The San Juan County index. (Aztec, N.M.) 1890-19??, 1899-01-27
oLDINDIAN's STRANGE ORACLE
Traditions 400 Years Old Preserved by
Mexican Tribes.

Trahitions o Years Old Preserved by
Mexican Tribes.
AS is well known to all who have
looked into the matter carefully-for
Instance, such men as Lumboltz, Starr
n Soville-there are in remote parts
Of Mexico today to be found portions
OF tribes Of Indians who are practically
as much given to idolatry, superstition
and witchcraft as we're their fore
bears in the vanished years when the
cleaning banner Of CASTLE and Aragon
glanced amid the peaks and valleys OF
Mexico, announcing the advent OF a
stronger race and more victorious
faith. The other day. while making
a little trip over the -Interoceanic, that
runs through so many picturesque In
dian towns. I happened to meet in M
OF these villages a very intelligent In
dian who told me the following:
Whether it is true OF not l do not know
u tell the tale as twas told to me. A."
He said that on the northern slope Of
Popocatepetl, near the foot, there is a
large cave almost unknown to the out
side world. In this cave lives an old
white-haired Indian who is the oracle
Of a small tribe OF Indians in that
vicinity, whose language is unlike that
Of any Of the neighboring towns. This
little tribe has never been conquered
either by the Spaniards or by the
church or by the modern government
Of the republic. The Indians have pre-
served all their old customs and tradi-
tions until this day, and are practically
as they were 400 years ago. One of the
very curious institutions among them
is that of the oracle, or seer, who
dwells in the aforementioned cave all
alone. He is always the oldest and
wisest man Of the tribe. He is looked
upon with the same superstitious rev.
erence as were the oracles of Dodona
and Delphos in the boyhood Of the
world. In that cav are preserved rare
gems Of curiously carved emeralds,
such as the great "Malinche" sent home
to Spain; idols Of gold and silver and
copper and stone, pearl necklaces from
the far-off Gulf OF California, and
strange robes Of feather work, of which
but very few examples are known to-
day outside the pages Of Sabagun,
Prescott or CIavigero. There are also
ranged in fitting order the ancient gods
Of this strange people, ~ whom this
old nan is the high priest. Once a
month a commission Of the oldest meE
Of the tribe visits the cave and takes
with 1t, in the name of the people, Of
ferings Of fruit and flowers n eat
ables and incense in honor of the gods
and their oracle. Upon all affairs of
Importance to the tribe this old man is
consulted, and his judgments are as
those Of the Modes and the Persians.
1 asked whether it would be possible
to visit him or not, and was told that
no one, not even members Of the same
tribe, outside the aforementioned
commission" had ever seen the inside
Of that strange and mysterious cave,
Ny informant told me that at a certain
point all persons are stopped by a
guard and told that they can proceed
farther upon pain Of death. And this
is not a tale of 400 years Ago., but OF
today. The tribe and its cave are at
the north side of P~opocatepetl, and
every Saturday in Atlixco members OF
this tribe are at the market to buy and
sell their simple necessities of life