Unknown Mexico, Volume 1 (of 2) A Record of Five Years' Exploration Among the Tribes of the Western Sierra Madre; In the Tierra Caliente of Tepic and Jalisco; and Among the Tarascos of Michoacan

"Unknown Mexico, Volume 1" by Carl Lumholtz is a historical account of the author's five-year journey through the Sierra Madre region of Mexico during the late 1800s. This book acts as both an adventure narrative and a scholarly examination of the area's indigenous communities, most notably the Tarahumara. The narrative starts by detailing Lumholtz's preparations for his expedition, along with the complications he encountered as he assembled his gear and workers. He paints a vivid picture of Northern Sonora's environment, pointing out the plants, animals, and remnants of long-gone cultures. The reader is exposed to the local customs, interactions with the Mexican people, and the subtleties of their social interactions as he starts his journey. This introduction creates the framework for a thorough primary source account into the Sierra Madre's cultural and historical relevance, as well as that of its native population.