Two hundred
and ninety people assembled, among them a few Tarahumares. There
were several races, the runners being divided into different groups,
men and women (married and unmarried), and children. As among the
Tarahumares, two parties opposed each other in each race, and the
men ran with balls, the women with rings. The married women, although
fat and heavy, made better time than the young girls.

The runners who distinguished themselves most were the married men,
ranging in age from eighteen to thirty years, the best of whom made
thirteen circuits in three hours and one minute and a half. I measured
the circuit, and found it to be 9,223 feet long; therefore the total
distance run was nearly twenty-three miles. The two men who came in
first, one a Tepehuane, the other a Tarahumare, showed no signs of
fatigue. By way of comparison, I will add that the best one among
some young Mexicans, who raced at the same time, took twelve minutes
for the circuit, and all arrived breathless, and would apparently
not have been able to continue much longer. I was credibly informed
that eight years ago a man who had died but a short time before
could make twenty-seven circuits, or more than forty-seven miles,
on this race-course. This runner was well known in that part of
the sierra. His antagonist made twenty-six circuits, then fell down
exhausted, while the victor indulged in a prolonged dance the next
day. The race lasted from noon until eight o'clock in the evening.

Some of the Tepehuane customs have been adopted by the Mexicans. For
instance, after the harvesting is over, the owner or his son is
tied on to a horse, and has to carry a cross made from three ears
of corn. The horse is led to the house, and is received with rifle
shots; and the men tell the women in the house that the man on the
horse has stolen the corn, and they will not let him go unless they
are given tesvino and a ball. The demand, of course, is acceded to,
and drum and violin furnish the music for the dance.

The Tepehuanes around Baborigame now frequently rent their lands to
the Mexicans for a term of years, but rarely get it back, for the
"neighbours" have a powerful agent in mescal. The enormous profit
accruing from trading in this brandy with the natives may be judged
from the fact that a demijohn of the liquid costing $5 contains 24
bottles, for each of which the trader gets from the Indians one sack
of corn, worth $1. On this quantity he realises else