The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1888-04-26
In Central America.

AN TNCoNQUERABLE CITY IN SOUTHERN YU
CATAN. TRAGIC DOINGS AT CHAN SANTA
Cruz. RECENT FEAST WOUND UP WITH !,
MASSACRE.
Correspondence of the Journal
MERIDA. IUCATAN, 1SsS. 1t seems incrcd
Bic that next door to the United States, within
few days journey from New York or Chica-
60, is a section of country almost unknown to
Europeans. whose unconquered tribes still live
in the same wild way as their ancestors before
the Christian era; but even more incredible
does it appear that the Mexicans. who claim to
possess that bit of territory. know as little
about ii as their northern neighbors, and wise
ly keep at respectful distance.
The greater portion of thi, lucatan penin-
>nla is 4 perfect terra iAcoynita, Of which
white men know absolutely nothing beyond
what may bc seen along the coasts and gather
ell from Indian traditions-and of the latter
nobody knows where to draw the line between
history and fiction. fact and fable.
For many years lucatan has been the ST
IBERIA OF Mexico. whittier aIe eXleu the Of
Tenders whom the government does not know
What to do with, since the amended constitu-
tion Of the Liberal Party practically does away
with capital punishment. 1t is handy in case
OF political criminals and troublesome people
generally WHO might turn up again if bansh-
ed el>ew whcrc-for from that bourne none have
ever returned. 1t has been the fashion to con-
dtltt such obnoxious persons. under military
guard. To the frontier of lucatecan ciViliZa-
ton. or to some out-of-the-way landing place
aton" the coa>t.-ana simply let them 90.
hat becomes of them none can tell. The in
terror is known to he populated by Il war-like
people. WHO have towns and cities and a
4. a..
Whether they enslave new comers, or natural
lie and make citizens of them. or put them to
death. is food fo: conjecture. Probably the
mystery of it adds to The punishment its great
est tcrror~ However. it is II well-known truth
that among the unfortunate condemned toy uca-
tan. few reach their destination. the soldiers in
charge having secret orders to give the prison.
cr> opportunities to escape. and to shoot them
down the instant the seeming chance is acted
upon.
Especially dangerous is the eastern shore of
Eucatan. and should any traveller he SO mad as
To land there. ii would rs certainly he the end
Of him a> if he were suddenly dropped into
iiadeS. AZ for redress. his friends might as
well appeal to the winds As to the Mexican
government. the latter having even les, con-
troll. The chief tribe of ca>tern-l ucatan In
dlan> are known as tht Chan Santa Cruz. hay
in- Il city of that name in the southeast part of
The peninsula, about ST miles west of -iscell-
sion Bay and some GO miles below Lake Baca-
lar The lake is about fifteen miles long, and
on il western shore the Indians have their
seaport also named Bacaar- whence they 70
TO trade with British IIondEr., Via the IIon!o
river.
Your scribe has never risked her life among
the fierce Chan Santa CruzanS. nor does she
intend te: the account of their doings has been
gathered from the natives of upper lucatan.
from history. and from Nine. Alice ID. Lc loil-
econ, wife OF the eminent explorer. who aC-
,,.,,, II /
herself Il no less Jealous archHoiogi>t. In order
that We may understand what has lately taken
place among these Indians, and see how cN-
actly history has repeated itself, ii will be nee
c>>ary TO take Il backward look Of three ccntIli'-
les OF more.
The spanish conquest. which made most I'M
happy slaves Of the once proud lucatecos. oc-
"upied twenty years, aud would never have
been accomplished bad not the inhabitants
been divided among themselves. In the year
l34l Tutee Nice. Lord of he Province Of
Mani. surrendered to the Spanish leader. stat
the courage and perseverance, Of his enemies
and therefore wished to become their friend
and embrace their religion. Ihcreupon he as
>cmhlcd his va>>cl> and informed them tha. lie
iIal allied himself 10 the Spaniard>, expecting
them to hc faithful to him. Tuteel Nee rep
resented the Nault element Of the population
Naut hordy> having invaded lucatan i'll the
early part of the Christian era.
Having won the assent of his own nropc
Iucel next sent in embassy to other chiefs
who had united with him in allegiance to the
>paniard>, and together they sent ambassadors
to the Lords Of satuta' the Ioe"me> who rep
Resented the true people of the country, the
Maya>-to be- that they also join their neigh
hur> in obedience to spain.
When this Joint embassy reached Satuia. tin
cehtrai lucatan). the great lord Nachicorom
listened with profound attention to all the
messenger had to say. and replied that in four
days he would give them an answer. Mean-
While he called Il meeting of all his feudal
lords. They agreed to make great hunt, as
if iii honor of the ambassadors, TO be followed
by Il splendid feast. 50 they conducted the
ambassador to place called otZmal. where
for three days they rcgalea them with the best
of the land. ON the fourth day they held the
banquet out-of-loor>. under huge ..0pote
tree, {plobally not wishing to spill blood upon
their polished concrete floors and there the
dancing and rcioicin" continued. But when
the last course was served, at yiven signal.
the attendants cut the throat> of all the AM
ha>>alor>-all but one named Ah-kin-C [ hi. the
most intelligent of the lot. whom they spared
that he might carry back an account of what
had occurred. They put his eyes out, and
escorted linn back to his own territory. with
Instructions to tell Tutccl Nice that he was Il
great coward.
Well, a repetition of all this took place only
4 few months ago. among descendants of Ga
com and 1u,crl Nice. the Chan Santa Cruz
lu udiam> Of northeastern Iucatan. The city
bearing the name OF this tribe WAS founded
only about forty years ago. hy Il few thousand
natives, who. after more than three hundred
years Of cruel subsection to the Spaniards
whom Tuteel Nice had 50 much admired, de
termined to free themselves, once for all, from
Spanish Mexican control. They named their
stronghold thHn SANTA Cru: (''Litte Holy
tros>") and chose its site, because. near a
sprin" of clear. cold water they found a great
tree upon whose bark a small cross had been
carved. The leader of the revolters. priest
wise, induced the others to believe that the
cross was of heavenly origin. cut by an angel
who had descended for the express purpose of
guiding them in their continuation of hostities
against the MeXicans Ben. so fortunate as
to di>coEera VentriloquiSt among his followers,
the cunning leader took him into confidence
\ big church was built. a great cross set up
within it. and the ventriloutSt instructed to
throw his voice so that it would sound as COM
ing from the wood thereof, urging the people
on to bloody deeds against the MeXicans. Be
lic>ing that the mandates issued veritabIy from
the Gross. and must therefore be of divine
origin. the people binlly obeyed them.
But in the very neNt battle the yentrilou,st
was killed, and for Il long time the cross was
SpcechleSs. Finally another fellow was taken
into confidence, and being no ventrilouust he
disguised his voice in sharp. squeakv tones
and spoke only at night when the church was
in complete darkness. so that none could see a
man standing near the ..holy speakin. cross, !,
The deception was kept ,lp many wears. and
the mysterious voice was worshinpcd and
obeved--so little does it REQUIRE to start n new
religious sect!
The religion of these people is a queer COM