.

Working at the palace, we had secured almost no women for measurement.
Asking the advice of the _cura_, in the matter, he recommended that we
should go to some one of the neighboring indian villages; that he would
give us a letter to the _juez_ and that, thus, we would secure our
subjects easily. He suggested San Estevan and wrote the promised letter
to the _juez_ of that village. San Estevan is a pretty village, near the
summit of some low gray hills of tufa, behind which rises a background
of higher hills of the same material. The slope is terraced for the
houses, which are all built of adobe bricks and have flat roofs. The
"three part house," of the ancient Aztec type--god-house, kitchen, and
granary--is better shown in this state than almost any other part of the
Republic. The granary, or _cuezcomate_, is particularly characteristic.
It is built of clay, in the form of a great vase or urn, open at the
top, above which is built a little thatch to shed rain and to protect
the contents. The _cuezcomate_ is often ten feet high. One or more of
them is found in connection with every house.

[Illustration: HOUSE AND CUEZCOMATE; LOS REYES]

The _juez_ lived in a comfortable house of two rooms, half of which is
used at present for the boy's school, of which his son is teacher. He
received us graciously, and was pleased to receive a letter from the
_padre_, though he stated it was not a government order and carried no
actual authority; that if the women cared to be measured, well and good,
but if not, no force could be employed. The appearance of the camera,
however, interested him; plainly, he desired to have a family group
photographed; he hinted at this so broadly that, taking him to one side,
I whispered that it was, of course, impossible to take family groups
for everyone, but if we secured the twenty-five women without delay,
notwithstanding the fact that we had no more authoritative document than
a _cura's_ letter, the group should be taken. The effect was immediate.
The police were summoned and sent through the village to bring in women
for measurement and naught was said about their right of refusal.

When, toward evening, we returned from San Estevan, tired but quite
satisfied with the day's work, we found a delegation of more than a
dozen men waiting for us in the _plaza_. We did not need so large a
number to complete our work, and it was nearly dark; we would gladly
have dismissed them and run our chances of