An Adoratorio 67. A lonely Edifice 68. Immense Mound 69. Gigantic Head 70. Mound called El Palacio INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL IN YUCATAN. CHAPTER I. Departure from Nohcacab.--Outfit.--Rancho of Chack.--Fright of the Women.--Rancho of Schawill--Casa Real.--Scarcity of Water.--Visit from the Alcalde.--Primitive Mode of obtaining Water.--A peculiar People.--Ruins of Zayi.--Great tree-covered Mound.--The Casa Grande.--Fortunate Discovery.--Staircase.--Doorways, &c.--Buildings on the second Terrace.--Doorways.--Curiously ornamented Columns.--Building on the third Terrace.--Doorways, Apartments, &c.--Stone Lintels.--Facade of the second Range of Buildings.--Ground Plan of the three Ranges.--The Casa Cerrada.--Doorways filled up inside with Stone and Mortar.--Finished Apartments, also filled up.--This filling up simultaneous with the Erection of the Building.--A Mound.--Ruined Building.--Its Interior.--Sculptured Head, &c.--A strange Structure.--An Archway.--Perpendicular Wall.--Stuccoed Figures and Ornaments.--Great Terrace and Building.--Apartments, &c.--Want of Interest manifested by the Indians in regard to these Ruins. On the twenty-fourth of January we left Nohcacab. It was a great relief to bid farewell to this place, and the only regret attending our departure was the reflection that we should be obliged to return. The kindness and attentions of the padrecito and his brother, and, indeed, of all the villagers, had been unremitted, but the fatigue of riding twelve miles every day over the same ground, and the difficulty of procuring Indians to work, were a constant source of annoyance; besides which, we had a feeling that operated during the whole of our journey: wherever we were taken ill we became disgusted with the place, and were anxious to leave it. We were setting out on a tour which, according to the plan laid out, embraced a circuit of ruins, and required us to revisit Nohcacab, although our return would be only to make it a point of departure in another direction. In consequence of this plan we left behind all our heavy luggage, and carried with us only the Daguerreotype apparatus, hammocks, one large box containing our tin table service, a candlestick, bread, chocolate, coffee, and sugar, and a few changes of clothing in pestaquillas. Besides Albino and Bernaldo we had a puny lad of about fifteen, named Barnaby, a much smaller pattern than either of the others, and all three together were hardly equal in bulk to one fairly developed man.