ed 900
souls belonging to Lajas, and there may probably be altogether 3,000
Tepehuanes here in the South. As far as I was able to ascertain,
the following Tepehuane pueblos are still in existence:

1. San Francisco de Lajas.

2. Tasquaringa, about fifteen leagues from the city of Durango. The
people here are little affected by civilisation, though a few Mexicans
live among them.

3. Santiago Teneraca, situated in a deep gorge. The inhabitants are
as non-communicative as at Lajas, and no Mexicans are allowed to
settle within their precinct. This, as well as the preceding village,
belongs to Mezquital, and the padre from there visits them.

4. Milpillas Chico, where the Indians are much mixed with Mexicans.

5. Milpillas Grande. Here the population is composed of Tepehuanes,
Aztecs, and Mexicans.

6. Santa Maria Ocotan, and

7. San Francisco, both little affected by civilisation.

8. Quiviquinta, about fifteen leagues southwest of Lajas.

The latter three villages belong to the State of Jalisco.

On the road from Durango to Mazatlan, passing Ventanas, there are no
Tepehuane pueblos.

Chapter XXVI

Pueblo Viejo--Three Languages Spoken Here--The Aztecs--The
Musical Bow--Theories of Its Origin--Dancing Mitote--Fasting
and Abstinence--Helping President Diaz--The Importance of Tribal
Restrictions--Principles of Monogamy--Disposition of the Dead.

There are two days journey over rough country to Pueblo Viejo, my next
objective point. Again I had great difficulty in finding a guide,
as the two villages were at loggerheads about some lands. The guide
furnished me by the authorities hid himself when we were about to
start. All the other Indians had gone back to their ranches, except
one, whom I finally persuaded to show me the way at least as far as
the ranch of the shaman with whom I had made friends, where I hoped
that through him I might get another guide. On our way, we passed Los
Retablos ("Pictures drawn on a Board"), the rather fantastic name of a
magnificent declivity of reddish rock, across which the track led. At
this place, tradition says, the Tepehuanes of Lajas, in the war of
independence, vanquished 300 Spanish soldiers, who were trying to reach
the city of Durango from Acaponeta. The Indians had hidden themselves
all around and above the steep slope, and from their ambuscades rolled
stones down on the Spaniards, every one of whom was killed.

Having gotten my mules safely