RECORD OF MARRIAGES. 269 



record, but as they were distinguished for poHcy and 

 prudence as well as zeal, it is not likely that they un- 

 dertook the erection of this gigantic building until 

 they had been settled in the country long enough to 

 understand thoroughly its population and resources, 

 for these buildings had not only to be erected, but 

 to be kept up, and their ministers supported by the 

 resources of the district. Besides, the great church- 

 es and convents found in all parts of Spanish Amer- 

 ica were not built by means of funds sent from Spain, 

 but by the labour of the Indians themselves, after 

 they were completely subdued and compelled to 

 work for the Spaniards, or, more generally, after 

 they had embraced Christianity, when they volunta- 

 rily erected buildings for the new worship and its 

 ministers. It is not probable that either of these 

 events occurred in this interior village so early as 

 1588. 



These first entries are of the marriage, or rather 

 marriages, of two widowers and two widows — X. 

 Diego Chuc with Maria Hu, and Zpo-Bot with 

 Cata Keul. In running over the archives, it ap- 

 peared, I found, that there was in those days an 

 unusual number of widowers and widow^s disposed 

 to marry again, and, in fact, that the business of 

 this kind was in a great measure confined to them ; 

 but probably, as the relation of husband and wife 

 was not very clearly defined among the Indians, 

 these candidates for Christian matrimony had only 

 parted from former companions, and, through the 



