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249 



three which got up the late revolution. Knowing 

 the curiosity we excited, and that all were anxious 

 to speak to us, without dismounting or exchanging 

 a word with an inhabitant, we passed through the 

 plaza and continued our journey. The people 

 were bewildered, as if the ragged tail of a comet 

 had passed over their heads; and afterward, at a 

 distant village, we heard the report that we had 

 passed through Tekax vestidos como Mows, or 

 dressed like Moors. The good people, having nev- 

 er seen a Moor, and not being very famihar with 

 Moorish costume, had taken our blouzes for such. 

 The strange guise in which w^e appeared to them 

 alleviated somewhat the mortification of not being 

 recognised by the fair lady of Merida. 



Our road lay for some distance along the sierra. 

 It was broad, open, and the sun beat fiercely upon 

 us. At half past ten we reached Akil, and rode up 

 to the casa real. At the door was a stone hollowed 

 out hke those often before referred to, called pilas. 

 In the steps and foundation were sculptured stones 

 from ruined mounds in the immediate neighbour- 

 hood, and the road along the yard of the church ran 

 through a mound, leaving part on each side, and 

 the excavated mass forming on one side the wall of 

 the convent yard. The rest of the wall, the church, 

 and the convent were built with stones from the 

 ancient buildings. We were on the site of another 

 ruined city, of which we had never heard, and 



Vol. II.— I I 



