just selected one, and was about to broach my plan, when its driver
ran the vehicle into the branches of a tree, which projected over
the road, and tore away his awning. The idea was unaffected by this
accident, however, and picking out a cart, which had a thick layer of
corn-husks piled in it, promising a comfortable bed, I arranged my
bargain with the owner, and deserted my party, betaking myself to my
private car. Having no load, we pushed ahead and, stretching myself at
full length upon the heap of corn-husks, I was soon asleep. It was my
purpose to disembark at Los Pinos, but we had passed that place long
before I awoke, and were in sight of San Miguel when I opened my
eyes. It was too early for breakfast, so I concluded to ride along to
Macuilapa, where my carter turned off into another road. It was just
eight when we arrived, and I thought of my companions as probably just
reaching Los Pinos. Starting from there at three in the afternoon, they
should overtake me at seven. So I took possession of the great country
house, sitting in the corridor all day long. The house is a long, large,
single-storied building, with heavy tiled-roof; the store-houses, sheds
and other out-houses, with the adobe huts belonging to the workmen,
surround a somewhat regular area. The view, however, in front of the
house is uninterrupted, and looks off into a narrow valley, bounded
prettily by hills. The house has a wide brick-paved corridor. Near
it was an interesting ancient stone carving. The rock was coarsely
crystalline, and gray, or olive-gray in color. It had been battered into
the bold, simple outline of a frog, crouched for leaping; the head had
an almost human face, with a single central tooth projecting from the
lower jaw. The work was in low relief, and looked as if the ancient
workman had taken a natural boulder, and beaten with his hammer-stone
only sufficiently to bring out the details. The stone measured perhaps
four feet in length, three feet in breadth, and two feet in thickness.
It was found in the mountains near, and, from the marks upon it, seems
to have been embedded in the soil half way up the legs. Probably, when
first made, it was placed so that the feet were even with the ground
surface, but the accumulation of vegetable soil since has been
considerable. The Hacienda of Macuilapa manufactures sugar and raises
indigo, quantities of the seed of which were being cleaned when I was
there. The owner of the place is a m