In Indian Mexico — Chapter XXII - In the Maya Land, part 1

(1901) We had planned to go from Tampico to Chiapas, and from there to Yucatan, where we were to finish our work for the season.

We found, however, that there was no certainty in regard to a boat for Coatzacoalcos, while the Benito Juarez was about to sail for Progreso the next day.

Not to lose time, we decided to do our Yucatan work first, and to let Chiapas wait until later.

We were busy that day making arrangements for departure, and in the afternoon hired a canoe to take our stuff from the wharf to the boat, which was standing out in the river, beyond Doña Cecilia.

There was a brisk wind against us, and we almost arrived too late to have our luggage taken aboard.

The next morning, we took the first train to Doña Cecilia, and were on board the boat at nine o'clock.

We had been told that the sailing would take place at ten, but, on arrival, found that they were waiting for cattle which were being brought across country.

One hundred and twenty head were to make our chief cargo, and they were expected at six a. m.

Nothing, however, was to be seen of them in any direction.

We had taken breakfast, and it was almost twelve o'clock before the first signs of the animals were to be seen.

Meantime, at eleven, a norther appeared, and we were informed that it would be impossible to leave short of twenty-four hours.

Besides our company, there were three first-class passengers--a sort of German-Austrian baron and his lady, and a contractor, who was taking a force of hands to Yucatan for farm labor.

Eighty-three of these hands were our third-class passengers; they had been picked up all along the line of the Tampico Branch of the Central Railway, and few of them realized the hardships and trials which lay before them.

We were assured that more than half of them would surely die before the end of their first year in Yucatan.

As we could not leave until the norther passed, it was decided not to take the cattle on board until next day.

Thus we spent a day as prisoners on the boat, standing in the river.

In the morning the water was still rough and the wind heavy, but at 9:30 the loading of the animals began.

They were brought out on a barge, about one-half of the whole number to a load; tackle was rigged and the creatures were lifted by ropes looped around their horns.

The first few were lifted singly, but after that, two at once.

While it sounds brutal, it is really a most convenient method, and the animals, though startled, do not seem to be injured in the least, nor indulge in much kicking.

By 11:40 all were loaded and we were ready for our start.

We had to wait until the customs-house inspector should come on board to discharge us, and this was not done until half-past one.

We sailed out, between the jetties, at two o'clock, and found the Gulf rough, and a high wind, which continued through most of our voyage.

The smell from the cattle was disagreeable, and between it and the roughness, all were seasick before the first afternoon was over.

Captain Irvine is the youngest captain of the Ward Line, being but twenty-six years of age.

He has followed the sea since he was thirteen years old.

A Nova Scotian by birth, he has sailed this coast for some little time, and is a competent official, doing his utmost for the pleasure and convenience of his passengers.

The journey was uneventful.

There was some excitement among the third-class passengers, many of whom were drunk and quarrelsome.

The first evening, two of them were fighting, with the result that the head of one was split open and had to be dressed by the captain.

When we had been some forty-eight or fifty hours at sea, we found ourselves off the Campeche banks, in quieter water.

Those who had suffered from sickness were again quite themselves.

It was 4:30 Sunday morning, February 3, after we had been almost three days and three nights at sea, and four days on the boat, that the Progreso light was sighted, and not long after we came to anchor.

We waited from six o'clock until almost ten for lighters and the doctor.

After he had made his inspection, we piled off with all our baggage onto a little steamer, which charged three dollars, each passenger, for taking us to the pier, which was close by, and to which our own boat could easily have run.

This, however, was but the beginning of Yucatecan troubles.

When we found ourselves on the wharf, the customs officials insisted upon our going to the general office for inspection, on account of the character and amount of our luggage.

Arrived there, we found that we had no clearing papers for our stuff, and forty dollars duty was required for material which had already paid duty in entering Mexico, and which had only gone from one Mexican port to another, as baggage.

In vain we argued and attempted to explain matters.

The officials advised us to bring the American consul and have him straighten matters; but his office was shut, as it was Sunday.

Meantime, we saw the train, which we had expected to take at 11:30, leave for Mérida, and at twelve o'clock the customs-house offices were closed, and we were forced to leave the business for another day.

Fortunately, there are two railroads from Progreso to Mérida, and we were able to take an afternoon train over the narrow-gauge line for the capital city.

The station was an enormous, wooden, barn-like structure; the cars were weather-beaten and dilapidated to a degree--except the first-class car, which was in fair condition.

Passengers were gathering, but no particular signs of the starting of a train were evident.

Boys at the station were selling slabs of pudding, squares of sponge cake soaked with red liquor, pieces of _papaya_, cups of sweetened boiled rice, and oranges.

The oranges were unexpectedly high in price, two selling for a _medio_; the seller pares off the yellow skins and cuts them squarely in two before selling; the buyer eats merely the pulp, throwing the white skin away.

As train-time neared, interesting incidents occurred.

The ticket-agent was drunk and picked a quarrel with a decent, harmless-looking indian; the conductor dressed in the waiting-room, putting on a clean shirt and taking off his old one, at the same time talking to us about our baggage-checks.

A fine horse, frisky and active, was loaded into the same baggage-freight car with our goods.

The bells were rung as signals, and the station locked;

the whole management--ticket-agent, conductor and baggagemen--then got upon the train and we were off.

At one of the stations the ticket-agent took his horse out from the car, and riding off into the country, we saw no more of him.

[Illustration: LOADING CATTLE; DOÑA CECILIA] [Illustration: MAYAS, RETURNING FROM WORK; SANTA MARIA] The country through which we were running was just as I had imagined it.

Though it was supposed to be the cold season, the day was frightfully hot, and everyone was suffering.

The country was level and covered with a growth of scrub.

There was, however, more color in the gray landscape than I had expected.

Besides the grays of many shades--dusty trees, foliage, bark and branches--there were greens and yellows, both of foliage and flowers, and here and there, a little red.

But everywhere there was the flat land, the gray limestone, the low scrub, the dust and dryness, and the blazing sun.

There were many palm trees--chiefly cocoa-nut--on the country-places, and there were fields of hennequín, though neither so extensive nor well-kept as I had anticipated.

It resembles the maguéy, though the leaves are not so broad, nor do they grow from the ground; the hennequín leaves are long, narrow, sharp-pointed, and rather thickly set upon a woody stalk that grows upright to a height of several feet.

The leaves are trimmed off, from season to season, leaving the bare stalk, showing the leaf-scar.

The upper leaves continue to grow.

In places we noticed a curious mode of protecting trees by rings of limestone rock built around them; many of these trees appear to grow from an elevated, circular earth mass.

At Conkal, the great stone church magnificently represented the olden time, but it bore two lightning rods and was accompanied by two wind-mills of American manufacture.

Everywhere, in fact, the American wind-mill is in evidence.

One can but wish that the poor users of the old _cenotes_ might come to life, and, for a little time, enjoy the work of the winds in their behalf.

Everywhere we saw plenty of Maya indians and heard something of the old language.

All travellers to Yucatan comment on the universal cleanness of the population; notable in the indians, this marks equally well the _mestizos_, whites and negroes.

They are not only clean, but all are well dressed.

Men wear low, round-crowned, broad-brimmed palm hats; trousers are rarely of the tight-fitting Mexican kind; indians who work at heavy labor protect their clean white shirts and drawers with a strip of stuff, like ticking, wrapped about them.

Women wear two white garments, both ample, hanging from the neck, bordered with black or colored bands.

They generally wear long necklaces or rosaries, the beads of which are spaced with gold coins, and a cross of gold or a medal of the same material hangs at the bottom.

Women of middle age are usually stout, and march with quite a stately tread.

Mérida itself is much larger and better built than we had expected.

Many of the houses, especially on the outskirts, are elliptical in section, and have walls of small stones closely set in mud plaster.

In the center of the town the houses are covered with painted plaster and are in the usual Latin-American style.

Great numbers of quaint little coaches, with a single horse, were waiting at the station.

As we walked up to the center of the town, we found but few places open, practically nothing but barber-shops and drug-stores.

Of both of these, however, there were a surprising number.

Having been directed to the Hotel Concordia, we were disappointed when the old lady in charge stated that she had no rooms, and directed us across the way to the Hotel de Mexico.

As we had arranged for the delivery of our stuff, we did not care to look elsewhere, and therefore inspected the rooms in this hotel.

To reach them, we went through a barber-shop into a narrow _patio_, and, mounting some rickety stairs, found our quarters, which were filthy, vile-smelling, hot and uncared for.

Yet for these choice quarters, with two beds in each of two rooms, leaving no space practically between, we were expected to pay four dollars.

Upon remonstrating with the proprietor at the price demanded, he cooly said, "Oh, yes, everything here costs high; but there is money to pay it with."

This really stated the fact.

Conditions in Mérida are the most abnormal of any place which I have visited.

Owing to the war in the Philippines, and interference with the trade in hemp, the fiber of the hennequín is in great demand, and money is plentiful.

At good restaurants each plate costs thirty cents, instead of ten or twelve, as in the City of Mexico itself.

No coach will cross the street for less than fifty cents; for a cooling drink, such as in the capital city would cost three cents, one here pays twelve.

The shortest street-car line charges ten cents; and everything else is in proportion.

What the hotel-keeper said, about there being money to pay these frightful prices, was equally true.

We paid _cargadors_ four times, draymen three times, more than we have ever done in any other part of Mexico.

In the restaurants we saw _cargadors_ calling for plates at thirty cents, boot-blacks eating ices at one _real_, newsboys riding in coaches, and other astonishing sights.

In the plaza, good music is played on Sunday nights, and every one is out in all his finery; fruits, sweetmeats, refreshing drinks, are hawked everywhere, and are much indulged in;

under the corridors are little tables, where ices, iced milk and drinks are served.

At the hotel we passed a night of horror, suffering from the heat, dust, ill-placed lights, mosquitoes and other insects.

Leaving my companions I went the following morning to Progreso to attend to the unlucky baggage.

For variety, I took the broad-gauge road, but found little difference in the country through which we passed.

The number of wind-mills was astonishing, and most of them were Chicago aeromotors.

At one station a great crowd of pure indians got off and on the train.

The American consul at Progreso is too much interested in archaeology to be found at his office, but his Mexican vice-consul was present.

To him our difficulty was explained, and on his advice we deposited the forty dollars demanded for duty, and signed various documents of remonstrance, upon which we paid almost four dollars more for stamps.

We were then permitted to take out enough plates for immediate use, leaving the balance in Progreso until we should be ready for our return journey.

Acting on the advice of the vice-consul, we changed quarters in Mérida from the Hotel de Mexico, to the Moromuzo, kept by an American who had been many years in the country, and where, though we paid even more for rooms, we had some comfort.

By industrious search, we found a Chinese restaurant, where prices were not high and service quite as good as in the aristocratic place where we had dined before.

The day before we called at the palace, hoping to see the governor, though it was Sunday.

He was out of town, and we were asked to call the following day.

Accordingly, in the afternoon, after returning from Progreso, I repeated my call but was told that the governor had gone out of town again and that I should come the following day.

The third day, again presenting myself at the office, I learned that it was a holiday and that the governor would not be at the palace; the secretary recommended that I try to see him at his house.

To his house I went, and sending in my card and my letters from the Federal authorities was surprised, after having been kept waiting in the corridor, to be informed that the governor would not see me, and that I should call at the palace, the next day, in the afternoon, at two o'clock.

Sending back a polite message that we had waited three whole days to see his excellency, and that our time was limited, my surprise was still greater at receiving the tart reply that he had stated when he would see me.

We spent the balance of day and all the morning of the next, looking about the town.

Having failed in my visit to Governor Canton, I took a street-car to Itzimna to see the bishop, to ask him for a letter to his clergy.

The well-known Bishop Ancona had lately died, and the new incumbent was a young man from the interior of Mexico, who had been here but a few months.

He had been ill through the whole period of his residence, and seemed frail and weak.

He received me in the kindest way, and after reading the letters I presented, asked whether I had not been in Puebla at a certain time two years before; on my replying in the affirmative, he remarked that he had met me at the palace of the bishop of Puebla and had then learned of my work and studies.

He gave me an excellent letter to his clergy, and as I left, with much feeling, he urged me to be careful of my health and that of my companions while we were in the country.

When he came from Puebla, only a few months before, he brought three companions with him, all of whom had died of yellow fever.

He told me that, though this was not the season for that dread disease, cases of it had already broken out in the city; at the same time he stated that more than eight hundred cases of small-pox were reported in Mérida, and that many of them were of the most virulent.

Sunday we had walked through dust ankle-deep upon the roads; Tuesday and Wednesday it was with difficulty that we could cross the streets, which were filled with mud, and, part of the time, with muddy water a foot and more in depth.

This is a frequent occurrence, and foot-passengers who desire to cross the street are often forced to hire a coach for that purpose.

As one walks the street, he runs constant risk of being splashed with mud and water from passing vehicles and street-cars.

During the four days we spent in Mérida we met several persons interested in literary lines, and visited a number of institutions, among which the most interesting was the Museo Yucateco, of which Señor Gamboa Guzman is in charge.

It is by no means what it should be, or what, with but small outlay, it might be.

But it contains interesting things in archaeology, in local history, and in zoology.

It is of special interest to Americans because Le Plongeon was interested in its foundation and early development.

An old gentleman, clerk in the diocesan offices, advised us to visit Tekax and Peto for our study.

The governor had set the hour of two for our reception.

Merely to see when he would come, we seated ourselves in the garden of the plaza, so that we could watch the entrance to the palace.

Two came, but no governor.

At 2:30 several gentlemen were waiting near the office door.

At three no governor had arrived.

At five minutes past three, we noticed that hum of excitement and expectation which usually heralds some great event, and looking down the street, saw the governor pompously approaching.

As he passed, hats were removed and profound salutations given.

Waiting until he had entered the office, we walked up to the reception room, where we found ten or twelve gentlemen waiting audience.

The great man himself had disappeared into an office which opened onto this reception-room, but the door of which was not closed.

All waited patiently; from time to time the usher-secretary crept noiselessly to the office door and peeked through the key-hole to see whether the executive was ready.

Finally, at 3:35 the word was given, and the privilege of the first audience was granted to myself.

During these days of waiting--something which has never occurred with any of the many governors of states in Mexico upon whom I have called--I had expressed my surprise to a gentleman of wealth and prominence in the city, at the governor's compelling me to wait for audience.

With some feeling, this gentleman replied, "But, sir, you are fortunate; you are a stranger, and bring letters from cabinet officials; many of the best gentlemen in this city have been kept waiting months in order to see Governor Canton in regard to business of the highest consequence to themselves and to the public."

I will do the governor justice by saying that he listened with apparent interest to my statement, and that he gave orders that the letters which I wished, to local authorities, should be prepared without delay.

Thanking him, I withdrew, and by five o'clock the secretary handed me the desired documents; we had lost four days.

Early the following morning, as no _cargadors_ were at hand, our little company resolved itself into a band of carriers and we took our baggage and equipment to the Peto station.

The securing of tickets and the checking of baggage was quite an undertaking, and if the train had started at the time announced, we should have missed it; however, we were in good season, and left something less than an hour late.

The country through which we passed was an improvement upon what we had seen before.

The trees were greener, and many flowers were in bloom.

From the train, we saw a group of pyramids at one point, and an isolated pyramid at another.

Some of the indian towns through which we passed, with curious Maya names, were interesting.

So, too, were the vendors at the station.

Hot tamales, "_pura masa_" (pure dough), as Manuel said, slippery and soapy in feeling and consistency, done up in banana leaves and carefully tied, seemed to be the favorite goods; far better were split _tortillas_ with beans inside and cheese outside; beautiful red bananas and plump smooth yellow ones were offered in quantity.

We lost an hour at the station where trains met, reaching Tekax at eleven.

We walked up to the hot _plaza_, where we found the town offices closed, and had difficulty in even leaving our stuff with the police.

At a restaurant we had a fair breakfast, for which we paid a peso each person.

As there were no signs of the town officials, we dropped into the _curato_ to see the priest, to whom we presented the bishop's letter.

He was a Spaniard, who had been in this country only a few months, and despises it heartily.

He was sitting at table with two young men, who had accompanied him from Spain, and who love Yucatan no better than he.

He greeted us most heartily, and was interested in our plan of work.

He sent at once for the judge of the _registro civil_, who could tell us many curious things about the indians, and, as soon as the old man came, the good priest ordered chocolate to be served.

We chatted for some time, when, seeing that the _jefe's_ office was open, I suggested that I had better go to present my letters.

The _cura_ and the judge at once began to abuse that official roundly for his sins of commission, and particularly for those of omission, and told me that I should have him summoned; that it was much better than to trouble myself by going to his office, where I had already been twice in vain; it was but right that he should attend to business; he ought to be in his office when visitors came to see him.

Accordingly a messenger was sent and the _jefe_ summoned.

He seemed a rather nice young fellow, and was much impressed by the letter from his governor; he expressed himself as ready and anxious to serve us in every way, and made arrangements for us to begin work in the town-house, where, before dark, we had taken fifteen sets of measurements.

This was a capital beginning, but the next two days our work fell flat.

It was necessary to keep constantly at the _jefe_, and it soon became plain that he was making no great effort to secure subjects for us, on the assumption that we had better wait until Sunday, when there would be plenty of people without trouble to the police.