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site or mainland side of the lagoon. The occupation of these people is mainly fishing although they also have many sheep in small flocks on the sand dunes & salt flats where the spiky salt grass Distichlys [[m?]] is abundant. These people are said, by people in Tehuant. to have been brought from the coast of South Am. by the Spaniards but do not know on what foundation this is based. A few of them are now intermarrying with the Zapotecos of neighboring villages. When we rode into San Mateo at midday we found the village to consist of palm & grass-thatched houses scattered [[strikethrough]] alo [[/strikethrough]] among large fan-palms, tamarind & mesquite trees & other low trees of the locality- The houses were ranged in irregular order along crooked streets so that it was difficult to get an idea of the size of the place without going all over it. Under foot the soil is a loose sand.

We soon found the town house which had a flat roofed brush covered shed before it with a couple of tables in the middle & a row of rude benches, about the sides. Here we found the presidente and 8 or 10 other town officers sitting about, all busily at work making [[strikethrough]] ne [[/strikethrough]] cast nets or [[strikethrough]] spending [[/strikethrough]] making net twine. When I told the presidente that I wished a place in which to stop for a few days in the village he very carelessly told me that I could use an open shed I had seen in the village as I came in. I refused to listen to this & insisted on being given the town house Finally he gave a grudging consent saying I would have to pay for the use of it. This I