1892 
San Luis 
Potosi 
(S.L.Potosi) 
or even in the open air along the sides of the streets are renders 
of all mnner of odds and ends* 
The characteristic feature of this place is the "tuna" sellers. 
The tuna is the fruit of the oaotus (Opuntja ficus-indious) » By 
cultivation in a rude way on these dry plains several varieties of 
the fruit have been produced known as white* yellow, crystalline, 
etc,, ell with distinct sise, shape, color, and flavor. The three 
kinds named are especially delicious. They are filled with a deli¬ 
cate meat full of succulent juice that is very refreshing. They ere 
sold very cheaply, several for a cent, and almost everyone, native 
and foreigner enjoys them. 
The junk dealer is here with his motley assortment of odd frag¬ 
ments of every conceivable article of iron so apparently past the 
days of its usefulness that it i3 a irystery what use can be made of 
it, yet these queer fragments must serve someone or they would not 
be found for sale. One man had a square yard or more covered with 
9 
a variety of knives. Under a rude awning an old woman aid little 
packets of dried herbs for medicines, and near by were the wood 
sellers who sat behind small piles of fagots, a eent*s worth in some 
and a quart ilia (3^) in others. On a comer, a dried up old man 
with a pair of antiquated balances sold a grimy quality of salt, 
* 
Along a wide open space by the market were ranged dozens of 
women who squatted in line with their heads wrapped in shawls and 
sold tortillas which they kept in small baskets under a clean white 
olcrfeh or held on their laps. 
At one corner of the market building on the ground were the 
sellers of game,- 3 car 4 women who day after day disposed of rabbits 
hares, quail, field rats (Hootoma) , or whatever other game the 
season afforded. The rats were brought in regularly and I saw 
105 
