My preparations for leaving Merida were completed. It was now late in the evening, the last night of my stay at Merida; and José had hung about, for one petty excuse or other, although he was sick, with an affectionate reluctance to leave me for the last time. The cause was almost too prominent to escape notice; and the remembrance of his little frailties, and they were remarkably few, was at once buried in oblivion. He wanted to accompany me home, but his health would not permit; and I was obliged to forego the indulgence of his wishes, and my own inclination to enjoy the advantage of his faithful services. The time has been when I have parted from a good old horse with an agitated bosom, and could less have been expected upon this occasion? The truth must be told; we both shed tears. I felt sincerely sorry to part with him. Poor José, God bless him! all I can do for him now is to give him my kind wishes, and to speak of him as he is—and to say to my countrymen who may visit Merida, that if they want a boy upon whom they can depend to follow them faithfully through the world, José is the lad to do it. On the 7th of April, after experiencing a touch of the fever, to which all strangers are subjected in this country, I left Merida, by coach, for Campeachy. It started at five o’clock in the morning, with three passengers; an elderly woman and man and myself composing the load. The team galloped off at the rate of ten miles the hour, and changed horses every hour during the route. The coach was one of four which were imported from Troy; and, as a sample, was well worthy of the high reputation the Trojan carriages enjoy throughout the United States; but the horses and harness were in shocking bad keeping. The driver was an Indian; besides whom were two other attendants, who were needed, for the unskilful hands of the Indian, and the wildness of the horses, made the vehicle go on all sides of the road. It was no uncommon occurrence, to be brought up against a stone wall at the side of the road; and, in one instance, we were foul of an Indian hut, which frightened the inmates to such a degree that they ran out, supposing it to be an earthquake. By combining the skill and strength of our whole party, we succeeded in getting the horses and coach again upon the highway.