Huehuetla is a large town, occupying a long valley hemmed in between mountains and bordering a stream.  The streets are regular, and the view from the hills about, looking down upon the well-built houses and the intersecting streets, is very pretty.  The houses have substantial walls of stone and mud, and many of them are white-plastered outside; all have a thick and heavy thatch.  The plaza lies before the house where we stopped, and, to the right, the large church stands on a terrace somewhat above the town.  A large school building, finer than many of the best in some large cities, was just being finished; its construction was due to Don Pablo’s influence, and it was soon to be occupied.  Meantime, the children were given instruction in the church, and at noon and evening, when their lessons were closed, they marched in double file, down the flight of steps in front of the church and across the plaza, where they separated and made their way home.  During the time that we were working at this town, when the school children filed past, they always removed their hats in the most respectful manner.  While there are many mestizos in the town, it may truly be called an indian town, the largest of those belonging to the Tepehuas.  According to Orozco y Berra, Tepehua is not related to any other language in Mexico.  We have not studied it sufficiently to be sure that he is right; it is, however, certain that the language has been much affected by the Totonac, if it is not related to it, and many words in the two languages are the same.  The people of this tribe have a great reputation, more or less deserved, for cleanliness; probably it is comparative, contrasting with the neighboring Otomis, rather than positive.  However that may be, both men and women are usually dressed in clean white clothing.  The enaguas of the women are plain white; their belts have a foundation of white cotton, but raised designs of black wool are so thickly worked upon them that the white is quite inconspicuous.

The camisas and quichiquemils are generally white, with a vertical band of red, and with a few animal figures.  Women wear many necklaces of bright beads, and braid their hair into two braids, which end with tapes of various colors,—­brown, red, green, maroon, and black.  These braids are brought together over the head and knotted in place.  We secured no women for measure until we had practically completed the work with men, when they came with a rush, the whole twenty-five at once, dressed in their best clothing, and insisted that the work must be done inside the schoolhouse, out of sight, instead of on the street, where we had operated on the men.  We had no opportunity to see any of the popular danzas, in some of which, we were told, songs were sung in the Tepehua language, but we did see examples of the little teponastls, or drums, used on these occasions; they are made from a round block, perhaps