This time we came upon Cave-Dwellers. The Tarahumare Indians of
the Sierra Madre, one of the least known among the Mexican tribes,
live in caves to such an extent that they may properly be termed
the American Cave-Dwellers of to-day. I determined to study these
interesting people, especially the so-called _gentiles_ [1] (pagans),
and as this was not practical, even with the present reduced size of
the expedition, I gradually disbanded the entire company and at last
remained alone.

By selling most of my animals, and a large part of my outfit, and
through the untiring efforts of two American ladies, whose friendship
I highly esteem, I was enabled to continue my researches alone until
August, 1893, when I took my Tarahumare and Tepehuane collections to
Chicago and exhibited them at the World's Fair. Extensive vocabularies
of the Tarahumare and Tepehuane languages, as well as a vocabulary
of the now almost extinct Tubares, were among the results of this
expedition, besides anthropological measurements, samples of hair
and osseous remains.

The great possibilities Mexico offers to ethnology proved an
irresistible incentive to new researches, and seeing the results
of my previous expeditions, the American Museum of Natural History
of New York again sent me out on what was to be my third and most
extensive Mexican expedition, which lasted from March, 1894, to
March, 1897. During these three years I again travelled alone, that
is, without any scientific assistants, at first with two or three
Mexicans. Soon, however, I found that my best companions were the
so-called civilised Indians, or even Indians in their aboriginal state,
who not only helped me by their mere presence to win the confidence
of their tribesmen but also served me as subjects of observation. As