Report of the Naval committee to the House of representatives, August, 1850, in favor of the establishment of a line of mail steamships to the western coast of Africa, and thence via the Mediterranean to London; . s as a place of retreat when hard pressed bytheir enemies. The other passages led through a laby-rinth of stalactitic columns, and we did not explore them. Asevening was approaching, we returned to the hacienda. This cave was but one of many such which are scatteredthroughout Yucatan. The whole surface of the country isflat and without a water course of any kind, so that the in-habit
Report of the Naval committee to the House of representatives, August, 1850, in favor of the establishment of a line of mail steamships to the western coast of Africa, and thence via the Mediterranean to London; . s as a place of retreat when hard pressed bytheir enemies. The other passages led through a laby-rinth of stalactitic columns, and we did not explore them. Asevening was approaching, we returned to the hacienda. This cave was but one of many such which are scatteredthroughout Yucatan. The whole surface of the country isflat and without a water course of any kind, so that the in-habitants are compelled to depend upon the water obtainedin cenotes, caves, and tanks for their supply. There arenumerous streams throughout the country in the depths ofthese caves; one notable instance is the Cave of Bolonchen,in which, at the depth of some four hundred feet, a streamof good water is found. This is probably true of all thecaves, although some have not yet been explored sufficientlyto determine whether all are thus supplied or not. As thecountry is composed of transition limestone it is natural thatnumerous caves should abound, and that the water shouldseek its lowest level in the softest CHAPTER Y. The next morning we set out for the ruins of road lay southeast, among the hills, and was verypicturesque. A damp fog hung over everything, and theair was quite cold. It was in fact a most dismal day. At the distance of twoleagues we reached a field ofruins hidden in the denseforest. The first building wesaw was the most curious andextraordinary structure wehad yet seen, surmounting aA voLAN cocHE. pyramidal mound forty-five feet high. The steps had fallen, and trees and Maguey plantswere growing out of the place where they had stood. A nar-row platform formed the top of the mound. The buildingfaced the south, and when entire measured forty-three feetin front and twenty feet in width. It had three doorways, ofwhich one, together with ten feet of the whol
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