Page:Researches in the Central Portion of the Usumatsintla Valley.djvu/47

Rh intercourse with us when Māx was not present, and willingly gave me all the information I desired.

I questioned the people very closely as to whether they knew of any ruins in the forests of this region. Unfortunately, absolute ignorance seemed to prevail among them in regard to the matter. Indeed, I had already convinced myself of the fact that cities built of stone had never existed in the neighborhood of Pethá. I only learned that at no great distance there were other smaller lakes: Hopethá to the southeast; the lake called Sib to the southwest, and between Pethá and Tinieblas another called Chichan-pethá, or "little round water."

To my question as to how many kinds of fish were to be found in the lake of Pethá, they answered five, —
 * 1) Lú = el pezcado bobo, bagre.
 * 2) Sohóm = una especia de mojarra.
 * 3) Sactan = "sardina " (sactan= white-colored).
 * 4) Chaclau = mulula of the Spaniards (chacil-au? [tšakil-au?] = with red dots, or red collar).
 * 5) Dsibal, said to be quite a large fish (dsibal means '"marking").

During the last days of our stay Heaven favored us with the most glorious weather. On the 12th of September we began our return march, without however taking leave of our Lacantun friends, since they had expressed their intention of accompanying us as far as Tinieblas. Arrived at the Paso del Chocolhá, we made ourselves comfortable in the large champa belonging to the Indians, who likewise arrived toward evening. We had killed another crax, and the Indians immediately after their arrival had very dexterously caught some fish, so that we had plenty of food. In addition, Māx had made me a present of a gourd full of honey.

One of the Indians, while he was cooking the fish, became confidential and said to me in broken Maya-Spanish: "I am sorry that you did not come also to my house — that you only went to see Māx, where I could not serve you. I too have maize at my house — you should have wanted for nothing at my house. Now that your heart is friendly towards me, I will tell you — that I also have a wife. Since you gave pretty ear-rings to all the women, but not to my wife — because she was not there — I will now ask you to give me a pair of ear-rings for my wife — that her heart may be made glad!"

I was very glad to learn, in this way, that the things I had given the people had evidently pleased them. Of course I picked out a pretty pair of ear-rings from what was left, and added a red silk handkerchief to make glad the wife of so excellent a husband.

There was a tremendously heavy fall of rain during the night, but early in the morning we succeeded in crossing the Chocolhá by means