a glimpse of the oriental in the occident
some two hundred miles south of the city of mexico lies oaxaca (pronounced wa-ha-ka). the valley of oaxaca was looked upon by the spanish conquerors as el dorado, the traditional land of gold. the aztecs told them that the gold of montezuma came from the sands of the rivers in this and the connecting valleys, and that immeasurable treasure was to be found there. believing these tales, cortez secured large grants of land from the crown, and, with the consent and approval of his sovereign, assumed to himself the title of marquis of the valley of oaxaca.
the cupidity of the spaniards led them to employ every subterfuge to induce the natives to reveal the source of their plentiful supply of gold. the indians, after considerable urging,—so we are told,—offered to conduct one man to this place, if he would submit to be blindfolded for the trip. this was agreed to[112] and the party set out on their journey. thinking that he would mark the way, the spaniard dropped a grain of corn every few steps. after they had travelled a long distance, the spaniard had the bandage removed from his eyes and he was allowed to look around, when he beheld such wealth as mortal vision never before had seen. his eyes glittered with the greed of his covetous nature, but his countenance soon changed when a dusky warrior stepped up and handed him a vessel which contained every grain of corn that he had dropped by the way. for this reason he was never able to retrace his steps to this wonderful region, and the wily spaniards were again outwitted by the simple natives.
oaxaca is reached by the southern railway which starts at puebla. this road penetrates one of the richest sections of the republic, with abundance of timber and minerals, and unlimited beds of onyx and marble. little of this wealth is seen from the railroad, as this line follows the narrow valleys, through one ca?on into another, furnishing scenery as grandly picturesque as the great passes of colorado. the mountains in places are lifted up thousands of feet with crags and peaks which the storms have cut into fantastic shapes[113] and whose walls drop almost perpendicularly to the water’s edge. then again the ca?on widens, and the panorama extends across the valley where gigantic rocks, stained in all colours by the oozings of the metals of the earth, form far-away pictures not unlike the battlements of an ancient fortress. the sun tinges each a different hue, with deeper tones in the near ones which fade as they approach the horizon, until all seem to blend into the intense blue of the sky.
as the train leaves the city of the angels, just at daybreak, a wonderful panorama is opened up to view. look in any direction, and the tiled domes of the churches rise above the plain, for each village and hacienda has its own. the forts erected on the surrounding hills which are emblematic of the force that subjugated this valley, are seen, and near them the pyramid of cholula erected by those who were overcome. over all tower those mighty monuments of nature, the white-capped peaks of popocatapetl, ixtaccihuatl, orizaba and old malintzi, with the morning sun reflected on their snowy heads. the road ascends and descends, and then ascends again before it takes a dip down into the tierra caliente. a number of native villages are passed but only one town[114] of any size, tehuacan, noted for its mineral springs. it is a pretty little city, and in the centre of a rich agricultural district. the road finally enters a wide, open country with rich valleys which extend to the hills beyond. at last, after a twelve hours’ journey, our train rolls into this occidental eden.
more than three centuries ago a spanish writer described oaxaca as “not very big, yet a fair and beautiful city to behold, which standeth three-score leagues from mexico in a pleasant valley.” it is located at the junction of three valleys and on the bank of a broad river, which meanders through a billowy sea of cornfields toward the pacific. whichever way the eye may turn the view is bounded by hills covered with forests. viewed from one of these hills the city looks like a broad, flat-covered plain of stone buildings above which are seen many domes, and the whole scene has a truly oriental touch.
the people that the spanish found in possession of these valleys were an industrious race. they had tilled the soil centuries before the spaniards, in their lust for gold, despoiled these beautiful valleys. there is not a hollow, or knoll, where it is possible to scrape a little soil with a hoe, that has not at some time been[115] cultivated. these early races had even constructed irrigation works which kept green their fields during the dry season. the rich basins filled with alluvium are now owned by the rich hacendados, or landowners, whose white buildings dot the landscape here and there and, with their trees, orchards and cultivated fields, lend life and colour to an otherwise dull prospect. the poor indians are forced to work for these landlords who claim title to the land formerly owned by their ancestors, or retire to the hills where, well up toward the crests, they cultivate their little fields of corn and beans. there is one tribe of indians that dwell in the mountains of oaxaca who have never acknowledged either spanish or mexican sovereignty, and maintain their own tribal form of government. they can be seen at oaxaca on market days.
we find oaxaca to be a city of about thirty-three thousand people of whom three-fourths or more are indians. it is laid out with narrow streets, down the centre of which runs a stream of water, from which rise at times odours not the most agreeable. the houses are low and one-storied, with grated windows after the style of architecture introduced by the spaniards, and by them adopted from the[116] moors, who copied it from the persians. the water supply is abundant, being brought in from the hills by an aqueduct. fountains are located at numerous places, and a constant succession of rebeccas with heads enveloped in their shawls, and carrying great earthen water-jars pass to and fro from them.
oaxaca contains many fine churches of which one, santo domingo, has been both monastery and fortress, and has just been restored at a cost of $13,000,000 (silver) so it is claimed, making it the most costly church in mexico, if not in north america. the gold on the walls was so heavy in former times, that the soldiers quartered here during revolutionary uprisings employed themselves in removing it. this city has been the scene of troublous times, and has been captured and re-captured by the combating forces. it has given to the country two great presidents, juarez and diaz, of whom it may well be proud. of these two men, great in the annals of mexico, the former was a full-blooded indian, and the latter has a fair percentage of the same blood in his veins. a monument to juarez has been erected, and some day—may it be far distant—when nature has claimed her own, this city will raise a memorial to her still greater son.
the aqueduct, oaxaca
a fountain in oaxaca
[117]
oaxaca has a pleasant plaza, called the plaza de armas, adorned with various semi-tropical trees and shrubs, in the centre of which is the ever-present band-stand. the cathedral and municipal palace face this square. my visit here was during a fiesta and this plaza was the favourite resort of the indians as well as myself. the indians living in the hills took undisturbed possession at night, and groups of tired indios wrapped themselves in their sarapes, or shawls, and stretched their tired limbs out on the cold stones; or propped themselves against the walls of a building to rest. a number of catch-penny devices were running during the evening and the favourite seemed to be the phonograph. the indian would pay his centavo, put the transmitter in his ears and listen without a sign of expression on his stolid face. nevertheless, he enjoyed it, because he would repeat the operation until his stock of coppers was considerably diminished.
saturday is market day in this city, and a visit to this popular place is worth a trip to mexico. the atmosphere of the market is truly oriental, for these people have a genius for trading as the innumerable little stands where crude pottery, rough-made baskets, home-made dulces, etc., are sold, fully proves.[118] the entrance takes one past the dealers in fried meats, where bits of pork and shreds of beef are dished out sizzling hot to the peons under the big sombreros by women cooks who crouch over earthenware dishes placed on small braziers containing a charcoal fire, and a three course meal can be obtained for a few cents. there is always a crowd around this department, for these people are ever ready to eat, and their capacity is only limited by their purse.
the market-women of oaxaca
the pottery-market, oaxaca
next is encountered the fruit and vegetable stands. the finest fruits and vegetables, and especially the latter, that i saw in mexico, were right here in this market and this was in the month of december. generally the vegetables in mexico are not large, but here were fine potatoes, great red tomatoes, gigantic radishes and elephantine cabbages. oranges, bananas, limes, plantains and pineapples were plentiful, as well as the less-known fruits such as zapotes (a kind of melon), aguacates (a pale green fruit and vegetable combined), granaditas, mangoes, granadas and pomegranates. the cocoanut of the hotlands is mingled with the dunas, the fruit of the prickly pear, of the higher lands. with these a great many drinks called frescas, or sherbets, are flavoured, the[119] merits of which are announced by the dark-eyed, be-shawled vendors. the women merchants, many of them smoking cigarettes, sit around on the floor so thick in places that it is almost impossible to work your way through the mixed assortment of peppers and babies; corn, lean babies and peas; charcoal, beans and fat babies; naked babies, knives and murderous-looking machetes; hats, laughing babies, shawls and other useful articles; turkeys, crying babies, chickens, dirty babies, ducks, squawking parrots in cages, pigs and other live stock, including babies of all kinds and descriptions.
the pottery market presided over by the solemn-faced, oriental merchants is a never-ending place of interest, and these artistic vessels are carried over the mountains on the backs of the indians. crude baskets and mats made of the palm fibre are found in abundance as well as brooms which bear no union label.
no one could afford to miss the flower department where flowers are so cheap that it seems almost a sin not to buy them. here are velvety sweet peas, purple pansies, tangled heaps of crimson and white roses, azure forget-me-nots, pyramids of heliotrope and scarlet geraniums. for a few cents one can buy almost[120] a bushel of these, or, if preferred, can substitute marguerites, carnations, poppies, or violets. an american will probably have to pay twice as much as a native, even after the shrewdest bargaining.
outside the market enclosure caravans of over-loaded donkeys jostle each other as a great solid-wheeled cart yoked to a couple of meek-eyed oxen creaks by, or a tram car drawn by galloping mules thunders noisily along to an accompaniment of loud cracks of the whip, and a constant repetition of “mulas” and “arres” the “rrs” being brought out with a long trill.
crossing the river on market-day
the indian will travel for days on his way to market at oaxaca. on the day before market i drove out the south road for a number of miles, and the entire distance was literally black,—or perhaps it would be better to say brown,—with the natives coming to town bearing the “brown man’s burden,” and travelling along in the middle of the road at a rapid pace. these indians were coming from the “hot country” farther south and were bringing oranges, bananas, cocoanuts and other kinds of tropical fruits, besides chickens, eggs and other poultry. most of them were on foot, though the more fortunate had donkeys[121] to carry the load; but they themselves walked and drove the animal. the women bore large baskets on their heads, which they balanced gracefully, although sometimes the loads are exceedingly heavy. they will carry one hundred pounds or more in this manner. frequently a baby is swung across the back as an additional burden. the little mites are good natured in this uncomfortable position, and do not make half as much trouble as american babies in their rubber-tired, easy-springed perambulators.
a small pot, a basket of tortillas, a few fagots and plenty of coffee complete the outfit of the man. perhaps the value of his load is not over a dollar or two in gold, but his entertainment along the way costs little, for he sleeps out of doors, carries his food, makes his own coffee and needs to buy nothing except perhaps a little fruit and aguardiente (brandy). the entire family sometimes accompany him, for the wife is afraid to have her man go away alone for fear he may desert her.
on the opposite side of the city from the road just described is another main highway. i stood here for several hours by the river bank on the afternoon of a market-day, when the people were leaving for home. the sight[122] never grew tiresome or monotonous, as there was a constant succession of pictures, which a moving-picture machine alone could adequately portray. although there is a bridge across the stream, no one used it, for by making a short cut across the river bed a hundred yards or more was saved. the pedestrian would remove his sandals to wade through the shallow water, and then replace them on reaching the opposite bank. the indians going this way had more burros, and, as their load was disposed of, the family rode. frequently a poor, diminutive burro carried as many persons as could sit on his back, in addition to the large baskets. many of the great carts drawn by one or two yoke of oxen passed this way. the cattle are all yoked by the horns, which seems a cruel way, for their heads are brought down almost to the ground, and it looks as though every jar must cause them suffering.
so this unique panorama continued all the afternoon. i could not think of anything but palestine, as i gazed at this unceasing procession of donkeys, egyptian carts, women with their shawls folded and worn on their heads in eastern fashion; and in the background the white walls, red tiled roofs and domes of the churches of oaxaca. for a moment i wondered[123] if i were not mistaken, and had suddenly strayed into some corner of the orient, and found myself involuntarily looking for the mosque, and listening for the cry of the muezzin calling the faithful to prayer.
a trip around about the valley near oaxaca only served to strengthen the oriental cast of the picture. the types of buildings, and the signs of water and fertility in the midst of widespread aridity (for this was the dry season) are eastern. i saw many flocks of goats herded by the solitary shepherd in the truly old-fashioned way. then, a slow-moving team of oxen followed by a peon guiding a one-handled, wooden plough deepens the picture. how powerful must have been the moorish influence in spain, for this is the plough of egypt and chaldea which was carried along the coast of barbary into spain, and left there as a heritage to the spaniards who introduced it into the new world.
yes, oaxaca is an el dorado, a land of treasure to the searcher after the picturesque. the real wealth lies in its delightful climate. the temperature is mild and does not vary more than twenty or thirty degrees during the year. the altitude is a little less than five thousand feet and the air is fresh and bracing. there is[124] also an abundance of good, pure water. some day this city will be known as a health resort for people from cold climates. they will find relief from the strenuous life in quiet, restful, oriental oaxaca.
there is no more picturesque hacienda in all mexico than that of mitla a few miles away. because of the bleak and rough nature of the country it has retained its early characteristics. the little store is a revelation of the simple and primitive life of these people. evening is sure to find don felix, or his black-eyed son, behind the counter waiting on the groups of indians who are constantly coming in to buy a couple of cents worth of mescal, or tequila, or cigarettes. one indian woman came in to purchase a centavo (one-half cent) of vinegar, another of lard, and others an equal amount of honey, soap, sugar or matches. they would invariably buy only one article at a time, then pay for it and watch the copper disappear down a slot in the counter. outside the door was an old indian who had brought a load of wood down from the mountain, and the good housewives were noisily bargaining with him for a centavo’s worth of wood, and trying to get an extra stick or two for that sum.
[125]
bargaining is a part of the education of these people. a young indian came in hatless and wanted a sombrero (hat). he was shown one with thirty cents worth of brim by the merchant. the indian offered twenty-eight cents which was accepted and he went away happy over his bargain. an old indian,—and an old indian is but a child in worldly wisdom,—brought a large cassava root, which, after considerable haggling, the merchant purchased for five cents. he bought a package of sixteen cigarettes for three cents and told the young hacendado that he had another “mas grande” (larger), which he would sell for seven cents. he went away but returned in a few minutes with the other root, and looked around at the crowd with a grin. the merchant took it but told him it was “mas chico” (smaller), and he could only allow four cents. the indian came down to six and the deal was closed at five cents, the same price as the first one was sold for. he bought a glass of mescal for two cents and vanished in the night air, with a smile of complete satisfaction on his face. it is a simple life that these people lead, and the same scenes may be witnessed any day in the year at this little tienda at the hacienda of mitla.
[126]
“when twilight falls, more near and clear,
the tender southern skies appear.”
twilight is very brief in this land. scarcely has the sun dropped out of sight, when the moon appears on the opposite horizon, almost a counterpart of the former in its descending glory. then the stars appear by hundreds, and myriads, and the night in all its magnificence is upon you, where, but a few minutes before, was the brightness of day. and the overhanging canopy of the heavens seems so much brighter, and clearer, and nearer than in our more northerly land.
as the hour grew late, i wandered forth from the little store and walked through the narrow, winding streets of the village. it was one of those brilliant tropical nights when the southern skies seemed ablaze with the light of innumerable stars, and the queen of the night was in her glory. it was such a night as would have appealed to the astronomers of old. the streets were silent except for the howling of some dogs near by. the porch of the hacienda was crowded with reclining figures wrapped in their sarapes. a belated traveller came up and with a sigh of relief deposited his load, and joined the sleeping crowd. a match illumed a dark face for a moment as he lit a[127] cigarette. finally, all voices ceased and quiet reigned supreme. it was a silence as deep and mysterious as that of the ruined city that lay but a few rods away.
