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410 INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL. 



and coasted to the point of Kancune, where we 

 landed in front of a rancho then occupied by a party 

 of fishermen. Near by was another great pile of the 

 skeletons of turtles. The fishermen were busy with- 

 in the hut mending their nets, and seemed to be lead- 

 ing a hardy, independent, and social life, entirely dif- 

 ferent from anything seen in the interior. A short 

 walk brought us to the point, on which stood two 

 dilapidated buildings, one entirely fallen, and the 

 other having dimensions like the smallest of those 

 seen at Tuloom. It was so intensely hot, and we 

 were so annoyed by millions of sand-flies, that we 

 did not think it worth while to stay, but returned to 

 the hut, embarked, and, crossing over, in two hours 

 reached the island of Mugeres. Near the shore 

 were immense flocks of sea-birds, sitting on the piles 

 of a turtle enclosure ; over our heads was a cloud 

 of white ibises, and, somewhat to the surprise of the 

 fishermen, our coming to anchor was signalized by 

 a discharge of heavy bird artillery, and a splashing 

 into the water to pick up the dead and wounded. 

 In wading ashore we stuck in a mud-bank, and had 

 time to contemplate the picturesque beauty of the 

 scene before us. It was a small sandy beach, with 

 a rocky coast on each side, and trees growing down 

 to the water, broken only by a small clearing oppo- 

 site the beach, in which were two palm leaf huts, 

 and an arbour covered with palm leaves. Under 

 the arbour hung three small hammocks, and a hardy, 

 sun-dried fisherman sat repairing a net, with two In- 



