BarbarousMexico JOHN KENNETH TURNER

THE CONTRACT SLAVES OF VALLE NACIONAL
even charged with any crime. The rest of them are
peaceful, law-abiding citizens. Yet not one came to the
valley of his own free will, not one would not leave the
valley on an instant's notice if lie or she could get away.
Do not entertain the idea that Mexican slavery is confined
to Yucatan and Valle Nacional. Conditions similar
to those of Valle Nacional are the rule in many sections
of Diaz-land, and especially in the states south of
the capital. I cite Valle Nacional because it is most notorious
as a region of slaves, and because, as I have already
suggested, it presents just a little bit the worst example
of chattel slavery that I know of.
The secret of the extreme conditions of Valle Nacional
is mainly geographical. Valle Nacional is a deep gorge
from two to five miles wide and twenty miles long
tucked away among almost impassable mountains in the
extreme northwestern corner of the state of Oaxaca.
Its mouth is fifty miles up the Papaloapan river from El
Rule, the nearest railroad station, yet it is through El
Hule that every human being passes in going to or coming
from the valley. There is no other practical route
in, no other one out. The magnificent tropical mountains
which wall in the valley are covered with an impenetrable
jungle made still more impassable by jaguars,
punias and gigantic snakes. Moreover, there is no wagon
road to Valle Nacional; only a river and a bridle path—
a bridle path which carries one now through the jungle.
now along precipitous cliffs where the rider must dismount
and crawl, leading his horse behind him, now
across the deep, swirling current of the river. It takes
a strong swimmer to cross this river at high water, yet
a pedestrian must swim it more than once in order to
get out of Valle Nacional.
The equestrian must cross it five times—four times in
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