ears old. A Nova Scotian by birth, he has sailed this coast for some
little time, and is a competent official, doing his utmost for the
pleasure and convenience of his passengers. The journey was uneventful.
There was some excitement among the third-class passengers, many of
whom were drunk and quarrelsome. The first evening, two of them were
fighting, with the result that the head of one was split open and had to
be dressed by the captain. When we had been some forty-eight or fifty
hours at sea, we found ourselves off the Campeche banks, in quieter
water. Those who had suffered from sickness were again quite themselves.
It was 4:30 Sunday morning, February 3, after we had been almost three
days and three nights at sea, and four days on the boat, that the
Progreso light was sighted, and not long after we came to anchor. We
waited from six o'clock until almost ten for lighters and the doctor.
After he had made his inspection, we piled off with all our baggage
onto a little steamer, which charged three dollars, each passenger, for
taking us to the pier, which was close by, and to which our own boat
could easily have run. This, however, was but the beginning of Yucatecan
troubles. When we found ourselves on the wharf, the customs officials
insisted upon our going to the general office for inspection, on account
of the character and amount of our luggage. Arrived there, we found that
we had no clearing papers for our stuff, and forty dollars duty was
required for material which had already paid duty in entering Mexico,
and which had only gone from one Mexican port to another, as baggage. In
vain we argued and attempted to explain matters. The officials advised
us to bring the American consul and have him straighten matters; but his
office was shut, as it was Sunday. Meantime, we saw the train, which we
had expected to take at 11:30, leave for Merida, and at twelve o'clock
the customs-house offices were closed, and we were forced to leave the
business for another day. Fortunately, there are two railroads from
Progreso to Merida, and we were able to take an afternoon train over the
narrow-gauge line for the capital city. The station was an enormous,
wooden, barn-like structure; the cars were weather-beaten and
dilapidated to a degree--except the first-class car, which was in fair
condition. Passengers were gathering, but no particular signs of the
starting of a train were evident. Boys at the station were selling slabs
of puddi