es attending our arrival. While we
were standing upon the road, an old Indian came up from the other
direction, bending under a load, who, in crossing it, stopped, and,
striking his stick against the stones, uttered the words Sacbey, and
Kabah, and Uxmal. At the same time our carriers came up, the old sexton
at their head, who, depositing his burden upon the ancient road,
repeated Sacbey, and then favoured us with an oration, in which we
could only distinguish Kabah and Uxmal.

It had been my intention to explore thoroughly the route of this
ancient road, and, if possible, trace it through the woods to the
desolate cities which it once connected, and it was among the vexations
of our residence at Nohcacab that we had not been able to do so. The
difficulty of procuring Indians to work, and a general recurrence of
sickness, rendered it impossible. We could not tell how much time might
be required; the whole country was overgrown with trees; in some places
the track was but faintly marked, and in others it might be lost
altogether. It remains, therefore, an unbroken ground for the future
explorer.

[Engraving 19: Building at Xampon]

Again passing "old walls" on each side of the load, at the distance of
two leagues we reached Xampon, where stand the remains of an edifice
which, when entire, must have been grand and imposing, and now, but for
the world of ruins around, might excite a stranger's wonder. Its form
was rectangular, its four sides enclosing a hollow square. It measured
from north to south eighty feet, and from east to west one hundred and
five. Two angles only remain, one of which is represented in the plate
opposite. It stood alone, and an Indian had planted a milpa around it.
From this "old walls" were again visible, which the Indians called
Kalupok.

Beyond we saw at a distance two other places, called Hiokowitz and
Kuepak, ruined and difficult of access, and we did not attempt to reach
them.

It added to the effect of the ruins scattered in this region, that they
were not on a camino real, but on a little-frequented milpa path, in
some places so overgrown that we found it difficult to force a passage.
The heat was intense; we exhausted our waccals of water, and as there
was no stream or fountain, our only chance of a supply was from a
deposite of rain-water in the hollow of some friendly rock.

At two o'clock we reached a small clearing, in which stood an arbour of
leaves, and under it a rude cross,