Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-01-03
HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF.
pryARKABLE OCCURRENCE.

GAYS the New York Sun, the people Of
Yacstan became the unhappy serfs Of
,be Europeans. The conquest Of that
country occupied twenty Years, and
would have taken even longer time
had not the inhabitants been divided
among themselves. The party that
first yielded to the invaders sent an
embassy to the others to ask them to
also Law down their arms, but this re-
Quest so aroused their indignation
that they put the messengers to death.
We read Of this in the work OF Father
Coeolludo, who, in his f" History OF
yuca,an, says that on January Il,
l54l, Tu,eel Nice, lord Of the province
Of Mani, surrendered to Montejo, the
Spanish leader, stating that, admiring
the courage and perseverance OF the
Spaniards. be wished To be their friend
and become a Christian. He. further
more assembled his vasssls, told them
that he had made himself an ally Of the
. Spanisrds, and that he expected them
to be faithful to him. They assented
TO his wish. We must not omit to say
that Tuteel Xiee represented the Nault
element OF the population, Nault hordes
having invaded the country in the early
part OF the Christian era.
Tuteel next sent an embassy to other
chiefs, who had united with him in al
legiance to the Spaniards, to invite them
to send ambassadors to the lords Of
Sotuta, the Cocomes, who represented
the true people Of the country, the
Mayas, in order that they also should
ioin with them in obedience to the
Spanisrds. When the embassy reached
Sotuta the great Lord Nachicocom lis
tened with profound attention to all
that the messengers had to say, and
simply replied that in four or five days
he would give his answer. Meanwhile
he called q meeting of all his feudal
lords and consulted with them. They
agreed to make a great hunt, as if in
honor of the ambassadors, and
to get up splendid feast
for their benefit. So they took
them to a place called Otzmal, where,
for three DAYS, they RECALLED them with
the best of the land then, on the fourth
day, they held banquet under large
sapeot-tree-they probably did not wish
to spill blood on their polished con-
crete floors-and there the dancing and
rejoicing continued. But when dessert
was served, at given signal the attend
ants cut the threats of the ambassa-
doris. Only one, named Ah-Kin-Chi,
was spared, being the most intelligent,
in order that he might give an account
of what had taken place TO those who
had sent him, and he was instructed to
tell Tuteel Xiee that he was q great
coward. However, Ah-kin-Chi did not
escape scot-free, for they took out his
eyes, and he was escorted back to his
own territory by four officers, who
treated him with great respect.
History repeats itself, and a repeti-
ton of what is told above took place
only last month among the descendants
of Cocoon and Tuteel Nice. OF these
people so little is generally known that
it may not be amiss to give some in
formation concerning them, as they
hold the eastern coast of 1ucatan,
making it dangerous for any one to go
ashore, as lie certainly would be taken
prisoner or murdered, and no redress
could be had from the Mexican Govern
ment, though they claim that territory
as part Of the republic, for they have no
real control over it, nor have they had
since lS47. The principal tribe Of those
Indians is called the Chan Santa Cruz,
having o city Of that name in the south
east part OF the peninsula, about thirty
six miles west Of Ascension bay aud
sixty miles from the Lake Of Bacalar.
On the west shore Of that lake, which
is about fifteen miles long, they have
their seaport-lOngitude west from
Greenwich $50 80, latitude north Is
39>-also named Bacalar, whence they
90 by the River Hondo to British Hon.
duras, where they constantly trade.
The Indian city called Chan Santa
Cruz was founded thirty-fve years ago
by a few thousand natives, who, after
more than three hundred years Of cruel
subsection and long and desperate
struggle, succeeded in freeing them
selves from Mexican control. They
named their city Chan Santa Cruz (Lit-
tie Holy Cross, and chose that site be-
cause they found near by spring of
water, and close to it large tree with
a small cross carved in its bark, and
one Of them induced the others to be-
leve that it had been made by hea-
venly being, descended from on high
for the express purpose of guiding
them in q continuation Of their hostili-
ties with the palefaces. That cum
ming individual who invented the story
was happy enough to discover VEN
triloquist among his own people, and,
taking him into his confidence, he
caused him TO throw his voice to
large wooden cross which he had made,
and address the people in such man
ner as to incite them TO war, making
them believe that the voice veritably
issued from the cross, and they blindly
obeyed every word 1t said. attributing
the orders to divine origin. But in
battle with Mexican soldiers the VEN
triloQuist was killed, and henceforth
the cross only spoke at night in the
complete darkness Of great church.
so that the congregation might not see
a man standing by it, This fellow
had been taken into confidence and
taught TO disguise his voice by speaking
in a shrill, squeaky tone. Thus the
deception Of the speaking cross " was
kept up, and the cross worshiped and
obeyed. How little it requires to start
new religious sect!
Besides the large church at Chan
Santa Cruz there are barracks and some
stone houses, though the greater num-
Der OF dwellings have matched roofs.
The population is not more than three
or four thousand, but several thousand
people are believed TO live in surround
ing ranches and villages. In the city
there are now all sorts of people
Mestixos, escaped negro convicts, and
lot Of Chinese who were brought as
servants TO British Honduras and de-
serted en- mGSse. The people Of Chan
Santa Cruz received them well, saying
that they were their brothers, and, in