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Few people in Mexico are so little known as the Triquis. Orozco y Berra, usually a good authority, locates them near Tehuantepec, in the low country. The towns which he calls Triqui are Chontal; the five true Triqui towns are in the high Mixteca. The largest is the town which we were now approaching.
In that case there moutn't be much fear o' 'em; but whether or no, it be best for us to make sure. I say let's set the sail." "Berra well, Massa Brace," rejoined the Coromantee, whose opposition had been only slight. "Dar am troof in wha you hab 'ledged. Ef you say set de sail, I say de same. Dar am a lubbly breeze bowlum. 'Pose we 'tick up de mass dis berry instam ob time?"
I reck'n they tuk us for Injuns?" "In that case, they'll hide from us all the same only a little more cunningly." "Consarn their sojer skins! Ef they war as cunnin' as a kupple o' possums, they can't a hide the track o' the berra; an' so long's they keep in the timber, I kalklate I kin lift thar trail.
"And as your own distinguished countryman, Señor Orozco y Berra, has pointed out," I continued, "many dark places in primitive history may be made clear, many illusions may be dispelled, and many deeply interesting truths may be gathered by one who will go among these Indians, lending himself to their mode of life, and will note accurately what he thus learns from sources wholly original."
We ain't like to be the only two critters as hain't got a pass for the diggins. Ne'er a bit o't. We'll find deserters out theer es thick as blue-bottles on a barkiss. Certingly we shell. Besides, Petrick, we needn't take the knepsacks all the way out theer, nor the berra neythur, nor nuthin' else we've brought from the Fort."
"Me berra easy tell, young sahib," replied Ossaroo; "only need takee size ob de rogue's foot. Dis way, sahibs." Saying this, the shikaree drew forth from one of his pockets a piece of string; and, choosing one of the tracks which had made the clearest impression, he carefully applied the string around its outer edge. In this way the circumference of the elephant's foot was obtained.
During the time that we were working at this town, when the school children filed past, they always removed their hats in the most respectful manner. While there are many mestizos in the town, it may truly be called an indian town, the largest of those belonging to the Tepehuas. According to Orozco y Berra, Tepehua is not related to any other language in Mexico.
We ked niver hev toted our doin's es we've did; an' but for the piece o' bacon an' thet eer bag o' meal, we'd a sterved long afore this, I recking. Don't cuss the berra." "Och! it's made my showlders ache, as if some skhoundrel had been batin' them wid a sprig ov shillaylah!" "Ne'er a mind 'bout thet! yer shoulders 'll be all right arter ye've got a wink o' sleep.
In the Morming settlements, we kin swop our unyforms for suthin' else, an' the berra too. Es to the knepsacks an' cartridge-box, I guess as how I inteend to make a spec on them ere two articles." "Fwhat! a pair ov soger knapsacks, an' an owld kyarthridge-box! They wuldn't fitch the worth ov dhrinks apaice." "Theer your mistaking, Mister Tigg. Preehaps they'll swop better'n you think.
For all this district, Orozco y Berra makes many errors. Atla, which he lists as Totonac, is really Aztec. The presidente, upon a local map, showed us the interesting way in which natural barriers limit idioms. Two little streams, coming together at an acute angle, may divide three languages one being spoken in the angle and one on either side.
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