Later in the evening we were joined by a young couple who had just been married, and wanted shelter. It happened that there was an Indian bedstead available and this together with two extemporized pillows was placed at their disposal. When it became night, we sat round the fire and cooked our suppers, and then sleeping mats were unrolled and spread upon the ground. The Cura placed his mat near the fire, beneath my hammock. Amongst the crowd were several young mothers who had their infants with them. These little creatures were duly attended to and their wants supplied. The mothers then proceeded to roll them up tightly in swaddling clothes until only their heads were visible. They were afterwards placed in a row against the wall, where they looked like diminutive Egyptian mummies, their large round eyes staring at us in a most unmeaning manner. When all these various arrangements were completed the doors were closed. What happened during the night I do not know, but upon awaking in the morning I found that I was alone and that the shed was empty. All the numerous inmates of the previous night had departed. I turned out of my hammock and joined the Cura who was walking in front of his ruined convent. He said he would accompany me for a few hundred yards to the outer edge of the sierra, to look at the world around and beneath us. The clouds had disappeared, the sun had risen brightly above the eastern horizon, the sky was blue, the air felt pure and exhilarating, and the view was magnificent. Not only did we command range upon range of these Cordilleras, but there were also extensive views of the valleys below us. Beyond, looking northwards, were the savannahs and the tropical lowlands near Palenque; and in the far distance the sunlight was flashing upon the calm waters of the Laguna de Terminos. Near at hand were groups of wild-looking Indians watching our movements. The Cura said he believed they belonged to the Maya race, and were allied to the tribes that occupied Yucatan. In their appearance they were like the Tzendales near Bachajon. They were strongly built men, rather low in stature, and very dark in colour; their eyes had peculiarly rounded orbits, and their long black hair was cut square over the forehead. They spoke a language which sounded very rough and abrupt. The Cura observed that the Indians dwelling amongst the mountains were daily becoming neglected, and that they were left entirely free to follow their own beliefs and customs. In consequence of there being no regular stipend for the clergy, it had become impossible to maintain a sufficient number of priests to carry out the duties. He had to superintend the parishes at Tumbalá, San Pedro, Palenque and the districts around Las Playas, near the river Usamacinta, and therefore he could not attend personally to the numerous and scattered Indians placed under his charge.