit of all the liis- 

 torical accounts existing on the subject. 



