X892 
Lake 
Patseuaro 
(Miehoacan) 
about 200,000 Indians in Miehoacan according to recent goverj 
f Mi 
ent 
reports,) 
* ' , * 1 ± ’ *■ — < | 
These people occupy numerous Tillages about Lake Patseuaro and 
oross the lake in considerable numbers every day in canoes to bring 
stuff to market in Patseuaro. Among one of the main articles brought 
is the root of the saccoton grass which they dig up and clean of its 
bark and it is then done up in small bundles and baled. This is 
shipped to the U.S, and is used for making small, stiff brushes. 
On Fridays is the main market day in Patseuaro, and the two 
plazas are filled with these Indians who have for sale a great var¬ 
iety of fruits, vegetables, fish from the lake, and maguey fiber 
ropes, bags, etc., besides a handsomely made variety of rich reddish 
brown pottery. Also grass mats. 
The people bring their stuff up to market in paoks on their backs 
with the strap crossing the chest in place of the forehead as I have 
seen the common custom in Jalisco and Colima. 
* ' * ; * 4 
The women bear heavy burdens up the hill to town in this way as 
well as very often a heavy child in a zerape on the back. In the 
plaza they are ranged in double rows across the open ground and each 
seller is required to pay a tax of one or two cents for the privilege 
of the market space. The women wear a handwoven skirt of a dark color 
with small plain longitudinal pattern. The material is brought to¬ 
gether at the waist behind in a multitude of folds 3 to 4 inches wide 
which have their ends against the back of wearer and all held in 
place by a broad woven belt or sash wrapped about the waist a couple 
of times in the fringed ends hanging down at the sides. A white 
cotton shirt out low aoross the throat and short-sleeved with a regu¬ 
lar square pattern embroidered about the opening at neck in front 
makes up the costume of women except for a dark-colored serape that 
