THE MUSEUM 



87 



virgin fields in which repose the bones 

 of generations and generations, images 

 of idolatry and implements of civiliza- 

 tion and of war, thus far untouched by 

 the despoiling hand of the arch.iolo- 

 gist. There are certain sections of 

 this valley, the property of fanatic 

 pagans who guard these resting places 

 of their departed with such consum- 

 mate and indefatigable zeal that not 

 one of the ten thousand objects repos- 

 ing but a few inches below the surface 

 of the earth has ever been brought to 

 light. But there are others whose 

 cupidity gets the upper hand of their 

 superstition to such a degree that they 

 gladlj' barter the bones of their ances- 

 tors for a paltry stipend. It was from 

 the later class that I reaped my richest 

 harvests. 



To describe, in e.xtenso, an Indian 

 town might possibly be thought a ser- 

 ious digression though even a superfi- 

 cial knowledge of the outline of such a 

 town would enable the reader to bet- 

 ter comprehend these remarks. Upon 

 entering the place we accost the first 

 inhabitant upon whom our eye alights 

 and make inquiries concerning the an- 

 tiquities so abundant in the vicinity. 

 Their invariable reply is, "No hay 

 nada, senor; no tenemos nada, " which 

 is being interpreted, "There is noth- 

 ing, sir: we have nothing, and which 

 is, furthermore, in the majority of 

 cases, a most prodigous prevarication, 

 for there e.xists no greater a dissembler 

 than a Mexican Indian. It is then 

 necessary for us to persist and inci- 

 dentally to display a few pieces of the 

 coin of the realm. This in most cases 

 is followed at once by the desired re- 

 sult and you are in the confidence of 

 the noble red man and may purchase 

 anything he possesses from his best 

 burro down to his squaw. There is 

 an old adage, of Spanish origin, I 

 think, the gist of which is embodied in 

 this sentence: "Few are the locks 

 which may not be opened by a golden 

 key." In the present instance I may 

 substitute the baser metal "copper" 

 for "gold." Most of these pagans 



will enlist in your service for a con- 

 sideration of a few reals per diem and 

 under your direction tear from their 

 humble sepulchres their fore fathers' 

 decaying forms, with attending pot- 

 tery, knives, images, etcetera. These 

 things are e.xhumed at depths varying 

 from I 2 to 36 inches below the surface 

 and in the very door-yard of your 

 workman. The surprise of these peo- 

 ple at fining these articles is most 

 amusing. \'essels of innumerable 

 shape, design and dimensions are found 

 and for what purposes they served, it 

 is not for me, an humble neophyte in 

 this science, to vouch safe. 



Some types are similar in pattern to 

 those in use today while others have 

 no modern representatives. Burial 

 urns are rare objects and I encounter- 

 ed but one, for which a stiff remunera- 

 tion was required. In ancient Tha- 

 cotepec some half dozen miles distant 

 from Toluca, I one day had the good 

 fortune to have disinterred an earthern 

 tlute of several notes upon which mus- 

 ic could yet be made. 



Among many other objects, these 

 excavations reveal keen-edged blades 

 of that beautiful glass of volcanic ori- 

 gin, obsidian — a few "arrowheads" of 

 the same material though these are 

 not found in exuberance, small images 

 of sun baked earth representing men, 

 boys, birds, etc. in marveleously per- 

 fect preservation. Occasionally an 

 image wrought in stone is found though 

 these finds are not common Small 

 clay wheels, their surfaces carved in 

 fanciful designs and decorated in gaudy 

 colors still brilliant, which were pre- 

 sumably used in weaving and pottery 

 in such quantity as to near craze an 

 enthusiastic counsisseur with ineffible 

 delight. 



Doubtless now recurs to your mind 

 mind those stringent laws touching the 

 exportation of all these acquisitions. 

 Reader, I shall not commit myself by 

 asseverating whether or not any relic 

 accompanied me when I recrossed El 

 Rio Grande to my native Texas but I 

 will only say, rtitn- itoiis, that I am 



