Page:Researches in the Central Portion of the Usumatsintla Valley.djvu/46

38 Hoping to throw light upon the still more important question as to the kind of pictorial representations still made by these Indians and whether they are of a hieroglyphic character, I looked about me very carefully in Māx's huts, but of course without exciting the suspicion of the people. I regret to say that nothing bearing upon this matter could be found. The fact that the Indians of Pethá live so scattered that each family is about one league (or an hour's journey) from the other adds much to the difficulty of solving this question. It would be necessary to ascertain whether these people are anywhere grouped in villages, for in that case there would be more prospect of obtaining specimens of drawings.

In the mean time my men had deliciously prepared the crax, and the women supplied us with the necessary tortillas, which, made of new maize and half roasted, were especially palatable. At my special request, which I had also made on the preceding evening, they brought us large gourds full of balché (baltšé), a refreshing beverage made from the bark of a tree.

While we were satisfying our hunger with this food and drinking with it the national drink, balché, the men, having adorned their heads with bands dyed pink with chacavanté, withdrew into the huts containing the incense-vessels, to pray. The prayer consisted of monotonous, unintelligible cries, its purpose doubtless being to entreat the gods not to regard with anger the reception of strangers, and to avert any evil consequences that might arise from our visit. The women took no part in this religious ceremony.

At last the time came for us to depart, and we accordingly took leave of Māx and the other Indians. Before doing so, however, I administered to a young girl very ill with fever a small dose of quinine, which she took tearfully. To an older woman covered with ulcers (elephantiasis?) we could only recommend a draught which she could make herself of the sarsaparilla occurring in that region. With these exceptions the people were all in good health.

We remained four days more (September 8th, 9th, 10th, and llth) on the shore of that beautiful lake, over whose waters we never grew weary of rowing. The Indians made us several visits, bringing us food and enabling us to buy of them several additional sets of their handsome bows and arrows.

Māx, whose name means "howling-monkey" [Stentor niger), was not a frank, kindly-disposed man. He very evidently exercised a certain repressing influence over the others, who showed much greater openness in their