This was our first opportunity to see the industry of hennequin, which is the chief product of this hacienda.  The leaves, after cutting, are brought from the field tied up in bundles.  These are opened, and the leaves are fed into a revolving, endless double chain, which carries them on iron arms upward and dumps them onto a table, where three men receive them and feed them into the stripper.  This consists of a round table, into the inner, excavated, circular face of which a round knife with dull edge fits closely, though at only one place at once; the leaves, fed between the table and knife, are held firmly by them at about one-third their length.  The projecting two-thirds of the leaves hang downward; as the table revolves the leaves thus held are carried to a vertical revolving rasp which strips out the flesh, leaving the fibre masses hanging.  These taken out from between the table and the knife are fed again to a second revolving table which holds the masses of fibre, leaving the unstripped portion of the leaves exposed to a second rasp, which strips it.  The hanks of fibre are dropped from the second table onto a horizontal wooden bar, where they are rapidly sorted over by a man who throws inferior and spotted bunches to one side.  The whole operation is rapid and beautiful.  The fresh fibre is then hung over bars, in the southern wind, to dry, after which it is baled in presses for shipment.

[Illustration:  MAYA HOUSE; SAN JUAN]

We had no trouble in completing the measurement of subjects from the indian hands on the place, and made portraits and photographs of native dancers.  In the afternoon the h’men appeared.  He was an extremely clean and neat indian of forty-five, and carried at his side a little sack, within which, carefully wrapped up in a handkerchief, were his sastuns.  There were five in all; three were small round balls of glass, broken from the stoppers of perfume bottles; one was somewhat barrel-shaped and of bluish color, while the other, the largest of all, was rather long, fancifully formed, and with facets ground out upon it; it was yellowish in tint.  The two latter were apparently from toilet bottles.  Telling him that I was anxious to learn about something which had been stolen from me, I asked what was necessary in the way of preparation.  He demanded a candle and aguardiente.  A great taper of yellow wax and a bottle of spirits were supplied.  Taking these in his hand, he entered the little chapel of the hacienda, considering it a good place for conjuring.  He piously kissed the altar tables and the bases of the crucifixes and saints; then picking out a dark corner he opened his cloth, took out his glasses, lighted the candle and squatted for his operation.  Taking one of the crystal balls between his fingers, he held it between the flame and his eye and looked intently into it, as if seeking something.  One after another, the five crystals were carefully examined.