The American Egypt : a record of travel in Yucatan . piece of cord coming up between the firstand second toe, passing over the instep and through a stringloop on either side of the heel and then twisted round theankle, complete his outfit. Every Indian wears belted roundhim in a leather sheath the machete, the native weapon uni-versal throughout Central America. It is a sword-like knife,the blade about thirty inches long and two broad, with aplain hand-grip of bone or wood about four inches long. Theseare fearsome-looking weapons even when, as is usually thecase, the blade is straight ; but th
The American Egypt : a record of travel in Yucatan . piece of cord coming up between the firstand second toe, passing over the instep and through a stringloop on either side of the heel and then twisted round theankle, complete his outfit. Every Indian wears belted roundhim in a leather sheath the machete, the native weapon uni-versal throughout Central America. It is a sword-like knife,the blade about thirty inches long and two broad, with aplain hand-grip of bone or wood about four inches long. Theseare fearsome-looking weapons even when, as is usually thecase, the blade is straight ; but they are positively blood-curdling when they are, as one sees them sometimes, scimitar-shaped or ending with an ugly hook, like the finish of anEnglish billhook. The Mayans are a singularly healthy people, and free ofskin complaints and those other blood diseases which so oftenaffect native races in a low state of civilisation. But theyare not constitutionally strong, and die off like flies whenexposed to an epidemic. Though so thoroughly a tropical. VALLADOLID AND AFTER 121 people, they are cold-blooded with sluggish circulations, ifone is to judge by the coldness of their hands, which, even inthe children, are froggy in their chilliness. They are a cleanrace, and the Mayan labourer on coming in from his workwould not dream of squatting before his frugal evening mealof tortillas and beans till he has had a hot bath. This he takesin a large shallow wooden trough, exactly like a butcherstray magnified four times. In this, one end resting on theground, the other raised on a low log of wood, the Mayansquats and sponges the water over himself with a bunch ofhenequen or other fibre. In this tray, too, the babies arebathed and the family washing is done. It is always washing-day with the Mayan women, and the hut gardens are alwaysa-flutter with billowy white huipils. The Mayans are asingularly modest people, and, sharing their huts, we wereagain and again astonished at the decency whic
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