aratively
small plant called amole. One fine day in May I came upon one, which
I measured. It was by no means the largest one to be found, but the
spike itself, without the stalk, was 15 feet 8 inches in height, and
31 inches in circumference at its thickest part. It seemed a pity
to cut down such a magnificent specimen, but, as I wanted to count
the flowers, I had one of my men fell it with a couple of blows of
an axe. After counting the flowers on one section, I estimated that
the entire spike bore at least 20,000 beautiful yellow blossoms,
each as large as a tulip. It required two men to carry the spike, and
as they walked they were followed by a multitude of humming-birds,
which remained fearlessly at work among the flowers of what they
evidently considered their own private garden. They might have to
fly miles before finding another like this. The flower-stalk of the
maguey is eaten before it flowers. It looks like a big bamboo stick,
and when roasted in the hot ashes is very palatable, sweet, and tender.

Below the Indian village of Coloradas stands an isolated peak 400 to
500 feet high, in regard to which the Tarahumares have the following
legend: A Tepehuane once cut bamboo reeds and tobacco, down on the
river, and being followed up by the Tubars changed himself into this
stone. The man's girdle can still be made out.

At the village my interpreter asked me for the cover of a copy of
London _Truth_, and for the wrapper on my photographic films, that
with these pictures he might adorn the altar of the old adobe church.

The country is but thinly populated east and north of Morelos, and
the steepness of the valleys through which the Indians are scattered,
makes it difficult to reach them. At the time of my visit these
Indians had absolutely nothing to sell us but the sweet mescal
stalks. In the end of May I reached Morelos, an old mining place,
about 1,800 feet above sea-level.

The surrounding hills and mountains were covered with the typical
Mexican vegetation of the warm regions. The many odd-shaped cacti
form a strong contrast to the light and pinnate leaves of the
numerous leguminous shrubs, acacia, sophronia, etc. The chilicote,
or coral-tree (_erythraea_), with scarlet flowers, is seen everywhere;
also palo blanco, with a white stem, looking like an apple-tree. The
year 1893 was an exceedingly dry one throughout northern Mexico. My
mules, obliged to travel under a scorching sun, sometimes had to be
wit