manufacture.  Everywhere, in fact, the American wind-mill is in evidence.  One can but wish that the poor users of the old cenotes might come to life, and, for a little time, enjoy the work of the winds in their behalf.  Everywhere we saw plenty of Maya indians and heard something of the old language.  All travellers to Yucatan comment on the universal cleanness of the population; notable in the indians, this marks equally well the mestizos, whites and negroes.  They are not only clean, but all are well dressed.  Men wear low, round-crowned, broad-brimmed palm hats; trousers are rarely of the tight-fitting Mexican kind; indians who work at heavy labor protect their clean white shirts and drawers with a strip of stuff, like ticking, wrapped about them.  Women wear two white garments, both ample, hanging from the neck, bordered with black or colored bands.  They generally wear long necklaces or rosaries, the beads of which are spaced with gold coins, and a cross of gold or a medal of the same material hangs at the bottom.  Women of middle age are usually stout, and march with quite a stately tread.

Merida itself is much larger and better built than we had expected.  Many of the houses, especially on the outskirts, are elliptical in section, and have walls of small stones closely set in mud plaster.  In the center of the town the houses are covered with painted plaster and are in the usual Latin-American style.  Great numbers of quaint little coaches, with a single horse, were waiting at the station.  As we walked up to the center of the town, we found but few places open, practically nothing but barber-shops and drug-stores.  Of both of these, however, there were a surprising number.

Having been directed to the Hotel Concordia, we were disappointed when the old lady in charge stated that she had no rooms, and directed us across the way to the Hotel de Mexico.  As we had arranged for the delivery of our stuff, we did not care to look elsewhere, and therefore inspected the rooms in this hotel.  To reach them, we went through a barber-shop into a narrow patio, and, mounting some rickety stairs, found our quarters, which were filthy, vile-smelling, hot and uncared for.  Yet for these choice quarters, with two beds in each of two rooms, leaving no space practically between, we were expected to pay four dollars.  Upon remonstrating with the proprietor at the price demanded, he cooly said, “Oh, yes, everything here costs high; but there is money to pay it with.”  This really stated the fact.  Conditions in Merida are the most abnormal of any place which I have visited.  Owing to the war in the Philippines, and interference with the trade in hemp, the fiber of the hennequin is in great demand, and money is plentiful.  At good restaurants each plate costs thirty cents, instead of ten or twelve, as in the City of Mexico itself.  No coach will cross the street for less than fifty cents; for a cooling drink, such as in the capital city would cost