Merida prides itself upon its carnival, which, it claims, ranks third,—­Venice and New Orleans alone surpassing it.  It was admitted that the celebration of this year was far below that of others.  The cause of this dullness was generally stated to be the great amount of sickness prevalent in the city.  However that may be, it certainly was a tame affair.  On the 15th two processions took place, one in the morning, the other in the afternoon; these were arranged by two clubs of young people, and each desired to surpass the other.  We saw that of the afternoon, and found it not particularly interesting.  A number of private carriages, drawn up in line, passed through the streets; within were gentlemen, ladies and children, but few of them wore masks, or were otherwise notable; besides these, in the procession, were five allegorical cars.  One represented a gilded boat containing pretty girls; it was arranged to seem to rise and fall upon a billowy sea.  A second float represented the well-known ancient statue, the Chacmool; an indian, in the attitude of the figure mentioned, held an olla upon his breast, while one or two others stood near him as guards or companions.  The most attractive float was loaded with the products of Yucatan, and a group of figures symbolizing its industries and interests.  Upon the fourth, a female figure stood erect in a chariot drawn by lions.  The fifth was comic, and represented marriage in public and private—­a vulgar couple indulging in affectionate display before a partition, and in a conjugal quarrel behind it.  These floats were scattered at intervals through the procession, which was of no great length.

By this time Ramon had suffered violent agonies, and had become so weak that assistance was needed when he walked.  The second day in Merida we had sent for a competent physician, who assured us that nothing was the matter excepting an unimportant attack of bilious fever, and that with a day or two of treatment he should be entirely recovered.  On his second visit he was much irritated, as the young man had not made the promised improvement, and assured us that there was no cause for his collapse.  During our first visit to Merida, in hunting through the city for Protestants—­a practice in which he invariably indulged whenever we reached a town of consequence—­Ramon had happened on an interesting little man who represents the American Bible Society in this district.  By name Fernandez, this gentleman was born in Argentina, educated in Spain, and has served as colporteur in the states of Chiapas, Tabasco and Yucatan for upwards of a dozen years.  He was stout, active, and vivacious; he claimed to have been in every town in Chiapas, and gave us much advice regarding our journey to that state; he called upon us several times during our stay, and shared the general disgust over our sick man, who, he assured us, had nothing serious the matter, and only needed to arouse himself to throw off the bilious attack from which