48 ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND ETHNOLOGICAL 



troops often come from the Napo to Quito, and many of them have perished, being 

 cau"-ht by a snow-storm wliile passing the Guamani. They bring gold washed from 

 the sand of the Napo, and desiccated birds, and take back blankets and other 

 manufactures of wool or cotton. 



Papallacta is a purely Indian village. Only two male inhabitants could speak 

 and read Spanish. One of these was the Teniente politico, the highest in authority. 

 I found but two aged men at home ; all the other males were in the woods, many 

 miles off, where they pass most of the year in making bateas, wooden ware, mostly 

 trou"-hs for bakers and kitchen use. The women and children go backward and 

 forward, preparing the food at home, and carrying it to the men, and bringing back 

 whatever they have manufactured. The food consists of small potatoes boiled, and 

 Windsor beans, the only crop they raise. One or the other family keeps a cow or 

 two, but the cheese they make is not eaten at home, but sold in the next hacienda. 

 At times snow falls there to the height of several feet and prevents their leaving 

 the house. One of the occupations of the Teniente politico was making harps, an 

 instrument very much in favor in Ecuador. 



On my journey to Papallacta I had to stop two days on the hacienda Tablon chico 

 waiting to get a guide and a horse; and, on returning, one day on account of rain. 

 This gave me a good opportunity of informing myself with reference to the con- 

 dition of the laborers, who are Indians. 



A family that wishes to settle on the estate gets the use of two or three, but 

 never more than four quadras of land to cultivate. One quadra is a square of 

 three hundred feet. They are allowed to take the materials to build a house from 

 the estate. For the use of this land the man is bound to perform every day, rain 

 or shine, the work required from him, except on Sunday, when he can attend to 

 his land. Between three and four o'clock every morning all must come to the 

 verandah of the house of the mayor domo to recite the Doctrina (doctrine of the 

 faith) and some prayers. After that they must go to collect the cows; or perform 

 some other work, while the women are milking tlie cows. When the sun rises all 

 have half an hour to take their breakfast; after which the regular day's work 

 commences, lasting without intermission till six o'clock in the evening. As a favor 

 a man can get excused from working a day in a month. For this work he gets 

 little less than half a real, five cents, a day; not in money but in necessaries {So- 

 corro), which are maize, barley, etc. This he receives whenever he applies for it, 

 and at the end of the year the balance is made, which nearly always proves to be in 

 favor of the owner of the hacienda. In very rare instances a balance of three or 

 four reals is in favor of the laborer. If he gets his meals, one in the morning and 

 the other at night, from the hacienda, he gets no pay. His wife and children are 

 likewise compelled to assist in weeding and other such work ; for this they get no 

 remuneration whatever. The women have besides to milk the cows, for which 

 they get a New-year's present of four reals, mostly in the shape of cotton goods. 

 The laborers are allowed to keep animals, such as cows or horses. For the pasture 

 of each head he gives two days' wages in every week. Besides this the laborers 

 have to pay the tenth part of all they raise as dlezmo; half for the church and 



