HUAUHTLA AND THE MAZATECS
(1900)
A short ride upon the train, through the hot and dusty valley, brought
us to the miserable station of San Antonio, from which, we had been
assured, a coach ran daily to Teotitlan del Camino; arrived at the
station, no stage was in sight, and we were told that it sometimes came
and sometimes not. Accordingly, leaving my companions at the station in
care of the baggage, I walked to the village, half a mile away, to see
what arrangements could be made for transportation. It was hot, and it
seemed difficult to arouse interest on the part of the town authorities.
Neither conveyance nor animals were to be had. Accordingly, a foot
messenger was sent to Teotitlan, which is a _cabecera_, asking that some
arrangement be made for transporting us. As there was no hurry, and it
would be some time before we could receive an answer, I sat under the
thatched roof in front of the town-house, resting and enjoying the
little breeze which had sprung up. Suddenly the belated coach, itself,
came into sight, bound for the station. Starting to mount, the driver
told me it was better for me to remain sitting comfortably in the shade,
and that he would pick up my companions, of whom, I told him, there
were three, and that I could join the company, as they passed. As
arrangements had already been made regarding the transportation of the
baggage by mules, the advice seemed good, and I remained where I was. A
long time passed, and when, at last, the coach arrived, it contained but
one passenger, a dignified _licenciado_. When I asked the driver where
my companions were, he answered that they had refused to come because
I had sent no written order to that effect. I suggested that we should
turn back and get them, but to this proposition he gave refusal. Not
only so, but the _licenciado_ expressed vexation at the delay which he
was suffering, and demanded that we should go on at once. Argument,
persuasions, threats were all of no avail, and, as it was necessary that
I should see the _jefe_ at the earliest possible moment, I was forced
to mount the coach and leave my unfortunate and obedient companions to
their fate. For an hour and a half the coach lumbered slowly over a hot
and dusty road, which passed between small, bare, gray or brown rock
hills, rising to a higher level only a little before we reached
Teotitlan itself.
Hastening to the _jefatura_, I discovered that the _jefe_ had gone to
Mexico, leaving the _presidente_ of the town as his lieutenant. This man
was neither willing, interested, nor efficient. He had little authority,
even with his own policemen and townsmen. I requested that the first
thing should be to send for my companions and bring them to town within
the briefest time. Orders were sent by the policemen to the driver
of the coach, that he should return at once to the station; to these
orders, he sent the false reply that his coach had broken down, one
wheel being completely ruined. After some wrangling and delay, the
_presidente_ sent a foot-messenger to San Antonio with orders to the
authorities of that village to supply three animals for the travellers.
The messenger left at five in the evening. Meantime, we arranged with
difficulty for beasts for our further journey. Although we were assured
that no animals from the town could accompany us further than the first
_ranchito_ in the mountains, named San Bernardino, they assured us that
fresh animals could be obtained there for the remainder of the journey.
Going to the regular hotel in the village, we found the prices higher
than in Oaxaca or Puebla, and equal to those of a first-class hotel in
Mexico itself. As the landlady seemed to have no disposition to do aught
for us, we decided to look elsewhere. At a second so-called hotel we
found a single bed. At this point, a bystander suggested that Don Pedro
Barrios would probably supply us lodging; hastening to his house, I
secured a capital room, opening by one door directly onto the main road,
and by another, opposite, onto the large _patio_ of his place. The room
was large and clean, and four good cots were soon in place. Having
ordered supper at a little eating-house, for four persons, to be ready
at seven o'clock, I spent a little time in looking at relics found
in the neighborhood. Pottery figures and heads are quite common and
frequently painted brilliantly; small heads and ornaments of green-stone
are not uncommon; curious clubs of stone for beating bark-paper are also
found; objects of gold and silver have been found in ancient graves,
near the foot of the mountains, on the outskirts of the village. These
were of curious forms and excellent workmanship, and included large
ornaments for the ears and pendants for the neck, made of thin sheets of
gold; turtles and human skulls cast in a single piece; and most curious
of all, odd pieces of filigree where the gold-wire was coiled into
strange human heads. One of these was made half of gold and half of
silver wire.
At seven, no sign of my companions had appeared. A policeman went to
tell the keeper of the eating-house that we would eat at eight, and,
putting my chair outside the open door, I sat in the cool air and
watched the people passing in the moonlight. Eight o'clock came, and no
companions. The supper hour was postponed to nine. Between nine and ten,
Don Pedro and I talked over various matters, and at last, yielding to
his solicitation, I went to supper, he promising to send my comrades in
case they should arrive during my absence. I had just finished supper,
at half-past ten, when my three hungry companions arrived, with big
appetites for their own meals, and it was after eleven before the party
was through its supper.
[Illustration]
They, themselves, had by no means spent a dull afternoon. The station
agent and his lady wife had indulged in a vigorous battle. Both were
drunk, shot revolvers recklessly, bit one another, tore hair, and
clubbed most vigorously. The man finally took $6,000 in money out of the
company's safe and left the station, vowing that he would never be seen
again. Though the authorities at San Antonio had received the order to
supply animals at six o'clock, it was after nine before they had the
beasts ready for the travellers.
After an excellent night's rest we started our pack-animals, and
were ourselves ready for the journey at nine, when we found that no
arrangements had been made for a foot _mozo_ to carry our instruments.
This again caused delay and trouble, but at last we were upon the road,
and started out through the little village towards the mountains. My
animal appeared a beast of vigor and spirit, and my hope ran high. The
moment, however, that we struck the climb, matters changed. He then
stopped every few yards, breathing as if it were his last gasp. This he
kept up for the whole ascent, and there seemed doubt whether he would
ever reach the summit. For a long distance, the road followed the side
of a gorge in which a fine brook plunged and dashed. We passed and
repassed picturesque groups of Mazatec indians with their burdens. The
women wore _enaguas_, the lower part of which was brown, the upper
white. Their _huipilis_ are among the most striking we have seen, being
made of native cotton, decorated with elaborate embroidered patterns of
large size, in pink or red. The favorite design is the eagle. Men wore
_cotones_ of black or dark blue wool. We had been riding steadily for
two hours before we reached San Bernardino, where the _mozos_ and pack
animals were changed, and where we rested for a few minutes. We then
rode for a long time, gently ascending through forests of pine or oak.
Here and there the air-plants on the oak trees were notable. Finally, we
mounted to a road along a narrow ridge, like a knife's edge, and from
here on had one of the most remarkable roads that I have ever travelled.
Keeping continuously upon the crest, we had upon the one side the dry
slope, with the pine forest, and on the other the damp slope, densely
grown with low oaks, heavily clad with orchids and bromelias and
weighted with great bunches of gray moss. The road passed up and down
gentle and abrupt slopes separated by level spaces. When we first caught
sight of Huauhtla it looked so near, and the road to be traversed was so
plain, that we expected to reach the town before three o'clock; but the
trail proved drearily long. True, the scenery was magnificent. The great
mass of mountains; curious ridges extending out from their flanks; the
multitude of horizontal, parallel long roads following these; the little
towns, San Geronimo, San Lucas--all were attractive. From the great
slope opposite Huauhtla, the view of the town was most impressive.
Before us opened a narrow valley, the depth of which we only realized
after we had traversed it. An hour and a half was necessary for making
the descent and the up-climb. From the point whence we were looking, the
church, town-house, and clustered houses of the village were above us.
Below stretched a line of _nublina_, and beneath it the whole great
mountain flank was checkered with the irregular brown and green fields
belonging to the villagers. It was already five o'clock when we began
the descent from this fine view-point, and, on our way down the slope
and up the opposite slope to the village, we met great numbers of
drunken indians,--as it was Sunday,--usually a man and woman together.
Two of the men we met had been fighting, and were covered with blood;
the face of one of them was livid with the blows which he had received.
Many of the parties were noisy and quarrelsome, and some of them showed
a tendency to meddle with us, as we passed.
[Illustration]
The greater portion of the journey had been over fine, dry roads; after
we reached the knife-edge ridge, however, whenever there was a descent
or ascent, we found the road of clay, moist and slippery; in the rainy
season these bits would be bad enough. At this time of year they are due
to the _nublina_, great masses of which we saw from the time we reached
the crest-road, and, at times, we passed through great sheets of it
which cut off all view and which soaked our clothing. Upon our last
descent and ascent, we were almost discouraged, and the last half-hour
of our journey was made by the light of the moon, struggling through
_nublina_. Though it was dark, when we reached the village, we were
impressed with the fineness of the municipal-house, the best constructed
we have seen in an indian town. Its location, near the edge of the
mountain slope, giving a magnificent outlook over the great valley, is
very fine. The houses of the Mazatecs are picturesque. The walls are
built of mud, or slabs or posts daubed with mud, while the roofs are
thatched with palm. The ridge pole extends, at both ends, in projections
which themselves are thatched, forming curious and striking horns. This
same mode of thatch, picturesque in the extreme, is also used above the
little granaries which are raised, on poles, several feet above the
ground, in order to keep the contents from the attacks of animals.
Huauhtla is a large town. The village and its immediate dependencies
have a population of 7000. Until lately the town was jealous of visits
from outside, and little inclined to hospitality towards travellers. If
this were formerly true, it has ceased to be so. We were received most
heartily; the large and enthusiastic town government, after learning our
errand, expressed their willingness to aid us in every way. They at once
cleared a fine large room in the town-house for our occupancy, prepared
four beds of boards covered with _petates_, and brought from the
priest's house, hard by, blankets, sheets, and pillows for my own use.
Arrangements were also made for our eating with the priest, Padre
Manzano, with whom we fared in truly regal fashion. In the days we
stayed at Huauhtla, there were no delays in our work and everything went
in orderly fashion. It is true, our subjects for busts were an awkward
and trying lot. The first subject broke the back-piece of the mould
to fragments, and, when the plaster was being applied to his face,
he opened his mouth and talked, opened his eyes, and drew out his
nose-tubes, with the result that eyes, nose and mouth were all filled
with the soft mixture, and it was all that we could do to clean him
without damage. As for trying to take his bust again, that was quite
out of the question. The second subject was all right, until the last
application had been made, when he turned in the partly hardened mould
with truly disastrous results. The third one acted so awkwardly that a
piece of mould, which should have come off singly, was taken off in ten
fragments.
The dress of the Mazatec women is elaborate and striking, both _enagua_
and _huipíl_ being made from the cotton woven by themselves. At the
base of the _enagua_ is a broad and heavy band of wool, embroidered in
geometrical patterns, the color being cochineal. Above these bands,
there are embroideries in the same colored wool, animal and human
figures, and geometrical designs. Unfortunately, cochineal, while
brilliant, is by no means permanent, a single washing of the garment
spreading the color through the white texture. The _huipilis_ are
ornamented frequently with red, purple and crimson ribbons, bought in
stores in the town, which are sewed to the garment in such a fashion as
to divide it into rectangular spaces. These, in turn, are occupied with
the elaborate large patterns in pink representing the eagle and other
designs already described. It is uncommon among Mexican indians to
find a native use of silk. Here, however, silk-worms are reared and
carry-cloths, kerchiefs and belts are woven from their product. These
are worn by both men and women. The mode of wearing the hair among the
Mazatec women is in two broad, flat braids hanging down the back. The
women made no demur whatever to being measured, but everyone, who
presented herself for the operation, came dressed in her best clothing,
with her hair elaborately braided, and showed serious disappointment and
dissatisfaction if not invited to be photographed.
[Illustration: MAZATEC WOMEN; HUAUHTLA]
[Illustration: HEAVY BRAIDS; MAZATEC WOMEN; HUAUHTLA]
The town has a most curious reputation, as devoted to commerce, and not
to manual labor. In fact, it is considered disgraceful for a man of
Huauhtla to indulge in work. The people of San Lucas, the nearest town,
and a dependency, are, on the other hand, notably industrious, and it
is they who carry burdens and do menial work for the lordly Huauhtla
people. Mrs. de Butrie told us that she tried in vain to get a cook in
the village. The woman was satisfied to cook and found no fault with the
wages offered, but refused the job because it involved the carrying of
water, and she feared lest she might be seen at such ignoble labor. Mr.
de Butrie a while ago bought a set of shelves from a man who had them in
his house. As they were dirty, he suggested that they must be cleaned
before he would receive them. The seller said, very well, he would send
for a man of San Lucas to clean them. It was only lately that they
condescended to carry stuff to Teotitlan to sell. In the town-house they
cherish two much-prized possessions, the _titulo_ and _mapa_ of the
town. The former is the grant made by the Spanish government to this
village, in the year 1763. It is an excellently preserved document in
parchment and the old writing is but little faded. As for the _mapa_, it
is a strip of native, coarse cotton cloth, seven feet by three feet nine
inches in size, with a landscape map of the surrounding country painted
upon it in red, yellow, black and brown. It is a quaint piece of
painting, with mountains valleys, streams, caves, trees, houses,
churches and villages represented on it with fair exactness. It was
probably painted at the same time that the _titulo_ was given to the
village.
The morning after our arrival, we witnessed a quadruple indian wedding
in the church at seven. The brides were magnificent in the brilliant
_huipilis_, and the godmothers were almost as much so, with their fine
embroideries. The ceremony was much like that at Coixtlahuaca, already
described. The bride put a silver ring upon the groom's finger, and
he did the same by her; the priest put money into the man's hands, he
transferred this to the woman, and she to the priest; single chains
were hung about the neck of each of the party, both men and women; the
covering sheet or scarf was stretched over all four couples at once,
covering the heads of the women and the shoulders of the men.
Near the town-house, along the main street, is a series of sheds or
shacks used as shops, altogether numerically disproportionate to the
population. Great was our surprise to find that one of these was kept
by a Frenchman, who spoke excellent English, and who is married to an
English lady. They were the only white people living in this great
indian town. Monsieur de Butrie has a coffee plantation in the valley a
few miles away, at Chichotla, but he finds the climate bad for himself
and lady. Accordingly, they had moved up onto the high land, and it is
easy for him, when he must give attention to his _finca_, to go to it
for the necessary time. They have some pretty children and are doing
well. We called at their house, quite like the others of the town, and
were hospitably received with chocolate and sweet English cakes. During
our stay, this gentleman and his wife did their utmost for our comfort,
and gave us many interesting bits of information regarding the people,
their customs and their superstitions. We have elsewhere described in
detail their witchcraft practices, their belief in transformation into
tigers, and their ideas regarding the destiny and condition of persons
after death.
[Illustration] [MAZATEC FROM SAN LUCAS]
[Illustration] [MAZATEC FROM SAN LUCAS]
Just across the way from the town-house, was a large house of the usual
fashion, which we quickly learned was the rendezvous and practice-place
of the town band. This consisted entirely of boys, none of them more
than twenty years of age, and numbered upwards of thirty pieces. The
leader was a man of forty, a capital trainer. The daily practice began
at 4:30 in the morning, and was kept up until noon; then ensued an
hour's rest. At one, they were again practicing, and no break occurred
until long after dark. During the days that we were there, a single
piece only was being practiced. It was our alarm clock in the morning,
beat time for our work throughout the day, and lulled us to sleep when
we retired for the night. Señor de Butrie insists that during the year
and more than he has lived in the village, several boys have blown
themselves, through consumption, into early graves. Our pleasant stay
at Huauhtla came to an equally pleasant termination. Having stated the
number of animals and human carriers necessary, and the hour at which
we wished to start, we found every preparation made on awaking in the
morning, and at 6:25, after an excellent breakfast with Padre Manzano,
we sallied forth. Six human carriers bore our busts and baggage, and
four capital horses carried us rapidly over the good road. It was a
magnificent morning, but later in the day, as the sun rose, it became
hot. We arrived at three in the afternoon with our carriers close
behind. The following morning we forgave the crabbed _cochero_ at
Teotitlan sufficiently to take his stage coach for San Antonio, where
we arrived in fifty minutes, having two hours to wait before the
north-bound train took us towards Puebla.
[Illustration]