The view, however, in front of the house is uninterrupted, and looks off into a narrow valley, bounded prettily by hills.  The house has a wide brick-paved corridor.  Near it was an interesting ancient stone carving.  The rock was coarsely crystalline, and gray, or olive-gray in color.  It had been battered into the bold, simple outline of a frog, crouched for leaping; the head had an almost human face, with a single central tooth projecting from the lower jaw.  The work was in low relief, and looked as if the ancient workman had taken a natural boulder, and beaten with his hammer-stone only sufficiently to bring out the details.  The stone measured perhaps four feet in length, three feet in breadth, and two feet in thickness.  It was found in the mountains near, and, from the marks upon it, seems to have been embedded in the soil half way up the legs.  Probably, when first made, it was placed so that the feet were even with the ground surface, but the accumulation of vegetable soil since has been considerable.  The Hacienda of Macuilapa manufactures sugar and raises indigo, quantities of the seed of which were being cleaned when I was there.  The owner of the place is a man of means, but the meals served were of a mean and frugal kind.  Everyone made dire prophecies about the time of possible arrival of my companions, and the period necessary for our further journey to Tuxtla Gutierrez.  I had not expected my companions before seven, and after these dismal forebodings, gave up that expectation.  To my surprise, they appeared, in good health and spirits, at five o’clock, though with exciting tales of peril and suffering.  After a meal together, we again mounted in the old fashion, and were on our way.  The air was fresh and cool, and at 9:30 the moon rose, giving perfect light.  The road was high and sandy, with occasional small ascents and descents.  At eleven we stopped to rest, I agreeing to wake them all at midnight; at one o’clock I was awakened by our carretero raising the tongue of the wagon!  We passed La Razon at three.  As one of the oxen, which had been somewhat lame, was now in bad condition, we all dismounted, half-a-league before we reached Zapote, and walked the rest of the way.  The Hacienda of Zapote is really almost a town.  There are two fincas, belonging to two brothers.  Their fine large houses, the out-buildings, and the clusters of adobe huts for the workmen, make an imposing appearance.  We stopped at the first group of buildings, which stands a little lower than the other.  Arriving at six, we spent the whole day at this place; the meals at the great house were excellent and cheap.  In the afternoon we heard marimba-playing; the instrument was called la golondrina and cost the owner forty-three pesos.

[Illustration:  A DAY REST; THE CARIZAL]

[Illustration:  MARIMBA-PLAYING; HACIENDA DE ZAPOTE]