The ancient cities of the New World : being travels and explorations in Mexico and Central America from 1857-1882 . imple, obliging, civil, every house open to us ; the Governor,a riofht ^ood fellow, provides us with letters for the interior,and with men as guides and servants. We have, unfortunately, just come in for the rainy season ;the roads are turned into torrents, and so completely brokenthat we have to give up going to Comala by land and shallhave to go by water. This will necessitate a very long detour ;on the other hantl it will give us the opportunity of visitingthe interesting rema
The ancient cities of the New World : being travels and explorations in Mexico and Central America from 1857-1882 . imple, obliging, civil, every house open to us ; the Governor,a riofht ^ood fellow, provides us with letters for the interior,and with men as guides and servants. We have, unfortunately, just come in for the rainy season ;the roads are turned into torrents, and so completely brokenthat we have to give up going to Comala by land and shallhave to go by water. This will necessitate a very long detour ;on the other hantl it will give us the opportunity of visitingthe interesting remains to be found at Bellote. Thus ourmisfortune will not be very great after all. Bellote. 18s This point settled, we are soon ready to start for TierraColorada, a rancho some nine miles from S. Juan, on the banksof Rio Gonzales, where we are to find Oat-bottomed canoas anddogas, oarsmen. These canoas are hollowed out of the trunk ofa tree, have no keels, and are rowed down stream, when themaximum speed is twelve leagues a day, and three up to the landing-place is a wooden booth, where before going. CANOA (boat) of S. JUAN. on board we get about the nastiest cup of coffee I ever tasted,served with pretty grace by a handsome Meztiza. We noticethe cups, made of some fruit-shell shaped on the tree whilstgrowing, and I am so pleased with their shape and design thatI buy two for my private collection. Our canoas, which are of average size, do not allow two tosit abreast; the awning, toldo, which is to shelter us both againstsun and rain, is so low that we have to crawl in on all-fours andsit Turkish fashion. This in a few hours becomes very painful, 186 The Ancient Cities of the New World. and our position is greatly aggravated by mosquitoes. Thereis not a breath of wind, so that our progress is but slow, whilstthe heat under cover is intolerable ; but whenever I venture outI am forced back either by the scorching sun or pouring rain,and we must needs comfort ourselves a
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