INDIAN GIRL SPINNING COTTON.
"The Mexican Indian is not much unlike the American one in general appearance, as he is of a brown or olive color, and has little or no beard. His cheek-bones are high, and he has slender limbs and a broad chest. Owing to his having been so long accustomed to carrying burdens on his back, he is inclined to stoop, while the American Indian stands erect. The Mexican Indian is also liable to stoutness, while the American one is not. His dress is pretty much the same in all parts of the country, varied, of course, by the conditions of the climate. Short and wide trousers of coarse cotton cloth, a loose jacket of the same material, a serape or blanket for cool weather or at night, a straw hat, and a pair of sandals form his costume. The different tribes are distinguished by the colors of the clothing, but this distinction is slowly being effaced."
"Now a few words about the creoles," suggested Fred.
PEDDLER OF WOODEN TRAYS.
"But I have not done with the Indians yet," replied Frank, "as this is a good place to say something about their houses. We have mentioned them in another place, but I want to add that in the hot country the Indian dwelling is made of wood, thatched with palm or banana leaves, while in the uplands it is of adobe, with a flat roof covered with clay supported by beams and stamped or beaten hard. A fire is generally kept burning day and night, and near it are the cooking utensils, which cost altogether only a few dollars at most. The hut has no furniture except a few stools and some mats of cane or rushes, which serve as beds at night and seats by day. A whole family lives in a space which we should consider small for one person and altogether too restricted for two.
"When the Spaniards conquered the country they took possession of the lands and everything else; they allowed the Indians only sufficient space for their villages, and a plot of ground 3600 feet square for agricultural purposes, which all the inhabitants of a village were to cultivate in common. They still have this common garden, but the majority of them abandon their rights in it, and earn their living by hiring out with land-owners or miners. In former times a Spaniard spoke of himself as gente de razon, or man of intelligence, while he designated the Indian as gente sin razon, a man of no understanding. The Indians accepted this distinction, and often speak of themselves in this way. Of course this is not the case with the superior ones, who have adopted the European ways of living.