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372 During 1869, owing to drought, the corn crop, forming the staple of food for the masses, was very small, and the people suffered greatly. Agriculture was, generally speaking, in a deplorable state, resulting from the twenty years' struggle, which required a large portion of the population to be constantly on the frontier watching the Indians. However, in the region free from Indian depredations henequen was cultivated on a large scale, and quite profitably, promising to become a source of wealth. The war of races continued without the hostile Indians manifesting any disposition to submit, or even to treat with the government.

Other states were also the victims of hostile Indians. Nuevo Leon was often raided by wild Indians from the United States. Chiapas suffered from a war of castes; the national congress and executive at once resolved to aid the state with arms and money. Indian troubles continued, however, for a long time afterward. The frontier states of Chihuahua and Sonora continued to be the tramping-ground of the relentless Apaches.

A pronunciamiento took place at Puebla, headed by Miguel Negrete, who had been in concealment in