Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-04-17
RAMBLINGS IN MEXICO.
ZIN1ZUNTZAN AND THE RUINS OF
ROYAL PALACES.
Baths of Cuincho-Knives and Forks
Luxuries of an Ehete Ciyiliza-
tion-Mexican Human Nature.


MoRELIA, Mexico, April Z, 1886.
One should never travel in a hurry, espe-
cially in Mexico The average tourist, who
rushes through this country at railroad
speed, misses all that is most enjoyable To
get the greatest good out of such long,
wild journey, one must not be hindered by
fixed limits Of time or hampered by any re-
gard for personal appearance, and be able
TO trough it, indefnitely-to travel as the
birds do, according to their own sweet will,
tarrying here and there as long as fancy
dictates, and seeking other scenes when
seized by the migratory impulse.
In Michoacan for example, one could
probably spend several months, and find
it harder to tear himself away at the close
of them than when he first arrived The
tourist should make his headquarters in
Morelia, and set out upon his various ex-
cursions from that point, because it is the
most thoroughly comfortable city in the
State, Immediately connected with the
outer world by rail. and as easy to reach as
Sacramento, New York or Boston.
THE GREAT MINING DISTRICTS
Lying to the east and north should
be explored There is Tlalpuiaha,
sixty miles by mule trail, where,
hidden deep in lonely mountains,
gold is found in fissure-vein, associated
with galena, pyrites and antimonial ores.
Thirty miles from Morelia is Ozumatlan,
and about as far in another direction is
Sinda, both III sections where the country
rock is slate and the gold occurs in
trachyle. In the autumn of 1880 COM
pany was formed in New York to develop
these mining regions. 1t was known as
the Michoacan Syndicate, and Its engineers
(sent out from New York; published glow
ingly favorable reports. Labor is abun-
dant here, at prices ranging from two to
four reals (shlllings) per diem. These
mines are now largely owned by More
lians who have not sufficient capital to
work them, and are willing to sell at a fair
valuation. 1t is believed that the compile
ton of the railroad to this point will be of
great benefit to these mining interests, and
will assist in opening up Michoacan's inn
mense undeveloped mineral wealth. A
few mines have been worked from earliest
times, but gold, silver, copper and iron, are
known TO exist in other sections, which as
yet have never been disturbed by the work
mans pick
THE OLD TOWN CALLED zIYTzUNTzAN,
Only twenty miles from Moreia by the
main highway, is one of the most interest
ing places in Mexico, having once been the
seat of royalty, where the court of the an
Gent Kings was held. In former days it
had population of $4,000 or more but
to-day it is poor Indian village-its pal
aces destroyed, its streets deserted and its
few inhabitants extremely ignorant of the
ways of the outer world, clinging to the Gus
toms of their ancestors. Some extensive
ruins in the outskirts of the town-consist-
ing chiefly of carved pillars and huge
blocks OF dressed stone-are pointed out as
the remains of the residence of Michoa-
cans ancient monarch, CalzonZi In all the
fields hereabouts great blocks of basalt
porpbyry may be found many of them
employed in fences, with strange hero
glyphic figures carved upon them We
have passed many poor huts whose adobe
walls had here and there remarkable
stone mosaiced in, whose queer carvings of
frogs, crocodies or feathered serpents were
traced by hands that have been dust for
several centuries. In this portion of Mi
choacan many mounds exist, which are
said to conceal ancient palaces. Doubtless
IN many of them valuable antiquities
would be found if excavations were made
In modern Zintzuntzan a great deal of
pottery is made, as quaint in shape and de-
vice as that of their forgotten ancestors
According to tradition provisions" (prob-
carried by regular running posts from
Zintzuntzan to Montezumas palace in the
City of Mexico-a distance of about 800
miles-with such dispatch that they were
placed, still smoking upon the Emperors
table
SPRINGS OF CUINcHo.
From this place we made days excur-
sion TO the springs of Cuincho, several
miles distant. Located in the midst of the
widest imaginable scenery are the baths,
at the foot of rocky, chaparral- hills
which pour down streams of hot water
from their volcanic bosoms. All the
streams that cross your path are warm,
and tor miles around the few inhabitants
nave no water to drink except that which
has been cooled by putting it
in earthen jars 1t never becomes
pleasant to the taste. containing much
muriatic acid, but without any traces of
sulphur or metallic salt Some scientists
have supposed that in this part of Mexico
there exists, at great depth in the interior
of the earth, a fissure running from east to
west, for four hundred miles or more,
through withdrawing the internal crust
of the porphyric rocks-volcanic fires have
opened themselves passage at different
periods, from the coast of the Mexican
Gulf all along TO the South Sea. The
famous volcano of Jorullo (which we shall
soon visit, is in this department, and boil
ing fountains are common in various parts
of it.
Before reaching the baths, the water has
become cooled to a most agreeable temper
ature In the course of my life | have
visited great many warm and medicinal
springs-in Virginia, Arkansas, Utah, Cali
fornia, and all over Mexico aud Central
America-but have never found any so de-
iightful as these. The place being now so
l., Il
combining all the charms of novelty. and
the most healthy and delightful winter
climate in the world, why does not some
enterprising Yankee come down here and
make ii the resort of the future? At pres
ent the baths are kept by very infirm old
man and his two remarkably handsome
daughters, who live here entirely alone, ex-
cept when patronized at rare intervals by
some dusty traveller or invalid from town
There are no accommodations here for any
body, except water and bare walls. One
must not only come provided with towels
and luncheon, but if intending to stay for
the benefit of the waters (which are par
ticularly recommended for fevers, malera,
rheumatism, etc., must bring along his
own mattress. blankets, and in short every
necessity. Not being aware of this,
OUR EXPERIENCES WERE AMUSING.
The low, thick walled casa, built CEN
turtles ago, is divided into small compart-
ments, into which the water is admitted to
a depth of several feet. The rooms are
rather dark-no light coming in except
through small aperture in the roof-and
destitute of any sort of furniture, except a
peg in the wall and straw mat upon the
small platform, from which pile of messy
stones leads down to the pool In this
land of snakes and scorpions such slippery
and litchen- covered rocks are not to be
ventured upon with confidence, and one
generally prefers :" a leap in the dark {"
without this aid. In the pool to which l
was directed singular wild bird was
calmly sailing about, quite undisturbed by
NV annearance Ii having haen Let in NJ; Ii