1394 
Yacoohi 
and coruing in any way. It was curious to not© the constancy with which 
the ■villagers, men and women, paid daily devotions to the images of 
Virgin and saints in the rude church, Fresh flowers were brought for 
the altar in front of images and each man or woman coming singly or 
one member of a family always carried a little clay vessel open at top 
and partly full of burning coals on which were dropped incense gums dur¬ 
ing the devotions, The vessels were ail rudely made and shaped thus* 
The first devotions were paid by some of the men just after the ringing 
of the matin bell at 5 a.n,, or earlier, Then at about 7*30 the Presi¬ 
dent© svood on the edge of the terrace official cajio in hand and uttered 
a series of loud call® which were soon answered by a string of villagers 
winding up the paths from the houses on the slopes below, each with a 
small wax candle and many incenao burners in hand. They filed silently 
into the church whence could bo hoard the low muttering of prayers of 
ten or fifteen minutes after which all came out and dispersed. At other 
times during the day the -resident© mads a custom of coming up to the 
terrace and from two different point® which commanded the houses on the 
slopes below he called dc.na to the people seeming to have same formal 
call® of which I could not learn the meaning, 
The first day or two we -were here the men cane about and showed a 
\ 
little curiosity in our presence, after which they gradually avoided ue 
more and more, For two days a few eggs were sold us and then they 
4 ■ -*■ * ' ‘ 
brought these no more, and I had reason to think that the- President® 
v \ 
had instructed the people to have as little intercourse with us as 
possible. As our quarters were located just where tho min trail to 
several villages passed, we saw an endless string of mor, pass by loaded 
with corn, salt, or fruit sn route to various towns where markets are 
held, These people were usually professional carriers and puck a load 
of 100 pounds for from 15 to 25 miles a day across these mountains, A 
257 
