PREFACE 
cluded, besides Dr. Redfield, Drs. A. V. Kidder, 
Oliver Ricketson, Sol Tax, and Robert and Ledyard 
Smith. During 1935-36 we worked in the Lake 
Atitlan area at the same time as the Taxes and I 
was able to get the ethnologist’s point of view and 
observe his field methods. The importance of the 
ethnological approach in cultural geography cannot 
be overemphasized. All too frequently the geographer 
is prone to regard the inhabitants of a region as just 
so many clusters of dots on the map, and to discuss 
them as he would the plant cover. Dr. Tax lent 
me several of his preliminary field reports and 
critically read my manuscript. Dr. Kidder likewise 
read certain cultural portions of the dissertation. I 
am grateful for their helpful suggestions. 
Dr. Lila M. O’Neale, chairman of the Department 
of Decorative Art, University of California, and a 
leading expert on the native textiles of Peru and 
Guatemala, read the sections of the report dealing 
with weaving and textiles. She accompanied us on 
many of our field trips in Guatemala in 1936, when 
she was making a study for the Carnegie Institution, 
and provided valuable technical information concern- 
ing weaving and related crafts. 
During 1940 and 1941, in Huehuetenango and 
Quezaltenango, we spent several weeks at the same 
pension with Dr. Paul C. Standley, of the Field 
Museum of Natural History. Having written stand- 
ard reference books on the flora of nearly every other 
Central American country, he was making collections 
and observations for his work on the plants of Guate- 
mala. Dr. Standley’s suggestions both in conversa- 
tions and in connection with reading the sections 
of my manuscript dealing with useful plants were 
most valuable. Mr. B. Y. Morrison, of the United 
States Department of Agriculture, read the sections 
concerning crops and agriculture, and I am grateful 
for his comments and criticisms. 
In the preparation of base maps, I found the 
American Geographical Society Millionth Map, 
Ciudad Guatemala Sheet, especially useful. In 1937 
I made a pantograph enlargement of it on a scale 
of 1: 500,000, incorporating a few revisions and cor- 
rections based on field observations, especially for 
the Lake Atitlan region, and adding symbols to 
show the approximate numbers of Ladinos and 
Indians in each community according to the 1921 
census. 
For certain items of equipment, including a 
1: 48,000 scale, essential to my work of mapping 
Lake Atitlan with a Brunton compass in August 
XIV 
1936, I am indebted to American members of the 
Guatemala-Honduras Boundary Survey Commis- 
sion (Comisién Tecnica de Demarcacién de la - 
Frontera entre Guatemala y Honduras). These 
included especially Mr. Sidney H. Birdseye, director, 
and Mr. David Lindquist, who were mapping the 
boundary by means of aerial photography. 
Sefor Don Moisés Rivera, of Panajachel, owner 
of Hotel Tzanjuytit and several fincas and other 
properties on Lake Atitlan, gave us ample quarters 
for our own housekeeping in his large coffee planta- 
tion house at San Buenaventura, Panajachel. We 
made our headquarters and operational base here for 
several months during 1936. He furnished us - 
with a small outboard motorboat in which I was 
able to traverse nearly every part of the deep 
and treacherous lake. Without this assistance it 
would have been impossible for me to make a satis- 
factory map of the entire area in the short time 
available. Senor Rivera also provided us with rooms 
in his rum warehouse at Santiago Atitlan, where we 
lived for 16 days during September 1936. 
Other coffee planters who were especially hos- 
pitable and helpful were Mr. and Mrs. Gordon 
Smith, Finca Moca, the Donald Hodgsdons, Finca 
Pacayal, and Mr. and Mrs. A. H. Buxton, Finca 
Santa Adela, where we made headquarters for 
several weeks during our sojourn in the Lowlands in 
1936. 
In the Indian country of the Highlands, we en- 
joyed the kind hospitality and friendly cooperation of 
the late Padre Ildefonso Rossbach, of Chichicaste- 
nango, the late Padre Carlos Knittel and his late 
sister, Maria, of San Francisco al Alto, and Padre 
Francisco Knittel, of Momostenango. 
Through the courtesy of Dr. Rudolph Matas, 
noted New Orleans surgeon, who wrote letters for 
us to his good friends in Guatemala City, we had the 
privilege and pleasure of meeting Drs. Mario J. 
Wunderlich and J. M. Fiallos and their families. To 
them we are indebted for many kindnesses; they did 
much toward making us feel so completely at home 
in Guatemala. 
Other special friends in Guatemala City who went 
out of their way in our behalf were Mr. Deane Wells, 
formerly of the United States Consulate, Mrs. Lilly 
de Jongh Osborne, and Mr. Peter Clark Wilson. 
Several Government officials in Guatemala proved 
to be almost indispensable to the success of our field 
work. As Director of Roads, General Miguel 
Ydigoras Fuentes in 1940 gave us information, maps, 
