THE MODERN INHABITANTS. 131 



demoustnition of ^nci for the dead, yet the faiiiHy *s soon coiuforted, 

 tii'iiily believing- in the iniuiortality of the soul and of the ultimate 

 happiness of the departed. The body is accompanied to the church 

 and to the cemetery by the men, who go on foot, the women remaining 

 at home. As a rule the coffin is carried b}^ four bearers, four others 

 walking |)ehind them to relieve them. At the cemeterv the bodv is 

 either placed in a boveda, or vault, the entrance to which is closed Ijy 

 a stone and sealed with mortar, or it is buried in consecrated ground. 

 Usually the niche in the })oveda is rented for a certain period of time, 

 at the expiration of which the bones are removed and ))uried. 



Sports and pastimes. — Sunday is observed ])y all as a holiday. 

 Nearly everybody attends mass in the morning. Before the arrival 

 of the Americans it was customary to have cockfights in the after- 

 noon, and the government received a regular income for its share of 

 the receipts of the cockpit. Sunda}' cockfights were abolished b}^ 

 a general order of the governor, and thus a check was given to the 

 passion of gambling, which with some of the natives amounted to a 

 vice. The natives have no other sports except hunting for deer with 

 dogs and guns. The boys amuse themselves with various games of 

 Philippine origin. Kiteflying is popular, especiall}" in the trade-wind 

 season. In this sport some of them are experts, causing their kites to 

 fight one another in the air, like fighting cocks. 



INDUSTRIAL SYSTEM. 



Manner of securing livelihood. — The people of Guam are essen- 

 tialh" agricultural. There are few masters and few servants on the 

 island. As a rule the farms are not too extensive to be cultivated by 

 the family, all of whom, even the little children, lend a hand. Often 

 the owners of neighboring farms work together in communal fashion, 

 one day on A's corn, the next on B's, and so on, laughing, singing, and 

 skylarking" at their work, and stopping whenever they feel so inclined 

 to take a drink of tuba from a bamboo vessel hanging to a neighbor- 

 ing coconut tree. Each does his share without constraint, nor will he 

 indulge so freel}" in tuba as to incapacitate himself for work; for 

 experience has taught the necessity of temperance, and eveiyone must 

 do his share if the services ^re to be reciprocal. In the evening they 

 separate, each going to his own rancho to feed his bullock, pigs, and 

 chickens. After a good supper they lie down for the night on a 

 pandanus mat spread over an elastic platform of split bamboo. 



None of the natives depends for his livelihood on his handiwork or 

 on trade alone. There are men who can make shoes, tan leather, and 

 cut stone for building purposes; but such a thing as a Chamorro 

 shoemaker, tanner, stone mason, or merchant, who supports his family 

 by his trade hi unknown. In the midst of building a stone wall the 

 man who has consented to help do tiie work will probably sa}^: " Excuse 

 me, Seiior, but I must go to my rancho for three or four days; the 



