After finishing up our work in the city of Chihuahua we decided to visit the western portion of the state.
We had received information that a great many natives lived in the Canton de Guerero. This district commences about one hundred and fifty miles west of the city of Chihuahua and extends into the Sierra Madre mountains. The greater portion of the inhabitants of Guerero are natives known as Tarumarie. Many villages of these people are located in the valleys near the mountains.
There are many towns and villages that retain the old Indian names. Towns that were there when the Spaniards first came into the country have come under Catholic rule. Cathedrals were built and a few Spaniards settled among the people, mixing with them. (In some settlements most of the mixed blood claim relationship to the padres.) In this way Spanish civilization somewhat modified the habits of the people, but did not do away with them entirely, for in most of these towns pure Tarumaries inhabit districts, retaining all their ancient customs and language.
This race of people are much respected throughout the state of Chihuahua, and it is considered rather an honor to be related to them. We concluded to make their country our next stopping place.
Bidding good-bye to our friends in Chihuahua, and particularly to our good old honest governor Antonio Ochoa, we started west. Our route led through a country that was very sparsely settled, owing to the lack of water for irrigation. The city of Chihuahua is located in a rough, barren country, which continues for some thirty-five miles going west.
For several days' travel there is nothing very inviting to the eye. But on reaching the higher country toward the head waters of the Aras river, a tributary of the Yaqui, the country became more inviting. We continued our journey, passing settlements and ranches daily, leaving with each a few books and talking a little with the people near where we camped.
Nothing of importance occurred on the road except the mending of one of our horse's hoofs with rawhide. The hoof had been badly cracked for some time. As we were descending a rough, rocky hill the horse stumbled and struck his foot against a boulder so hard that the hoof split clear open up to the hair. We had much difficulty in getting him into the settlement a few miles ahead. We offered to sell the horse but could get only one dollar offered for him. We could not well leave him neither had we money to spare to buy another.
Mexicans are great people to use rawhide, and I had learned from them to use it in many emergencies.
As we were going to bed Brother Pratt remarked: "Brother Jones why can't you use rawhide on John, (the horse) or does this case beat you?"
The question put me to thinking. So in the morning I obtained a suitable piece of rawhide from a Mexican, took the horse to a blacksmith who put some tallow and burnt horn into the opening of the hoof, then seared it with a hot iron. I then took the rawhide and fitted it nicely over the whole hoof, lacing it behind and underneath. The blacksmith fitted a shoe and nailed it on, driving the nails through the rawhide which now formed the outer crust of the hoof. We let the horse stand in a dry place until the next morning when the nails were tightly clinched.