the ground.  It was a night of suffering; the cold was so great that our blankets furnished no protection, and the place swarmed with fleas innumerable.  At last, at four o’clock, two hours before sunrise, we started on our journey in the hope of getting warm.  The air was damp and heavy, and, until the sun rose, we had a desolate journey.  We were again upon a limestone district, with interesting features of scenery, and with few difficulties in the road.  We passed many oblong hills of limestone, the horizontal layers of which upon the slopes present tiers of steps, one behind the other.  These hills were astonishingly overgrown with trees, and formed masses of the darkest green.  There was a great deal of subterranean water, and sink-holes produced by caving over such streams were frequent.  The soil generally was a residual red or brownish clay.  Flocks of gray pigeons were startled from their roosts by our passing; and little doves were plentiful; great hawks and small eagles were seen in pairs, hovering high in the air.  We passed several little ranches, to one of which the name of El Zapato is given from a foot-print which is said to be painted on the rocks at that point.  Finally, we saw before us the hill behind which, Don Manuel assured us, lay Coixtlahuaca.  To mount and drop down behind it seemed a simple thing, but we had to traverse the whole length of the rather irregular ridge, which seemed interminable.  The road which led up to it was called the Rio Blanca—­white river—­an appropriate name, as it was broad and deeply worn into the soft rock of which the ridge consisted.  When we reached the crest, we found the ridge extending as a flat plain of light, buff-colored tufa, with many trails worn deeply into it, and giving out, under the bright sunshine, a frightful reflection of light and heat.  Long before we reached the end of this dreary stretch, we saw Coixtlahuaca and its adjoining indian villages, Nativitas and San Cristobal.  As we drew nearer, the view was striking.  The town is broad, but of little depth; its streets are laid out with regularity; its great church, with masses of ruin on either side, is conspicuous; the plaza is large for the size of the town.  To one side of it are the portales and the town-house and jefatura.  To the right of the town and behind it is a large, walled cemetery with many gravestones.  Back of all, rise hills of tufa, such as we had just traversed.  The houses, similar to those at Huautla, and in the country between there and here, appear to be constructed with a view to cold.  At least, two houses usually occur in one inclosure; the one, more important, corresponds to the god-house of the Aztecs and the other to the cook-house.  The former is better built, and has low, carefully constructed walls, and a high abruptly four-pitched, heavily thatched roof.  Going to the jefatura, the young clerk there was much impressed by the documents we presented, and asked us if we would accompany him to