THE PLANT WORLD 27 



said Benigno Acosta shall be responsible for its payment either in money 

 or by replacing the dead or lost animal by another of the same kind and 

 size. 



" 4th. The said servant, Benigno Acosta, shall be equally responsible 

 for the payment of any damages caused by the stock under his charge 

 before those injured arrive to lodge complaint with the competent author- 

 ities, the mistress consequently not being held responsible for any damage 

 caused by the said animals, according to this article. 



" 5th. It shall be the duty of the servant, Benigno Acosta, under the 

 strictest responsibility, to watch for and collect all fallen coconuts, and 

 to keep his mistre.ss informed as to all that may happen to whatever is 

 under his care on the estate of ' Ipao,' and without being able to sepa- 

 rate himself from this service without first making good or paying the 

 penalty of any breach of this contract resulting from his carelessness or 

 negligence. 



" 6th. The contracting Benigno Acosta, alias Deche, receives in this 

 act from his mistress, Doiia Luisa Quitugua, the quantity of sixteen 

 pesos, in prepayment of his wages of two pesos monthly. 



" 7th and last. Benigno Acosta, alias Deche, after having been in- 

 formed as to the significance of the clauses of this contract, accepts it in 

 all its parts and obliges himself to enter from this day the domestic ser- 

 vice of the contracting Dona Luisa Quitugua ; to have in his charge for 

 raising and protection all animals whatsoever and other interests existing 

 on the estate of 'ipao,' without prejudice to the coconuts now there; 

 to clear and break up the ground, and plant whatsoever articles may be 

 necessary, having for himself a third part of the product of the crops of 

 maize, .sweet potatoes and other tubers ; and to plant daily five coconuts ; 

 for all of which he shall receive a salary of two pesos monthly in order 

 that this contract may be carried out. 



Thus they declare and authorize in the presence of the witnesses 

 Don Vicente Herrero and Don Jose Calvo. 



"Signed, in behalf of Benigno Acosta at his request (he being unable 

 to write his name), Jose Pangelinan (rubric). Vicente Herrero (rubric). 

 Luisa Quitugua (rubric). Jose Calvo (rubric)." 



At the bottom of this contract were entered the following charges 

 against Benigno : 



Debit. 

 For 3 chupas of biscuit d 6 cuartos - - 18 



2 sperm candles a 1 real ~2 



6 reales in silver -6 



3 small pigs lost while under his charge • • 14 — 



1 iron bucket -4 



1 knife and 2 hens 1~ 



On being questioned by me Benigno stated that he had entered the 

 services of Doiia Luisa in order to obtain enough money to pay the fun- 

 eral expenses of his mother — he had no other way of getting money. He 

 said that he had expected to repay her in a short time, but that she kept 

 him in debt by charging him for various things, and that it seemed to 



