knife, and all the creatures,
still alive, are plunged into boiling water. They are taken out as soon
as they are dead, and dried in the sun. Afterwards, packed up in
goat-skin bags, they are sent to Europe, where they are used for dyeing
and for making the carmine which gives to some kinds of sweetmeats
their bright pink color."

A little farther on, I found myself facing a _maguey_--_Agave
Mexicana_--a sort of aloe, from which _pulque_ is extracted. The maguey
only blooms once every twenty-five or thirty years, and the stalk, which
is to support the clusters of flowers, grows, in the space of two
months, to a height of about sixteen to twenty feet. The stalk bears at
its summit no less than four or five thousand blossoms, and the plant
expends all its strength in producing them, for it dies soon after.

In the plantations on the plains of Apam, where the maguey is largely
cultivated, they prevent its flowering. As soon as the conical bud
appears from which the stalk is about to spring, it is cut off, and a
cylindrical cavity is hollowed out with a large spoon to the depth of
from five to eight inches. The sap collects in this hole, and it is
taken out two or three times a day with a long bent gourd, which the
Indians use as a siphon. It has been calculated that in twenty-four
hours a strong plant should supply about three quarts of a sweet liquor
called _Agua miel_, which is without odor, and has an acidulated sweet
taste.

The _Agua miel_ is collected in ox-skins, placed like troughs on four
stakes, where the liquor ferments; in about seventy-two hours it is
ready for delivery to those that use it, among whom must be placed many
Europeans. A maguey plant is serviceable in producing sap for two or
three months.

_Pulque_ is an intoxicating beverage, the flavor of which varies
according to the degree of fermentation; it might be compared to good
cider or perry, and is said to fatten those who habitually drink it.

I reached Coyotepec's dwelling just as the sun had set. Sumichrast was
finishing his work, and l'Encuerado, coming from a heap of dry
palm-leaves, presented to me a splendid broad-brimmed hat, which he had
just made.

The next day and the day after were spent in hunting after specimens,
and our boxes were soon filled up and packed. I explained to Torribio,
who was to start at day-break, how to handle the cases, and then
intrusted to him letters which were to announce our early return. Lucien
had writt