Amateur Movie Makers (Dec 1926-Dec 1927)

hats, baskets of very good taste, and native jewelry, the best specimens of which are neck chains of a bright red bead from a tree called "colorin." Among the interesting spots in the neighborhood of Cuernavaca is Xochicalco, or ''place of flowers," twenty-five miles away. Before the time of Cortez there was a town on this spot erected by the native race of the Toltecs ( Ulmecas ) . It is in ruins at present and a great number of mounds may be seen under which lie temples and palaces. Some of these have been unearthed and the purity of their architectural style, as well as the ornaments and bas-reliefs give evidence of high aesthetic gifts, and invite the traveler's cine camera. The ruins of Xochicalco have been visited by archaeologists from all parts of the world, as this spot is the cradle of aboriginal Mexican civilization. The founders of Xochicalco, the Toltecs, were the masters whose influence was greatly felt by the Maya, Aztec, Totonac and Zapotec civilizations, and Xochicalco, being a purely Toltec town, is one of the oldest in the New World, as well as the most beautiful and genuine from an artistic viewpoint. The "Caves of Cacahuamilpa" are another attraction, located forty miles from Cuernavaca by motor car. These caves are the subject of numberless legends. Bandits in flight, after having committed evil deeds, have hidden in their fathomless depths. Shepherds and explorers have been lost in their labyrinths and died there, starved and frenzied. Lovers have there attempted to live again the idyl of Paolo and Francesca and have not seen the light of day again, only their skeletons have been found, twined in a farewell embrace. Thus run the countless stories. In truth, there is no danger lurking in the caves at present, and twice a week groups of excursionists arrive from all parts by automobile and are conducted by guides through the famous caves. Light furnished by first rate electric reflectors enhances the beauty of the vaults, enabling photographers and cameramen to make advantageous use of their cameras. The tourist finds the entrance to the caves in a cavity on the mountain, and, as he enters, the span between the ground and the roof of the CARLOS TEJEDA cave widens gradually, until he comes to spots where the Cathedral of Saint Patrick of New York City could stand without reaching the roof. In order that the tourist may appreciate the magnitude of this masterpiece of nature, the guide occasionally fires rockets that explode without touching the rock, thus piercing the darkness and revealing SPANISH COLONIAL FOUNTAIN In the Jardin Borda the astounding height of the vault. Forming weird pictures, the stalactites and stalagmites drop from the darkness above and emerge from the darkness below, in a white, ghostly confusion, like some awesome scene from Dante's Inferno. They ape immense organs; gothic cathedrals of unbounded size; a silent procession of monks climbing up a hill, crowned by mysterious darkness; a high throne, occupied by an imagined royal being, rearing itself in ghastly majesty; phantoms which bring to minds dreadful tales; ferociously fanged beasts, like Cerberus, hiding in concealed nooks; feudal fortresses, dark and sinister. To the present the end of the labyrinths has not been discovered, although a span of eight miles has been explored, constituting galleries and vaults connected by passes so narrow that it was necessary to crawl through them. However, as new vaults are discovered, they are fitted with lights and a comfortable entrance. When the tourist finally retraces his steps, and nears the exit, he catches a glimpse of dazzling bluish light, like the dawn of a new day. It is the sunlight breaking into a thousand colors through the crystal prisms of the stalactities. Luminous life returns as he steps outside. Eager eyes embrace the free spaces. Behind is left a fascinating but awful nightmare. Many other spots near Cuernavaca invite the cinematographer and the pleasure seeker. There is still the Amacuzas River, born in a gap in the bosom of the mountain, the lovely waterfall of San Anton, and a score of other matchless sights. In short Cuernavaca and its surroundings are endowed with hidden spots as beautiful, and with details as artistic, as their panoramas are gifted with majesty and grandeur. Twenty -five