had expected at this town to secure a muleteer, as the one we hired
from San Carlos had agreed to come only to this town. Here, too, we had
expected to rent a new horse for Mr. Lang. Our muleteer, however, was
much taken with the party, and declared that he should hire himself to
continue with us to Tlacolula. We quickly arranged with him, and at four
o'clock prepared to leave. The sick horse was then at its worst; it had
lain down, and for a time we believed it was really dead; it was out of
the question for it to go further; so, calling one of the villagers, I
told him that he might have the horse, and if there was any possibility
of curing, it, he should do what might be necessary.

From four to seven it was a tiresome climb, largely through stream-beds
to Carvajal. It is a large _rancho_, but we stopped at the first house
we came to, a miserable place, where, however, we got coffee, bread,
beans and eggs, and some mats for beds, which we laid out upon the
ground, under the open sky. Taking early coffee and _tortillas_, we were
again mounted at four and on our way. It was the last ascent. The moon
was shining brightly, and we could see that the road followed the edge
of a fine gorge. When we once reached the summit, there was no further
descent to make. We were on the high, flat, table-land of Oaxaca, and
from here to the capital city of the state, the road is level, and
passes through a rich agricultural district. Passing San Dionisio at
seven, we pressed on as rapidly as possible to Tlacolula, where we
arrived before noon, ready for the good meals and comfortable quarters
which we well knew awaited us there.

Tlacolula is a large town, in the midst of a dusty valley. Its houses
are large, rectangular constructions, well built of poles, with fine
thatched roofs. They stand in yards, which are enclosed by fences of
organ-pipe cactus. The people dress well, and at almost every house they
own an ox-cart and a yoke of animals. While photographing there that
afternoon, we suggested that we wanted a group of girls and women in
native dress. "Very well; I will take you to the house, where you can
get one." Arrived there, the policeman at once led out five women and
four children, whom he placed in line. After the picture was taken, we
expressed our satisfaction and surprise that so good a group had been so
readily secured at a single house. "Oh, sir," he replied, "we struck a
lucky time; there is a funeral going on there.