magnificently represented the olden time,
but it bore two lightning rods and was accompanied by two wind-mills of
American manufacture. Everywhere, in fact, the American wind-mill is
in evidence. One can but wish that the poor users of the old _cenotes_
might come to life, and, for a little time, enjoy the work of the winds
in their behalf. Everywhere we saw plenty of Maya indians and heard
something of the old language. All travellers to Yucatan comment on the
universal cleanness of the population; notable in the indians, this
marks equally well the _mestizos_, whites and negroes. They are not
only clean, but all are well dressed. Men wear low, round-crowned,
broad-brimmed palm hats; trousers are rarely of the tight-fitting
Mexican kind; indians who work at heavy labor protect their clean white
shirts and drawers with a strip of stuff, like ticking, wrapped about
them. Women wear two white garments, both ample, hanging from the neck,
bordered with black or colored bands. They generally wear long necklaces
or rosaries, the beads of which are spaced with gold coins, and a cross
of gold or a medal of the same material hangs at the bottom. Women of
middle age are usually stout, and march with quite a stately tread.

Merida itself is much larger and better built than we had expected. Many
of the houses, especially on the outskirts, are elliptical in section,
and have walls of small stones closely set in mud plaster. In the center
of the town the houses are covered with painted plaster and are in the
usual Latin-American style. Great numbers of quaint little coaches, with
a single horse, were waiting at the station. As we walked up to the
center of the town, we found but few places open, practically nothing
but barber-shops and drug-stores. Of both of these, however, there were
a surprising number.

Having been directed to the Hotel Concordia, we were disappointed when
the old lady in charge stated that she had no rooms, and directed us
across the way to the Hotel de Mexico. As we had arranged for the
delivery of our stuff, we did not care to look elsewhere, and therefore
inspected the rooms in this hotel. To reach them, we went through a
barber-shop into a narrow _patio_, and, mounting some rickety stairs,
found our quarters, which were filthy, vile-smelling, hot and uncared
for. Yet for these choice quarters, with two beds in each of two rooms,
leaving no space practically between, we were expected to pay four
dollars. Up