Washington sentinel., 1898-04-30
20.

and the bay OF Honduras, which
to. day is a region as little knowr
as when with untold sufferings the
Spanish hosts marched through
its forests, bridged its rivers, anc
traversed its low morasses, Mid.
way the conQueror came upon a
great lake, which like a gigantic
bowl receives the trickling waters
from the surrounding country, fill
ing it to its brim, to be drained
only by the thirst OF the sun. In
one corner of this lake, rising out
ol the glistening water. was dis
cerned the capital Of the Iztaes, an
emigrsnt tribe of the great Maya
family. The Canek (king) him
self conducted Cortez to his island
city, and the Spanish conquerors
we're Hospitality entertained by the
inha bitants, who wonderinglv lis
tened to the missionaries who &C
companied the expedition. Mar
ina interpreted the doctrines ot the
Spanish priests, and willingly the
benighted people consented to the
demolition of their idols to en-
brace the religion of the newcom-
ers. Congratulating himself upon
the ease with which these new con-
verts were made, Ccrtez gathered
his troops and allies together, and
owing his injured horse, Marzillo,
to their care, he took his depar-
ture. Alter the Spaniards had
gone, the horse was taken to the
temple on the summit OF the island,
and there renamed IzImin Chac
(Thunder and Lightning), as
having been the means Of
producing the report and lash
Of lightning which had astonished
the natives upon seeing the Span
iards shoot deer from the backs OF
their horses. Dishes ofwild turkey,
stewed with the choicest varieties
Of pepper, were placed steaming at
the nostrils oil the horse, now
turned to a god. But lol poor
Marzillo pined away and died.
The people were panic stricken.
A great calamity had befallen
them, for Cortez, the prince Of all
gods, would come again, and find
ing this token Of their faith gone,
would wreak vengeance upon their
innocent heads. Then the crafty
old Canek proposed to reconstruct
the dead horse in an image Of stone.
The proposition was eagerly con-
sented to, and after weeks Of patient
toIl, which required all the skill OF
the most talented Workmen, the
sculptured horse was placed in the
temple, amidst great rejoicing, to
await the coming Of the White
Gods. Years passed away, The
cunning old Canek is dead, and
one by one his children have iol-
lowed him. Others rise to take
their places, and the history of
IziminChac, the stone horse in the
temple, is sacred tradition. And
still the children watch for the
coming of their Messiah, as their
fathers had taught them to do.
A century has passed. One day
a tiny speck is discerned from the
pyramid of Tay asal slowly moving
across the blue waters Of liza. AS
the object approaches, two dark
robed iriars can be seen steering a
craft towards the Indian capital.
The representatives of the long
looked for gods have come, and
with shouts and childish glee the
simple people throng to welcome
the hardy traVellers-missionaries
whose zeal has led them to trav-
erse the Yucatan forests from the
opulent city Of Merida. The hun
cry friars are feasted and their
hearts made glad, and with pious
pride the Canek and his people
escort them to the temple to show
the proof OF their faith, which has
been preserved in the likeness of
old Marzillo, the conqueror's
horse. But when the good iliars
looked upon the sculptured image,
adherence shone from their eyes,
tor in it they could see but the
work of the evil one, and seizing a
stone, they fell to breaking the del
fed horse with a wild fury. The
10y OF the Canek and his people
was turned to horror. Had not
the Christians left the horse which
their ancestors had faithfully re-
produced century before7 Now
who were these dark robed beings
who had come to destroy it9 And
the monks were seized as imposters.
The Itzaes were a mild tempered
race, and they contented them
selves with setting the missionaries
free at the head OF the lake, with a
warning never to return again. But
they came again, leading an army.
Thunder and Lightning was tum-
bled into the lake, the temple was
demolished, and the people re
duced TO bondage, under that guise
which covers a multitude of sins.
The pompous name Of ola Ciudsd
de los Remedies de Nuestro
Senior" was given to the island,
and as the original inhabitants died
or fed, the place was chosen as a
presidio for the Spanish Kings
offenders, who could here pass
their remaining days shut out from
the world, without the necessity OF
other walls and prison bars than
the impenetrable wilderness that
surrounded them.
To-day the people OF this island
city tell of the time of the King,
when their cattle did not die, nor
the prairies become parched, nor
sickness and famine stalk over the
land-whsn all was peace and