uage _Mayactun_,--the first object which our eyes perceived in that
first reception, from which, with the preceding attempts on the lake,
we were able to conjecture that they would put us to death; and the
more so when we saw that the number of people who ran together at the
novelty of seeing us was so great, that besides filling all the hall
inside, those who could not find a place there, obstructed on the
outside all the light which the hall had, and which came in all around
it, so that they left us in such gloomy darkness, that, being seated,
as I was, in the midst of my companion Padres, we could only perceive
one another by the touch; but such a thing did not come into our
minds, but rather we understood that here was the room of welcome for
all...."

The Districts of Peten Itza. "I asked them how many districts that
_Peten_ had on which we were, and counting by the fingers on their
hands and the toes on their feet, they told me there were twenty-two,
which they went on to describe by their names, and they are as follows:

"Districts of Peten Ytza on which the King Ah Canek lives--

That of King Ahcanek That of Ach Cat Baca
That of noh ah chata That of ach cat halach Vinic
That of Ah tze tzin batab That of ach cat Mulcah
That of the cacique nohche That of ach cat Kinchil
That of ach chatan ek That of ach cat Kinchan
That of ach cat Cixban That of ach cat Kayom (?)
That of noh tzo can Punab That of ach cat Cit can
That of noh tzo can noh That of ach cat Ytza
That of tzo can tzic That of ach cat Pop
That of ach can Matan cua That of ach cat Camal
That of ach cat Batun That of ach cat Mas Kin

"These towns or districts bear the names of the cacique or head who
rules them, as seen by the table above, although all have separate
names of their own, and all are subject, as are also the other
_Petens_, to the King Ahcanek, and also all the communities which are
found in Cha Kan Ytza, besides those who are found on the main land
towards the East situated around the said _Petens_. This kingdom came
to him by inheritance, and so their Kings are always Ah Can Eks. But
not because of this are all the Caneks of royal blood or relations of
one another; since also all those of his own town or district are
called Caneks, and not on this account are they his relations, since
they also bear t