1892 
by the Indians and Mexicans of the vicinity and then leached by a 
Morelia 
(Michoacfm) 
rude process to obtain the salt it contains* 
July 
On a part of this flat stands a large* roofless, stone building 
surrounded by the foundations of other stone structures. I was in¬ 
formed that this building had been erected by a Frenchman same years 
ago who proposed establishing a plant here for the proper manufactur¬ 
ing of salt in an improved manner. The people worked for him until 
the works were well on toward completion and then, for fear that their 
crude method of salt making would be superseded, they assassinated 
the newcomer and the abandoned works are his monument. 
Hear the shore of this lake, a mile or so beyond the station of 
Querendaro in a marshy flat, is a series of a dozen or more hot 
springs from which flow streams of almost boiling water impregnated 
slightly with lime and sulphur. The water is so hot that it in- 
stantly kills insects that drop in it, and I found a dead field rat 
lying in the edge of one stream where it had evidently stumbled and 
been killed at once* 
Mr. Pringle took advantage of some of these hot springs to dip 
in them certain fleshy-leaved plants to scald them and so hasten 
their drying. 
Soane of these hot springs are utilized by the women for washing 
clothes,- the hot water being led into a pool made to one side of 
the outlet where the water cools enough to be used. At one such 
place where a number of smooth washing stones were ranged about the 
border, scores of rude little wooden crosses made by tying together 
two small pieces of twigs or sticks with fiber of the maguey. 
These were hung in the branches of an overhanging mesquite tree or 
stuck into the earth about the water and on the bank formed by 
throwing up the earth. 
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