1892 
Nahuatzin 
(Michoacan) 
cam® fitful flashes of light from a small fire on the ground inside. 
As soon as our arrival became known, men and women came out and wel¬ 
comed us heartily and quickly cleared out a one-roomed house for us 
to occupy. However, some others living nearby insisted that Hr. W. 
and I should occupy their house so we let our assistants remain in 
*»■ 
the first house and we went to the new quarters. 
We found the houses used for living purposes made of hewn planks 
with plank floors and usually plank platforms about 3 ft. from floor 
for sleeping upon, A smaller building of planks to one side or in 
front of this house across the yard has a dirt floor with a fireplace 
in the centre. This fireplace is surrounded by 3 or 4 stones and at 
one side is the earthen pan on which tortillas are cooked, which is 
supported by stones at its edges with place for putting fire beneath. 
The rest of the cooking is done in red earthen pots placed on the 
coals. 
4 
After a time our supper was prepared and a small table placed near 
the fire in this kitchen and we did justice to some meat, tortillas, 
and coffee. I was much pleased with the frank, good-humored hospit¬ 
ality shown by these poor people who seemed to take a hearty pleasure 
in trying to make us comfortable. 
Soon after, we retired to the platform assigned us and, under a 
heavy covering of blankets rendered necessary by the frosty night air, 
were quickly asleep, 
Early in the morning I set about engaging men to take me up to the 
summit of the hills to the south of the valley where I proposed camp¬ 
ing for a few days. In a short time I had agreed with a man with a 
pack-animal to take my outfit up to the hills. I also bargained with 
a local hunter to go with me and hunt large game for me. The men then 
disappeared as I supposed to get rea &y for the trip. I waited until 
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