A CRIPPLED DOG. 



365 



CHAPTER XX. 



A crippled Dog. — Island of Cozumel known to the Natives by the 

 Name of Cuzamil. — Discovered by Juan De Grijalva. — Extracts 

 from the Itinerary of his Voyage. — Towers seen by the Span- 

 iards. — An ancient Indian Village. — Temples. — Idols prostrated 

 by the Spaniards. — Present State of the Island. — Overgrown 

 with Trees. — Terrace and Building. — Another Building. — These 

 Buildings probably the Towers seen by the Spaniards. — Identi- 

 cal with those on the Mainland, — Ruins of a Spanish Church. — 

 Its History unknown. — Vanity of Human Expectations. — Opin- 

 ion of the old Spanish Writers. — Their Belief that the Cross was 

 found among the Indians as a Symbol of Christian Worship. 

 — The " Cozumel Cross" at Merida.— Platform in Front of the 

 Church. — Square Pillars. — Once supported Crosses. — The Coz- 

 umel Cross one of them. — The Cross never recognised by the 

 Indians as a Symbol of Worship. — Rare Birds- — A Sudden 

 Storm. — The Canoa in a Strait. — Fearful Apprehensions. 



The next morning, while breakfasting on the old 

 hatch, we saw a dog peering at us from a distance, 

 as if wishing, but fearful to approach. The poor 

 beast was crippled, hmped badly, and had his fore 

 shoulder horribly mangled, the patron said by an en- 

 counter with a wild boar. We endeavoured to en- 

 tice him to us, but, after looking at us a few mo- 

 ments, he went away, and never came near us 

 again. No doubt he was one of the five left by Don 

 Vicente Albino, and, abandoned once, he had lost 

 all confidence in man. In a few years, if these are 

 not eaten up by stronger beasts, a race of wild dogs 

 may inhabit this deserted island. 



The island of Cozumel, as it is now called, was 



