d early morning. In the early morning, five o'clock or
earlier, and at sunset, there was service in the church. Later on, at
eight, there was again singing in the churchyard, lasting until quite
a late hour. One evening, on investigating, we found eight or ten men
kneeling on the sand before the church door, singing in the moonlight.
They were practicing for the procession and special service of the
second Friday of Lent.

The water-life of the Juaves is at once picturesque and curiously tame.
The men spend much of their time on or in the water. They make great
dugout canoes from large tree trunks. There are usually no paddles, but
poles are used to propel the craft sluggishly over the waters of the
lagoon. Few of the men can swim. The fish are chiefly caught with nets,
and both seines and throw nets are used. The lagoons are said to abound
in alligators, and the men, when fishing, generally carry with them
spears with long iron points which are said to be used for protection
against attacks of these reptiles. Great respect is shown the alligator,
and curious superstitions prevail regarding it.

Between San Mateo and the nearest of the great lagoons, the country
ceases to be level and is covered with sand dunes. On these dunes there
are great numbers of hares of a species peculiar to the locality. They
make excellent eating, and Manuel kept our larder supplied with fresh
meat, which was welcome, and which we could not otherwise have had among
these non-meat-eating folk. An old Zapotec woman, seventy years of age,
with snowy hair and gentle face, was deputed by the town authorities to
do our cooking. Her relatives live in Juchitan, and why she had chosen
to live among these people I do not know. She took a motherly interest
in all our party. Nothing was too good for us. She spent her whole time
in hunting supplies and cooking and serving food. Not only did she
insist on all our purchases being supplied at cheapest rates, but her
own charge for help and service was ridiculously small. From early
morning until late at night the poor old soul was busy in our behalf. On
our leaving, she took my hands between her own, and kissing them, begged
that we would send her a picture as a remembrance.

The road to Tehuantepec at night was one of no adventure. We were
impressed with the great number of families travelling in ox-carts over
these roads in the cool night air. It was a custom and habit of which we
had before no realizati