pines and oaks.  The whole country hereabouts is composed of monoclines, all the crests presenting one long, gentle slope, with rocks dipping with the slope, and one abrupt short slope, cutting the strata.  The roads, for the most part, follow along the edge of these monoclines, making them unusually long, though easy.  The rocks over which we passed were an olive shaly-sandstone, with notable concentric weathering, limestone, and here and there, red sandstone, abundantly green-spotted.  Indians, everywhere, were burning over fields, preparatory to planting, while the day was clear, the smoke rose in clouds, and at many places we suffered from these field fires.  Twice we passed a point just as the flames leaped from one side of the road to the other, and rode between two lines of blaze.  The fire, burning green branches and stalks, caused thousands of loud explosions, like the rattle of musketry.

Long before we were near it, we caught sight of Cancuc, the beautiful, perched upon its lofty crest.  In San Cristobal, our journey had been matter of conversation among the mestizos and many and dire predictions had been made.  “Ah, yes, it is easy for these gentlemen to do this work here in the cabecera, but let them get to Tenejapa, and Cancuc—­there it will be another matter; they will be killed upon the journey; if they reach Cancuc, they will never leave the town alive.”  The town is built on the edge of a ridge, which drops in both directions, leaving barely room for the placing of houses.  From it, we looked out in every direction over a magnificent landscape.  Cancuc is famous for the insurrection of 1712.  Curiously, like the outbreak at Chamula in 1868, it was due to the visions and religious influence of a girl.  Maria Candaleria was the centre and impulse of the whole movement.  Dr. Brinton has thrown the incident, which abounded in picturesque details, and which caused the Spanish government great difficulty, into a little drama, which bears the name of the inspired priestess.

[Illustration:  TZENDAL MAN AND WIFE; TENEJAPA]

[Illustration:  TZENDALS; TENEJAPA]

We were now within the district of my friend Valencia.  Two years ago, when we passed through the country of the Mixes, he was the jefe politico of the District of Yautepec; he had been transferred to this state and this district, with his cabecera at Ocosingo.  That town lay far from our course, and we had written Senor Valencia, that we planned to pass through his district, but had not time to visit the cabecera.  We named the towns through which we planned to pass, and begged him to send orders directly to the local authorities, instead of trying to communicate with us.  This he had done promptly, and during our stay in his district, everything was done for us without delay.  The agente at Cancuc is a new official, but a man of sense, and sympathy for the indians, among whom he lives.  We arrived at half-past three and had our mozo