iefs, of
the aborigines. Regarding the pagans in the barrancas, I could get
absolutely no information beyond a general depreciation of them as
savages, _bravos_ (fierce men) and _broncos_ (wild ones). One Mexican
whom I interviewed about certain caves thought that the only thing
I could be looking for was the silver possibly hidden in them, and
therefore told me that there were 12,000,000 pesos buried in a cave
near the mining town Guadalupe y Calvo, waiting to be recovered. Thus
it was exceedingly difficult in the beginning to determine just which
would be the best way to start my investigations, and all that was
left for me to do was to find out for myself where my best field was
by making extensive excursions into the domains of the Tarahumare in
company with an intelligent interpreter. And there was the rub! There
are in this part of the sierra a certain number of men who make a
living by dealing with the Indians, and who, having been born and
bred in the country, speak the difficult language of the Tarahumares
as well as the Indians themselves. But as each man operates in a
certain district and has a monopoly of the trade with the Indians
within its confines, the temptation to cheat the unsophisticated
natives out of their little property is naturally very great, and by
far the greater number of the dealers succumb to it. As soon, however,
as one of them is found out, he loses his influence with the Indians,
and to go with a man of that stamp would have been disastrous to my
purpose. The duty of the _lenguaraz_, as the interpreter is called,
is to smooth the traveller's way among the distrustful Indians with
skilful words, to get provisions, make bargains, and explain to the
Indians the purpose of his visit. Last but not least, he must obtain
all possible information from them. This may mean one day's hard work,
and the trying of his patience with many apparently futile questions
which are made to get at the Indian's real meaning. Thus it may be
understood how one is completely at the mercy of one's lenguaraz,
and how important it is for the success of an expedition to find
the right man. There is nothing else to do but to try and try again,
one after another.

The Indians near Guachochic seemed all to be depressed, poor, and
hungry. Most of their animals had died from lack of food, and the
few that had not succumbed to starvation had to be sold in exchange
for corn. A couple of Indians who were on their way to Pa