stered houses of the village were above us.
Below stretched a line of _nublina_, and beneath it the whole great
mountain flank was checkered with the irregular brown and green fields
belonging to the villagers. It was already five o'clock when we began
the descent from this fine view-point, and, on our way down the slope
and up the opposite slope to the village, we met great numbers of
drunken indians,--as it was Sunday,--usually a man and woman together.
Two of the men we met had been fighting, and were covered with blood;
the face of one of them was livid with the blows which he had received.
Many of the parties were noisy and quarrelsome, and some of them showed
a tendency to meddle with us, as we passed.

[Illustration]

The greater portion of the journey had been over fine, dry roads; after
we reached the knife-edge ridge, however, whenever there was a descent
or ascent, we found the road of clay, moist and slippery; in the rainy
season these bits would be bad enough. At this time of year they are due
to the _nublina_, great masses of which we saw from the time we reached
the crest-road, and, at times, we passed through great sheets of it
which cut off all view and which soaked our clothing. Upon our last
descent and ascent, we were almost discouraged, and the last half-hour
of our journey was made by the light of the moon, struggling through
_nublina_. Though it was dark, when we reached the village, we were
impressed with the fineness of the municipal-house, the best constructed
we have seen in an indian town. Its location, near the edge of the
mountain slope, giving a magnificent outlook over the great valley, is
very fine. The houses of the Mazatecs are picturesque. The walls are
built of mud, or slabs or posts daubed with mud, while the roofs are
thatched with palm. The ridge pole extends, at both ends, in projections
which themselves are thatched, forming curious and striking horns. This
same mode of thatch, picturesque in the extreme, is also used above the
little granaries which are raised, on poles, several feet above the
ground, in order to keep the contents from the attacks of animals.
Huauhtla is a large town. The village and its immediate dependencies
have a population of 7000. Until lately the town was jealous of visits
from outside, and little inclined to hospitality towards travellers. If
this were formerly true, it has ceased to be so. We were received most
heartily; the large and enthusiastic tow