After a day’s rest at Cuernavaca our party set out again on the journey to the great caves of Mexico.  We had proceeded but a few miles when we were stopped, as before, by a guard and notified that the terms of the existing armistice did not permit us to go further in that direction.  Upon convincing the guard that we were a mere party of pleasure seekers desirous of visiting the great natural curiosities of the country which we expected soon to leave, we were conducted to a large hacienda near by, and directed to remain there until the commanding general of that department could be communicated with and his decision obtained as to whether we should be permitted to pursue our journey.  The guard promised to send a messenger at once, and expected a reply by night.  At night there was no response from the commanding general, but the captain of the guard was sure he would have a reply by morning.  Again in the morning there was no reply.  The second evening the same thing happened, and finally we learned that the guard had sent no message or messenger to the department commander.  We determined therefore to go on unless stopped by a force sufficient to compel obedience.

After a few hours’ travel we came to a town where a scene similar to the one at Cuantia occurred.  The commanding officer sent a guide to conduct our party around the village and to put us upon our road again.  This was the last interruption:  that night we rested at a large coffee plantation, some eight miles from the cave we were on the way to visit.  It must have been a Saturday night; the peons had been paid off, and spent part of the night in gambling away their scanty week’s earnings.  Their coin was principally copper, and I do not believe there was a man among them who had received as much as twenty-five cents in money.  They were as much excited, however, as if they had been staking thousands.  I recollect one poor fellow, who had lost his last tlacko, pulled off his shirt and, in the most excited manner, put that up on the turn of a card.  Monte was the game played, the place out of doors, near the window of the room occupied by the officers of our party.

The next morning we were at the mouth of the cave at an early hour, provided with guides, candles and rockets.  We explored to a distance of about three miles from the entrance, and found a succession of chambers of great dimensions and of great beauty when lit up with our rockets.  Stalactites and stalagmites of all sizes were discovered.  Some of the former were many feet in diameter and extended from ceiling to floor; some of the latter were but a few feet high from the floor; but the formation is going on constantly, and many centuries hence these stalagmites will extend to the ceiling and become complete columns.  The stalagmites were all a little concave, and the cavities were filled with water.  The water percolates through the roof, a drop at a time—­often the drops several minutes apart—­and more