The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1896-05-21

er's eyes, but when in full chase along a
billy road they stand upright like SO
many miniature steeples.
Turning at length into the Izmal road,
which runs between immense plantations
of Sisal hemp, we passed through several
shabby hamlets of such pleasant names as
Tixtonal and Tixkokob, where the finest
hammocks in the world are made. By
day one may see through the open doors
OF all the cottages, multi colored nets in
every stage of progress; but now the ham,
mock makers were sleeping the sleep of
the just and the cottages were closed and
silent. At last the moon disappeared be-
hind the hills; the eastern sky showed
faint streaks of crimson and gold among
the blue and gray; jays and orioles came
twittering out of the scrub, followed by
black birds, chick bills and evil-one vul-
tures-and by the presence of the latter
we knew that the abodes of men were
near. Passing through an enormous arch
ed gateway in the high wall of the ha-
cienda we drove between rows OF palms
and pepper trees to the central casa,
where the master, with his smiling wife
and daughters, gave us cordial welcome.
One of the pleasant features of travelling
in Yucatan is that every haciendado not
only makes the chance guest welcome to
all that his house affords, but actually
impresses upon the stranger that his
visit is a boon conferred upon the ha-
cienda and its inmates AS there are no
hotels in the country the owner OF each
estate feels called upon to make an inn of
his house. and in the usual provisions, for
necessary expenditures generous item is
that for the entertainment of travellers.
To the lonesome community, Shut up for
mote haciendas. the advent of respect
able party fresh from the outer world is
indeed little short of ''boon," especially
to the female members of the family, who
have few chances between the cradle and
the grave of seeing and hearing anything
beyond the walls that imprison them.
Frequently it is like the entertaining of
CANCELS unaware" and girls are given in
marriage by this means who would other
wise have remained unwedded, simply be-
cause undiscovered.
A delightful breakfast was Immediately
served, consisting of eggs, beans, tortil-
las, chocolate and oranges and afterwards
we were shown over the house and its i'm
mediate surroundings. The immense casa,
with walls i feet thick, is environed by
corridors of stone, precisely like those
seen in the old Spanish Missions of South
ern California: and a broad alameda, or
shaded walk, extends to the gardens be-
You'd At the back of the house is a
quaint, old-fashioned clock tower and
sun dial, and in the patio is fountain,
shaded by orange and olive trees, where
peacocks strut and doves COO all day long.
OF course the hacienda has its chapel, at
tended by priest who resides upon the
estate, employed expressly to look after
the spiritual interests of all concerned.
The shadowy little sanctuary has some
strange figures carved in stone above its
doorway, taken, we were told, from a
, prehistoric mound in the neighborhood
| and its affairs are hung with marvellous
lace and embroidery, the lifewoIk of gen
erations of pious but lonesome ladies OF
the hacienda family. The estate is large
| one, having thousands of acres planted in
| hemp, and great engines are constantly at
| work, crushing the leaves and scraping
the pulp. On every side stretch broad
fields of henequin, or ''Sisal,' as most
Americans continue to call it after the old
port whence it used to be shipped, and
all is surrounded by high stone walls,
like a fortress. with innumerable arched
gateways. Among other objects we no.
ticed that the gardens and orange groves
were divided into very small patches,
walled with brick the better to retain
moisture in this thirsty land which has nc
rivers flowing upon the surface. Another
novelty is the ''bee garden the hives be-
ing primitive but complete each section
of hollow log, about feet long, plastered
up with mud at one end and piled in long
rows. Every six weeks the logs are emp
tied and at certain seasons of the year the
honey is so odorous of frangipani anc
musk, $50 said the mistress of the manse,
as to scent the whole premises One adj
vantage of this industry in Yucatan is
that the bees are all stingless and may be
handled with impunity. But the greatest
curiosity of all is the cenote, whose loca.
ton was indicated by long procession OF
female servants, p or 80 Of them passing
constantly to and fro, each with greatirec
cantaro or water jar, poised upon one
shoulder. The water is drawn through two
deep holes in the ground or rather breaks
in the calcareous crust from the cenott
be low, by means of an endless chain O.
sheep skin buckets over a large wheel
Without the cenote, which irrigates the
| nil al,