Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-06-30
YUCAFAN LETTER.
4 TRIP MTG THE INTERIOR OF
THIS GULF STATE.
Wild Journey on Wild Donkey's
Blackstone Old Cities-His-
tory of a Skeleton

Especial Correspondence of the REcoRD-UEIoN.l
MERIDA, June 20, 1888.
On the line of the new railroad about as
miles directly so4th from Yucatan's capt.
tai, is Ticul, the second city in size on the
peninsula On the way thereto we made
detour to the village of Xui, for the pur-
pose of viewing some prehistoric ruins,
and traversed the remaining % miles OF
donkey-back-
Southwark from Xul, the stony high
way leads'oyer immense lodges of rock, in
some places slippery rs glass, over which
our beasts stumbled and slid in the most
alarming manner The day was scorching,
and the reflection Of the sun upon the
naked rocks was indescribably painful to
the eyes. Between this intense glare, the
heat, the dust, and the entire absence of
oculists in Yucatan, it is not to be won
dered at that so large proportion of the
people are afflicted with semi-blindness.
On our right, interminable forests
stretched away, in which-here and there
through the dense foliage-we caught
gEmpses of huge mounds, the ruins of pre-
historic cities, with which the whole pen
insula is strewn. Though not lofty, the
Mica mountains are about the worst range
in Yucatan, being nothing but stupendous
heaps of stone, trackless, and devoid of the
slightest vestige of verdure.
1t was nearly dark when we reached the
last sierra, on the very brink of which
stands the little church of La Hermita.
Directly below 1t lies the Indian village
called Oxcutzcal, and beyond wooded
plain extends TO the horizon, dotted with
hamlets. Descending by steep and rocky
pathways, we came at length upon the
well-kept highway, which here has a
broad pavement of cut stones, taken from
the fallen structures of ancient towns.
Everywhere around US were remains OF
mounds and temples and prehistoric cities
but we had no time to examine any OF
them, for ." darkness was upon the face OF
the earth" A backward glance at the
dangerous sierra, now wrapped in densest
shadow, made us thankful indeed that we
had resisted all temptations to loiter by
the wayside.
Though one of the most important cities
with population not less than 16,50G.
Ticul might well pass for deserted vii
lage. Like all Spanish towns, it is laid
out with central plaza, and streets run
ming from it at right-angles. But Ticul
is distinguished among the other cities OF
Yucatan for its casds de piedra (stone
houses, which occupy the center of the
town, Immediately surrounding the plaza
Back of them, extending more than a
mile each way, are the huts of the In
dams, who constitute the bulk of the pop
ulation.
A perfect picture of repose is the Plaza
of Ticul, over-grown with rank grass, and
occupied only by few hobbled donkeys
pasturing upon 1t. One whole side of this
plaza is taken up by church and convent
of vast proportions, built more than two
centuries ago by monks of the Order OF
San Francisco and ranked among the
grandest of all those gigantic structure:
with which that powerful brotherhood
marked their entrance into Yucatan.
In front of the church stands a stone
platform, four feet high and several hun
bred feet square. The interior is somber
and gloomy enough without the alleged
adornments that are calculated to inspire
people with awe. Near the door, in a
niche in the wall, is a funeral urn, painted
black, with white stripe around the top
containing the ashes of lady once well.
known in the village. Under it is a queer
sort of monument, looking much like an
old-fashioned pump, bearing Spanish in
scription which | translate for you: