the fact that no such vehicle existed.  Six hard days of horseback riding would be necessary for the journey, and, though Ramon admitted himself to be much better, he was too weak for such an undertaking.  This had had its influence in determining us to go by coach in the first place.  When in doubt as to what we should do, Senor Espindola suggested that the journey could be made by ox-cart in ten or eleven days.  Though this seemed slow, it was better than to run risks with our invalid, and we determined to journey in that fashion as soon as our luggage should appear.

The station is situated on a somewhat elevated plain, constantly swept by heavy winds.  While we were there, this wind was hot, and loaded with dust.  In the afternoon, we walked through the indian town, which extends over a considerable area.  The houses are rectangular, with adobe walls, mostly whitewashed, and with steep, pitched roofs.  We met a funeral procession in the road, with the usual band in front.  The coffin open, so as to show the child, was carried on the shoulders of several men.  The mother, in contortions of real or simulated grief, was supported by two women, and the mourners brought up the rear, wailing now and then.  Among the mourners was a woman who suffered from black pinto, notably developed.  The principal industry of the town is pottery.  The clay, which is of a greyish-black color, is stiff and hard, and is first broken up with a mallet.  When worked into a stiff paste, it is built by hand into great ollas and plates, one and a half or two feet in diameter.  These ollas we saw at many houses, and sometimes they were lashed to carts, plainly for bringing water from the stream.  A single olla thus lashed, practically filled a fair-sized cart.

[Illustration:  DRYING POTTERY; SAN GERONIMO]

[Illustration:  CART AND OLLA; SAN GERONIMO]

The little hotel at the station is a new venture, and deserves complete success.  At few places in Mexico have we found meals so good and cheap.  In the evening, more from curiosity than expectation, we watched the train come from the east, and to our surprise and satisfaction, found our luggage.  We had really made up our minds that we must spend some days in waiting; on the whole, the quiet and comfort of the little tavern would not have been unpleasant; but we hastened at once to Senor Espindola, and urged him to make instant arrangements for our leaving in the morning.  To this he replied that no carretero would be likely to start on Sunday, and that we would have to wait until the following day.  Matters turned out better than anticipated, and before nine, the following morning, our arrangements had been made.  Two carretas were hired, at twenty-eight pesos each, to make the journey; our driver agreed that, without counting that day, he could get us to Tuxtla in eight days; in order to encourage him, we promised to pay five pesos extra for each carreta, in