uble, but at last we were upon the road,
and started out through the little village towards the mountains. My
animal appeared a beast of vigor and spirit, and my hope ran high. The
moment, however, that we struck the climb, matters changed. He then
stopped every few yards, breathing as if it were his last gasp. This he
kept up for the whole ascent, and there seemed doubt whether he would
ever reach the summit. For a long distance, the road followed the side
of a gorge in which a fine brook plunged and dashed. We passed and
repassed picturesque groups of Mazatec indians with their burdens. The
women wore _enaguas_, the lower part of which was brown, the upper
white. Their _huipilis_ are among the most striking we have seen, being
made of native cotton, decorated with elaborate embroidered patterns of
large size, in pink or red. The favorite design is the eagle. Men wore
_cotones_ of black or dark blue wool. We had been riding steadily for
two hours before we reached San Bernardino, where the _mozos_ and pack
animals were changed, and where we rested for a few minutes. We then
rode for a long time, gently ascending through forests of pine or oak.
Here and there the air-plants on the oak trees were notable. Finally, we
mounted to a road along a narrow ridge, like a knife's edge, and from
here on had one of the most remarkable roads that I have ever travelled.
Keeping continuously upon the crest, we had upon the one side the dry
slope, with the pine forest, and on the other the damp slope, densely
grown with low oaks, heavily clad with orchids and bromelias and
weighted with great bunches of gray moss. The road passed up and down
gentle and abrupt slopes separated by level spaces. When we first caught
sight of Huauhtla it looked so near, and the road to be traversed was so
plain, that we expected to reach the town before three o'clock; but the
trail proved drearily long. True, the scenery was magnificent. The great
mass of mountains; curious ridges extending out from their flanks; the
multitude of horizontal, parallel long roads following these; the little
towns, San Geronimo, San Lucas--all were attractive. From the great
slope opposite Huauhtla, the view of the town was most impressive.
Before us opened a narrow valley, the depth of which we only realized
after we had traversed it. An hour and a half was necessary for making
the descent and the up-climb. From the point whence we were looking, the
church, town-house, and clu