been furnished; that their
promise to prepare a suitable breakfast had been completely disregarded.
We told them that our duty was to send immediate complaint to Tlaxiaco;
that we would, however, give them one more chance. We should not stop
for breakfast, but would proceed upon our journey hungry; if, however,
we sent him further orders regarding our return journey, we should
expect them obeyed to the very letter. With this we mounted.

In vain the _presidente_ and officials begged us to wait, promising that
everything should be prepared. Time was too precious, and away we rode.

Soon after leaving Cuquila we struck a fifty-minute mountain, the summit
of which we made at nine o'clock exactly. Here we sat in the shade and
lunched on bread and pineapples, bought the day before in Tlaxiaco. From
the summit, there was a slow and gentle descent around that ridge, and
then a slow incline along an endless ravine, until at last we came
out upon a crest, from which we looked down upon one of the grandest
mountain scenes of the world. A valley of impressive size, surrounded by
magnificent mountain masses, lay below us, and just to the right, at our
feet, was Chicahuastla. Few people in Mexico are so little known as the
Triquis. Orozco y Berra, usually a good authority, locates them near
Tehuantepec, in the low country. The towns which he calls Triqui are
Chontal; the five true Triqui towns are in the high Mixteca. The largest
is the town which we were now approaching. The Triquis are people of
small stature, dark-brown color, black eyes, aquiline, but low and
rather broad nose; they are among the most conservative, suspicious and
superstitious of Mexican indians. Most of them dress in native clothing,
and all speak the Triqui and not the Spanish language. As a people they
are sadly degraded, through being exceptionally addicted to drink.

Don Guillermo Murcio is a character. He and his family are almost the
only _mestizos_ in the place. He is a hale and hearty blacksmith, and
has lived for fifteen years in this purely indian town, where he has
gained almost unbounded influence among the simple natives. His word is
law, and the town-government trembles before his gaze. He is impetuous
in manner, quick-tempered, and on the slightest suggestion of disregard
of his commands, freely threatens jail or other punishment. He received
us cordially, and we lived at his house, where we were treated to the
best that was available.

We hav