Although we had paid the full cost of the coach, two other passengers were crowded in upon us, and the man, for whom we had paid the _peso_ to carry our instruments, ran alongside the coach on foot, throwing stones at the mules, while we had again the pleasure of carrying the instruments and boxes on our knees.

The country through which we rode was much as before.

For some time we passed through a fine pine forest; then we made a deep descent into a valley, at the bottom of which flowed a large stream, which was bridged by a grand old structure of stone and cement.

This descent, and the opposite ascent, we were obliged to make on foot, as the approaches were bad.

We have been impressed strongly with the fact that everywhere in Mexico the worst bits of road are those which, in old Spanish days, were handsomely and well paved; and which, during the disturbed period of the early Republic, were neglected and allowed to go to decay.