1892 
Huitzilac 
(Morelos) 
20 to 25 yards behind with a couple of charges of buckshot In his gun. 
In this way we hope to make any attempt to take us in rather difficult 
work. 
We soon left the valley of Mexico and ascended to the broad summit 
of the Ajusoo range. The road then took a nearly due south course a- 
cross a rolling country partly covered with handsome groups of firs 
and partly a series of grassy parks and slopes. Along the road we 
passed, in travelling ten miles across the summit, six permanent picket 
stations of from 5 to 6 or 8 soldiers. These pickets are on hills close 
to the road and so situated that almost all of the road is in view from 
one station or another. This is to prevent the bandits from infesting 
this district, since the wide stretch of wooded country on this mount¬ 
ain made it a favorite place for robbers at one time. Here, as in 
nearly every part of the country I have visited, it is only by the con¬ 
stant presence of soldiers at suspected points that the robbers are 
kept in check as much as they are. Should the soldiers be removed, 
the country would at once relapse into its former state of lawlessness. 
On the southern border of the mountain top, we came to the large, 
gray, stone cross erected here to mark the line of Cortez ancient mar- 
quisate in Morelos. It is known as the Cruz del Marguey. From it we 
descended a few miles through a beautiful pine forest to the little, 
unkempt village of Huitzilac where we put up in a meson, occupying the 
usual tomb-lilce room, lighted only by opening the door. 
In this plaoe we put in several days working in the surrounding 
country, which is very mountainous. Huitzilac is situated at an alti¬ 
tude of 8,000 feet, in the pine belt, but just west of the village 
rises a high ridge which has, along its east slope up to 9000 feet, a 
magnificent growth of oaks with same madrons, and a great variety of 
undergrowth of deciduous bushes. 
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