Beaufort Republican. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1871-1873, 1872-03-07
Travellers Sketches.
From Palen1ue to Peten.

some years ago, M hItHuf 4hototeI, .
French gentleman OF extensive scientific
requirements, made up his mind to ex-
plore one of the most secluded and un-
known port ons of the earth: that vast re-
gion which lies between chiapas, Tabasco,
Yuca,ai, and tho republic Guatemala.
comprises Q considerable portion Of each
Of those s;a "a. aud marked on the MAJ OF
Central America either by a blank, or by
con iectural noun aims. lakes, and rivers.
A weeks Journey thr ugh the lagoons
OF Campeachy. with their strange reptile
population and pest Of insects. slow
polling canoe voyage. in which the wonder
full forests pass dreani'y bv the traveller.
brought NJ. Morlet to Palcn1ue. Such
wonders of vegetation h,d already be N
disc 'osed. that he prepared for his tramp
through the forest to the ruins with con-
posure. which. however was occasionally
dis:urbel bv what lie s,w. for instance. an
arunn. whose leaves he meas ,rrd. Each
was two Yards in length by one an | half
10 bre 'dth, and capable of afford ng shPde
to three psrson' The ,nsity OF the
forest concealed the ruins until NJ. Morlet
and his companion were close upon them;
and on ascending a steep elevation. they
TO mi themselves At the portal of vast
ediice, until that instant hidden. There
is more mystic solemn'ty attached to the
alb olu'elv obscure antiquity Of these rec
ords OF the past. in the New World. than
tn even The most venerable re ord, OF tho
Old. The latter have m unbroken Sc
Lanence Of ira ition an history; they are
links in the great progress OF the evolu.
ton of M AMI events we und 'rs:and,
or think We understand them. But these
New Word mvs cries bafle US, existing
in all The unfathoma1le an iluity side by
side with all that is most molern, and
most full of change. evidences OF extinct
races which existed. unc nscious Of one
h,lf the planet, as one half the plaGet was
of them. The travellers found themselves
in front OF the bu lding cal ei tie Palace.
of which they took rossession and where
they made ther abode or forth ght.
From the platform crowned by the vast.
silent ruins, great ocean Of tropical forest.
the study of on few Of whose forms
would absorb lifetime. ct 'etch 8 out il
limtablv, and the awful soli'ulei are peo.
plrd with the rarest and most beautiful OF
r atures.
They resumed their river rionrn,y after
detorr to an Geronim, an t, neigh
borhool, where the pnpIla ion Sc .ms to be
letting itself sin out Of existence through
sheer laziness. The ha ienla life OF the
re Ion closely approac es absolute stag
na ion: the illness o. The logwool ior
ests OF Campea 'hy broOds over the scene
Men 60 Itent themselves with the bareSt
neces ,ilics of life. anil the one recreation
Of tn women i thus 'scribrd AT sun
st. grolrs OF women with bronzcd COM
piexicns ani floating hair. halfn ,kel, but
81 ttering with tinse'. thr rng the paths
leading from the hacienda, to bath in the
still wate's Of the lago ons. They chant
melancholy and drowsv songs, the me ody
of which is doubtless Inspired By the gloom
OF everything around though the words
seem to belong to some more fortunate
cline.
san Geronimo is exceedingly fertile. vet
there is lot f:ui; tree or a use III We .eta-
ble in the whole distrc The lag ons
swarm with fish, b all that are e ten are
inn rted. tn midst of herds o cattle.
the inlabit:nts dine on beaf sa ted in the
Unired -tles. ard drink the rauseous
wa er Of the swamps. And yet these
Gre lie Spaniarls are the des endants OF the
Coaguistadores. and B .lbot. who knows
llis origin TOO. is 4 simple hertswan.
Wo de ful nat lrll bea t extra prdina-
rv prDtuson o an NAL ani We e:anle life,
extreme sim rlctv of manners uni entire
isol ,tion, III g. al AMI mental. from all the
TEST tie woGll, on the p :rt Of the inhab-
itants--these are the hi'f char cters o:
the roman ic ! re which the ira =. Ter had
reached with such dI'fcultv. and where he
had long and dangernus illness Here
lie made valuable idti ps u his collec
ioa. for {; II the chill rem in the ace were
employ II nding "Spe linens for hi IL.
Liz ar s. birds. serpcnts. insects, they
brought them n larg numb rs their pa
rents spensrd them rom going tos ho u.
that they might devote themselves to tho
r.m, nerative task The sch Olma step vain
" IN n,trated the men act a ly took 70
the pursuit of specimrn' the women
bought the produce of their p ,ultry.yards,
and enc m1rred NJ. Moree ) dwell n
with their N lis ri nina Q contributions
During the whole OF h so Ourn. the only
branch of industry ever success u!ly intro.
due Il into Flores Il parGsh d. tn town i5
ir:ecul 'r'y bui t thu dwellings. for he
most part. are simple huts tha,chcd W IL
I'm aveS The t OF ch mn"ys and
windows is un NOVA In the str cts, TIL 70
are neither shops nr workm n. uor is
ter. public market. Every one de-
pcnds o. his owl proluct on. or on ex.
changes with Il neighbo,s. for food.
# anv one has need OF money, he pro
! pareS snm article Of domestic coasump-