The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-09-28
THE LAKE JEWELLERS.
AMPHI6iOUS LIFE WHliEH some
INDIANS OF MEXICO LEAD.

Peculiar Formation of tho Mexican
Lakes-Nature's Floatin: Gardens. |
Fishing For Frogs, PoIywogs and Files |
to Earn a Scauty Livelihood.
Looking towards the lakes one day caught |
sight of the spires of a small town on the
of the water. InquirinS of a Mexi-
can friend. he said: t'That is Chalco, lying at
the head of lake navigation, once a very
notable place The town is now dead, or
diving, killed by the railroads. Once it was
the point of shipment of the products of the
terra calicnte, and great quantities of rum,
sugar, Grain and tropical fruits were trans
ported thence TO Mexico, twenty-five miles
distant, in flat-botto.ned boats, propelled by
the Indians with lor- poles There are some
reminders of the tra!ic yet, but foreigner
would probably find more interest in the
Indians, who live in kind of house made of
reeds, and almost floating on the water" My
friend could not have suggested an excursion
more apropos to the mood of person deeply
interested in the indigenous races and their
customs. Intwo hours time had descended
from my crows nest on the hill to the lake
and was negotiating with the head man OF
the town for canoe and a couple of stout
Indian Is to take me to the pueblo OF the lake
DwcllcIH
And here first surprise awaited me- The
lake which had seen Elistening in the sun
from tho elevated post of observation no
where appeared when arrived at its margin.
In its place was Il vast expanse, extending for
miles, Of reeds, swayinG and drifting before
the breeze. Herds of cattle waded and wal
lowed in this sea of green, feeding on tho
nutritious aquatic plants and grasses, and
their fine condition and sleek hides showed
that this amphibious life was not uncongenial
TO them.
A narrow waterway leads from the town,
diss,ppcaring slowly among the reeds, and
upon this we embarked in the Indians light
cboluna. As we passed along this canal
noticed that tho water was clear and pure,
but the bottom composed of spolgy bed of
vegetable matter. In some places the Indians
had to rot out and pull the canoe past tho
long harges, laden with wood, on their way
to Mexico, and which entirely monopolized
the narrow channel Their weight would
s,,bncrge what appeared to be, moment be-
fore firm ground When the loaded bargcS
stuck fast their swarthy conductors had the
habit of getting out and springing up and
down on this vegetable mass, at tue point of
adhesion. securing thus two OF three feet of
water where none had been before.
AZ times there would come TO my ears
strange, and nour7lful sounds from the en-
rir.Ijng reed meadows.
~Boatynanl What sounds are those like the
moaning of rer;ons in djstressFn
.Nothine- seuori Only the chatting of
fishermen and the laughter of children
Their statement turned ont 20 be correct,
At intervals we CAUGHT ql;mrses through the
toll roads of intr;cate nossoc,eyyay.s inst large
a,,,,,,I, fo,. tbo a,t,-v Of n very small capoa
T., a., -, -, ,,,,,,,.,, o,,d ebiI1ran on
- !, tilI,;ncr o,,5 ,he o+ber ipdpstras No.
a. 1T, IA ,,,os Eli. ,on,,osot;o,,
All I,,,l,,,t,r tiIt,ro1 tbrorrb tho forest If
r,,,I, ti,,t ,,,,,.l,,,,.d tho ,nor,nful sounds
I;,,s,,r,, oII,,51n,I Ia
t.p,,+ IL, I-in1 IF ,isb do +bo,, c.+cha- Urn
..,-. ~
aNa;r,I,, fr,,,s ,alv,yoe,S ,vo,.,ns and in
- =, - IL, S,,r,,yiSi,,,, rorI,
II va ,,;fJ;.,It 10 bal;nvo nv oar, b,,t snh-
s,l,,,,,,t ;,,,, rrovad this 70 bo tho
,,,a;,, ipdrstrv of the Like DwclIors ana,t
fr,,,, +hai- ,a,.rI;ar ,er,ic,Itnra of which 7
~ l'hnra fhrrSn
- go ;rbsb;ti,c, IN, lato Two, o,a ,,,,,-
r,,,od fo,. tho table with suitable condiments
.,,o, o,,,,,,,,r a., Ill
.'lii - -
,'-''o 'i''>''-,' - uoi nv
81 +ha froo and tho ,ttio onir,o,s so
-;,I;,,I,,,s owl ,,n7,,,rnon+ 70 o;y,I,yo,, +ost,
,,.,y,,,Iorly co1Iod noilrworu ora opIy nod
80, tbo NO.. md o, so,.od az, ,oo,,o, =,
-
E-+ +,o i,,so,+ ;,,,;r,+,,, s,,,.,,osSos IN, for
| ,rr fro,r catcrinc. b,,ciro:s Tboro 10 a cor,
| of v,.ter IL, CALLED In, tho Jpd;ons sx.yoc.tl
which fremonts tho lokes in I,roiio;ons
| m,mbe,, and which is neddled TODAY through
the streets Of Mexico with the shriII street
| cry Flies for bird food" As the number
of hirils Kent in nr:votc bouses Is worry larpe
| n sip.la family often noxsessino tyynntv m
trirtv tba fly trade is cnrresnondinolv br,sl,
The INSECT is about the size of n grain of rice
| has sfx leg-s sU-i,us on the water with errcat
| forc, and rapidity. and though it has wing,
Inns never been known Ia usa them. Wher
ro,,,.ht thev ore either dried or kueaded iptr
| n r,.to co,l,ol IN, vvotnr with S,lt apd aoto,
I'll, ,,,,,,b ,,li.t t.,, tho natives Tho ,sro,
| md i,,,-,, If fills iptarestine, cre,ture hav,
| eouaI value. The Indians plant the stems OF
reeds in the shallow parts of the lake. about ,
| ward anart 80 that the upper end shall pro
| i,ct above the surface. The female of tn,
| axavacatl deposits her eggs upon these severa
layers deep 50 that they not only cover tn
| reed stalk, hut also hang in punches from it
At regular imHrvals they are collected, drieC
on mats, and ,nesa form the marketable pro
| duets called ahuantle This, ground and frieC
| in lard with hens eggs, makes a dish very
| the rrpt4,pt,; of religion nrohibit flesh eating
| When tho larvfe are matched and appear a
| little white worms they are caught in grea