Remonstrating, we were told that there was other business to attend to, and that the town officials could not devote themselves to us.

With great difficulty, by 10 o'clock all preparations were made, and we started on the journey.

The animals were not bad, but we had been told that there were eight leagues of hard road between us and Tepanapa, and six more from there to San Juan Zautla, our destination; we were told that we should spend the night at Tepanapa, reaching Zautla the second day.

As we left the town we overtook a funeral procession on its way to the little hill-crest cemetery which we passed soon after.

At first the road was good, gradually ascending.