esidente_ and other chief officers of the different pueblos gathered
at Tehuantepec to express their sympathy by speeches and to present
flowers to the official. It was for this errand that the _presidente_ of
Tequixistlan had gone to the _cabecera_. Had he been at home, perhaps
we would have had no difficulty, but as it was we found the government
disjointed and nerveless. Constant nagging and harrying were necessary
in carrying out our wishes. The town itself was not bad. It stands upon
a sort of terrace, at a little height above the neighboring river. The
town-house is a long building, occupying the whole upper end of the
large rectangular _plaza_; at the lower end is the fine church and
_curato_. Along the sides were _tiendas_, school, etc., well built
adobes and plastered over with tinted plaster. Behind the church beyond
the river rises a handsome background of mountains. The long corridor in
front of the municipal-house was fine and broad, with a high roof and
brick pavement. Oleanders bloomed before this corridor. The view from
it was fine, and the air cool there even in the middle of the day. We
accordingly took possession of it, working and sleeping there. So far
as personal comfort was concerned, we were well cared for. We had good
meals, comfortable cots, plenty of food for the horses, but, as we have
said, the work lagged, and it was only with the greatest difficulty that
we could accomplish it.

There is little distinctive about the Chontals, as we saw them. The
women dress much like the Zapotec women in the neighboring towns. The
men present nothing notable in dress. Outside the _plaza_, the houses
were built of light materials, and resembled the ordinary cane-walled,
thatched huts of the Zapotecs. The people appeared to be badly mixed,
and this not only with white, but also with negro blood. Nevertheless,
as we worked upon subject after subject, a fairly defined type seemed
to grow upon us. We could see that the Chontals are tall, with rather
well-shaped faces, though somewhat high cheek-bones, with light
complexions, and with wavy or curly hair. When the work was finished,
we had great difficulty in securing carriers to bear our burdens to San
Bartolo. Enormous prices were demanded, and at last, angry over the
attempted extortion, we threatened to leave all our stuff behind us, and
hold the town responsible, reporting them to the authorities when we
should reach Oaxaca, demanding that damages should be c