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to the earth, while all about a vivid sunshine and patches of brilliantly blue sky aloft & reflected below in the lake make the scene worthy a poet's [[strikethrough]] lan [[/strikethrough]] praise.

About this lake & in the surrounding districts live the numerous tribe of Tarasco Indians who are an industrious and remarkably rough, ugly-featured people, still retaining much of their primitive customs & dress. 

These people were one of the most powerful of the Indian tribes inhabiting the country at the time of the conquistadores (There are about 200,000 Indians in Michoacan according to recent gov't reports.)

These people occupy numerous villages about Lake Patzcuaro & cross the lake in considerable numbers every day in canoes to bring stuff to market in Patzcuaro. Among one of the main articles brought is the root of the saccaton grass which they dig up & clean of its bark & it is then done up in small bundles and baled. This is shipped to the U.S.