Chihuahua either dwell in caves or in stone houses with thatched roofs. They seem to prefer the former kind of dwelling which they regard as sheltered, The
Tarahumares.safe and substantial. in the larger caverns, they build small stone storehouses for the reception of grain and other foods, and occasionally construct mud walls to partition off the cave into rooms. Domestic animals are frequently housed in wooden enclosures within the cave-shelter. The Indians are not gregarious, each family preferring to live by itself; and this fact seems to differentiate them from the ancient cliff-dwellers of that territory, who appear to have lived together in bands. These Indians suffer much from lack of provisions, and are usually poorly nourished. They grow a certain amount of corn, but their agricultural activities are rude and perfunctory, and are carried out upon a very small scale and on communal lines. The people are of medium height and are among the more muscular of the Indian tribes. They are beardless, and regard hirsute adornments on the face as unbecoming. Corpulence is uncommon among the men, but the women are more inclined to it. They are dull in appearance, but this is merely a superficial aspect, and in reality they are intelligent and fairly acute. Their carrying capacity is wonderful, and some of them travel for miles, bearing enormous burdens.
The Otomi, a hardy race, inhabit that part of the country immediately The
Otomi.to the North of the Valley of Anahuac. They speak a monosyllabic language, which, solely because of its structure, has been likened to Chinese! Most of them are now agricultural labourers.
The Zapotecs and Mixtecs of Oaxaca are comparatively civilised people indeed, they have made greater progress in the arts of civilisation than any other of the native races, thanks, probably, to their own ancient culture. They furnish Mexico with numerous clerks and schoolmasters, and are
