The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-09-02
MEXICOS LONG STRUGGI
WITH THE MAYA TRIBE,

was allowed to proceed. The prisoner
was conducted to a long, vacant palm
matched ranch and guard placed
over him at the door, In the course
of an hour a gray-haired chief made
his appearance He looked at the pris-
oner and withdrawing in a violent rage
appeared TO be Scolding other Indians
on the outside of the ranch The negro
understood just enough Maya TO recOg-
niZe the word treason repeated sew
eral times. Some time in the night a
procession burst into the ranch headed
by lOng-haired. long-rObed, SrlzZled old
chiefs, a. troop of Indians bearing
torches As the torches were held up
around the prisoner an interpreter
speaking Spanish questioned him and
his replies were translated in Maya 10
the Indian chief The negro told them
that ne was from British Honduras and
that he was simply lost in the fOres<-
The Indians pOWWOWed and seeming
satisfied with the examination ordered
food brought. Bidding their prisoner
eat and rest, they went away. The
next morning his horse was brought 10
him, saddIed, and ne was escorted back
through the forest and put on a road
which by following he had no further
difficulty in reaching home
In one of the Guatemala towns a
shaggy headed Maya, claiming to be
a Christian was brought 10 the visitor
with the information that he knew all
about the mysterious country. He said
he was merchant and had frequently
visited the hidden city. In doing so it
was necessary to send a messenger to
procure permission from the rulers who
specified the time he might stay with
in their precincts Then they would
send an escort to meet him. The city
was large and well governed, but he
only had the privilege of entering the
market place and remaining there till
he disposed of his goods He was then
escorted out of the country Another
account was that the city was made up
chiefly of renegade Indians and refu-
gees from all parts of Mexico, British
Honduras and Guatemala while others
who appeared to be better informed
and did not speak from prejudice, said
that there were several villages or
towns in the unknown country, one of
which was made up pretty much of
refugees. but the real Maya city was
Chars Santa Cruz, and was an orderly,
well ruled city
The Rio HOndO marks the limit of
this territory on the southeast. and is
the natural boundary between the
Maya country and British Honduras.
A little north of the river on a broad
expanSe Of water connected with the
Bay OF the Holy Ghost is the remains
of a Spanish city, now deserted Many
of the houses and the old stone church
are still intact This in its day was
Bacalar, noted for its valuable woods,
tobacco Of the best quality, a fine Spe-
cieS of hemp, Indian rubber, gum cOPal
and other valuable products When
the MaIays rose in their war against
the NeXicanS they surprised the gar
riSOn of this city at night. murdered the
Sentries. and maSSacred the inhabitants
who had fed to the church upon the
first alarm The bones of these peO-
pie still remain scattered about within
the church. and the Malays keep a
small guard within the desOlated city
to prevent its reOccu0atiOn-
In 1878 the Indians made an attack
upon the British garrison at Orange
Walk. on the south side of the HOndO
river, but We're driven off and were
never punished for their temerity.
Later the merchants of Belize made
treaties with them TO cut the IOgwOOd |
north Of the Hondo, and these mer-
chants are accused by the MeXicans OF
furnishing the Indians with arms and
ammunition
Although discovered first and their
conquest undertaken before that of
Mexico. the MaIayS kept up such a
fierce struggle against the white men
that successive expeditions failed to OBJ
tain a permanent fOOthOld in the PENN
sula- Even MontijO's magnificently
equipped expedition was so subjected
to the fierce and continual assaults of
the Maa-rS that he was finally com
PEELED to withdraw, and fifteen years
after Cortez's splendid cOnquesS of
Mexico not = single Spanlard was
known 70 have been left in Yucatan-
But the 0pdnldTuS LIleG again anu WIN
another army succeeded in defeating
the Idians, and they bowed to the yoke
of Spanish rule. For 300 years they
submitted to the rule of the S0aniard, ,
refusing, however to learn his lan-
guage or his views. Then came the in
dependence of Mexico. and Yucatan,
which existed as a distinct captain
generally, declared herself also free
and independent from the rule of the
mother country. In an evil hour. per
Oh l1- al
to the Mexican confederacy, and MeXi-
can trooSs were sent to garrison her