The Republican journal., 1896-07-02

waters-the cahuamo, whose eggs serve
Tor TODD, its carcass being useful
only for oil; the tortuga, Of which the
meat as well as the eggs are eaten and
whose Shell is worth % cents pound
and the jare, whose shell sells for IS a
pound. The airy casa of our host was
hung with a miscellaneous collection Of
old nets, shells, and other adjuncts of his
profession. Under the caves were arrang-
ed a row of oil jars and bundles of turtle
shells, tied up ready for shipment to the
markets of Progresso and Campeche.
From the rafters hung strings of turtle
eggs and other parts of the animal that
serve for food and oil, some OF them yet
warm and quivering, others swarming
with flies and smelling to heaven-the
sight by no means conducive to cultiva-
ting taste for that delicacy.
Another excursion led us inland from
Merida to the village of Tixkokob. The
town does not amount to much, but it has a
fine old church, back of which is the quaint
est cemetery | have ever seen. All around
its outer walls rows of skulls are arrang
ed skulls grin along the arms of every
cross with which the interior space is
thickly set and several huge vases are
piled high with the same CHASTITY relics.
In the middle is a promiscuous leap OF
human bones several feet deep. Inside
the walls, dangling by cords fastened to
the top, are baskets and boxes and
bundles, each containing a skeleton APP
propriately labeled. Everywhere are frag-
mentS OF Shrouds, shoes that have drop
ped from tleshless feet, arms, legs and
trunks to which dried flesh still adheres,
and scores of skulls with hair clinging to
them-some, the long beautiful tresses of
cease. The floor is a series of trap doors,
each door covering a vault, filled to the
brim with former citizens of Tixkokob.
Near the altar is a glass case, in which re-
pose the bones of a lady, bright and clean
as though newly polished The arms and
legs are laid at the bottom, the ribs dis.
posed neatly in their natural order, the
skull set exactly in the middle. She was
the wife of a former Alcalde, and we were
told that the good husband arranged and
polished her bones himself, and during
his lifetime seemed to derive much pleas
ure from paying her remains these melan-
choly attentions. In the choir of this
church and on all of the window lodges
are more skulls, each labelled on the fore
head, and some of them bearing startling
inscriptions. One of them says: "Soy
Pedro Moreno. I'm Ave Maria Pater-
noster, hermano por Dios." 81 am Pedro
Moreno. Give me an Ave Maria and
Paternoster, brother, for God S sake.' An
oh! pray for me, BROTHER One small
skull, with a name SO long that it nearly
covers it-Ricardo Jose de la MERGED
Truxeque de Amas-says, 81 am enjoying
the kingdom of God forever for having
died when child, after being duly bap-
tized into the church, there was no fear of
Purgatory for little Richard Joseph.
1t is not for any lack for respect or af-
lection for the dead that their bones are
thus denied the rest of the grave; doubt
less the idea is that when they are kept in
sight with labels on them they will not
be so soon forgotten, but constantly re-
mind the living of their former existence
in this world and their uncertain state in
the next, (for who knows but their soul
may yet be in torment?), and as with
voices from the grave appeal for prayers
and masses.
On All Souls Day, (Nov. 2nd), all these
skulls-at least the skulls of those who
have living friends to attend to it-are
placed upon a black draped das sur
rounded by lighted candles, where mass
is said and incense burned and holy water
sprinkled, amid the prayers of the people.
FANNIE B. WARD.
Cant CIocur,, of CIoop Sprav