JOURNEY TO JALACHO. 



187 



CHAPTER IX. 



Journey to Jalacho.— Execrable Roads. — Sight of Ruins at Sen- 

 uisacal.— A motley Multitude. — Village of Becal.— The Cura. 

 — Breakfast.— Ruins. — Arrival at Jalacho. — A great Fair. — 

 Fete of Santiago.— Miracles.— Figure of St. James.— BulZ-fight 

 and Bull-fighters. — Horse-market.— Scenes in the Plaz.*?. — Gam- 

 bling.— Primitive Circulating Medium. — A Memorial of Home. 

 A Ball. — Search for Ruins. — Hacienda of Sijoh. — Mounds of 

 Ruins. — Remarkable Stones. — A long Edifice. — Hacienda of 

 Tankuche. — More Ruins. — A plastered Wall covered with 

 Paintings. — Annoyance from Garrapafas.— Return to the Vil- 

 lage.— Ball. — Fireworks.— Condition of the Indians. 



Having made such advances in the clearing that 

 Mr. Catherwood had abundance of occupation, on 

 Thursday, tlie 18th of November, I set out, under the 

 guidance of the mayoral, on an excursion to meet 

 Don Simon Peon at the fair of Jalacho, and visit 

 some ruins on another hacienda of his in that neigh- 

 bourhood. We started at half past six, our course 

 being west by north. At ten minutes past seven we 

 crossed a serrania, or range of hills, about a hundred 

 and fifty feet high, and came down upon an exten- 

 sive savanna of low, flat land, a mere cane-brake. 

 The road was the worst I had found in the country, 

 being simply a wet and very muddy path for mules 

 and horses to the fair. My horse sunk up to his 

 saddle-girths, and it was with great exertion that he 

 dragged himself through. Every moment I had fear 

 of his rolling over in the mud, and in some places 

 I was strongly reminded of the 7nalos pasos in Cen- 



