THE MIXES REVISITED
(1899)
After resting at Oaxaca, from our trip into the high Mixteca, we made
preparations for our new journey, leaving at three o'clock in the
afternoon for the land of the Zapotecs and Mixes. Our late start
compelled stopping at Tule for the night. In the morning we went on to
Tlacolula, where we nooned, in order to see the _jefe_ in regard to our
work. He is a competent man, showed great interest in our plan, and gave
valuable advice, in addition to the orders to his officials. He warned
us that we might meet some difficulty at Milta, where we were planning
to make our study of the Zapotecs, on account of the _fiesta_ then in
progress. He told us to notify him at once in case matters did not go
well there.
The _fiesta_ at Milta should have been a three days' affair. This year,
however, it began on Sunday with the result that it filled four days.
Reaching there in the afternoon of Monday, we found the whole town in
great excitement and dissipation. The _plaza_ had been enclosed with a
fencing of poles, and _toros_ were the amusement of the afternoon. The
country sports with bulls are different from the regular bull-fights of
the cities. Any one takes part who pleases, and while there is little of
trained skill, there is often much of fun, frolic, and daring. The bull
is led into the ring from outside by a lasso. It is then lassoed from
behind and dragged up to a post or tree, to which it is firmly tied to
prevent its moving. A rope is then tightly cinched about its middle and
a man mounts upon the back of the beast, fixing his feet firmly in the
rope below, between it and the animal, and winding his hands into it
above. The ropes which hold the bull are then withdrawn so as to set
it loose. Dozens of men and big boys, with jackets and _serapes_, then
torment the beast, which, plunging and dashing at them, scatters them in
every direction. Sometimes the angry animal attempts to break through
the fence, causing excitement and consternation among the crowds who
have been hanging to it and looking over. When, as sometimes happens, he
does break through, there is great scattering before him, and closing
in behind him, until he is again captured. The man riding on the bull's
back clings as long as he can, in spite of the plunging and other
frantic efforts of the animal to unseat him; comparatively few stay long
in their uncomfortable position, and when they are thrown, much agility
is required to escape from the furious animal.
[Illustration: IN TLACOLULA]
[Illustration: TYPICAL ZAPOTEC HOUSE; TLACOLULA]
As we rode into town these sports were in full blast; everyone, save the
bull-fighters, was drunk. Now and then a tube of iron filled with powder
was exploded. A band in front of the municipal house was supplying
music. A little group of men with _pitos_ and _tambours_ strolled from
place to place, playing. Much selling was in progress in the booths, the
chief articles offered being intoxicating drinks. A cluster of drunken
vocalists, sitting flat upon the ground, but almost unable to hold
themselves upright, were singing horribly to untuned guitars. In front
of the town-house a bench had been dragged out by the authorities for
the benefit of the _cura_, who, seated thereon, was watching the sports
with maudlin gravity. The _presidente_ and other officials were standing
by the _padre_, and all were drinking at frequent intervals. Thinking
the moment opportune, I approached the party and handed them my
documents; but both _presidente_ and priest were far too drunk to
realize my needs. Surveying the drunken town, I felt that it was
necessary to act promptly and firmly if we were to accomplish anything
before the _fiesta_ ended. The only member of the government who was not
extremely drunk that afternoon was the _sindico_. Calling him to me, I
addressed him, scorning both priest and _presidente_. I refused to drink
with them, saying that they were already too drunk to know their duties,
and that both should be ashamed of their condition. At this time the
_cura_ asked me if I were a clergyman. On my replying no, he remarked
that I looked like one. I told him yes, that I was frequently mistaken
for one; that a priest in the Mixteca had even thought that I was a
bishop. He then drunkenly inquired whether I were married, and on my
replying no, made the astonishing observation that then, it was certain
that I could not be a priest,--that every priest had one wife, bishops
two, and archbishops three. This drunken priest had just been making
certain observations to the _presidente_ calculated to interfere with my
work, and I felt that I now had my opportunity. So, turning upon him, I
gravely reproved him for his remark. I told him that, in his language
and his drunkenness, he was setting a bad example to his parish; that he
should go at once to the _curato_, and not venture forth during the time
that we remained in the town. Half-sobered by my order, he arose without
a word, went to his house, and did not again appear for four days.
Having gotten him out of the way, I turned to the drunken officials and
told them that, early the next morning, I should begin my work, and
that they must make the needful preparations; that I wished to measure,
photograph, and make busts of the population. I told them that at
present they were too drunk to aid me, but that the following morning
things must be different; that enough at least to attend to my orders
must be sober. After supper, attracted by the noise and hubbub, we set
out to see the _plaza_. Torches were flaring in every direction, and
considerable business was being done at all the booths. Crowds of
drunken people were squatting on the ground in all directions; at the
town-house the band of music was playing the _jarabe_, and 40 or 50
persons were dancing this lively dance. Old and young, men and women,
boys and girls, all were taking part; no one paid attention to any other
person, but each seemed to be trying to prove himself the most agile of
the party. All were drunk, some astonishingly so. Occasionally a
dancer would bump against such an one, who would fall head over heels.
Immediately picking himself up, he would go at it again, with even
greater vigor; sometimes one fell, of himself, in a helpless heap,
and lay where he fell, until kicked out of the way or until the music
stopped. All around was pandemonium; yelling, singing, cursing, fighting
were in progress; the jail was crowded, but every now and then a new
case was dragged up; for an instant the door was opened, and against the
crowd, pushing from within, the new prisoner would be crowded into the
cell. At one time in the evening a cry arose that a murder was being
committed in the jail. The door was opened, the policemen crowded in,
and the two men who had clinched and were battling were torn apart. One
was dragged outside and thrown into the woman's jail, and for a time the
air was blue with the most insulting cries. Convinced that no work
could be done in the afternoons, we labored with the greatest possible
diligence each morning. The first morning, going to the town-house,
we ordered subjects to be brought. The _presidente_ was drunk; the
_sindico_ also; still, some of the town officials were found in
a condition able to do our bidding. Having measured a few of the
officials, we proposed to take such prisoners as still remained in the
jail, from the batch of the preceding day. There were eighteen of these,
and with them we made a good beginning. Among the prisoners we found our
first subject for modelling. Oiling him, we began to make the moulds.
The back-piece had been applied; the second piece, covering the lower
part of the face and upper chest, was hardening, and we were busily
engaged in putting on the final application over the upper part of the
face. At this moment the _presidente_ staggered into the jail. When
his eyes fell upon our subject, he stopped aghast; for a moment he was
unable to speak; then he groaned out the words, "O horrible spectacle!
To think of seeing a son of this town in such a position!" As I was
beginning to laugh and ridicule him, the old mother of the young man
came bursting into the jail, weeping and trembling, to see what fate had
overtaken her son. Wringing her hands, the tears rolled down her face,
and her voice was choked with sobs, as she asked pitifully whether he
must die; she told me that he was her only support, and that, without
him, she was absolutely alone. Taking the old woman outside, while the
mask should be completed, I chatted with her, and as soon as the pieces
of the mould were removed, delivered her precious son, unharmed, into
her hands.
Just as we were ready for a new subject, a young fellow, better dressed
than most, passed by. We called him to come in and be measured, but with
a somewhat insolent manner, he walked by, paying no attention to our
words. Sending the policemen for him, they soon returned with the
report, "_No quiere_" (He does not care to come). To allow a first
refusal was not to be thought of, so we ordered his return. Again the
policemen came back with no result. Thereupon I declared that no more
work should be done until he came; that time would be lost thereby, and
the _jefe's_ order would be disregarded, but that it was not our fault.
Upon this the _presidente_ informed us that the order was not explicit;
it did not state that people must be measured; he would consult the
civil code to see whether anyone but criminals must be measured. "Very
good," said I, "do as you like; but unless that young man is brought in
we shall send complaint to the _jefe_; send for a messenger at once to
carry my report." At this stage, the policemen returned, telling me that
the young man wanted did not belong to this town; that he could not be
found, and probably had gone home. We told them that we did not believe
them, but that we would proceed with our work; however, I said, that,
if he really were a stranger but appeared again, I should order his
immediate arrest and jailing. To this they all agreed; and we continued
work until the town was again too drunk for anything to be done.
[Illustration: ORGANO CACTUS; TLACOLULA]
[Illustration: WHERE TREE FERNS GROW]
About the middle of the afternoon, when the bull-fighting was at its
height, the young man wanted appeared in the ring as the chief fighter
and attraction of the day. Stepping at once to the policemen I told
them that he must be brought immediately to the town-house,--that
the bull-fight must cease while our matters were arranged. With much
grumbling and complaint they obeyed. The young man dismounted from his
bull and was brought by the policeman before us. Here we asked the
_sindico_ the name and residence of the young man; and, as we supposed,
he belonged in Mitla. Asking him why he had not come to be measured
when he was told to do so, he replied that we had already measured him.
Telling him that lying would not save him, I commanded him to appear the
following morning for measurement,--that otherwise he would be sent a
prisoner to Oaxaca. In the morning he did not appear until officials
were sent to bring him. After he had gone through the ordeal of
measurement he swore eternal friendship to me, and at no time afterward
was I able to pass him, on the street or in the square, without his
begging me to drink _tepache_ with him.
Mitla is famous for its weaving; fine _mantas_ of wool are made there
in two chief styles--one a long strip of black or blue-black cloth, the
other a rich red, sometimes banded or striped with black. These Mitla
_mantas_ are widely sold to Zapotecs, in all the district around, and
form the characteristic women's dress. The Zapotecs of this district
wear something on their feet that more nearly resembles true shoes than
the footgear of any other Indians in southern Mexico. The sandal of the
man has a projecting heel-flap which is bound around the ankles by means
of thongs, and forms a good protection to the hind part of the foot. The
women have not only such a flap, even higher than that used by the men,
but also a broad strip of leather over the forward part of the foot,
leaving the toes peeping out in front; between the heel flap and the toe
covering, the foot is quite as well enclosed, excepting for the toes, as
in a white man's shoe.
It was quite impossible, with the amount of work we had to do, and the
difficulties under which we labored, to give the least attention to
the ruins. We arranged, however, to make a photograph of the town
authorities standing in the great court of one of the fine old
buildings--a court the walls of which are covered with beautiful mosaic
decorations, betraying taste and skill. The motley crew of half-drunk
officials, miserably dressed, degraded, poor, in this scene of past
magnificence, called up thoughts of the contrast between the government
of old Mitla and the present,--of past magnificence and modern squalor.
[Illustration: THE CONTRAST; PAST AND PRESENT--MITLA]
Having accomplished all we wished at Mitla, we again struck eastward
toward the land of the Mixes. Late in starting, we made no attempt to go
further than San Lorenzo that afternoon. The old road was familiar,
and from there on, through the following day, everything came back
to memory. Even individual trees, projecting rock masses, and little
streams, were precisely as we remembered them from our journey of three
years earlier. We reached Ayutla in the evening a little before sunset.
Riding directly to the municipal house we summoned the town government.
We had not provided ourselves with orders from the _jefe_ of the
district, as Villa Alta, the _jefatura_, lay far out of our course. We
planned to use our general letter from the governor. When the officials
assembled we presented our order and explained it; we told them what we
needed for the night, and arrangements were at once made for supplying
us; we then told the _presidente_ of the work we had before us, and
informed him that, because his town was small, we should ask for only
thirty-five men for measurement, and that these must be ready, early in
the morning, with no trouble to us.
The _presidente_ demurred; he doubted whether the people would come to
be measured; we told him that they would not come, of course, unless he
sent for them. When morning came, although everything had been done for
our comfort, there was no sign of subjects. That no time might be lost,
we took the _presidente_ and three or four other officials, who were
waiting around the house; then, with firmness, we ordered that he should
bring other subjects. The officials were gone for upwards of an hour,
and when they returned, had some ten or twelve men with them. "Ah," said
I, "you have brought these, then, for measurement?" "On the contrary,
sir," said the _presidente_, "this is a committee of the principal men
of the town who have come to tell you that the people do not wish to be
measured." "Ah," said I, "so you are a committee, are you, come to tell
me that you do not wish to be measured?" "Yes." Waiting a moment, I
turned to the officials and asked, "And which one particularly does
not wish to be measured of this committee?" Immediately, a most
conservative-looking individual was pointed out. Addressing him, I said,
"And so you do not wish to be measured?" "No sir," said he, "I will not
be measured." "Very good," said I. "What is your name?" He told us.
I marked it down upon my blank, and wrote out the description of his
person. Then, seizing my measuring rod, I said to him quite sharply,
"Well, well! Take off your hat and sandals. We must lose no time!"
And before he really realized what we were doing, I had taken his
measurements. Having finished with him, I turned again to the
_presidente_. "And what other member of the committee particularly
objects to being measured?" As I spoke, another man was indicated.
Turning to him, I said, "Let us lose no time. Take off your hat and
sandals while I measure you." In an instant the thing was done. The
operation was carried through. Before I had finished with the second
case, the others began to smile and snicker, and when I was ready for
my third subject I simply asked, "Who next?" and they came one after
another without complaint. Having measured all the members of the
committee, I soberly addressed them. "Now, if there is any harm in this
that I have done, you are all as badly off as can be. If I were you, I
would try to get as many other people in the same position as I could;
go out and bring in others." Before noon the work was done, and we were
ready to go on to Juquila.
We rested, however, the balance of the day, and spent a second night at
Ayutla. The day had been given to drinking, throughout the town. It will
be remembered that the village proper lies on a terrace, upon a slope
above the town-house. As we sat before the house, in the afternoon
and evening, we heard from time to time yells and cries above. Some
policemen, who were standing up there to keep order, would then appear
upon the edge of the slope, and, waving their hands, would loudly cry
for help; then the policemen from the town-house would run to their
assistance, and in a little time the party would return, dragging one
or more victims to the jail. This operation continued from early in the
afternoon until late at night; fully fifteen or twenty persons were
brought down from the village to the jail during that time.
We had hoped to find the valley of clouds, and the great cloud cataract,
on the road to Juquila, but were doomed to disappointment. When we stood
upon the summit, looking down into what before had been the sea of mist,
the whole place was clear, and everything, to the very bottom of the
valley, was visible. The further journey seemed more tedious than
before, and the latter part of the road seemed truly endless. There was
not a breath of air; the sun poured its hot rays down mercilessly. Long
before we reached Juquila I felt, for the first time in Mexico, that I
was suffering from fever. After seven and a half hours on the road,
we reached the town at 1:30 in the afternoon, and went at once to the
town-house, where we were well received, and arrangements were made
for our comfort. When they saw that I was suffering, they brought out
hammocks, of which I made no use. Making myself a bed of blankets upon
the floor, I lay down in my misery and covered myself from the world, a
blanket over my head. After some hours, I felt that we were losing
time, and that we must, at least, make arrangements for the work of the
following day. It was now dusk. I sent for the officials, and when they
appeared, told them that, notwithstanding my suffering, I could not
lose time, and that early in the morning they must bring persons for
measurement. There was a good deal of discussion over the matter. The
officials were dissatisfied that my order was not signed by the _jefe_
of their district and dated from San Carlos. They suggested that we send
a messenger to San Carlos to inquire whether the order was all right. I
replied that four days would be consumed in going and coming; that time
was precious, and that it was impossible for us to wait. Seeing that
they were likely to refuse to do what I wished, I made a little speech,
in which I told them they had better do what I asked, and that promptly.
No one so far had recognized me as having been there before. I told them
that they had never had better friend that I; that this was not the
first time I had visited Juquila; that when I came before I had had
difficulty; that my companion, presenting an order from the governor,
had been badly received by their _presidente_, who tried to do him
violence; that if I had reported this incident, they knew well what
would have happened; that, however, being their good friend, I had never
reported it. Having jogged their memory regarding the past, I suggested
to them that a report of the previous occurrence, with their present
disregard of orders, might be serious. I told them that they knew what I
desired; that they might at once inform me whether it would be done or
not; if they decided in the negative, the _secretario_ and my _mozo_
must start at once on foot to Oaxaca, carrying my complaint to the
governor; that, as for me, having started them upon their journey, I
should leave early the following morning going to some town where the
people knew what obedience to the law meant. They at once promised that
no time should be lost, and that, the following morning, I should have
the subjects for whom I asked, viz., thirty-five men and twenty-five
women. Nor was it simply promises; having told them that I would begin
early in the morning whether I were well or ill, and that I wanted no
delay, we found our thirty-five men waiting, at seven o'clock.
[Illustration: THE LAND OF THE MIXES]
At Juquila the system of public crying from the _plaza_ is fully
developed. The town lies in a valley, and most of the houses are on
slopes surrounding the little plain or terrace upon which the _plaza_ is
situated on which the government house is built. When aid was needed
by the town authorities, whether _zacate_ for our horses, food for
ourselves, objects for inspection, or what not, one of the officers,
whose business it seemed to be, stepped out upon the _plaza_, and,
raising his voice would cry out what was needed by the authorities.
Whoever had the things desired, coming out before their houses, would
cry back the amount, description and variety of the articles they could
supply. This we found to be the constant practice.
Notwithstanding the clearness of the preceding day, our day of working
was cold, damp, and foggy. The sea of cloud and cataract of mists must
have been in full operation. Where we were, a heavy wind was blowing
and, before night, rain falling. We had not thought of the possibility
of heavy storms or damaged roads at this time of the year, but, before
night came, the people of the village expressed surprise that we should
talk of leaving the next morning. They assured us that at Quezaltepec
and Ixcuintepec it was surely raining heavily, and that the roads would
be wet, slippery and impassable. Long before we went to bed, a gale was
blowing and we felt doubts regarding further progress. In the morning
it was still wet and chilly; all told of terrible roads and risks in
proceeding; we delayed. Finally, we decided to press on at least to
Ocotopec. We had tried to send the _mozos_ forward with our baggage, but
it was plain they would not move until we did. Finally, somewhat after
nine, we started. It was still heavy and chilly; we found the road much
better than we feared; at some points it was slippery, but not for
long distances. Until we were on the final descent to Ocotopec we were
sheltered from the cold wind. To be sure, here and there, where the road
passed little funnel openings along the crest, we felt fully the cold
wind loaded with mist.
We noticed, what on the other trip escaped my attention, the profound
difference in vegetation between the two sides of the hill upon the
crest of which we were travelling. The one slope, cold and damp, was
densely forested with trees, loaded with air-plants and orchids. The
other slope, warmer and drier, was far less heavily grown, and in large
part, with pines. Among the plants noticed by the roadside was a species
of pinguicula which was very common on damp clay-cuttings. Its leaves
form a close, flat rosette upon the ground, from which a slender stalk
rises, with a a single crimson flower. When we reached the final descent
to the town, we caught the full force of the cold, mist-laden wind,
which struck our faces and made us shiver. Yet it was on this very
slope, so frequently cold and wet, that the oaks, covered with
air-plants and blooming orchids, were at their finest. Ferns in
astonishing variety, from the most delicate, through giant herbaceous
forms, to magnificent tree-ferns; lycopods of several species, and
selaginellas, in tufts, covered the slopes; and great banks of begonias,
in fine bloom, showed themselves. Before we reached the village we were
forced to dismount, on account of the slippery condition of the road,
and entered town on foot.
In our other journey Ocotopec made no impression on us. It is really one
of the most picturesque and interesting of the Mixe towns. It is built
upon a slope, which is cut and built into a series of little terraced
gardens; clusters or groups of houses stand on the terraces. The houses
are rectangular, built of adobe brick and heavy thatch, with a thick
comb of thatch riding the ridge. Unlike most Mixe churches, the church
at Ocotopec is entire, and in good condition. It is built of stone. The
town is purely Indian, and the type is the best we had seen. Had there
been light for photographing, we should have stopped there and done our
work, instead of passing on to Ixcuintepec. As it was, we spent the
night, and were well treated. Leaving early in the morning, we
hurried to Quezaltepec for dinner, the road being better than we had
anticipated. The town is prettily distributed upon a curved crest; the
houses are neat, built of adobe or of poles daubed with mud. Much fruit
is grown here, and coffee is an important crop. In almost every yard
mats were spread out, on which coffee was drying, or being sorted by
people squatting on the ground. Considerable cotton is woven at this
point.
Leaving at 3:40, the evening ride through the forest was magnificent.
The flora was such as we have before described. As we rode through the
higher forests, we constantly heard birds, notable among which were the
_claríns_, with their fine clear notes. It was dark before we reached
Camotlan. Nowhere had we been better treated. We were shown at once into
a clean room, and were soon surrounded by bustle and preparation for our
comfort. There are but 143 inhabitants, of whom six--four men and two
women--have goitres. We had been previously informed that the whole town
was goitrous. There were three deaf-mutes, but no idiots, in the town.
Inquiring for books printed in the Mixe tongue, we were informed that
the choir-master had one. On expressing my desire to see it, they sent
to bring him. We were astonished at his appearance. The messengers who
brought him carried him in their arms, and set him down upon the floor,
when we saw that he had been born without legs, and with sadly deformed
arms and hands. Yet, when once placed upon the floor, he moved about
easily, and had a cheery face and sunny temper. He was delighted to show
us his book and took the greatest pride in reading from it. It is truly
remarkable that he can do this. The book was written in the dialect of
Juquila of more than 170 years ago. The dialect of Juquila was no doubt
then different from that of Camotlan, and during the 170 years there
have been great changes, even in that town itself. As I watched the
man read from his book, I noticed that he pronounced parts of words
differently from the way in which they were spelled; how he had worked
out for himself, unaided, the proper meaning and purport of the words
was a mystery. I had intended to purchase the book, but found him so
attached to it that I gave up the plan. Had he been a normal man, I
should have insisted; but then, if he had been a normal man, he would
not have had the book nor known how to read it.
From Camotlan we rode steadily for five hours to reach Ixcuintepec.
There were considerable stretches of slippery road to be passed. The two
gorge rides, the bridges of vines, and the houses along the way, were
beautiful as ever, but the magnificent mountain forests were left
entirely behind us. The old church at Ixcuintepec is visible on the high
crest for a considerable distance. As we made the final climb, the boys
noticed in the trees structures one and a half feet or two feet in
diameter, and somewhat dome-shaped. I should have taken them for wasps'
nests, but the party insisted that they saw parrots come out of them,
and that no doubt young parrots were in the nests. Immediately there was
great excitement, for Manuel had all along wanted to capture a parrot to
take home with him. The party stopped, and stones were thrown to drive
out the birds, but with no result. Finally Mariano climbed the tree,
creeping out along the branches almost to the nest; just at that moment
an unusually well-aimed stone struck the nest, but instead of parrots,
out streamed a great cloud of wasps, which flew straight towards the
_mozo_, who lost no time in getting down from his precarious position.
[Illustration: VIEW IN QUEZALTEPEC]
We found Ixcuintepec almost deserted; hardly any of the town officials
were there. Almost everyone was off, working in the coffee _fincas_.
We quickly saw that we had made a great mistake in waiting for our
remaining subjects until this town. Not only were men conspicuous by
their absence, but the women were extremely hostile. They objected to
our photographing their houses or themselves. They drove the messenger
whom I had sent to measure a house, for the purpose of making a
miniature reproduction, off the premises with clubs. The _mozos_, who
had accompanied us thus far, had no intention of going farther, and the
problem of getting carriers--which had troubled us ever since we had
left Mitla--assumed serious proportions. It was with great difficulty
and much bluster that we secured the food we needed and the _mozos_.
When the _mozos_ came, three out of the four whom it was necessary
for us to employ, were mere boys, the heartiest and best of whom was
scarcely ten years old. In vain we declared that it was impossible for
such little fellows to carry the burdens that needed transportation. It
was plain that they were our only resource. Starting the three boys
upon a short cut to San Miguel, the oldest _mozo_ and ourselves went by
another road to Coatlan. It was fortunate for us that the school-teacher
at this town was interested in our work. We took possession of the
schoolhouse, showed our orders to the officials, and, after much
difficulty, obtained our wishes. The town was almost as deserted as had
been Ixcuintepec, but after infinite difficulty, we succeeded in getting
sufficient subjects to complete our work.
We had thought ourselves unfortunate at Ixcuintepec and Coatlan; the
worst lay before us. We found San Miguel deserted. Our three _mozos_ who
had been paid, and ordered to go simply to that village, and there to
leave our things, had left before we arrived. The man who had come with
us, we had dismissed before we realized conditions. The coffee had
been gathered for the season; the chief man of the place was in the
mountains; there was no town government; neither prayers, threats, nor
bribes produced food for ourselves and our horses; two or three men
around the place would not be hired as _mozos_. We finally were forced
to leave our busts, plaster, photographic outfit and plates on a bench
under an open shed, and go on alone to Santiago Guevea. It was a bitter
disappointment, because our previous experience at San Miguel had been
so pleasant and interesting.
When we left Coatlan that morning, it had been through clouds and
drizzling rain. When we passed through San Miguel, conditions were but
little better. From there, we went through a gorge road, everywhere
passing little plantations of coffee, bananas, and tobacco. Finally, we
began our last mountain or forest climb. The wind with the rain became
colder and more penetrating. At the summit, we found a typical norther
raging, and at points our animals and ourselves were almost blown from
the crest. In good weather the road is long, but through this it was
dreadful. Few towns compare in beauty of location, and appearance from
a distance, with Santiago Guevea. It was nearly five when we drew up in
front of the crowded town-house. It will be remembered that this town is
Zapotec, Coatlan being the last Mixe town. The school-teacher interested
himself in our welfare, securing for us a real sleeping-room with cots,
putting our horses into the corridor of the schoolhouse, and arranging
for our meals. Chocolate and bread were at once furnished, and at eight
o'clock a good supper was sent to our room. In the _plaza_ outside, the
wind was blowing a hurricane and the cold cut like a knife; but the
house in which we slept was tight and warm. In the morning, we found the
wild weather still continuing. It had been out of the question to send
_mozos_ to San Miguel the night before, and it seemed wicked to start
them out in such a storm of wind, fog, rain and cold. Still, our time
was precious, and we ordered men sent to the place where our stuff had
been left, to fetch it; meanwhile, we decided to wait until they should
appear. Our animals had had nothing to eat the previous day, except a
little corn we had brought with us from Coatlan. We therefore ordered
_zacate_ brought for them. The night before, I had inquired regarding
the acquaintances we had made at San Miguel in our previous trip. I
learned that the man had died less than a month before, but that the
widow, the four boys and the little girl, having finished their work at
the coffee _finca_ at San Miguel, were in town. Accordingly we called
at the house. The woman immediately recognized me, and asked after Don
Ernesto. The boys were sleeping, bedded on piles of coffee, but were
routed from their slumber to greet us. At first, none of them remembered
me, but the little girl did, and soon Castolo also. Their house was
comfortable, and piles of corn, coffee, and bananas were stacked up in
the place. They invited us to stop with them, but we were already well
housed by the authorities. As we left, the woman went to the corner,
and, from a pile of similar objects, took two things neatly wrapped in
corn-husks. On opening them, we found that they were eggs, which are
frequently wrapped in this way for storage, in all the indian towns.
Although we had ordered food for the horses, at seven o'clock it had
not appeared. We called at the town-house several times, but still no
_zacate_. Our dinner came, and the afternoon passed, but still no fodder
for the horses was produced, and the poor animals had eaten nothing,
practically, for two whole days, although subjected to hard work and the
pelting storm. We anxiously watched for the coming of the _mozos_ with
our equipment. The storm, though still raging, was abating, and we could
see well down the road. When, at half past three in the afternoon, there
was no sign of either men or fodder, we called the town authorities to
account. We told them that we would wait no longer in a town where our
animals could only starve; that they must forward our boxes, plaster and
busts promptly to Tehuantepec; that we should hold them responsible for
loss or delay, and that all should be delivered at the office of the
_jefe_. Paying no attention to their entreaties that we should wait a
little longer for the fodder, which they promised, as they had so many
times before, would come soon, we saddled our animals, and at 4:20 left
the town. Just as we started, little Castolo appeared with two bunches
of _zacate_ sent by his mother, as a present to Don Federico.
Certainly, there must be a new and better road from Guevea to Santa
Maria than the one we traversed in our other journey, and which again,
following from memory, we used. It was a fearful trail, neglected and
ruined, over slippery rock and rough, sharp-splintered stone. Still we
pressed on rapidly, making even better time than we had been assured at
the town that we might expect to make. Never were we more happy than in
reaching Santa Maria, lovely in the moonlight, with its great church,
fine municipal-house, cocoa-nut trees and thatched huts. Here was no
sign either of the norther or the rain. The next day's journey was over
the hot dusty road with glimpses now and then of the distant Pacific and
Tlacotepec for destination. The following morning we pressed on toward
Tehuantepec, through the dust and heat, reaching the city at noonday. To
our great surprise, we found the _mozos_, with the plaster, the busts,
and the boxes of plates, waiting for us since four o'clock in the
morning.