At Juquila the system of public crying from the plaza is fully developed.  The town lies in a valley, and most of the houses are on slopes surrounding the little plain or terrace upon which the plaza is situated on which the government house is built.  When aid was needed by the town authorities, whether zacate for our horses, food for ourselves, objects for inspection, or what not, one of the officers, whose business it seemed to be, stepped out upon the plaza, and, raising his voice would cry out what was needed by the authorities.  Whoever had the things desired, coming out before their houses, would cry back the amount, description and variety of the articles they could supply.  This we found to be the constant practice.

Notwithstanding the clearness of the preceding day, our day of working was cold, damp, and foggy.  The sea of cloud and cataract of mists must have been in full operation.  Where we were, a heavy wind was blowing and, before night, rain falling.  We had not thought of the possibility of heavy storms or damaged roads at this time of the year, but, before night came, the people of the village expressed surprise that we should talk of leaving the next morning.  They assured us that at Quezaltepec and Ixcuintepec it was surely raining heavily, and that the roads would be wet, slippery and impassable.  Long before we went to bed, a gale was blowing and we felt doubts regarding further progress.  In the morning it was still wet and chilly; all told of terrible roads and risks in proceeding; we delayed.  Finally, we decided to press on at least to Ocotopec.  We had tried to send the mozos forward with our baggage, but it was plain they would not move until we did.  Finally, somewhat after nine, we started.  It was still heavy and chilly; we found the road much better than we feared; at some points it was slippery, but not for long distances.  Until we were on the final descent to Ocotopec we were sheltered from the cold wind.  To be sure, here and there, where the road passed little funnel openings along the crest, we felt fully the cold wind loaded with mist.

We noticed, what on the other trip escaped my attention, the profound difference in vegetation between the two sides of the hill upon the crest of which we were travelling.  The one slope, cold and damp, was densely forested with trees, loaded with air-plants and orchids.  The other slope, warmer and drier, was far less heavily grown, and in large part, with pines.  Among the plants noticed by the roadside was a species of pinguicula which was very common on damp clay-cuttings.  Its leaves form a close, flat rosette upon the ground, from which a slender stalk rises, with a a single crimson flower.  When we reached the final descent to the town, we caught the full force of the cold, mist-laden wind, which struck our faces and made us shiver.  Yet it was on this very slope, so frequently cold and wet, that the oaks, covered with air-plants and blooming orchids, were at their finest.  Ferns in astonishing variety, from the most delicate, through giant herbaceous forms, to magnificent tree-ferns; lycopods of several species, and selaginellas, in tufts, covered the slopes; and great banks of begonias, in fine bloom, showed themselves.  Before we reached the village we were forced to dismount, on account of the slippery condition of the road, and entered town on foot.