the procession formed, and the santito was brought out before the church.  The townspeople were arranged and the view taken.  We were then invited in to breakfast, which was fine.  There were plenty of French rolls and the red wine brought from town, and a great heap of enchiladas, fresh lettuce and eggs.  After eating, we expressed a wish to hear the village drum, a great huehuetl.  This musical instrument is a reminder of the olden times; it is not found everywhere, but a number of indian towns possess one, which is kept to be played on festal occasions.  The one as Los Reyes was some three feet or so in height, a hollow cylinder of wood with a membrane stretched across the upper end; it was painted blue.  A chair of state was placed for me in the little patio.  After I was seated the three musicians took their places,—­one played the great huehuetl, a second beat the tambour or ordinary drum, the third performed upon the chirimiya, a shrill wooden pipe.  It was the first time we had really heard a huehuetl.  The player used two sticks with padded heads, beating with great force in excellent time.  The booming of the instruments was audible to a great distance.  The whole village had gathered, and in a momentary lull in the music, I told the people of the ancient use of the huehuetl; that Bernal Diaz, in his history of the Conquest of Mexico, tells us what feelings filled the hearts of the Spaniards, when they heard the great huehuetl, in the temple of the ancient city of Tenochtitlan; then it was chiefly beaten when human victims were being sacrificed to the gods, and the soldiers knew that some fellow-countryman, or a Tlaxcalan ally, was dying.  Never have I given a public lecture, that was listened to with more attention or greater appreciation.

[Illustration:  THE VILLAGE AND ITS SAINT; LOS REYES]

[Illustration:  CUEZCOMATE, OR GRANARY; SAN NICOLAS PANOTLA]

The day we measured women at San Estevan, we found an indian mason there at work, whom we had measured at Tlaxcala, and with whom, on one occasion, we had some conversation.  He was disgusted at the conduct of the women while undergoing measurement, and at evening said, “Sir, it is a pity for you to waste your time in a town like this; these people are little better than animals; in my town there is great enthusiasm over your work, and by going there you might do your will and find people with minds, not beasts.”  There was really no work left to be done, but we desired to see a town where there was great enthusiasm over our investigations.  Hence, we arranged with Ignacio Cempoalteca to visit his pueblo of San Nicolas Panotla.  Accordingly, on the afternoon of the day when we visited Los Reyes, we went across the valley to Panotla, Ignacio and an older brother, Jose, met us at the hotel, where—­excusing himself on account of the mason-work at San Estevan, which could not wait—­Ignacio left us, assuring us that Jose would do everything for us.  This was quite true, and we found Panotla all that it had been painted.