PREPARING TORTILLAS. 29 



About 3 o'clock p. M. we hitched up the volan, and 

 started on our return to Colonel Glenn's camp. Night 

 overtook us while yet some miles east of Sitilpech, and we 

 turned off on a side road which led to a hacienda, where 

 we hoped to spend the night. The road, though smooth, 

 was narrow, crooked, and dark. Occasionally a herd of 

 cattle was seen, but they did not offer to molest us. Half 

 a mile of this road brought us to a small, open space, in 

 which was a native hut, built upon an elevation. Two or 

 three dark-skinned children, with a man and woman, occu- 

 pied the hut; on seeing us the man came out, and after 

 hearing our wants, offered to let us have the use of an 

 empty hut for the night, and also to give us a supper. 



Here I first saw the modus operandi of preparing tor- 

 tillas; they were made from maize, which was first soaked 

 in water for some time. When they were ready to be fried, 

 they were taken from the dish in. which they had been soak- 

 ing, and transferred to a large fiat stone, called a nictate, 

 which was set at an angle like a washboard. A round 

 stone, like a rolling pin, was then taken, and the corn was 

 reduced to dough by a half-rolling, half grinding motion; 

 they were then taken in small balls and patted with the 

 hands into a thin cake, like our buckwheat cakes. They 

 were fried on a. fiat, earthen dish, over a wood fire. The 

 natives eat this with chile, but they have a very fiat taste 

 when eaten alone. 



The native woman was thin and wrinkled, with sharp 

 features, and, I should judge, a sharper tongue. The man 

 was equally as wrinkled, but more amiable than his wife. 

 Upon inquiring for the hut, we were shown a miserably 

 dilapidated concern, but as it was the best we could do, we 

 did not complain. We slung our hammocks, had a fire 

 lighted to keep off the mosquitos, and prepared to spend 

 the night as comfortably as possible. We suffered terribly, 



