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 wise men concealed some of their books to save them from destruction. If we ever obtain the necessary protection, we shall endeavor to bring those volumes to light.

It is possible that some old books are yet hidden among the extremely secretive natives; in fact we have had vague information of such books on two occasions. When we were at Mugeres Island, Don Pedro Pobedano, the oldest inhabitant of that place, told us that when he was a boy he knew a very old man named Jacobo Canul, who lived on the mainland at a place called ƆiɔantunDzidzantún [sic], near the city of Motul; that he had a large Maya book called by him sacred writings. In it there were many prophecies, "some of which have been, others are being, fulfilled," said Don Pedro. He did not know what had become of the old man or his book.

Again when we were at Espita, in the interior of Yucatan, we made the acquaintance of an Indian potter, said to be a hundred and fifty years old, but having all his faculties, and still working for his living; his name was Mariano Chablé. When we asked him if he knew anything about the ancient ruins in the city of Chichen Itza, he said, "No, but when I was a boy I knew a very old man whose name was Alayon, and he talked to me about the enchanted