memory, we used. It was a fearful trail, neglected and
ruined, over slippery rock and rough, sharp-splintered stone. Still we
pressed on rapidly, making even better time than we had been assured at
the town that we might expect to make. Never were we more happy than in
reaching Santa Maria, lovely in the moonlight, with its great church,
fine municipal-house, cocoa-nut trees and thatched huts. Here was no
sign either of the norther or the rain. The next day's journey was over
the hot dusty road with glimpses now and then of the distant Pacific and
Tlacotepec for destination. The following morning we pressed on toward
Tehuantepec, through the dust and heat, reaching the city at noonday. To
our great surprise, we found the _mozos_, with the plaster, the busts,
and the boxes of plates, waiting for us since four o'clock in the
morning.

CHAPTER XIII

ABOUT TEHUANTEPEC (1899)

Since our former visit to Tehuantepec, that hot and dusty city had
suffered terrible misfortune. Through a period of several months it was
subject to frequent shocks of earthquakes; for a time these were of
daily occurrence, and on one occasion there were seventeen in a single
day. The town still showed the destruction produced by these earthquake
shocks, although for some months past there had been none. Houses,
stores, churches, all presented great cracks and bare spots from which
plaster had fallen. Many of the people had left the city permanently;
those who remained were completely discouraged and unwilling to spend
trouble and money in the repair of their houses. Tehuantepec is, of
course, a city of considerable size; situated on a railroad, it has
lost its importance since that thoroughfare was constructed. It was,
formerly, the natural point through which all the produce of the
surrounding country passed; the railroad has given similar opportunity
to other places, to the loss of Tehuantepec. Between earthquakes, the
damage resulting from the railroad, and the location of the military
forces at Juchitan, not far distant, the town is declining. It is still,
however, the _cabecera_, and the _jefe_ is a man of some force and
vigor. Shortly after our arrival, I visited his office, delivered the
governor's letter, and stated our purpose in visiting his city. He
seemed interested, and at once stated that there would be no difficulty
in carrying out my plans; that I would find plenty of women for
measurement in Tehuantepec itself; that the 1