)39 
rude frames of a primitive type, and refusing to use more 
modern machinery. They have villages of their own to which 
they tenaciously cling. San Martin, for instance, was com- 
pletely destroyed under a great depth of ashes and pumice 
thrown by the great erupton, but the Indians have dug out 
their old quarters and have rebuilt their huts in the hollow. 
The whole village with its huts is thus hidden below the level 
of the surrounding country. Many of the people had even 
begun to replant their fields, which meant that a hole some 
5 or 6 feet deep had to be dug in the ashes for each corn stalk. 
In their dress the people are equally conservative, and every 
stitch of clothing worn by either men or women is made 
themselves or by other Indians in localities where weaving 
forms the principal industry. These hand-made clothes are 
very well made and are generally of heavy texture. The 
Indians are expert dyers, especially with indigo. 
Many curious customs are handed down among the people, 
but the Lecturer had not been in close enough contact with 
them to speak with any authority on the subject. He was, 
however, on one occasion present at one of their festivities, 
a curious feature of which is that all the Indians carry in 
their right hands small snakes, very venomous by nature, 
but with fangs extracted, and as a sign of friendship, hold 
them to one another’s faces. The Lecturer had the bad luck 
to know some of them, but, having undergone the ordeal 
once, managed to escape into a place of safety. To refuse 
to allow this act of friendship might be very dangerous and 
it is best to endure it and submit to the discomfort. 
Nearly all the Indians nowadays profess the Roman Catholic 
faith, and in every village is to be found a church with its 
officiating clergy. But among some of the Indians there 
still exists a belief in their old religion, part of which apparently 
consisted of fire worship. 
o^o <^o 
