and as they sit in their houses or at the door of an evening, or as they walk through the village on errands, their hands are ever busily occupied with the plaiting.  There is absolutely nothing characteristic in dress, both men and women dressing like mestizos in the important cities of the Republic.  Almost every one wears shoes; women, those with high French heels.  A resident tailor makes the bulk of the clothing for the more particular men of the town.  In our school-room we were supplied with good kerosene lamps, an experience almost unique.  Few, if any, of the houses in the village were without the same mode of light.  Many, if not all, of the women had sewing-machines.

[Illustration:  VIEW AT TANCOCO]

We were more than ever impressed with the anomalous condition of these people in their own land.  They were the cleanest, most industrious, best dressed and most progressive indians whom we had seen in any part of Mexico; but in the Huaxteca, the land which bears their name, they are being crowded by the less progressive Aztecs. Mestizos and Aztecs both speak of them with contempt, and treat them like dogs.  As for their language, it is neglected and despised; while many of them know both Spanish and Aztec, neither mestizo nor Aztec considers it worth while to know a word of Huaxtec.  While we had no trouble with the men, we began to feel that the women would fail us.  It was after five o’clock, the last day of our stay, before a single one appeared.  Then they came in a body, accompanied by the full town force, and each with her husband as a guard, to our quarters.  They were dressed in their best calico, muslin, silk and satin, with laces and artificial flowers, earrings, necklaces, and with shoes the heels of which measured from thirty to thirty-five millimeters.  They were perfumed; their hair was heavily oiled with odorous greases.  Each shook hands with our whole party, greeted us politely, and sat down on the long school-benches, waiting for her turn for measurement.  Notwithstanding this rather oppressively lady-like mode of procedure, we were assured by old Guadelupe that our errand and work in the town had caused much terror and doubt, the women particularly feeling sure that it boded ill.  It was said that they recalled the fact that years ago certain of their old men predicted that strangers would eventually come to the village, who would bewitch the people and destroy the town.  It was commonly believed that we were now fulfilling this prediction.

The physical type of the Huaxtecs seems to be well marked.  A peculiar gray tint underlies the brown color of the skin.  The head is short, broad, and curiously compressed behind; the eyes are wide apart, and frequently oblique; the mouth is large, with thick but not projecting lips.

We had planned to leave about the middle of the afternoon, and at 3:50 the best animals we have ever had were ready for our use.  A magnificent horse, the special pride of the alcalde himself, was put at my disposal.  When we came to settle for the animals, all payment was refused, their use being the voluntary offering of the town officials.  The animals made nothing of the journey, and within an hour and a half we had again reached Tamalin.