It was the only place we were to see in Yucatan, a country whose name is associated with ideas of tropical fruits, where you must cut your forest-path with a machete, and of vast ruins of deserted temples and cities, covered up with a mass of dense vegetation.

But here there was nothing of this kind.

Sisal is a miserable little town, standing on the shore, with a great salt-marsh behind it.

It has a sort of little jetty, which constitutes its claim to the title of _port_; and two or three small merchant-vessels were lying there, taking in cargoes of logwood (the staple product of the district), mahogany, hides, and deerskins.

The sight of these latter surprised us; but we found on enquiry that numbers of deer as well as horned cattle inhabit the thinly-peopled districts round the shores of the Mexican Gulf, and flourish in spite of the burning climate, except when a year of drought comes, which kills them off by thousands.
One possible article of export we examined as closely as opportunity would allow, namely, the Indian inhabitants.