Vera Cruz, 18-21, 325.

Virjen de Remedios, 123.

Virgins, the rival, 123.

Volantes, 2.

War-idol, 222.

Water-bottles, 171.

Water-pipes, 157.

Xochimilco, Lake of, 173.

Xochicalco, Ruins of, 183-195.

Yucatan, 16.

Zopilites, 22.

[Illustration:  DESIGN.]

NOTES

[1:  The mahagua tree furnishes that curious fibrous network which is known as bast, and used to wrap bundles of cigars in.  The mahogany tree is called caoba in Spanish, apparently the original Indian name, as the Spaniards probably first became acquainted with it in Cuba.  Is our word “mahogany” the result of a confusion of words, and corrupted from “mahagua?”]

[2:  We heard talk elsewhere, however, of a war going on in the interior of the country between the white inhabitants and the Indian race; the apparent object of the whites being to take Indian prisoners, and ship them off for slaves to Cuba.]

[3:  They must be judged by courts whose members belong to their own body, and in these special tribunals one can imagine what sort of justice is meted out to complainants and creditors.  Comonfort’s hope was to conciliate the mass of the people by attempting to relieve them of this enormous abuse.  I believe he was honest in his intentions, but unfortunately the people had already had to do with too many politicians who were to redress their wrongs and inaugurate a reign of liberty.  They had found very little to come of such movements, but extra-taxation and civil war, which left them worse off than they were before, and the patriots generally turned out rather more greedy and unprincipled than the others; so it was not to be wondered at that no one came forward to give any very energetic support to the new President.]

[4:  No one ill uses them but the dogs, who drive them away when anything better than usual is met with, and they have to stand round in a circle, waiting for their turn.]

[5:  Ahuehuete, pronounced a-hwe-hwete.  Thus, Anahuac is pronounced Ana-hwac; and Chihuahua, Chi-hwa-hwa.]

[6:  In the Swiss Alps, between 4,000 and 5,000 feet above the sea, there is a similar plant to be seen fringing the branches of the pine-trees; but it only grows to the length of a few inches, and will hardly bear comparison to the long trailing festoons of the Spanish moss, often fifteen or twenty feet in length.]

[7:  Chalco was and is a freshwater lake, and here they had not even this to do.]

[8:  The “Lonja” is a feature in the commercial towns of Spanish America.  It is not only the Merchants’ Exchange, but their club, billiard-room, and smoking-room; in fact, their “lounge,” and I fancy the two words are connected with one another.]

[9:  Atotonilco, “Hot-water-place,” so called from the hot springs in the neighbourhood.]