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closely followed by 6 or 8 halfbreed Indians who jealously watched every movement and squatted against the wall behind me while I was viewing the picture. 

It is quite startling to find such a beautiful object of art hanging amid such surroundings and, as might be supposed, offers of considerable sums have been made for this picture but its beauty is so apparent that it has impressed itself upon even the ignorant people where it hangs & they have a superstitious regard for it which would render it a dangerous matter for anyone to try & take it away under any pretext.

I obtained a rude stone idol made by these Tarasco's of ancient times & on inquiry for others at Sinsuntsun [[Tzintzuntzán]], was told that they can be obtained at times but that the Indians, when they find one in a field, leave it buried there saying that if they take it away the crop will fail.  The road to Sinsuntsun [[Tzintzuntzán]] is across a causeway built over the eastern end of the lake.