Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-04-21

LUZ iHOiS lIdu t,Ouu, Out great many |
lore live in surrounding pueblos. There
re all sorts of people in this queer city
leztizos, escaped negro convicts, lot of
,hinese who deserted, en- masse, from |
British Honduras where they had been
'rought as servants, Caribs, native In
liuas and castaways of many nalionalities. |
The runaway Cinnamon were warmly well
,esned by the people .of Chan Santa Cruz,
md have now become quite similar to
hem in appesrances-barring the bias
eyes-busying themselves in trading and
making gunpcwder for the Indians.
Little by little these people have driven
The whites to the northwest corner of the
peninsula, and now hold two-thirds of the
entire State, including the most fertile
portion. Not least of the loss 10 the Next
cans is the very valuable timber. The In
dams allow the people of British Hon
duras to cut it from their territory by pay
ing to their chiefs the sum of $500 per an
mum for the privilege, and no one is al
lowed TO interfere with them.
In their incursions among the whites
they have taken much booty Their priest,
to whom it was all delivered, had large
quantity of coin and golden ornaments
melted down into bars, which he hid Be-
cause he refused to disclose the where
abouts OF the treasure, the people put him
to death, and though continuously searched
for, it has never yet been found
The booty aforesaid was carried home
by captives, compelled to march many
miles heavily loaded, and generally
murdered as soon as the city was reached,
their captors considering this justifiable
revenge. They sometimes spare the lives
of those who may be useful to them, and
musicians.
Among number OF prisoners taken in
the year 1864 was beautiful young girl,
named Pastoria Teal. Having seen her
defenders fall dead around her, she was
bound to gang of prisoners and compelled
to march three days through dense forests,
her poor feet bruised and bleeding, her
face lacerated and clothing torn to shreds
by the thorny bushes When the dreaded
stronghold was reached, she was more dead
than alive, but expected a speedy end to
her misery by the red hand of murder
the fate which all her companions in cap
tivity had met as soon as their task was ac-
complished of carrying the stolen booty.
Alas her rest was not so near. She was
young and pretty, and the head chief, Gre
censio Poot, made her one of his wives.
Though her husband is said to treat her
kindly, according to Indian ideas, and she
is now the mother of several children, she
is yet inconsolable at being separated from
her own people Crecensio Poot is about
20 years old and poor Pastoria figures as
number three among his wives. She is as
white as an Anglo-Saxon, with more Cas-
lillian than Mexican blood in her veins
and the tiny feet and beautiful eyes of her
race
A countryman of hers saw her at Buca-
lar about two years ago and managed to
have few words with her. She told him
that she would gladly abandon her chill
dren could she only escape, but that was
impossible for she was watched as hawk
eyes his prey. She had walked, with her
husband, all the way to that place, sixty
miles, he great, muscular fellow, unbur-
dened, and she carrying twenty-five pounds
of salt on her delicate shoulders, the load
being suspended by strap passed across
her forehead. She was shod with coarse
sandals and dressed in unbleached cotton
cloth. Her lord is fond of her-oh, yes :
fond enough to murder her in fit of zeal
ousy, but would not hesitate to exercise
the Indians privilege of whippin. his
wife if she displeased him.
But it must be remembered that these
people of Chan Santa Cruz do not live
like savages. They have stone houses.
utensils and many other things much like
civilized people. Their musicians are
supplied with instruments from British
Honduras, their mechanics with tools from
the same place, and there they also pro-
cure many small luxuries such as ported
meats, perfumes (Which they delight in to
an absurd extent: wines, etc. Agricult-
IRE is their chief employment and they
generally have enough corn stored to last
them two or three years ahead. They are
strictly just among themselves and any
shortening is promptly and severely
punished, murderer being executed in
the same manner rs he inflicted death
upon his victim. As rule they are strict
monogamlsts, generally moderate in all
things except drinking, for they have dis
tilleries of their own and consume enor-
nous quantities of rum.
From time to time efforts have been made
to conquer these Chan Santa Cruz Indians
but all in vain. Just ten years ago,
General Teodosio Canto, who had made
himself famous as a leader Of revolutions
airy parties, went to British Honduras of
his own accord, under the assumed name
of Pinto, pretending to be trader. His
object was to approach the chiefs of Chan
Santa Cruz, without betraying his identity.
and find out how they fe.t about recognize
ing Mexican authority. his idea being to
offer himself as a mediator at last between
them and the Government The Indians
OWNED his plans, and he failed but in
consequence of foolish threat he made
of returning to Bacalar at the head of an
army-the Chan Santa Cruzans took re-
venge in advance by making a raid among
the whites, killing large number and
taking about fifty prisoners.
-Four years ago, General Canto, being
then Nice-Governor of Yucatan, again
went to British Honduras with the same
object; but experience had taught him
more wisdom. He succeeded in having a
meeting with some of the Chan Santa Cruz
chiefs, in the Government house in Balize,
in the presence of Hon. Henry Fowler,
Governor pro te0lpore. A preliminary
agreement was drawn up, providing for the
recognition of the Mexican Government
by the Chan Santa Cruz people, for the
mutual surrender of criminals, and for the
appointment of officials of the Mexican
Government, subject to the approval of
the Indians, Creeeneo Poot to remain
Chief till his death General Canto then
went to the City of Mexico and laid his
proposals before the President but they
were rejected, and he returned disap-
pointed to Yucatan.
Among the various prisoners at the In
dian city was the beautiful wife of Don
Francisco Avila. In 1880 Avila, who is a
precious rascal, went to British Honduras,
and induced the Indians TO allow him to
go with them to Chan Santa Cruz and see
his wife. His real object in visiting her
was not affection, as he pretended, but to
induce her to give him some document
which would enable him to enjoy certain
property belonging to her in their old
home
When they reached the city the Indians
refused to let him return, treating it as a
great joke that he had voluntarily walked
into captivity, but giving him house in
which he might live with his wife After
some time Avila, who saw that he could
make money among the Indians, told them
that he wanted to go home and settle up
his affairs and come back again with all
he noSsessed He went and returned and