round.
It was scarcely more than noonday when we reached Nochixtlan, where
the _jefe_ of the district lives. Telling him that we desired to visit
Yodocono and Tilantongo, he wrote orders for us, and charged some
indians of Tidaa to show us the road, so far as they were going. The
country through which we passed was a continuation of that preceding
Nochixtlan. The road was nearly level, with but slight ups and downs,
until a little before we reached our destination, when we had an abrupt
up-turn to Yodocono, a pretty town on the border of a little lake, which
has but recently appeared, and which covers an area which a few years
ago was occupied by cultivated fields. Our letter from the _jefe_
introduced us to Don Macario Espinola, a _mestizo_, owner of the chief
store in the village, who showed us gracious hospitality. We were guests
of honor. The parlor was surrendered to our use; the chairs were placed
in such a way that, when supplied with mattress, sheets, and blankets,
they made capital beds. Our meals were good. Don Macario, on hearing
the purpose of our visit, placed himself entirely at our disposition.
Unfortunately, he gained the idea that the people whom we wanted for
measurement and photography were old folk, and the most astonishing
collection of aged men and women was summoned from every part of the
village and surrounding neighborhood, and all had to be measured,
although the measurements were afterwards discarded.

[Illustration: YODOCONO]

Leaving Yodocono at ten the following morning, we rode to Tilantongo.
Though assured that the road was over a district as level as a floor,
we found a good deal of up-hill riding. Tilantongo itself, with 2,266
inhabitants, is located upon the further slope of a hill, and but few
houses were in sight until we were actually in the town. The public
buildings surrounded a small open space, in the centre of which is a
stone sun-dial. One side of this little _plaza_ is occupied by the
schoolhouse; the town-house and jail occupy the rear. The town is built
upon a horseshoe-shaped, sloping ridge, and the church is at the edge
of the town, at one of the very ends of the horseshoe. Riding to the
town-house, we presented our documents to the _presidente_, and ordered
dinner for ourselves and food for the horses. We had letters to the
priest, but he was not in town. The schoolhouse was placed at our
disposal, and we moved two long benches close to each other, side by
side; rush m