San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-06-03
EXPLORATIONS IN MEXICO.
Some Facts About n Country Where the
People Are Not Progressive. .--

People Are Not Progressive. .., ---
In the winter Of lSS7-SS, DR. Ed. Seller I'M
iertook journey to Mexico to pursue archeo-
logical researches A preliminary report of
his expedition is given in the Proceedings of
the Royal Geographical society,"" from which
we learn that he devoted himself principally
to researches in the country of the Huaxteca
and Zapoteca. The important result of his
journey is the demonstration of the fact that
the apparent and supposed fundamental diff
ference between the Aztec hieroglyphics and
the Maya manuscripts does not exist. DR..
Seller, starting from the capital, first visited
the HuaXteca Indians. Their territory Is an
extensive forest country. The fertile noun
tain slopes and river lowlands are everywhere
clothed with luxuriant tropical forest, in
which fig trees, and, as underwood bamboos,
are conspicuous. The open valleys and the
high ridges which extend between the river
courses are covered with either thin or thick
forests Of fan palms In the clearings, tail,
many colored grasses and mimosa bushes
cover the ground.
The principal villages are situated along
the river courses and upon the plateaus be
tween the rivers. Numerous small ranches
are scattered through the woods. The inhabi
tants are principally engaged in cattle rails
ing; horses, oxen and mules living out in the
forest, and being driven into the corrals only
once year The capital draws its chief sup
ply of meat from this province the cattle be-
ing driven to Pachura, whence they are con-
veyed by rail to the city Agriculture is car
ried on only to a very limited extent and it
i significant fact that this country, which
might supply half of the whole republic of
81 h.
United States. There are no irrigation works,
by means of which the destructive effects of
droughts might easily be obviated The In
dians grow corn, black beans and pepper, and
make brown sugar and smoked bananas.
They manufacture mats from palm leaves and
agave fiber. Candles are made from the
plentiful supply of tallow obtained from the
cattle. The principal imports are caicoes,
ribbons, beads, cheap articles of finery, har-
nesses, hardware, liquor and petroleum.
There are only very few people who can read
and write. Their amusements consist in fan
dango like dances, cock fighting and horse
racing.
The roads are mere trails cut through the
forests, which, in bottom lands and at river
crossings, are often exceedingly difficult and
impossible to all but native horses. The
customary house in the country is the jacal,
or matched house from the Aztec xacallD,
the walls Of which are constructed of bamboo
sticks tied together with Ficus angelica;
while the roof is made of the leaves of the
fan palm neatly plated and is absolutely
water tight In the larger villages there are
also houses built of white bricks
The principal articles of food are black
beams coffee and cakes of ground corn with.
out salt-the so called tortillas, which are al
ways eaten hot and fresh There are no inns
and the traveller has to rely on hospitality
Science