Researches in the Central Portion of the Usumatsintla Valley/La Reforma
RESEARCHES IN THE USUMATSINTLA VALLEY.
I.
LA REFORMA.In the middle of January, 1898, after I had engaged four men in Tenosique and had finished other preparations for my journey, I left this starting-point of my expeditions, intending to explore the route from Chinikihá to Xupá, and to go to Palenque if circumstances allowed, and then to push on to the great Lake of Pethá and the settlements of the Lacantuns.
Accompanied by two of my men and our luggage, I travelled in a cayuco up to Pomoná, a small settlement two leagues above Tenosique (see map, Plate I), while the other two men brought the pack animals by land to the crossing-place at Pomoná, where they safely crossed the Usumatsintla, with the help of the cayucos and the men which I sent to their assistance after my arrival. Pomoná comprises only a few huts, inhabited by people belonging to the sugar rancho of San Antonio on the opposite shore.
We spent the night at Pomoná; on the next day we took the road through the forests to La Reforma, where we arrived after a two days' journey. La Reforma is a large settlement belonging to the firm of Romano, and lies close to the right shore of the Chacamax, perhaps ten leagues from Pomoná and Tenosique.
Not being acquainted with the managers who were in charge of this montería, I naturally had some difficulty in making them understand the object of my coming, and in obtaining their permission to unload my luggage and to shelter my men in some corner of one of their buildings. By degrees, however, friendly relations were established with these gentlemen. Gradually they began to take an interest in my not uninteresting expeditions, and also to render me some assistance. One of the managers was a Spaniard, Isidoro Mucha by name; the other was an engineer, Felippe Molina, from the city of Mexico. Both were agreeable and cultivated men.
A road — which is in a frightful condition during the greater part of the year — leads from La Reforma to the distant settlement, on the Lacantun River, belonging to the same firm of Romano, and called Los Tzendales. This forest road runs directly through the vast wilderness in which the scattered remnants of the Maya-Lacantuns live.
Southward from the cluster of buildings of La Reformaa, a small mountain range is visible, the crest of which forms an extensive plateau, on which the ruins of a little ancient city lie hidden among the high forest trees. Although the monteros had found nothing of importance there, as the ruins lay within easy reach I deemed it advisable to explore them. Following the road to Tzendales for two kilometres, and then turning to the right where the road is crossed by a small stream and a giant ceiba lifts its top to the sky, we entered the forest. Ascending the slopes, we soon reached the ruins, which were quite numerous and often quite imposing, — foundation walls, levelled areas, heaps of ruins, etc. Finally, we also discovered the principal temple, which crowned the platform of a massive, well-preserved substructure about six metres in height. It was still possible to determine the position of the various apartments of this edifice. I thoroughly explored these ruins and their neighborhood for sculptured stones, but in vain. All I found was a large, thick stone slab (sacrificial table?) on which, however, there was no drawing of any kind.
I called these ruins "Las Ruinas de La Reforma."