ACROSS THE CONTINENT, WESTWARD TO COBAN. 8*7 
at hand, we were troubled rather than pleased by these 
picturesque properties. We came to an ox-train camped 
in the middle of the road; and but for the glowing em¬ 
bers of their camp-fires we should have had great difficulty 
in passing. 
As the gray dawn brightened over the mountains, the 
numerous white cascades attracted enough attention to 
keep us from the drowsiness we were both falling into 
from the darkness, cold, and dampness, and the slow gait 
of our horses. Fire-flies were still sparkling when it was 
light enough to see the road. 
It was quite early when we came to Tamahu; and as we 
entered the little town (1,517 inhabitants), which is twelve 
leagues from Coban, we saw a shrine with images as hor¬ 
rible as any of the idols of the ancient Polynesians. Most 
of the houses had tiled roofs, and looked neat and comfort¬ 
able. At one of the best we stopped for coffee ; and while 
the preparations for our meal were going on, Frank and I 
went up to the church hard by. The door was tied with a 
rope, and we found little of interest within, except images 
closely resembling East Indian idols, and around all a 
flavor of mild decay. Our hostess — for always it was 
the senora who managed the hospitalities and took the 
pay therefor — gave us rolls and fried plantains with our 
good coffee, and the table and bench were of some choice 
wood, darker and harder than mahogany. Fine roses 
blossomed in the yard (it was November), and cotton- 
dyeing and weaving, the principal industries of the town, 
were carried on in nearly every house. Lime-burning and 
tile-making also employ a goodly number of the people. 
As we rode into the country, we passed many clumps 
of a fine arborescent composite some twenty feet high, — 
