The presidente stated that, at the pueblito of Santa Maria, where we should go upon the morrow to see some Totonacs, they had just celebrated their annual costumbre.  He said that it might be somewhat similar, as they had sent him a headless turkey, as a gift.  In the morning, we visited this village accompanied by the two brothers.  A half hour’s ride brought us to the spot, from which one gets one of the most lovely views in all this picturesque country.  Standing on the end of a little spur upon which the village lies, one sees the handsome river below, which separates this municipio from that of Villa Juarez.  To the left, rise magnificent mountains covered with brilliant green vegetation, broken here and there by bare rock faces, from the base of which gentle slopes, extending down to the river, are covered with little corn-fields.  Cuauhtepec, a Totonac pueblo, where all are said to dress in white, lies upon this stream, and immediately back from it the cultivated fields of the village stretch up to the very crest.  To the right, is seen the little ranch Tanchitla, with its fields, a strip of green forest separating these from the fields of the next village, Tlapajualla.  The stream abounds in fish of various kinds, which form an important food supply.  They are, however, rapidly being destroyed by the practice of exploding dynamite cartridges in the water, by which not only the adult fish, but the young, of all ages, are killed.  Unless the practice soon ceases, and there are rigid laws against it, there will soon be no fish left in any of the streams of this whole region.  This particular stream bears different names in different portions of its course—­thus it is called Tanchitla, Pahuatlan, San Marcos, Caxones, Xico, etc.

Having noticed that here, as at Pahuatlan, the banana trees were badly injured, we learned that this havoc was the result of two recent hail-storms, which were felt over a wide area, and which were of almost unexampled severity.  By the time we had enjoyed the outlook, and learned a little of the village, the messenger who had been sent to call the people together had performed his duty, and a picturesque group of our long-sought Totonacs were at hand.  The women wear quichiquemils of native cotton cloth, the neck opening of which is over-hemmed with black wool.  Lines of crosses, rosettes, birds, etc., are worked in various-colored wools upon them.  Many of them have a broad line of color, in geometrical combinations, running vertically up the middle.  The men wear cotones of black and white.