CULTURE OF PEOPLE OF SOUTHEASTERN PANAMA 109 



A similar woman's garment, " mola," from the San Bias coast 

 has two entirely dissimilar panels on the sides of the garment. 

 There are three centrally placed applique pictographs on each panel 

 that clearly represent fishes, probably sturgeon, with a whale in the 

 center of each panel. The border of each panel shows a sinuous 

 snake design. There are many other characters surrounding the 

 border of the panels, but they are highly conventionalized picto- 

 graphs and are unintelligible to the uninitiated (Cat. No. 326819C, 

 U.S.N.M., pi. 25, No. 2). 



Another woman's chemise, " mola " (Tule), from the San Bias 

 coast, collected by William Markham, is a splendid example of ap- 

 plique work built upon a base lining of common figured print cotton 

 cloth. The shoulder areas have each a small design in applique rep- 

 resenting snails. The panel of applique work beginning just below 

 the yoke has a large number of smaller pictograms representing 

 various animals, reptiles, and fish, the whole blocked off into eight 

 lesser panels, each having one large central pictographic design and 

 a large number of small marginal designs. Figures of snakes, liz- 

 ards, and alligators divide the eight panels from one another (Cat. 

 No. 326819B, U.S.N.M., pi. 26, No. 1). 



A mola from the island of Cidra, Gulf of San Bias, was col- 

 lected by Mrs. W. H. Bell, in which a cotton print of red stripes 

 serves as a lining for the applique panel work in " crazy-quilt " 

 pattern. This is a more highly conventionalized design with vari- 

 ous layers of cut and inset applique work than are some of the gar- 

 ments previously described. In outline dimensions it is 66 cm. (26 

 in.) in length and 71.2 cm (28 in.) wide, pi. 26, No. 2). (See Mrs. 

 E. Y. Bell, in the Republic of Panama and Its People. 19 for addi- 

 tional examples of applique pictographs). 



Masks. — The Tule Indians have no masks such as are employed 

 by the tribes of the interior of western Panama in Veraguas. One 

 of these masks from the Province of Veraguas is used on certain re- 

 ligious holidays. It is supposed to represent the " little devils," 

 and is in the form of a cap. An Indian puts the cap on his head 

 and, imitating the attacks of a wild bull, rushes toward the specta- 

 tors, who with frantic yells, get out of his way, saying, " You will 

 never catch me, little devil." On the occasions when the " little 

 devils " make their appearance, songs are improvised, criticizing 

 those persons and things that in the opinion of the people deserve to 

 be criticized. 



There are horns attached to the mask or cap that are from the 

 native deer; a jaw and snout of the " jabali," or peccary, is also 

 attached (Cat. No. 248566, U.S.N.M.). Although the San Bias 



19 Annual Report of the Smithsonian Institution for 1909, pis. 9 and 10. 



