The San Juan County index., 1899-02-17
wHIrs-HAlREp ORACLE.
Rules over q Tribe That Is centurie
Hohind the Times.

Hehind the Times.
From the Two Republics: AS Is wen
known to all who have looked into the
matter carefully-for instance. such
men as Lumholtz, Starr and soviile-
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 forbears IN the
vanished years when the cleaning ban
ner Of CASTLE and Aragon glanced amid
the peaks and valleys Of Mexico, an
nouncing 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 Indian towns. hap
pened to meet in one OF these viii
lagos a very intelligent Indian, who
told me the following. Whether II is
true or not I do not know-"I tell the
tale as twas told to me-" He said
that on the northern slope Of Popo-
cateptl, near the foot, there is a large
cave almost unknown to the outside
world. In this cave lives an old white
haired Indian who Is the oracle OF
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 Spanlarus or by the church, or
by the modern government Of the re-
public. The Indians have preserved
all their old customs and traditions un-
I'll 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 surerstitious reverence
as were the oracles Of Dodona and
Delphos in the boyhood of the world.
In that cave are preserved rare gems
Of curiously carved emeralds, such as
the great "Malnche" 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, Pres
colt or Clavigero. There are also
ranged in fitting order the ancient gods
of this strange people, Of whom this
old man is the high priest. Once a
month a commission of the oldest men
of the tribe visits the cave and takes
with It, in the name of the people, Of
ferings of fruit and flowers and 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 Medes and the Persians.
/ asked whether It would be possible
to visit him or not and was told no
one not even members of the same
tribe, outside the aforementioned
commission" had ever seen the inside
Of that strange and mysterious scave.
NV informant told me that at a certain
point all persons are stopped by
guard and told that they can proceed
no further upon pain Of death. And
this is not tale of 400 years ago, but
Of today The tribe and the cave are
at the north 81 Of Popocateptl and ev-
ery Saturday IN Atlixco members on
this tribe are at the market to buy and
sell their simple necessities of life. 1t
is enough to see them to realize at
once the great difference between them
and the other Mexican Indians who are
to be seen there at that time. Not only
is their style Of clothing very different,
but also their language.