for desserts.  Finally, we turned into another place where sugar was being made, and found it the cleanest and neatest of its kind.  Here we sampled little cakes of clean brown sugar, and were treated with similar cakes in which peanuts and squash-pips were embedded, making a delicious confection.  We were here supplied with a clean, fresh jicara cup, and, walking along the path a few rods, ascended slightly to the mouth of the cave, which was far handsomer than we had expected.  The limestone of Yucatan abounds in caves and subterranean water-courses, especially near the base of the ridge already mentioned.  The mouth of the cavern was fringed with ferns and other vegetation.  A flight of rustic steps led down to the nearly level floor of red cave-earth.  The light from outside entered sufficiently to show the greater portion of the cave.  The rock walls, opposite the opening, were brilliantly green with some minute growth; from the floor rose a heap of stone upon the top of which was set an olla of large size to catch the water dripping from the roof; it was full of most beautifully clear, cool water, which we dipped out with our jicara and drank.  At two or three other places on the floor, and on projections from the side walls of the cave, were other ollas, or broken water-troughs of stone, for catching water.  Lighting our candles we went behind a pendant veil of thick stalagmite.  At some spots hummocks of snow-white crystalline matter, with a reticulated surface, had been deposited by dripping water.  A few great masses of stalagmite rose from the floor, and there were some columns of the same material.  On returning from the cavern, nothing would do but we must breakfast with the jefe, which we did, in state, though at our usual boarding-house.

[Illustration:  FRESHLY-DIPPED CALABASHES, NEAR TEKAX]

[Illustration:  THE COACH THAT CARRIED US TO THE STATION; TEKAX]

The three great industries about Tekax are sugar, hennequin, and liquor.  Father Juan insisted that we should visit one of the local distilleries, of which there are fourteen in Tekax.  Sugar, ground with water into a thick syrup, is drawn off from the mill into great vats, where it is permitted to ferment; it is then taken into the still, where it is heated and vaporized, and the vapor carried up into high towers for condensation.  These three-storied, square, wooden towers, with ventilator-shafts, are one of the characteristic features of the town.

Padre Juan insisted on supplying a coach for our leaving, in the morning.  This coach, like those at Merida, was an extremely small affair, for a single horse.  Under any circumstances it would scarcely carry three persons, without luggage, besides the driver.  When it is remembered that our party, (consisting of four), the stout padre, four satchels, measuring-rod, tin pan and blankets, made up the load, it can be easily appreciated that the little coach was full.