246 



INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL. 



burned him to ashes, and shouted " Viva la inde- 

 pendencia." But few of them had ever heard of 

 Santa Ana, but this was no reason why they should 

 not pelt him with stones and burn him in effigy. 

 They knew nothing of the relations between Yu- 

 catan and Mexico, and by the cry of independencia 

 they meant a release from tribute to the government 

 and debts to mastei*s. With but little practice in 

 revolutions, they made a fair start by turning out the 

 alcaldes and levying contributions upon political op- 

 ponents, and threw out the formidable threat that 

 they would march three hundred men against the 

 capital, and compel a declaration of independence. 

 Intelligence of these movements soon reached Mer- 

 ida, and fearful menaces of war were bandied from 

 one city to the other. Each waited for the other 

 to make the first demonstration, but at length the 

 capital sent forth its army, which reached Ticul the 

 day after I left at the conclusion of my first visit, 

 and while Doctor Cabot was still there. It was 

 then within one day's march of the seat of rebel- 

 lion, but halted to rest, and to let the moral effect of 

 its approach go on before. The reader has per- 

 haps never before heard of Tekax ; nevertheless, a 

 year has not elapsed since the patriotic, half-naked 

 band in arms for independence thought that the eyes 

 of the whole world were upon them. In three days 

 the regular army resumed its march, with cannon in 

 front, colours flying, drums beating, and the women 

 of Ticul laughing, sure that there would be no 



