of sticks tied together),
belonging to the municipality, a thing which we had never done at any
other town in Mexico.

[Illustration: VIEW FROM OUR CORRIDOR; SAN BARTOLO]

The people wear curious and characteristic garments.

All the stuff used for clothing is woven in the town, and not only the
women's _camisas_, but the men's _camisas_ and trousers, are decorated
with elaborate designs--birds, animals, and geometrical figures--worked
in various colors. Even in purchasing examples of these clothes, we were
compelled to make a vigorous display of our civil and religious orders.
After some bickering, we arranged for carriers to San Carlos, which is
the _cabecera_ of the district. Starting by moonlight, at two o'clock in
the morning, we struck out over the enormous mountain mass to which we
have already referred. Roads in the Zapotec country do not go directly
up the hillside, as in the land of the Mixes, but zigzag by gentle
diagonals up the slopes. The road was largely composed of jagged rock;
two hours and fifteen minutes were necessary for the ascent; the descent
was bad enough, but a distinct improvement. At one place, however,
we wandered from the main-travelled road, and found ourselves in an
abandoned portion of the road, full of great holes which were filled
with drifted fallen leaves, so that their presence was not betrayed
until our horses fell into them. The latter part of this descent was
slippery, being over hard stone, which was worn almost to a glassy
smoothness by the passage of many hoofs. A little before reaching
Manteca, as we looked down from the height, we saw an immense train of
pack-mules coming. In the good old days, before there were railroads,
such trains as this were frequent. From Manteca the road penetrated into
contracting valleys, until finally it might, with propriety, be called a
canon road. At half past eight we reached San Carlos, a mean town with
no _meson_ or other regular stopping-place. We left the horses under
the shady trees with the old farrier. While we rested and waited for
breakfast, I called upon the _jefe politico_, who had received several
communications from me, and had become interested in my work. Our
luggage was all at his office, and he promptly made arrangements for its
further transportation. At breakfast, we received the cheerful news
that Mr. Lang's horse had the lockjaw and showed signs of dying. On
inspection, this proved to be quite true; the poor animal was i