Such, so far as we were able to discover them, are the ruins of Zayi, the name of which, to the time of our visit, had never been uttered among civilized men, and, but for the notoriety connected with our movements, would probably be unknown at this day in the capital of Yucatan. Our first accounts of them were from the cura Carillo, who, on the occasion of his only visit to this part of his curacy, passed a great portion of his time among them. It was strange and almost incredible that, with these extraordinary monuments before their eyes, the Indians never bestowed upon them one passing thought. The question, who built them? never by any accident crossed their minds. The great name of Montezuma, which had gone beyond them to the Indians of Honduras, had never reached their ears, and to all our questions we received the same dull answer which first met us at Copan, "Quien sabe?" "Who knows?" They had the same superstitious feelings as the Indians of Uxmal; they believed that the ancient buildings were haunted, and, as in the remote region of Santa Cruz del Quiche, they said that on Good Friday of every year music was heard sounding among the ruins. There was but one thing connected with the old city that interested them at all, and that was the subject of a well. They supposed that somewhere among these ruins, overgrown and lost, existed the fountain which had supplied the ancient inhabitants with water; and, believing that by the use of our instruments its site could be discovered, they offered to cut down all the trees throughout the whole region covered by the ruins. CHAPTER II. Visit to a ruined Building near Chack.--A Field of Taje.--Description of the Building.--Hornet's Nest.--Young Vulture.--Picturesque View from the Terrace.--Well of Chack.--Exploration of its Passages.--Return to the Rancho.--Departure from Schawill.--The Camino Real.--Rancho of Sennacte.--Wild Appearance of the Indians.--Continued Scarcity of Water.--Another ruined City.--Two ruined Buildings.--Apartments, Columns, &c.--High Wall.--Journey continued.--Rancho of Sabachshe.--Casa Real.--Well.--Hut of the Alcalde.--The Senora.--Ruins of Sabachshe.--Picturesque Edifice.--Alacrity of the Indians.--Facade.--Pilasters, Cornices, &c.--Encounter with an Iguana.--Another Ruined Building.--The Agave Americana.--More Ruins.--The Red Hand.--The Red Hand used as a Symbol by the North American Indians.--Conclusions to be deduced from this Circumstance.--Delicate Manner of doing a Service. The next morning, while Mr. Catherwood was engaged in drawing the building represented in the last engraving, Dr. Cabot and myself set out to visit the one which we had passed in coming from the rancho of Chack.